With 2014 winding to a close, I'm wondering what surprises await us in the New Year. So here's a quick rundown of some of the tech happenings and trends I see in for 2015, with a particular emphasis on our favorite little tech colossus from Redmond.
First, let me offer up an all-important disclaimer. I'm a better procrastinator than prognosticator. And despite writing about technology generally and Microsoft specifically for over 20 years now, I've been routinely surprised by unforeseen developments. No one could have seen a resurgent Apple, for example, recasting personal computing around mobile, touch-based devices, or the relentless march to the cloud by Amazon, Google and others. So it's quite possible that the biggest tech event of 2015 is something none of us see coming.
Windows 10 for the win
Microsoft is the house that Windows built. But the mistake of Windows 8 has given competitors of all stripes the time and opening they need to chip away at this once-powerful foundation. Today, Windows is under assault in phones, tablets, and even from PC-like devices such as Chromebooks. But Microsoft has made all the right moves to position Windows 10 for a comeback. It has reduced the licensing cost of Windows to "zero dollars" on phones and small tablets, and to next to nothing on other devices. And Windows 10 inexplicably does the impossible by providing a great upgrade experience for both Windows 7 and Windows 8.x users, regardless of device type. Microsoft's best customers, businesses, will applaud this product. And they'll stop pretending to be considering Windows 8 so they can move forward to Windows 10 going forward instead.
