Today at Microsofts Build event, they released a special build version of Windows 8 - the next version of their operating system and an attempt an unifying their new Windows Phone 7 platform with their existing desktop OS. Capable of running both types of apps they are touting it as the best of both. To showcase it, Samsung have provided an Intel Core i5 based tablet, complete with a cooling fan and heat vent to keep the desktop class CPU from melting. Apple took a different approach with the iPhone and iPad and forked their OSX into iOS and pushed developers down the road of manual memory management and efficient program design. Instead of trying to run desktop applications that require more serious horsepower they trimmed back the features and focussed on the basics. This allowed them to use energy efficient components and release products with phenomenal battery performance and speed many years ahead of their competitors. There is no doubt that faster and more energy efficient mobile CPUs are around the corner, and that more serious desktop applications will be able to run on faster hardware. Eventually Apples competitors will be able to match the iOS devices on price and performance using more traditional desktop software thinking. In the meantime however, people will continue to choose Apples products and Apple will be well ahead onto the next big thing, and laughing all the way to the bank. Apple made the hard choices that Microsoft wouldn’t. It shows that they are determined to keep thinking like their product is a desktop PC and that, so far as the mobile tablet space goes, Microsoft still don’t get it.