The rise of smartphones and tablets has redefined the way individuals consume content. However, mobile computing has made a considerably smaller impact on productivity. The way forward is convergence. Whether they admit or not, Apple, Google, and Microsoft all know this.

To some, the recent news about Windows RT and Microsoft’s corresponding stock price dip makes it seem like Windows 8 is doomed. This article describes the fact that Microsoft does not have an iPad/Android tablet competitor, and proceeds to lay out what exactly the market wants (“a 7”-8" device, with battery life measured in days" etc.). In response to this, I’m reminded of an (apocryphal?) Henry Ford quote: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

These conclusions are improperly scoped. Windows RT was meant to directly compete with other tablets, but with inferior hardware and a confusing identity (i.e. “what do you mean I can’t run Photoshop on this Windows tablet?”), it was undoubtedly crippled from the beginning. Surface RT just didn’t seem appealing given its pricing and app ecosystem compared to its iPad and Android counterparts. On the other hand, Windows 8 was meant to usher in a new era of converged laptop-tablet hybrids.

Last year, when asked about Windows 8 and Microsoft’s convergence strategy, Tim Cook dismissively noted: “You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user.”¹ Even though adoption of 8 has been slow, I’m not sure 8, unlike those RT tablets, can be written off just yet.

Regardless of how successful Windows 8 is, it’s clear that Microsoft’s redesign of Windows was absolutely necessary for the company. With consumerization and bring-your-own-device becoming the norm in technology, Microsoft had to win over the hearts of its consumers, who would go to work expecting that their workplace OS would function similar to what they experienced at home. IT departments don’t have much incentive to upgrade their systems otherwise. Making the next version of Windows a mere incremental improvement over 7 would have been meaningless. This is, as many analysts describe, a last-ditch effort at making the PC relevant in a post-PC world.

The higher-level argument for 8 lies in the observation that the current ecosystem of devices is becoming increasingly specialized, without much reason other than recognizing market segmentation and attempting to maximize profits. Kindles, smartphones, 7-inch tablets, 10-inch tablets, ultrabooks, laptops, and desktops all have their strengths and weaknesses. For a techie, it might make sense to have multiple such devices. Though I can see use-cases where I would appreciate a Kindle or tablet, I have no interest carrying three devices.

Apple has tried to push the iPad as some sort of productivity machine, in addition to its recreational appeal. But beyond writing some basic emails or annotating articles, people haven’t really taken to composing essays or engaging in other productive tasks on the iPad. Partly because the software isn’t there (e.g. Office, Adobe), partly because the touchscreen keyboard isn’t the most comfortable, the iPad and virtually every other tablet is limited to consumption-only. Microsoft thought that it didn’t have to be this way, that it could be possible to design an OS that would have no compromises. And when they realized that their OEM partners were having trouble designing devices that would showcase 8, Microsoft made the Surface.

Despite Cook’s remarks, Apple isn’t sitting around denying the importance of convergence. Apple’s recent OS X versions have incorporated elements from iOS, ranging from the icons of Mission Control, the integration of the App Store and iCloud, and now Notifications (in Mavericks). They might be on a longer-term path toward convergence, but it’s undoubtedly a path nonetheless.

Company structure also belies an industry-wide course towards convergence. Microsoft’s recent reorganization made the company structure more accurately reflect the company’s goals. With Terry Myerson in charge of operating systems (Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox), Microsoft clearly intends to complete the convergence that began with 8. Interestingly, Apple already had one man (Craig Federighi) in charge of software engineering (iOS and OS X), as did Google (Sundar Pichai, in charge of Android, Chrome, and Apps). This is no coincidence.

There are rumors that Apple is testing a 13-inch iPad. If I had to guess, I don’t think Tim Cook is making a fat iPad. I think he’s carrying out the next phase of convergence.