Microsoft signals renewed interest in Windows with latest reshuffle
The software giant placed Surface chief Panos Panay in charge of Windows earlier this year, and is now reshuffling parts of that team. It follows Microsoft's decision to slice Windows into two parts more than two years ago after the departure of former Windows chief Terry Myerson. Microsoft moved core Windows development to a cloud and AI team (Azure), and created a new group to work on Windows 10 experiences" like apps, the Start menu, and new features.
Now, Microsoft is moving parts of Windows development back under Panos Panay's control. Specifically, that means the Windows fundamentals and developer experience teams have been returned to what we traditionally call the Windows team. It's an admission that the big Windows split didn't work quite as planned. We've seen plenty of evidence of that with a messy development experience for Windows 10, delayed Windows updates, a lack of major new features, and lots of Windows update issues recently.
That's a lot of reshuffling, but I wonder what the purpose of it all really is. It seems most Windows users want Windows to just be... Windows. They don't want modern' apps forced upon them, they don't want touch-optimised user interfaces, they don't want application stores, and they certainly don't want Windows anywhere else but their desktops and laptops. How much freedom to push the Windows platform forward do you really have when all users want is to run the same set of Win32 applications in perpetuity?
They've tried creating a version of Windows only capable of running modern' apps, and it failed - twice (and a third attempt is on the way). They tried combining the two into one with an adaptable UI - and everybody hated it. They've been trying to just kind of coast by on Windows 10, and as the above article notes, it's been quite problematic. They've tried to put full Windows on phones - twice! - and nobody wanted that either.
What other options remain?