Windows 8 Second-Thoughts

Mary Jo Foley just realized that there might be a flaw in Microsoft's Windows 8 strategy.

Why 'Windows 8' Isn't What I Thought It Would Be:

Like many Windows Phone users, I thought a tablet running the Windows Phone OS would be a home run. After seeing a few early demos, I assumed this was what "Windows 8" would give me, and I was raring to put my iPad on eBay and jump on the Windows 8 bandwagon.

But it turns out Windows 8 isn't Windows Phone on a tablet; it's the Windows Phone interface on top of Windows on a tablet. By trying to be all things to all people, Microsoft is running the risk of pleasing no one at all.

Microsoft basically had two OS options going into the next-generation tablet race: existing Windows (retrofit with a touch-centric UI) or the Windows Phone OS. It went with the former -- the "safe" choice, but not necessarily the right one.