By Mark Wilson

 

In the new world of Microsoft there has been a distinct shift in focus; Satya Nadella has said that the company's focus is a "mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy. This is all well and good -- and in many ways makes a great deal of sense -- but there is a very real danger that Microsoft is focusing too much on these new goals and to the detriment of other areas.

Windows 10 is an excellent case in point. This is an operating system that is destined for a wide range of devices, from phones and tablets to desktops, consoles and IoT devices yet to be devised. But in catering to the mobile side of its dream for the future, Microsoft has lost direction for desktop users and has made far too many compromises.

 In particular, Microsoft use of screen space and screen orientations is questionable. Look at build 10074 of the Windows 10 Insider Preview (as it has now been renamed) and many of the concerns I've expressed about previous builds remain. One of my main gripes centers around the fact that, on a desktop, Windows will almost always be used on monitors with a landscape orientation. Of course there will be the odd exception to this but, while I don’t have any hard stats to fall back on, I think I'm safe in saying that most people opt for the widescreen, landscape look.

 

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