Re: "It's the Economics, Stupid... "
MS are, after all, a corporation. They're in business to make money. It appears they see a way forward with monetizing user data and advertising, and giving away the OS. For now. So yes, they're going to try to make money from users one way or another.
As far as the classic deffy of an OS, yep, I think you nailed it. I expect the squishy bit happens when designers decide what is the best way to present the abstraction to the user. As many have pointed out, the Windows interface evolved. For some time, it appeared that designers understood that they were working on a firm design foundation. Then someone in MS decided to force a change, and with Win 8 they threw a couple of decades of sensible evolution out the window.
Bad idea. As much a bad idea as trying to introduce arbitrary novel features into a daffodil genome. (Well, in a way. I mean, metaphorically or something. Cut me a break, it's booze-o'clock.)
I've thought that MS GUI designers really should look carefully at the GUIs in Linux distros -- not because they are admirable, but because there are so very many ideas competing for user buy-in. It's a seething mass of OS interface evolution. Why not learn from it?
And, as long as I'm making an utter fool of myself, I'll second Mr. Baggarley's contention that MS is doubtful that the Win32 API will provide security and innovation into the future. If that's so, then that's a major reason UWA apps are being pushed at users. Maybe.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
