What Apple Could Learn from Microsoft

While you may be very excited about Mountain Lion and iOS 6, Apple isn’t the only company with interesting new products on the way. Microsoft is slated to release its long-awaited (and undeniably cool-looking) Windows 8 operating system for desktops later this year, with bona fide Surface tablets and a mobile release of Windows Phone 8 arriving shortly thereafter. So let’s take a look at what the competition is up to, and see where Apple could maybe learn a thing or two.

Entertainment Everywhere

Microsoft is adding new features to its Xbox media center that will make the Xbox 360 gaming console a key player in living-room entertainment. First up is the new SmartGlass interconnectivity app, which will allow users to control content via their iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile devices. It’s like a combination of the Remote app for iOS that lets you control your Apple TV and iTunes, and the TiVO app that displays essential information about what you’re watching.

SmartGlass not only lets you use the touchscreen on your mobile device as the remote control, but it also helps you discover TV shows and movies that you might be interested in. The app will even display any bonus content that’s available for the program you’re viewing, as well as who is watching with you over Xbox Live, just in case you need a friend to get through the horrible, inconclusive ending of LOST.

Microsoft also announced that users will be able to talk to its Bing search engine via the Xbox console’s mic-equipped Kinect accessory to find out where a specific show is available for streaming, so you’ll know straight away whether you can find the Battlestar Galactica series on Hulu Plus or Netflix. There are a few new content partners coming on board the Xbox platform, too, such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Paramount, and Univision, all of which will further bridge the gap for users who are still weighing the cost of cable versus streaming subscriptions. With on-demand access to their favorite programs from various media companies, picking a flick for movie night will be easier than ever.

While the Apple TV is a useful mediator for beaming entertainment from iTunes or an iPad to the television, it doesn’t offer enough options to be a content provider on its own. Microsoft has an edge by offering the Xbox 360 as a complete package for the living room--games, movies, television, music, and social networking--all from one remote (or in this case, controller).

The Devil's in the Keys

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