Microsoft tells IBM to focus on customer experience - part two

Submitted by Patrick on Fri, 06/08/2007 - 6:20pm.

Rather than labor over these technical details, it is probably more relevant to evaluate how an operating system addresses customer requirements such as: Performance on mainstream hardware; the number of native applications developed for the operating system; compatibility with the applications, and hardware customers already own; ease of use (beyond the few technical details IBM discusses here), and the future prospects of the operating system. See "Key customer requirements for a PC Operating System" at the end of this document for a more thorough discussion of these issues.

Key customer requirements for a PC Operating System

Windows 95 is the result of input from thousands of customers representing all types of uses from end user to corporate IS manager. The criteria that emerged from discussions with those groups is summarized below.

Performance: Customers want to run their applications with the best performance, using the fewest resources. Windows 95 provides better performance than OS/2, across the entire range of RAM and processor configurations.

Applications: Customers buy an operating system to run their applications - pure and simple, and they want a wide choice of high-quality applications designed for the operating system. During the first quarter of 1995, 78% of all applications sold worldwide were Windows-based, while less than 1% were OS/2-based. ISV support for native OS/2 applications has always been very low, and few, if any OS/2 applications are likely to be offered by typical software resellers. Over 200 new 32-bit applications designed for Windows 95 are part of Windows 95 launch co-marketing programs. These applications represent a huge commitment to Windows 95 by every major ISV.

Compatibility: Customers want to know that the operating system they chose will run on the hardware they have, with the applications they have today, plus those they buy in the future. Windows 95 runs almost all existing 16-bit Windows and MS-DOS applications, and provides a platform for new 32-bit applications designed specifically for Windows 95 which are now under development at all major ISVs. OS/2 has significant compatibility problems with 16- bit Windows applications, and is totally incompatible with the new generation of 32-bit Windows applications.

Ease of Use: Users of all types want their operating system to be easy and efficient to setup, learn, and use. Windows 95 has many features designed for enhanced usability such as Wizards, a great help system, the Start Button and task bar and many others. OS/2 is difficult to install, and has two totally different user interfaces: the OS/2 WorkPlace shell, and the Windows 3.1 UI. PC World and PC Computing each conducted usability tests comparing Windows 95 to OS/2 and Windows 3.1 in their August 1995 issues. In both tests, Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 proved to be significantly easier to use than OS/2.

Strategy/Future: Customers make a large commitment when they choose an operating system and they want to know that the product will be supported and enhanced for many years. Windows 95 and Windows NT, which share many design features and the same programming interface, are Microsoft's operating systems for today and the future. There is no question that these products are and will be well supported and enhanced by Microsoft and ISVs. OS/2 has never garnered the level of industry or customer support that is necessary to ensure its future viability.