>Well I for one do not think that consumers will buy into it. And I predict that Windows 8 will only have moderate success, while Windows 9 will be a total failure, just like Win Me and Windows Vista before it
Perhaps Windows 8 and 9 may fail due to a multitude of reasons, but I don't think the inclusion of the app store from where one can safely download applications will be even a small reason for it. If anything, consumers will love it for that reason.
I'm not talking about the inclusion of an app store. I'm talking about the trend to make that app store the only distribution channel available.
iOS may have been a success, but that's only because it's good at what it does and because people don't need it to do much. Prior to smartphones, a phone was only good for making calls. And with tablets it's all good as long as it has a browser and some freebies.
The elephant in the room that nobody is talking about when speaking about closed platforms is ... piracy. Take away the ability of people to pirate stuff on their PC, and you'll see what I'm talking about.
I agree. Piracy and porn and a long tail of other things. But I fear that 99% of the money to be made on software for consumers will be in the locked down part of the world. People who pay for stuff can be easily intimidated because they have something to lose.
" I'm talking about the trend to make that app store the only distribution channel available."
Indeed. I think Microsoft is retreating into an echo chamber. By making the app store the only practical way to distribute products, Microsoft is missing all the wild things that might catch on if they would only let them alone.
Perhaps Windows 8 and 9 may fail due to a multitude of reasons, but I don't think the inclusion of the app store from where one can safely download applications will be even a small reason for it. If anything, consumers will love it for that reason.