This has got to be one of the best quotes I’ve read on Windows 8’s new “Metro” user interface (UI). Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said that Windows 8 would be like combining a toaster and a fridge – something that, while technically possible, was “probably not going to be pleasing to the user”.
In my playing around with Windows 8 the UI certainly is nice for a tablet (although my preferences are Blackberry Playbook, Android 4.x, Apple iOS and Windows 8) but for a desktop machine – no. Desktop knowledge workings won’t be reaching out to the screen to select, etc., – that is why we have keyboards and mice/trackpads – unless we want humans to start looking like orangutans (picture: really long arms). And no, desktops are not in a death spiral like many pundits indicate. While the market is stagnant or slightly declining could you see an office administration professional trying to type letters on a tablet (or any serious management professional, for that matter)? No, the tablet market is growing because people are moving to devices that they need to really consume information or provide very mobile, forced-choice input – tablets. I have a number of tablets (Playbook, Asus Transformer and iPad) but for serious work I go back to my laptop. And, for gaming I am back to my desktop.
About Mike Pelley
Let’s see… A little about me…
I’ve been around information technology since 1983 with computers such as DEC Rainbows (weird machine – the standard DOS couldn’t format its own floppy disks – remember them? – and I had to format them on a friend’s IBM PC) to Radio Shack TRS-80 to Apple ][e and Apple //c in the beginning.
I have programmed in 8-bit assembly language on 6502, FORTRAN and COBOL on IBM System/370 (and I still hate JCL), VAX BASIC and COBOL (and a weird and massive WordPerfect 4.0 macro) on DEC VMS (Alpha), C/C++ on Digital Unix (ALPHA), and C/C++, Perl (it may be powerful but I still hate it), PHP on Linux (Red Hat, Centos, Ubuntu, etc.).
I have work with databases such as Digital RDB (later to become Oracle RDB), Oracle DBMS, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL on VAX, Alpha, Sun and Intel.
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn. See http://lnkd.in/nhTRZe
I still think that Digital created some of the best ideas in the world: VAX clustering, DSSI disks (forerunner to SCSI) and the Alpha processor (first commercial 64-bit processor – Red Hat screamed on an Alpha!). DEC just could not seem to be able to give air conditioners away to someone lost in the Sahara Desert!
VMware is one of the best ways to get the most out of an x64 server. And I have tried Oracle VM, Virtual Box and Microsoft Virtual Server.
Outside of that I am a huge military history buff starting in the early 20th century. I love Ford Mustangs (my ’87 Mustang GT was awesome) and if I had the money I would have a Porsche 928S4. If I had a lot of money I would have a Porsche 911 Turbo.
I also play too much AmrA 3 Exile mod. Over 5,000+ hours...
I have a wonderful son, Cameron. I have a long suffering (Do you really need all that computer junk?) wife, Paula. I live in Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador.
