Did MS just kill the Windows oem market ?

the core Windows 8 looks to be a rockin’ OS, but layered with awkward Metro weirdness...

...a big middle finger pointed straight at the likes of Acer, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and all the other nice little companies who’ve — you know — paid Microsoft’s freight all these long years.


Quite honestly, this is as baffling as New Coke was to Coca Cola consumers worldwide.

I do wonder whether they can sustain shooting themselves in the foot too many times before we wind up in a self-inflicted post-PC world.

Okay, let me get this straight. Did Microsoft just kill the Windows tablet OEM market? | ZDNet

 

[SIW2]

Maybe a lot of people don't need "better" - a console is "good enough".

 

[lehnerus2000]

Maybe a lot of people don't need "better" - a console is "good enough".

That's is possible (just like tablets).

OTOH, maybe it's like SSDs (they don't know what they're missing).

 

[R0bR]

Most articles I read say that consoles are underpowered pieces of junk, compared to PCs.

Anyone that puts it that way has no clue what they are talking about. Show me a PC that you can build or buy for $199 that can equal what you get from an Xbox 360 as far as graphics and performance. Better yet, try selling a console with the specs of a decent gaming rig at the same price point as that gaming rig. Good luck. Maybe the guys that write these articles should spend less time playing games and more time studying economics so they don't sound like idiots.

 

[Tepid]

Most articles I read say that consoles are underpowered pieces of junk, compared to PCs.

Anyone that puts it that way has no clue what they are talking about. Show me a PC that you can build or buy for $199 that can equal what you get from an Xbox 360 as far as graphics and performance. Better yet, try selling a console with the specs of a decent gaming rig at the same price point as that gaming rig. Good luck. Maybe the guys that write these articles should spend less time playing games and more time studying economics so they don't sound like idiots.

That's all well and good. But, if you want an over all computing experience, Desktop is the only way to go.
Weather that is Gaming or work. Gamin is far superior on a desktop, this is a far reaching well known fact, you can not get the same experience with most games on a console,(however, there are a few exceptions,, Racing, platformers, some other games) when it comes to real mouse control needed for any game, PC out shines any console/joypad any day.

When it comes to work? Oh, bummer, that's right, can't do that on a smart tv or console. Too bad.
But you can stream all the same content to a TV from a PC.

Spend the extra money on a good Desktop and skip the console, most people are much happier when they experience the joy of gaming and real game modding of PC's games.

But for work? Tablet's, Laptops, Desktop, doesn't matter, they are all perfectly fine to use for work alone.

 

[Coke Robot]

I agree, desktop gaming is the only way to go, to an extent. Yes, a desktop PC is capable of doing pretty much anything other devices can do in one. VoIP, Skype, Office, and of course gaming and video along with music playback. I can even play PS2 games on my puter.

Now, my problem is console exclusive games. The only reason I'm personally considering buying a used Xbox 360 is to play the upcoming Halo game along with the previous releases. And there is Forza Motorsport. If a legitatmite 360 emulator was released, I'd be a happy camper.

 

[lehnerus2000]

PC Gamers

Maybe the guys that write these articles should spend less time playing games and more time studying economics so they don't sound like idiots.

It's a matter of historical fact that better generally equates to more expensive.

Anecdote:
A few years ago my friend upgraded his PC.
Whilst he was in the queue, he noticed that the "kid" in front of him spent more on his graphics card, than he was spending on his entire upgrade (and my friend doesn't buy junk).

I suspect that:

• As a group, PC Gamers spend more on their machines than any other group.
• They are responsible for pushing PC component development.

Do you really need twin graphics cards and overclocked CPUs to run Word?

Now, my problem is console exclusive games.

The real reason for "console exclusive" games is to force people to buy consoles.

 

[Coke Robot]

Maybe the guys that write these articles should spend less time playing games and more time studying economics so they don't sound like idiots.

It's a matter of historical fact that better generally equates to more expensive.

Anecdote:
A few years ago my friend upgraded his PC.
Whilst he was in the queue, he noticed that the "kid" in front of him spent more on his graphics card, than he was spending on his entire upgrade (and my friend doesn't buy junk).

I suspect that:

• As a group, PC Gamers spend more on their machines than any other group.
• They are responsible for pushing PC component development.

Do you really need twin graphics cards and overclocked CPUs to run Word?

Now, my problem is console exclusive games.

The real reason for "console exclusive" games is to force people to buy consoles.

Oh yeah!! This is absolutely true. If it weren't for gamers and even the enterprise/server space, technological innovation would flat line! Just flat line! A hard core PC gamer will throw wads of cash for the latest hardware. I know a friend who knows a guy that is an IT manager at a hospital and is a PC gamer I believe, he literally rebuilds his system roughly 6-12 months and just gives his old parts away free.

I'm a PC gamer, but not hugely hardcore. And I plan on spending about over $1,000 on my new system, and this isn't including my RAID-5 array. My excuse is to future proof for at least 5 years, with the exception of an AMD APU upgrade maybe every year, especially next summer. That, and I am partially rebuilding so I can just run Grand Theft Automobile 5 in lucious silky smooth quality.




And that's what grinds my gears about console exclusitivity. Just for a few games too...

 

[Tepid]

Anecdote:
A few years ago my friend upgraded his PC.
Whilst he was in the queue, he noticed that the "kid" in front of him spent more on his graphics card, than he was spending on his entire upgrade (and my friend doesn't buy junk).

Depending on the specs of the other parts, this is generally the way to go on a build, he probably made the right decision.

I confess i also own an xbox, and I do use it for things like Netflix and Assassins Creed, Red Dead Redemption, and a couple others. I also have Kinect that I have played with a bit and is fun, but wears my old a$$ out.

But my main gaming system is PC.

I guess my point is, not every game needs, nor should have a Console port or vice versa. Some games are meant to be played on PC only. The problem is, people buy it on console and then realize that the PC version is better and buy that also. Or, they figure it's just what I want to play it on and they don't realize what they are missing (namely the very young or casual player that doesn't know better, and yes, that is an elitist attitude, but I'm not wrong.).

Sorry, i know, I got a bit off topic.

Back on Topic,,,,

No, MS did not kill the OEM market (such an absolutely absurd statement by the OEM's it is very difficult to know where to begin flaming them). they will be just fine.

 

[R0bR]

Maybe the guys that write these articles should spend less time playing games and more time studying economics so they don't sound like idiots.

It's a matter of historical fact that better generally equates to more expensive.

The point I was making is that the people that write these articles shouldn't be comparing the graphics and performance between a $200 console and a $1000+ gaming rig.

 

[lehnerus2000]

It's a matter of historical fact that better generally equates to more expensive.

The point I was making is that the people that write these articles shouldn't be comparing the graphics and performance between a $200 console and a $1000+ gaming rig.

Ok that's fair enough (a $200 PC can't match a $200 console).

However that's sort of like saying you can't compare a 60" TV to a 20" TV, because the 20" is cheaper.

 

[pparks1]

I enjoy gaming on both my consoles and pc. I do prefer 360 games over PS3 games...I think mostly because I like the controller better.

No doubt, pc game s often better looking and more immersive. But cost is higher by a least 3x and more effort (drivers, patches, system maintenance).

I like fact that wth no effort on my part, I can just buy new 360 game and use it. No concerns about system requirements. It hooks up to my big tv, and is there for home family to see and use.
Nobody will say anything which can change my mind. I use and like both. It works for me.

 

[Vertex]

If what gamers do is do is game, where the heck do they get all that money to build those monster rigs?

I wish I had that kind of money. I'm not a hardcore gamer but I too hope that I have such a monster rig that I could use for all purposes, browsing, music playback, gaming, coding, designing, picture editing, document writing and publishing and TV watching. I could even bet that I had the lowest-end machine among the last 10 people who posted here

Yet I probably put more "creative usefulness" into my machine than most of those hard-core gamers with rigs up to 10 times the worth of my machine.

By the way, maybe I should crunch some time with my old version of Grand Theft Auto that needed lower specs.

 

[pparks1]

Gamers live in their parents basements..so their monthly bills are much lower than other people. And since they often don't have girlfriends/wives..they usually don't have kids either.

 

[lehnerus2000]

30+

Gamers live in their parents basements..so their monthly bills are much lower than other people. And since they often don't have girlfriends/wives..they usually don't have kids either.

That's a media stereotype.
Studies constantly show that the average age of gamers is 30+ (and rising).
I don't know what they show about the marital status of gamers though.

It's only after years of battling that Australia has recently got an "R-rating" for games.
One of the "arguments" by the opponents of the rating was "Kiddies don't need R-rated games."

If what gamers do is do is game, where the heck do they get all that money to build those monster rigs?

Maybe they don't spend their money on iPhones.

Some "clown" was complaining that he spent $1000 on an iPhone5 and it was inferior to his iPhone4.
iPhone 5 problems - Yahoo!7 News

 

[Coke Robot]

If what gamers do is do is game, where the heck do they get all that money to build those monster rigs?

Maybe they don't spend their money on iPhones.

Some "clown" was complaining that he spent $1000 on an iPhone5 and it was inferior to his iPhone4.
iPhone 5 problems - Yahoo!7 News

Good Lord, seriously don't get why anyone in their right mind would pay over 1,000 dollars for a phone. Honestly, a couple more hundred dollars, that will be the final price of my new puter rebuild, and that's including 16 gigs of RAM and a 240 gig SSD on the PCI-E x4 interface.

Inflation and value are two interesting concepts...

 

[Coke Robot]

If what gamers do is do is game, where the heck do they get all that money to build those monster rigs?

I wish I had that kind of money. I'm not a hardcore gamer but I too hope that I have such a monster rig that I could use for all purposes, browsing, music playback, gaming, coding, designing, picture editing, document writing and publishing and TV watching. I could even bet that I had the lowest-end machine among the last 10 people who posted here

Yet I probably put more "creative usefulness" into my machine than most of those hard-core gamers with rigs up to 10 times the worth of my machine.

By the way, maybe I should crunch some time with my old version of Grand Theft Auto that needed lower specs.

Don't feel too bad about your puter, I'm rocking a dual core AMD Athlon and use integrated graphics!

I was able to play Grand Theft Automobile 4 at low end settings pretty decently enough, but not good enough for GTA 5! Good golly those screenshots look gorgeous and DEFINTELY have to be on the PC version. No current console could possibly do that.

 

[Coke Robot]

It's a matter of historical fact that better generally equates to more expensive.

The point I was making is that the people that write these articles shouldn't be comparing the graphics and performance between a $200 console and a $1000+ gaming rig.

Ok that's fair enough (a $200 PC can't match a $200 console).

However that's sort of like saying you can't compare a 60" TV to a 20" TV, because the 20" is cheaper.

I've once read that Microsoft sells the Xbox at almost a loss, I'm not sure if it the price is the actual cost to build it or if it is genuinely sold as a loss. They make up it up through Xbox Live subscriptions and those related goodies. But then again, if the Xbox was 300 dollars, a 300 dollar PC doesn't hold its liquor.

Now if that PC was 500 dollars and was rocking the latest AMD A10 APU, now we'd be talking.

 

[Tepid]

Wow, yeah, just looked at GTA5, and if those graphics are real, then, ok.
I will reserve judgement on the game as a whole, i didn't really like GTA4 that much.
But, if it pans out, definitely will be getting on PC.

 

[lehnerus2000]

I've once read that Microsoft sells the Xbox at almost a loss, I'm not sure if it the price is the actual cost to build it or if it is genuinely sold as a loss. They make up it up through Xbox Live subscriptions and those related goodies.

I've read that too (quite a few times).

 

[Coke Robot]

Wow, yeah, just looked at GTA5, and if those graphics are real, then, ok.
I will reserve judgement on the game as a whole, i didn't really like GTA4 that much.
But, if it pans out, definitely will be getting on PC.

I've read about some of the rumored story line to the game, and it sounds pretty awesome. It might also have you play different characters that all have intertwining stories. I read that the main character is I believe a mildly crocked LA cop looking to get away from it all. Overall, the story and plot seem to be WAY better than GTA 4.

I personally liked GTA 4 as it was New York City based and I love New York. It had awesome graphics EVER in a GTA game and the realism of it was pretty cool. Gaming wise, it got a tad monotonous as you always drive people around, but the story I found to be OK. It wasn't hugely potent, but at the end, it dawns on you what the message of the plot is. It's a tad pessimistic about the American Dream....