http://liliputing.com/2011/09/google-chrome-browser-adds-support-for-native-apps.html

Which also will work on both ARM and x86.  So competition is finally starting to ramp up and they still have about a year before Windows 8 officially comes out.  While it may take another year for a SP release to fix any bugs and security flaws Windows 8 may be released with.

Though in terms of usability, it’s likely Windows 8 will become quickly popular being the only cross platform full desktop OS offering with full customer support and ease of use for even non-technical users.  It’s just too bad Apple won’t let OSX out on non-Apple certified hardware as then Windows could get some proper competition.

While Linux isn’t going anywhere for now.  Problem with linux is it’s too fragmented, resources are too divided (none of distro supporters have the kind of resources available to Google and MS) and many things can conflict, and the often strict open source ideology gets in the way of features like DRM, etc. that limits its business model appeal despite having very good offerings like Ubuntu.

I hope new versions of Android and iOS can counter the Win8 hype because if Win8 becomes too successful, we will have to old Microsoft back in no time (bullying hw manufacturers, using anti-competitive tactics wherever possible…etc)
 

I hope new versions of Android and iOS can counter the Win8 hype because if Win8 becomes too successful, we will have to old Microsoft back in no time (bullying hw manufacturers, using anti-competitive tactics wherever possible…etc)
 

Google had little to lose at the start when they open sourced Android. Sure they spent some money buying Android but nothing too steep to swallow if it didn’t work out. Microsoft has $4billion+ a quarter ($16billion+ a year) in licenses they would have to give up if they went open source. That just isn’t going to happen, they aren’t going to give up a $16 billion meal ticket. Maybe sometime when Microsoft is hurting for money they’ll make a leap to alternative income, but until then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1yYxhoCCcw
(5:00-end)

Problem is full Windows requires more powerful hardware for mainstreaming onto phones.  Even the next generation ARM phones are just starting to get powerful enough to properly run a desktop OS like Windows.  But we’re still a year away before that level of performance becomes standard and they still require specific hardware specifications be met in order to run a desktop OS.

MS in fact has imposed hardware specifications that ARM will be trying to meet for making Windows 8 systems.  Things like most ARM devices using GPU’s that can’t run desktop versions of DirectX, OpenGL, etc are part of the problems they face.

While having similar features and UI does not mean the OS is the same.  It’s like saying iOS and OSX are the same just because they started to give similar features to both.

Both projects are likely to borrow heavily from each other but that’s a long way from merging them!  Even your link suggested they’ll just be installing different versions of the OS.

Far more likely they’ll wait till the hardware matures further and the average phone gets as powerful as the average netbook.  Then they’ll get serious about putting Windows 8 on all devices and phasing out their Phone OS.  Till then full Windows are best for tablets to desktops and a separate Phone OS lets them offer a product on devices that don’t meet Windows 8 requirements.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/windows-8-and-windows-phone-8-apollo-os-convergence-tango1-and-tango2-and-more/57900

Considering that Windows phone 7 has the same metro interface as the windows 8 tablets, windows 8 ported to smartphones will be inevitable.  I would imagine that Microsoft would strip many unneeded things away from the desktop or the tablet version of the OS.  However, it would depend if Microsoft can create a good or half baked product when it comes out.

Demonstration tablet was actually a x86 hardware tablet that they were just using for demonstration and the tablet is actually getting released with Windows 7.

End game is for Windows 8 to support both x86 and ARM hardware and MS has set the parameters of what hardware requirements ARM developers will need to follow in order to be certified for Windows 8.

It’s doubtful they’ll go on phones, especially with MS still pushing Windows Phone 7, but next gen tablets are definitely going to get Windows 8 option.  Though they are saying that Windows Phone 7 apps will work on Windows 8.

Final version can be completely different but they are getting to the point for a working model that they’ll let people start testing.  It’s just unclear when they’ll start official public release and start giving out Release Candidates, which just have a time limit set on them for when they stop working and that’ll either be for a phase of the development or just before the final official version comes out for sale.

While MS is working on cloud services and taking part in other open projects.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/openness/default.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/opensource/directory.aspx

However, it’s very doubtful they are ready to go Open Source for Windows yet, they don’t have a major alternate method of revenue generation set in place yet.

Besides, MS already has lots of resources most open source projects don’t have access to and closed drivers already plague ARM devices and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

While a desktop OS like Windows already supports a wide range of hardware, is more likely to have even closed drivers optimized for it, and MS already set parameters for the hardware requirements for ARM devices to run Windows 8 already.

A lot more needs to change before MS seriously considers making Windows Open Source…  Though that doesn’t mean they won’t make other products Open Source, just not Windows.

If Microsoft can’t figure out a way to offer valuable cloud services to their users, clever integration of cloud computing in their platform, then they have a problem.