Which Platform for Your Devices?

I recently attended a demo of Windows 8 at Microsoft, and besides showing off the new Metro UI of the OS, the folks at Microsoft also tried to show how their new and upcoming OS is suitable for different devices like tablets, laptops, and of course the desktops. Though we wished they had also shown it on a smartphone and how well it integrates all devices, it does open up an interesting question.

Which platform should you choose for your devices? The three main contenders in the race are Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Will you get significant benefits by moving to a single vendor's platforms for all your devices? Or can you continue using multiple devices running multiple vendor's operating systems?

Apple has already integrated its iPhone and iPad products using iOS and they both work quite well together. Integration with desktops and laptops is provided via iTunes, which is available for both MacOS and Windows. These also work fine, but there are limitations, as iTunes is quite slow on the desktop and sharing files is a tedious job. But then, Apple products also have the 'aspirational' factor to them. People aspire to buy an 'i' device, the Macbook Air and other products. Will that be enough moving forward?

Likewise, Google's Android is also available for smartphones and tablets, and we've seen some very primitive versions of the OS on a couple of desktops. Via for instance, recently announced a $49 PC that runs on Android. Plus of course, there's the Chrome OS that will run on pre-defined hardware by Google. Since there are so many variants of Android for different devices, you have to do a careful study of the devices and how well would they integrate before buying.

Microsoft of course is using 'integration' of devices using a single OS from day one. For now it looks like a very promising deal because of its dominance in the desktop and laptop markets. How well will it do the integration? We'll have to wait and watch until all its products are well out in the market.

We will of course keep bringing you up to speed on these three platforms after doing testing in our own labs. In the meantime, I am eager to hear from all existing Android and Apple users out there on their thoughts on integration of multiple devices. Do write back to me about how well do your various devices integrate.