Windows Phone 7

[MaxBurn]

Microsoft abandoned their update tracker but Nokia steps up.

Nokia revives Windows Phone update tracker, but only for Lumia 800

http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/30/2913352/nokia-site-tracks-lumia-800-software-update

 

[MaxBurn]

So much hope for windows phone 7 but lately a lot of negative things being said about it by carriers and now this.

Sources: current Windows Phone devices will not get 'Apollo' upgrade
http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/17/2956439/windows-phone-8-apollo-no-upgrade

 

[MaxBurn]

I wasn't aware of the temporary nature of win phone 7 in relation to developers. Sounds like 7 was mostly silverlight based and the different versions of 8 will have more in common with each other than they do with 7. So basically when moving to 8 the app store for windows phone starts over again.

Is Time Running Out For Windows Phone?
http://www.winsupersite.com/article/networking/time-running-out-windows-phone-143020

 

[Mercutio]

As I understand it, Silverlight is basically a dead technology at Microsoft now. Microsoft is awesome at communicating its new tech to devs, but boy does it suck the way they roll things out and just drop them.

 

[MaxBurn]

Kantar: Windows Phone climbs to 3-4% market share in major markets, may have overtaken Blackberry in USA
http://wmpoweruser.com/kantar-windo...markets-may-have-overtaken-blackberry-in-usa/

Windows phone adoption is a little slower than I had hoped, maybe the next one will really take off. At least BlackBerry has something more to worry about.

 

[Mercutio]

I honestly think WM7 was completely the wrong direction. I was legitimately happy with my WM6.5 device for the span of its life. I was able to use it to do work. The feature set of WM7 removed a lot of the tools I was actually using; WM7 is much more like an entertainment device than a tool. I don't know if that's wrong, but I know I became more uninterested in it the more I found out about it. As I understand it, a lot of ios people cheerlead for it as a competitor for Android. I don't understand that mentality either.

In the end, I think Microsoft does the stodgy business stuff really well and completely fails at "lifestyle" computing. That's completely apparent every time I've been to a Microsoft Store. It's never going to be Apple. I don't know why they keep trying.

 

[MaxBurn]

I liked the concepts and videos of the UI I saw but never checked out a device. Specifically the integration between the apps looked fairly tight for things you would need to do quickly every day, the whole basis for the silly smoked by win phone contest. Massive difference in the mobile 6 device I had and appears all for the better I thought.

 

[Mercutio]

WM6 was much more file and document centric in a way that I found helpful. Seemingly no major mobile OS has really stayed on that path; everything is apps and widgets now.

 

[MaxBurn]

Yup, pretty much no one wants to deal with directory names and file extensions on a mobile device. On my old asus a696 i used to be able to access a windows file share, copy a book from my file server and drop it into my ebook reader app ubooks and I kind of wish I had that back. Certainly can't do that on any apple device, doubt it is possible on win phone, and android maybe?

 

[Mercutio]

I do it all the goddamned time on Android. It's not built in, but it's ridiculously simple to find SMB clients.

 

[MaxBurn]

I guess you won't be finding the next windows on HTC hardware.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-06-06/htc-said-to-be-shut-out-of-next-version-of-windows.html

 

[Mercutio]

Given that Microsoft is propping up Nokia as its Windows Mobile hardware manufacturer of choice, why would HTC really want to make a huge investment in something that's pretty clearly a non-starter that's just going to be abandoned the minute Win8 is available on ARM and Medfield anyway?

 

[Will Rickards]

HTC I think was big for the last version of windows mobile.
There was a version of the EVO that was windows mobile that I think was popular.
Microsoft's move is surprising and may stir anti-competitive waters.

 

[MaxBurn]

Anyone vaguely annoyed that phone 7 handsets won't get 8? Or did we all see that coming?

 

[timwhit]

Anyone vaguely annoyed that phone 7 handsets won't get 8? Or did we all see that coming?

I saw it coming.

 

[Mercutio]

I was rather more surprised to learn that Windows Mobile 8 is going to be upgraded to allow a maximum screen resolution of 1024x600.

 

[LunarMist]

WTF? That must be a typo.

 

[Mercutio]

... nope. That's up from a maximum of 800x480, the resolution my six year old HTC6100 had.

 

[LunarMist]

Who wants a tablet with that low of a resolution?

 

[Mercutio]

No one. We're talking about phones.

Now ask who wants a phone with that resolution.