Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Samsung’s Newest Tablet Is a Symbol of What’s Wrong With Windows 8

Will Android overtake Windows?

Research firm Gartner has predicted that Android will overtake Windows by 2017. In terms of mobile devices, Android already has a commanding share of the market, and given that it’s open source, it should continue to maintain that dominance for the foreseeable future.

If Microsoft has any shot of taking a piece of the mobile market from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), it would be on the power of Windows 8’s hybrid features. Steve Ballmer, in an interview with Walter Mossberg, once laid out Microsoft’s view of the world.

Ballmer explained that, when you get right down to it, most people can’t afford to own several different devices. Rather, they need one device that’s capable of satisfying all their computing needs.

Hybrid tablets running Windows 8 (like the Surface Pro) are intended to be a fulfillment of that vision. In theory, such a device should be able to satisfy the needs of both a tablet and a laptop.

And yet, that does not appear to be the case. If it was, Samsung would not have to merge Android with Windows 8.

The future of Microsoft’s mobile strategy

Samsung’s ATIV Q might not set any sales records, but it is a symbolically important device. By bringing Android in to compliment Windows 8, Samsung is clearly showing its lack of faith in Microsoft’s mobile strategy.

If Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has any hope of salvaging that strategy, it needs to get more developers coding for the Windows app store. Until then, the lack of software will result in poor sales for Windows-only tablets.

The article Samsung’s Newest Tablet Is a Symbol of What’s Wrong With Windows 8 originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Salvatore “Sam” Mattera.

Salvatore “Sam” Mattera has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Google and Microsoft. Salvatore “Sam” is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.

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