People have been saying “Android is the new Windows” for years now and, every time it gets said, people get shouted down — Android is so totally not the fragmented, ubiquitous, insecure, all-purpose, everywhere, all-the-time operating system that Windows was. Really.
While there are details that separate the two eras and operating systems, this is a meme that just won’t die — so obvious it just feels true. So, say it again, Android is the new Windows.
“There was a time, around 20 years ago, when Microsoft had around 90 percent market share in the computing market and other companies, most notably Apple, were fighting for relevance,” writes Statista’s Felix Richter. “…Google’s open operating system Android will be installed on almost 50 percent of all connected devices shipped this year.”
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And, Google’s Android tentacles are into pretty much everything electronic — PCs (Chromebook), smartphones, tablets, wearables and, nascently, the things in the internet of things. And, all of that is very reminiscent of Microsoft’s Windows Everywhere mindset.
People now say that, while Android has huge market share, it’s iOS that is beloved and profitable. But if history repeats itself, the smartphone wars will be decided less by short-term profits and app figures, and more by who will control the smartphone world in five, 10 and 15 years. That’s increasingly looking like Android — TechCrunch
In truth, for awhile, Windows stood a real chance of being everywhere and that was OK. Actually, the hidden “everywhere” part of Windows, Windows CE, hasn’t gone away, but that’s a different story.
And, my fandroid friends and neighbors, before you get too upset about the whole “Android is the new Windows” thing, the corollary is that Apple is still Apple — expensive, walled garden products used by self-impressed people that are easy to discount and dismiss.
But don’t hate. Just remember that Apple is still about short-term profits, just like it was in the late ’80s — your time is close at hand!
Really, Android is the new Windows, it’s just that simple and the fandroids’ place in that universe is secure — it’s gonna be a long ride…
What’s your take?