For the most part up until now Apple’s main tablet competition has been mobile operating systems. By releasing a full desktop OS optimized for tablets, Microsoft may have changed the game. The big question becomes whether Windows 8 is really as prepared to meet the needs of a truly mobile device user as iOS 6.
The iPad has deservedly dominated the market so far. Apple knows what they’re doing and they have a well established platform to work with. This gives them a pretty strong head start. At the same time, however, the latest update to the iPad involved minimal device improvements compared to the prior generation. It’s worth considering the hardware comparisons more or less irrelevant as a result, especially with so many unknowns on that side of things right now.
If we narrow it down to just the software, things get interesting. Will Windows 8 or iOS 6 stand best on its own merits in the end?
APPS
Apps will be what makes or breaks any mobile device. No matter how good the hardware, the operating system, or the support, if you don’t have the ability to provide users with the programs they are interested in then nobody will be buying your tablets.
Windows 8:
There are two ways to look at this. If we’re looking specifically at Metro apps, which would be the ones designed for the touch interface, then so far there are just a few hundred to choose from. Microsoft has declared that their store will be fuller at launch, but they can’t exactly count all Windows Phone apps right away like Apple was able to incorporate iPhone applications.
On the other hand, Windows 8 (unlike Windows RT) will be backward compatible. That means that potentially millions of existing Windows applications could technically be included in this comparison. The majority of these would not, of course, be designed for this sort of interface.
iOS 6:
The iOS ecosystem already boasts over 200,000 apps designed specifically for the iPad and over 650,000 apps in total. You can justifiably claim that no matter what your need there is probably an app for it waiting to be found.
Winner:
It’s a tie. Windows has more potential and a far more robust selection overall, but iOS has the optimization and nobody will have to worry about whether or not a program will function before they buy it.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS
Tablets pretty much function as the ideal casual computing device. Casual computing essentially means social functions in a lot of cases. Whether we’re talking about Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or whatever else might catch the collective attention, the importance of strong integration can’t be overlooked in any comparison.
Windows 8:
Microsoft has done something impressive here with their Share Charm. Including the ability to share is relatively simple for any developer and users can decide what their networks of choice are on their own. Nobody needs to worry about whether a particular app has chosen to include their favorite network. With Facebook the big thing right now, that’s not a huge issue. In the future, it’s entirely possible that Facebook integration could leave things looking a bit antiquated. Windows 8 is somewhat future-proof in this respect.
iOS 6:
With iOS 6, Facebook has been thoroughly integrated. Users can share photos, map locations, game scores, and more. The iOS Calendar even pulls events right from your Facebook account. It’s about as thorough as you can get without putting a Facebook icon on the device’s casing.
Winner:
Windows 8. Both systems have excellent Facebook integration, but variety matters. The ability to go beyond just Facebook gives Windows the edge, even with the coolness factor of Siri-based voice controlled sharing on an iPad.
VIDEO CHAT
One of the most appealing applications of a tablet is the video chat. Let’s face it, you’re not going to be making a phone call on your iPad no matter how much it resembles the iPhone, but face to face communication is even better in many situations.
Windows 8:
Microsoft has Skype now. That’s huge. There are apps for every major operating system already in circulation and it is practically the standard in any serious business setting. On the other hand, Windows 8 has not yet done much with it. Supposedly it will be integrated fully into the finished product, according to reports from a couple months back, but right now there’s nothing to judge the success by.
iOS 6:
Apple’s FaceTime is a nice option. It allows for calls over WiFi and 3G which are generally considered high quality. Unfortunately it is unlikely to be able to compete with Skype any time soon. FaceTime is only accessible to Apple users, which means that if your friends and family go with Windows you are stuck downloading Skype anyway.
Winner:
iOS 6 gets this one. While FaceTime has better integration with the OS, the availability of Skype apps means that iPad users get the best of both worlds. Since we have no way of reviewing the Skype integration in Windows 8, any potential game changers are lost on this comparison.
INTERFACE
It’s difficult to compare the basic interfaces of the operating systems. Much of their appeal is aesthetic and will therefore be rather personal. Still, this is what you’ll be looking at every day and it should play an important part in a purchasing decision.
Windows 8:
The Start screen on a Windows 8 tablet is impressive. Users are able to arrange and reposition their icons, of course, but also resize and change display types. Live Tiles offer the option to display a variety of information all at once without ever actually loading an app.
iOS 6:
The iOS icons are familiar and generally nice to look at. They’re also rather bland at this point. There is no dynamic display and the notifications you are able to receive are limited in how much information they can convey. This is not the iPad’s strong suit.
Winner:
This one goes overwhelmingly to Windows 8. Live Tiles alone are enough to give Microsoft the win. It’s a feature that Apple will undoubtedly duplicate eventually, but for now they haven’t caught up.
SYNCING
The name of the game these days is “Cloud”. Especially when dealing with tablets, it’s important to be able to pick up where you left off whether you’re on the same device or not.
Windows 8:
The Windows Live account allows users to log in on any computer and retain their settings. This isn’t as fleshed out as it needs to be, especially when it comes to app data, but Microsoft has done a good job of making the important things carry over whether you’re on a tablet of a desktop. Add in SkyDrive and things are basically going to be there when you need them.
iOS 6:
Apple has iCloud. While it isn’t the greatest thing to ever hit mobile devices, iCloud browser tabs and storage do the job.
Winner:
Another tie. It doesn’t take much to accomplish the basics here. Both Windows and iOS have what they need. Everything else is reliant on how apps make use of the features.
