Microsoft's 5 Next Tests

Microsoft made progress during the past few weeks but still has important things to prove. For starters, think Start screen and wearables.

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Microsoft has earned a lot of praise this month and for good reason: The company faced tough questions in the first half of April and answered most of them with aplomb.

[Why are so many people still using Windows XP? Read Windows XP Holdouts: 6 Top Excuses.]

Some feared Microsoft had missed the chance to cash in on iOS's success, for example, but Office apps for the iPad quickly leapt to the top of the App Store charts. At Build, the company also introduced new Azure and Visual Studio features aimed squarely at iOS developers, including those who don't develop for Windows.

Microsoft additionally made most Windows licenses free for OEMs, finally showing some spunk after manufacturers spent much of 2013 touting Android and Chrome over Windows. It also released the Windows 8.1 update to appease disenchanted desktop users, throwing in a sneak peak of a future Start menu for good measure. And that's not to mention Cortana and the rest of Windows Phone 8.1, Universal Windows Apps, or the 40-plus other features added to Azure.

But good as the last few weeks have been for Microsoft, they aren't a panacea for all the company's challenges. Many of its remaining uphill battles involve consumer products, which is perhaps unsurprising, given that critics say the company should focus more resources on enterprise products. Where does Microsoft still need to prove itself? Here are six pressing questions.

1. Will the Modern UI ever be popular?At Build, Nadella made clear that Microsoft is dedicated to Modern-style apps. But whereas the original version of Windows 8 tethered Modern apps to the tiled Start screen, the new Windows 8.1 update severs the cord. The Start screen is still there, but if users want to, they can run Modern apps without ever leaving the desktop. The Live Tile-infused Start menu that Microsoft OS chief Terry Myerson showed at Build only reinforces this concept.

Although it's a smart move, this change is a radical departure from Microsoft's earlier strategy. The company's initial determination to familiarize users with the Start screen was so strong that a boot-to-desktop mode wasn't even included. Yes, the recent update includes a few tweaks to make the Start screen more usable on non-touch machines, but one wonders, given Microsoft's backpedaling, if the Start screen will ever be popular on non-tablet devices, or if future Windows desktop PCs might even drop the Start screen while keeping Modern apps.

Although these questions won't be answered immediately, Microsoft appears to have inadvertently leaked some of the Live Tile concepts that could show up in future Windows releases. Microsoft Research posted a video in which Human-Computer Interaction Group researcher Jiawei Gui demonstrates Live Tiles that allow users to drill down into app contents without launching into

Michael Endler joined InformationWeek as an associate editor in 2012. He previously worked in talent representation in the entertainment industry, as a freelance copywriter and photojournalist, and as a teacher. Michael earned a BA in English from Stanford University in 2005 ... View Full Bio