What you need to know
- Satya Nadella had an interview with the Wall Street Journal.
- In it, he spoke of his desire for Windows 11 to be the center of the technology world.
- iTunes, iMessage, and other Apple products were referenced as being welcome to the Windows ecosystem.
Microsoft's CEO and Chairman Satya Nadella met virtually with the Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern to discuss Windows 11 as well as what he hopes Microsoft will achieve with the new operating system.
The selling point of Windows 11 is that, in his own words, "Windows gives you the most choice." When asked why someone should opt for Windows over macOS or ChromeOS, Nadella elaborated on his choice-related claim. "I think Windows, in fact, is becoming increasingly the device that bridges all of these ecosystems."
"I think there are certain platform rules by which we principally drive Windows," Nadella said. When asked how his company's platform rules are different than Apple's, his response was straightforward. "We have the ability to have multiple marketplaces that can thrive."
This can be read as a direct shot at Apple's policies that were put in the limelight during the Epic Games v. Apple lawsuit. It's also a sales pitch for Windows 11: Come to Windows, enjoy everyone else's ecosystems without forced segregation.
This isn't just Windows 11's philosophy, though. This is the philosophy underpinning many of Microsoft's operations as of late.
Notice how similar Xbox's plan is. Not long ago, Xbox gave up on winning the "only on Xbox" race and started putting all of its titles on PC as well to reach the absolute widest audience possible. Not to mention, Microsoft-produced titles such as Minecraft have even ended up on direct competitors' platforms.
We'll see if this "no walls are the best walls" approach works as well for Windows 11 as it has for Xbox thus far. In his interview with the WSJ, Nadella welcomed Apple and its exclusive apps and products over to Windows in the event the rival giant is keen on cross-pollinating. Only time will tell if Apple eventually sees a reason to accept the invitation.
