Apples vs. Oranges vs. Jelly Bean

How many computers are in your home?  After a quick search on the web, I found that the average number of computers in the American home has increased from 2009’s numbers of 75% having 1-2 computers to 86% having two or more for 2012.  I believe portable devices such as smart phones and tablets have kept it down to that amount vs. each individual in the home demanding one each.  I live in a techie family.  Yes, just counting me, I am the proud owner of two laptops, a client laptop, a tablet and a smart phone.  Each of the kids have their own desktops and the older two also have laptops.  We add Tim’s into this mix and we are up to 11 pc’s in this house for five people.  That is not counting the portable devices, keep in mind!

I love my tablet, a seven inch Android Google Nexus that goes with me everywhere.  My Android smartphone never leaves my sight.  It is my life-line to work, can be used as a hotspot if no other is available and a brand new “downgrade” due to my tablet, to a Samsung Galaxy SIII mini, (yes, I said I went to the mini…)  I take my 11.6 inch ASUS Zenbook with me when I present, as the 2.4lb weight, full feature ultrabook makes a huge difference when traveling.  I love the keyboard on my 15 inch ASUS I-7 laptop for day to day work from home.  It is my work pc and it’s what I’m typing on right now.  Windows 7 is on all my pcs and as is, supports my day to day work well.

At no time, have I ever requested my tablet, my smartphone and my computers to have the same operating system.

As a single consumer of computer electronics, I do some pretty good consuming.  I buy at least two pc’s a year, rarely upgrade existing equipment and simply want what is needed to take care of the company I work for, my clients and my family.  My tablet and smartphone history have been content and satsified with Android.  I have no complaints about the products- they quite simply rock, both Samsung and ASUS.  When PC’s first demanded we upgrade to Windows 7, I had some issues.  Missing drivers, incompatibility issues that weren’t cured by changing compatibility modes, etc., but I survived.  Now Windows 8 is upon us.  I’ve worked with it a little bit and it is beyond me who at Microsoft thought this was a great idea.  That the smartphone, tablet and workstation OS must all be the same OS.  Everything is going cloud-  yeah, yeah, I know.  Trust me, I’ve heard, but what I use my laptops for are completely different than what I use my tablet and smartphone for.  I do want them to share files and apps, (that’s what applications and dropbox are for…)  I don’t need them to have the SAME operating system.

It’s not just the interface OS that is the same.  Under the covers, it is ALL attempting to be the same.  For someone like myself, who spends hours at the keyboard, I have no interest in the chicklet style keyboard present on most new laptops for serious typing sessions.  The consistent need for a command line interface and tools that often do not keep up with the “latest” in OS versions, well, this need to force those purchasing a new system to upgrade is ridiculous.  I have no desire to learn Windows 8.  I’m comfortable with Windows 7 and Droid, so what does this mean for me as a consumer?

Yes, my next computer will most likely be a Mac.  I’ve never had anything against Apple, love their products and what they offer, but I have always been a Windows person for my pc’s and a droid person for my second products.  I don’t see me leaving for an IPad or IPhone, but for my computer, I’ve been alienated by an OS that does not suit my professional needs and demands that I once again leave my OS comfort zone to learn a new interface.  I dislike the results of this little OS experiment.  I believe consistent, varied product and interface choices are what motivates technology to continue to improve and mature, but the monopoly methodology of “we control tightly with Mac” had kept me from finding it the right product for me and now I find Microsoft’s “all OS’ must be the same” to be worse than the former.  Apple at least recognizes the unique utilization of different hardware in a person’s daily life.

I’m sure others have already stated their own frustration with the “OS must be the same for all products” line that Microsoft has headed into.  Use the right tool for the job, I say and Windows 8 is not going to cut it for my daily work routine.  I really loved oranges, too.