Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
Actually the move sounds a lot like Apple: "You must use our tools, sell through our store. Resistance is futile."

While this worked for Apple they rely a lot on herd mentality/boutique sales among a relative minority of computer users. Microsoft tried this before with Phone 7. Dismal sales, dwindling mindshare.

It may be interesting to see how it all plays out and what serious new alternatives arise for the desktop, as in the Post-WinMo phone market. Only time will tell.
As someone who is moving to Apple development, this is certainly an interesting turn of affairs with Win8/Metro. Specifically, as you note, the Apple model works quite well because the whole Apple Machine was built with a strict distribution model.

Windows, on the other hand, is a much more open model. But the 'App Store' for the desktop, which potentially restricts the distribution channel, may turn off a lot of people. The 'classic' desktop is still there, but if a lot of people go back to the desktop, what is the advantage of upgrading to windows 8? (Microsoft's forced obsolescence not withstanding). The phone/tablet market is obviously booming, but MS is a notorious failure, here.

With Apple, it feels like each upgrade is supplying a new feature; with Windows it - from experience - feels like we need to always ask 'what are we losing?'. The Metro interface is obviously an addition, but are they selling us an SUV instead of a Compact just to get around town?

Microsoft are serious latecomers to the market, but the Juggernaut will not obviously be stopped, even if Windows 8 does turn out to be a Vista/ME rehash. People have grown accustomed to 'Windows: it just breaks." :/ The expectation for a $300 desktop of $500 laptop is astonishingly low. If Metro/8 turns out to be less-than-reliable will people tolerate such failures in a $500 phone or tablet?