Redmond is looking to ditch its scattershot approach to new platforms and deliver an end-user experience that is, for better or worse, uniquely Microsoft across all devices.



From InformationWeek:

Microsoft has for years exhibited a split personality around its desktop and mobile products. Its PC environment has been defined by the familiar Windows icons, while its mobile platforms have undergone a series of revisions. The most recent, Windows Phone 7, broke from Windows Mobile and the Disneyfied KIN phone with its distinctive Live Tiles interface.

Get ready for this scattershot approach to end next year when Microsoft introduces the Windows 8 client, along with its first true tablets and the second generation of Windows Phone. Microsoft for the first time is looking to unify its various operating systems with a common look and feel that reflects the fact that users, from office workers to gamers, now want to jump freely between a range of devices without sacrificing familiarity.

  Microsoft's Grand Unification Plan For PCs, Phones, Tablets