

Android, by comparison, is free, and effectively so is iOS. On the desktop, Microsoft charges anywhere between $30 (OEMs) and $125 (retail box) for a Windows license, with the average being around $60. At this point, Windows 8 ceases to be a "PC" operating system in the conventional sense of the word and enters a market that is dominated by Apple and Android and apps that cost between one and 10 dollars. You see, Windows 8 tablets, especially ARM variants, will be used almost exclusively in Metro mode - or, more accurately, tablet mode. Second, if everyone goes out and buys a Windows 8 tablet, Microsoft would collapse in a frothing fit of unprofitability. There are two problems with this: First, if you already use Windows 7 - and hundreds of millions do - there is little reason to upgrade to Windows 8, much in the same way that everyone eschewed Vista and stuck with XP. If you take into account the actual software stack and runtime, calling Metro a "skin" isn't accurate at all, but as far as consumers and companies are concerned, that's exactly what it is. Windows 8, when you cut to the chase, is a tablet-oriented, touch-first skin on top of Windows 7. Those who use it will even see the signature IE logo on the left side of the navigation bar.įor consumers that are still using Internet Explorer on Windows 10, you should probably make the jump (opens in new tab) to Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome (although, it would be hard to find anyone who hasn't transitioned yet with both Google and Microsoft's excessive messages telling us to change browsers).Microsoft is on a knife edge: It is developing a version of Windows that could ensure its continued success in the computer market - or it could completely cannibalize Microsoft's profits and lead to the slow, painful, obsolescent death. IE mode allows anyone to access sites that require Internet Explorer to open, as it has a Trident MSHTML engine from Internet Explorer 11 baked into Edge's Chromium engine. Internet Explorer is no more: what this means for you While Internet Explorer will be no more (which shouldn't bother the standard internet user at all), it will still live on through the Edge browser via Internet Explorer (IE) mode. Microsoft presented a number of reasons for eliminating its iconic web browser, including improved compatibility with its Edge browser, modern features such as Edge's vertical tabs, and much better security. The best Microsoft Surface deals in 2021.
