Windows encounters 9 major threats Apple's iPad list is famous

According to the US technology blog Business Insider published an article, Microsoft's Windows business has been threatened by other companies' 9 major businesses, including Apple's iPad and Mac OS operating system.

The following is the Business Insider article in full:

Microsoft's Windows business now looks better than its previous glory days of decline a lot, because many consumers because of economic reasons to postpone the The PC purchase plan or the iPad was chosen as a replacement.

Earlier this week, market research firm Gartner cut its PC sales growth forecast for the third time this year. PC makers Acer and HP are suffering or considering exiting the PC business. With reference to revenues in the past two quarters, Microsoft Windows revenue will continue to shrink. The iPad currently accounts for 11% of the PC market.

At the BUILD conference next week, Microsoft will disclose more Windows 8 system information. The system is believed to be able to repel the iPad and consolidate the status of Windows' first operating system, but outsiders question whether Microsoft can get out of trouble.

Maybe, after all, Windows has encountered many threats before, but it will eventually survive. Here are the top 9 threats Microsoft Windows has encountered:

1. Apple Mac OS

Before Windows became mainstream, Apple was the first to introduce a Mac with a full-featured graphical user interface system. Apple introduced the Mac in 1984, and it took six years to win the consumer PC market, but Microsoft responded to Apple in 1990 by releasing Windows 3.0.

Microsoft has since made several smart moves to get Apple Mac into trouble. Microsoft widely licenses MS-DOS systems and makes it compatible with a variety of hardware devices, and keeps the market competitive at a low price. Microsoft also has a strong developer team to ensure development of applications for DOS and Windows.

At the same time, Apple lost Steve Jobs in 1985; Steve Jobs, Apple also fell into a long recession, until Steve Jobs returned more than a decade later, Apple turned around.

2.IBM OS/2

Microsoft and IBM jointly developed the DOS OS/2 operating system and released the first system version in 1987 through IBM's exclusive channel. But Microsoft was also developing Windows at the time, and the two companies gradually parted ways.

In 1992, IBM claimed that OS/2 was better and faster than Windows 3.0. It could run two applications at the same time, with a true 32-bit API (application programming interface). But Microsoft's first move on Windows 3.0 allowed them to win a loyal group of developers, consumers and partners that IBM couldn't beat. Moreover, OS/2 is also hit hard by the problems that occur when running simulated DOS applications. Windows 95, which became the industry standard in the future, makes IBM's system unsustainable.

IBM finally stopped OS/2 system development.

3.Magic Cap Laptop

General Magic is an Apple internal special project and relies on investments from companies such as Motorola, Sony, and AT&T. General Magic's portable computer design is very advanced. It uses an operating system called Magic Cap, and most of its functions depend on the network.

A batch of Magic Cap devices was launched in 1994, and Gates was very worried about the product in a memorandum of the famous Internet Tidal Wave, which was written in 1995.

At the same time, Apple introduced the Newton Pocket PC and sued General Magic for stealing its design philosophy. Although the Newton product eventually failed, it has handwriting recognition, but the Magic Cap device does not, which makes the latter design look very outdated. Moreover, the mobile operator's support for Magic Cap devices is slow, which makes the Magic Cap devices available at the time of sale without network applications, only local applications with poor functionality.

General Magic is ultimately unsustainable, and Microsoft invested in it and acquired the latter's intellectual property in 1998.

4.Java

Sun Microsystems Java was originally designed to provide a lightweight platform for low-end mobile devices, but in the early 1990s, Java became a programming language for any computer application. And get the title of "write once, run anywhere" as soon as it is written, and Microsoft Windows is uncompetitive in this respect.

Microsoft subsequently provided a modified version of Java for Windows. Sun Microsystems believes that Microsoft's move is to separate the Java community. The two companies subsequently conducted a large-scale lawsuit and finally reached a settlement. Microsoft turned to Sun. Microsystems paid $1.6 billion in damages and obtained the latter’s patent license.

Oracle is also using Java to make trouble with Google. To some extent, Java is still a threat to Windows.

5. Netscape Browser

Microsoft completely ignored the importance of the Internet in the early days, making the Netscape browser the default Internet browser for users. The threat Microsoft faces is that developers will develop web standards for Netscape browsers, not Windows.

Gates discovered this problem in time and made all its products fully accessible to the Internet market, including the integration of Internet Explorer into Windows, which gave birth to the two major markets in the US and Europe. Antitrust case.

Subsequently, Netscape was acquired by AOl, and the Netscape browser began to decline. By 2001, IE's market share exceeded 90%, which also led Microsoft to redefine some web standards, and developers had to develop web standards for IE.

6. Open Linux

Linux may become the next popular operating system because you can't limit freedom. But Linux is too complex to provide enough applications for most mainstream and commercial users.

Linux is more popular in servers and embedded devices and forms the basis of the Android system. But users prefer Windows because it's easy to use and offers a wide range of applications and hardware compatibility.

7.Sony PlayStation

Ken Kutaragi, former head of Sony's hosting business, made it clear that Sony wants to make PlayStation (hereinafter referred to as “PS”” a consumer PC replacement. He said: "In the next few years, there will be a new world based on PS 2. Now that PCs are booming, PS 2 will provide a completely different computing environment.

Subsequently, Microsoft released the Xbox console, which is one year longer than the PS2 night market. However, Microsoft's successor Xbox 360 launched in 2005 is a full year than the PS3 morning market, and in the future, Xbox Live and Kinect will be launched. Sony has only the power to fight.

Sony's PS business has been in trouble since this century, and Kutaragi has also resigned in 2007.

8.AOL

It may be hard to believe now that Gates and Microsoft have regarded AOL as the biggest threat and invested billions of dollars in building MSN business. Microsoft believes that users will use AOL's services after purchasing Windows, and all calculations will be based on AOL services, including sending emails, instant messages and applications.

But AOL's fee-based service was eventually defeated by Yahoo, Google and other free services provided by the ad-support model. Microsoft also quickly changed the positioning of MSN.

AOL's last acquisition of Time Warner began to rebuild itself until today.

9.iPad

The iPad is eroding PC sales every quarter.

Last quarter, the iPad accounted for 11% of PC sales, so don't forget that it only went on the market for more than a year.

Microsoft is currently betting on Win 8 to offset the iPad's threat and ensure Windows' dominance. Can Microsoft integrate PC and tablet systems into Win 8, and we will get more information at Microsoft's BUILD Developer Conference next week.