Microsoft BUILD preview, Windows 8 tablet vs. iPad

Microsoft tablet strategy has always been Windows but previous computer slates it has shown off had Windows 7 on it and this did not fit the form factor because that operating system was never built with tablets in mind. That should change with Windows 8 , as the building Windows 8 blog constantly says that this version has been designed from the ground up with touch input in mind.

We have seen the Metro-style home screen before and it brings a tile-like interface to Windows 8 and elements of this can already be found in Windows Phone and on the Xbox. This is supposed to be a finger-friendly interface that will allow Windows 8 to work properly on a tablet, where touch interface is critical. But Microsoft has to please many masters with Windows, as hundreds of millions of users are familiar with the standard desktop interface and some will freak out with radical changes.

Microsoft Steven Sinofsky addresses this in a somewhat vague way in that blog post about design: Microsoft is taking the middle road where it can still leverage its millions of traditional users, apps and APIs while still designing something that can fit nicely and work elegantly on a tablet.

Windows 8 brings together all the power and flexibility you have in your PC today with the ability to immerse yourself in a Metro style experience. You do not have to compromise! You carry one device that does everything you want and need. You can connect that device to peripherals you want to use. You can use devices designed to dock to large screen displays and other peripherals. You can use convertible devices that can be both immersive tablets and flexible laptops.

Of course, its far more difficult to execute that vision and its unclear if Microsoft is capable of doing it or if thats even the right approach.When Steve Jobs first introduced the first iPhone, he made a big deal about how the OS was OSX.

As time progressed and the iPhone and iPad became tremendous hits, that association has been downplayed if not completely ignored even if there are technologically similar underpinnings. Apple iOS is now the company main platform and many of its elements went upstream with the introduction of Lion.

When Jobs talks about the Post-PC era and the iPad, he means that Apple is trying to strip out many of the frustrating elements of traditional computing to make it easy and elegant for the mainstream to use these devices to check the web, do e-mail and social networking and consume apps. The fact that the iPad has been more successful than any other tablet to date show that its on to something.