[Discuss] Fighting UEFI

[tmetro+blu at gmail.com (Tom Metro)]

Chris Tyler wrote:
> (a) Windows RT, an operating system that currently has 0% market share
> 
> (b) Android...which currently has a very high market share...
> 
> ...You think vendors are going to put all of their eggs in basket (a)?
> Especially when they can produce both models by just changing the model
> number sticker and flash image?

Yes. We're talking probabilities here, rather than absolutes, but yes, I
would say chances are good that the Widows 8 tablet hardware will likely
have a few specific hardware requirements that necessitate a
manufacturing change that is more significant than just firmware and a
label.

A high volume hardware manufacturer won't make a Windows 8 tablet unless
they are betting that they can hit some volume targets. And if you are
going to produce a device in volume, then it is worth your while to
fully optimize the hardware for the intended use. If there is a
component that Windows requires, but Android doesn't, they'll save the
money by leaving it off the Android version, Or the other way around.

So companies like Samsung, HTC, ASUS, etc., they'd never be putting "all
of their eggs in basket (a)", just risking the potential failure of a
single product. But it would still be a unique product.

However we're talking shades of gray. There will likely be substantial
reuse and sharing of designs between Windows 8 and other
devices...assuming the form-factor (screen size and aspect and other
physical characteristics) matches the rest of the mobile market.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/