Can Microsoft even create a touch-first operating system, or even a touch-first version of Windows?

Over the past several months, I have been subjected to several news reports about the Microsoft Surface Duo 2, the ‘lost’ Microsoft Windows Version S operating, the new Surface devices, and quite happily, the magnificent Windows 11.

I also use the iPad as a tablet. Daily.

What does that have to do with anything?

Plenty.

While the Surface line really shows off their hybrid chops, they aren’t touch-first devices like the iPad is.

Resultantly, they cannot be used as pure tablets, and that’s a darned shame! Because, into this breech steps the iPad, which is a very good media consumption device. Only.

Which does everything well in that realm, as long as you desire to live in Apple’s walled garden.

I don’t.

I don’t want anything Android either. Ever!

I just want a Microsoft touch-first, preferably windows-based operating system for all my Surface tablets.

So that I can ditch the keyboard and the mouse.

That can’t too much to ask now, can it?

© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited

Follow @johnobeto

---

The Circle of Trust

Every day, we entrust our private and professional lives in these United States, and for most of the world actually, to basically these 6 companies, namely Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft and Starbucks. To a lesser extent, Snapchat, and Twitter. I have to add Uber and AirBnB as well. Facebook’s Instagram and WhatsApp will also be talked about under Facebook, as would YouTube under Google.

We do so mostly willingly, but mostly because of some vestigial connections still using that specific service or resource.

However, are these companies deserving of our trust, and our business, at all? Are they practitioners of ethical computing? Is our data safe with them? Can they be trusted in the future?

Over a series of blog posts, I will give you my thoughts on the firms listed above, and why I either have increased, stagnant, decreased, or zero engagement with them.

Believe me, some of these companies are not, and will NEVER be, in my Circle of Trust!

© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited

Follow @johnobeto

Evolving AbsolutelyWindows....

This is the evolution of AbsolutelyWindows.

We started by talking about small business computing using NetWare for file-and-print services. For which we sent out a mailed newsletter.

Called The Interlocutor.

(The Interlocutor is still published today, as a monthly electronic newsletter.)

And we stopped using NetWare in favor of Windows Server as our only recommended file server. We also standardized on the Windows client.

The focus on Microsoft, and specifically, Windows led to blogging about, what else, Windows.

Blogging initially as John On Technology, which split into AbsoluteVista, for the Windows client, and SmallBizWindows for SMB technologies using Microsoft Windows. We re-consolidated both into AbsolutelyWindows.

Now, as Microsoft has moved away from orbiting Windows, so must I.

AbsolutelyWindows has now morphed into AbsolutelJohn.

The circle, is complete!

Discussions about business, SMB computing, technology, space and aerospace, my much beloved Los Angeles Lakers, Formula One, and beautiful timepieces, will come back to fore.

I am hoping to get Horologigrafica to write periodically about watches.

Oh, I shall still discuss the entire Microsoft stack, never fear.

You have been warned.

Let’s do this!

© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited

Follow @johnobeto

Will Skype 8.0 save the franchise?

Is Skype 8.0 going to be the resurrection of the Skype franchise?

The lack of traction for Skype so far during Microsoft’s ownership is rather pitiful.

From being the communications app for most of the world, across both industrialized and emerging nations, Skype has become largely forgotten.

In the interim, WhatsApp has conquered all.

To an outsider like me, the faults came down to a few things: unnecessary tedious onboarding, a hard-to-use UI, a craptastic user experience, and a seemingly user-unfriendly stance from Microsoft. Making international calls, a hallmark of Skype, became a severe chore!

To crown it all, further development on Skype visibly stopped. New features introduced into competing products weren’t even publicly roadmapped!

How bad was it?

Well, WhatsApp went from nowhere to being neck-and-neck with Skype for a minute, and now being in excess of 1 billion global users.

As for Skype, the last time user numbers were made known, it was at 300 million users. Back in 2016.

What makes this more infuriating, is that Microsoft is a well regarded company that is universally trusted to not abuse customer PIIs and data.

In these days of just-1% slightly-greater-than-1% user privacy awareness, I am pretty sure Microsoft can recapture, or at least, capture, a few tens of million new users if they keep their eyes on the prize.

Sadly, I’m not optimistic.

© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited

Follow @johnobeto

Google allows 3rd-party humans to read your email

This is bad. Very bad.

Like ELE-level bad!

Think about it:

Your startup, with all your best ideas and innovations, sends all your email via Gmail.

Then, your startup's email, containing all your best ideas and innovations, is read by some 3rd-party yob, in the name of ‘app development’.

This 3rd-party yum-yum, with access to emails containing all of your startup’s best ideas and innovations, now decides to literally use you for his or her personal R&D. Reading all you good stuff. Cataloging all your good stuff. Maintaining a shadow company for all your good stuff. Registering, trademarking, or patenting all YOUR good stuff.

By the time you’re ready to goto market, guess what?

Your game-changing innovation is now owned by some thieving mofo.

All because you trusted your email to Google.

Dare I ask how sunny your days going forward would be?

© 2002 – 2018, John Obeto for Blackground Media Unlimited

Follow @johnobeto