It seems the popular thing to do these days is bash Windows 8. Last week we heard it from Gabe Newell of Valve saying: “Windows 8 is a catastrophe.” Today we’re hearing it from Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson. He says: “If Microsoft decides to lock down Windows 8, it would be very, very bad for Indie games and competition in general.”
I don’t necessarily disagree with Notch. Locking down the OS is not a win for developers. But that’s one of the few legitimate complaints we’ve heard. Most bashers seem to think Windows 8 will fail just because it’s very different from Windows 7. I think Microsoft is finally betting on the right horse. A more mobile-centric operating system is absolutely the future. When a product that’s ahead of its time comes along some people just can’t see the vision. Those people usually give us some Claim Chowder.
What’s Claim Chowder? It’s a term coined by John Gruber of Daring Fireball. It’s when someone makes a claim with the utmost certainty that turns out to be completely wrong. There are a lot of quotes out there right now about Windows 8 that could eventually become delicious Claim Chowder. Let’s take a look at a few famous Claim Chowder quotes about a product that was similarly ahead of its time.
On the iPhone:
2006 Palm CEO, Ed Colligan
“We’ve learned and struggled for a few years here figuring out how to make a decent phone. PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in.”
2007 Bloomberg, Matthew Lynn
“The iPhone is nothing more than a luxury bauble that will appeal to a few gadget freaks. In terms of its impact on the industry, the iPhone is less relevant… Apple is unlikely to make much of an impact on this market… Apple will sell a few to its fans, but the iPhone won’t make a long-term mark on the industry.”
2007 Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer
There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share.No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.
2007 Microsoft Senior Marketing Director, Richard Sprague
“I can’t believe the hype being given to iPhone… I just have to wonder who will want one of these things (other than the religious faithful)… So please mark this post and come back in two years to see the results of my prediction: I predict they will not sell anywhere near the 10M Jobs predicts for 2008.”
Oops.
Quotes via: The Loop
