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[WINDOWS PHONE] Windows Phone 8. From Very Small to Sorta Small.
jungleroomx
It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered User regular
It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovelsRegistered User regular
WHAT IS WINDOWS PHONE?
UPDATE: Following the freakishly slow market penetration of the last 3 years, WP8 has finally cracked the 2.5-3% market share number. From very small to sorta small.
Windows Phone is the replacement for Windows Mobile. Opting for a portable-friendly interface with rock-solid integration with strict guidelines for OEM's as opposed to a wild-west open-for-all methodology (ala Android or Windows Mobile), Windows Phone represents the middle ground between the walled garden of the iPhone and the open-air market of Android. It contains Microsofts newest design language, Metro, which is a take-it-or-leave it style that exudes simplicity and uses text and quick-glance information as its primary visual components, eschewing the "chrome", rounded corners, transparency and stylized visuals of other modern operating systems.
WHAT'S NEXT?
With the recent release of Portico (Windows Phone 8.1), the future of Windows Phone is unclear. There are rumors of Apollo+ as the next big update (following the pattern of Small Fix/Large Feature Update), but nothing has been confirmed.
NEW DEVICES?
We're all familiar with the Lumia family, the HTC 8X, and the Samsung Ativ. There haven't been any new solid announcements for the new line of WP8 phones, but they will get detailed here when they are.
jungleroomx on
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Did you mean android.
Satans..... hints.....
I actually meant iOS, but re-reading the sentence made me realize that it didn't make a lot of sense. Fix'd.
It is absolutely what they need to do at this point. Microsoft saw success on the xbox brand after almost a decade of being the underdog internationally.
It is now a profitable brand.
Nobody expects cellphones to go away in the next 10-20 years, and Microsoft is a company large enough and with enough reserves to play a long game like this.
In hindsight, them getting out of the MP3 hardware race was a good idea; standalone flagship MP3 players aside from the iPod Touch are pretty much dead nowadays; why bother fighting that fight only to possibly win in the last round when nobody cares any more?
Tablets, Cellphones and Desk/Laptops are three pillars that are going to be here in some format for a very long time, and Microsoft is making some hard decisions right now and impacting users and developers right now so that they can win with a much better platform in the future.
It kind of reminds me of when Apple left Classic for OSX; people didn't like the changes and there were lots of hiccups, but look at where they are now.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
I wonder if that's true outside the United States--anecdotally, I have never seen an iPod Touch outside the US. Ever. And I've been looking hard. iPhones absolutely (they just happen to be comparatively rare in Taiwan, which isn't surprising, given HTC's status). Meanwhile, PMP devices are still huge in South Korea and Taiwan (Cowon is basically Creative in East Asia, along with a few other companies, and they've edged Apple out of the PMP market by offering really cheap stuff that does as much, more more, than older iPod Touches).
That being said, it probably saved them some staff. They were making money off Zune by the time the Zune 80 came out (even modest profits only in the tens of millions, after expenses), but it might be worth it just to transfer the Zune people over.
Hopefully the monetary commitment is worth it. Getting their foot in in the last console cycle was an impressive feat, but from a competitive standpoint, they spent a lot of money. A lot of money. Even if it did mean they get to beat Nintendo of all people by a few million units when they crossed the finished line.
Then the Kinect came and MS just started printing their own money.
It's crazy to think that Microsoft, of all the tech companies, is embracing things like Kinect hacking (Learning from the people, putting it to future use), WP7 hacking (They gave those guys jobs) and massive change to their bread and butter OS. Say what you will about the risks they're taking on Win 8 and basically rebooting Windows Phone, this is a company that is trying to look past the next 2-3 years.
I also hope this amazing emphasis on ecosystems will land us back into an Apple/MS tech world. As much as Google has done in the past I still don't like the idea of an ad agency running my tech world.
I'm pretty confident they're making a very neat profit with the 360. Maybe not Wii big, but they've had several good hits in a row in that particular area. I remember hearing several years ago, back when the 360 was still a young device (or at least much younger), they'd made enough to absorb the costs of the Xbox 1.
Sort of a grim reminder that since Microsoft, the only corporation that got their foot into the console door successfully was Sony. And a few companies have tried, including Apple (with that disaster of a Pipin), and except for those two, everyone failed horribly against Nintendo and, for a time, Sega.
The phone market's not as unforgiving. The separation of hardware and software, and the fact that you can put a major revision once a year helps, I guess. I'm sure Microsoft is happy that they basically took the place Blackberry, coming in from nothing, but taking one of the chunks of Android out? Rivaling Apple? Sure, they want to, but in the word of Amy Wong, do they really have the sheer force of will?
Then again, if you said the Xbox 1 was going to beat the Nintendo Gamecube, a hundred dollar more expensive machine from Microsoft of all people, back in 2001, they would have laughed you off this forum. So crazier things have happened.
Seriously, I went through an iPhone 2, Samsung Blackjack, and HTC Desire before realizing how much I hated each of them. Windows Mobile was garbage, I hated being tethered to iTunes, and Android was too shabby for my tastes. I was about to give up and go back to feature phones until I saw WP7, then bought a Focus almost 2 years ago. Haven't looked back since.
I wish MS well. They may be a big huge corporation, they may have a ruthless legal team, but damn they're persistent and they're actually making good shit as opposed to simply playing catch-up. They're embracing the future, whether it comes to UI or community. Good on them.
Mostly, I want to see what happens with SkyDrive. All my music, videos, game saves, etc. in one place, ready for use on any device? I'm down for that.
I hate Microsoft, beeteedubs. Ain't matter, because I played with a friends HTC Mozart, and was blown away by how much better WP7 was than Android or iOS. Once the quad-core phones with high-res screens hit Australia, I'm getting me a pocket-sized tablet phlate and going nuts.
Well, this sort of negative sentiment has been in decline at least in the professional world since .NET was introduced waaaay back in 2001; see Balmer's classic Developers speech. In the public eye, I'd say since Slashdot stopped being relevant.
There was also a famous moment a couple years ago when Microsoft's ASP.NET team was working with appendTo, the company behind jQuery, on some experimental contributions, namely jQuery Templates (now JsViews) and other stuff like unobtrusive validation. During an open forum about the project someone noted that not a single person there, out of several hundred developers from all kinds of backgrounds, was trolling. It was all positive and constructive sentiment, no bullshit.
Then you have the Google IO conference in 2009 when Google Wave was unveiled, and Google took a shot at Internet Explorer by excluding them from the 'Modern Browsers' slide. After the crowd stopped laughing, Google said they would happily add IE to the list when Microsoft (paraphrasing here) "lives up to it's promises on common web standards". Fast forward three years, and we've got IE9, IE10, open-sourcing of ASP.NET/MVC, tons of open source projects on CodePlex/Github, Linux and Git support in Windows Azure, and crazy shit like full support for HTML5 to create native applications in Windows 8.
Still, public perception may be swinging in their favour right now, if the reception of the Surface is anything to go by. Fingers crossed they keep the momentum up between now and November!
FTC: HONK.
PAX Prime 2014 Resistance Tournament Winner
It happens sometimes. It's a cultural thing, I think.
It seems like the situation is different in countries where computer culture is deeply steeped in the manufacturing process as well. In Taiwan, people gripe about computer problems like everywhere else, but due to the proximity of the manufacturer and where the developers are recruited (the country is home to some of the biggest PC manufacturers--Acer and ASUS, among smaller ones, whereas America is home to Apple), and the consumer culture (things being cheaper versus more expensive). Media mirrors the culture, and that shapes the internet rivalries. It's not surprising that Android is the dominating factor, whereas the iPhone is in the same place as Blackberry and even WP7--"Why didn't you buy an Android?" is the normal question. Or people mistaking iPhones for certain HTC model phones.
Over there, Apple there is sort of like driving a Yugo or an Italian car here, I guess. The shoe ends up being on the other foot. Steve Jobs himself is followed because the media is obsessed with the man, even if they don't care about the technology, aside from how it'll effect those who really matter.
That's only speaking of phones and computers. The iPad is the tablet over there, but tablets were not as common--probably because of the costs vs. utility associated with them.
I have a feeling that their developer and consumer outreach and perceived underdog status in the mobile world will go leagues in bypassing the "evil empire" theme most people have put on them.
Don't get me wrong: I'm not under the mistaken impression that they're anything but the largest tech company in the world. It's just invigorating to see such a sloppy, utilitarian mess that was Windows and MS is general transform into something... I dunno, like you said, edgy? It's weird.
"Edgy" is low on my priority list. But I'm probably a relic in that regard.
There are lots of iPods Touchs (lols) here in Brazil. And shuffles and nanos. Not many Classics, though, anymore. But lots of all kinds of iPods. Brazilians love them iPods. And iPhones. And iPads. And oh, a fuckton of hiPods and hiPhones and any sort of fake bootleg Chinese not-Apple product, plus the regular extremely crap non-iPod like mp3 players. They have a funny thing here, an "mp4" is a device that plays music (mp3) plus video (one more function, hence, mp4). The mp5 is an mp4 that plays radio, the mp6 is an mp5 with a camera, the mp7 plays games... Every time they add some function to the shitty devices, they go MP(x)++
I love it.
I'd love for someone in South Korea to shed some light, but given how many they sell out of country, I'm guessing Cowon still comfortably kicks any iPod/Touch/etc. role in the PMP device in South Korea (iPhones different story).
Apparently, since Job's death, Apple has done an excellent job turning it around in China proper. Granted, their computers are still floundering behind HP, Acer, Lenovo and I believe Dell, but the iPod Touch is absolutely taking gains in China. iPhone? No. Too expensive, No official carriers. An apparent flat-our refusal to play ball with the understanding China is not like America (which is what HTC has done, and according has multiple models for sale in China, including three new budget ones this summer). The Chinese answer? Local devices that offer cellular functions for iPod Touches. An effective solution, and Apple benefits as well--though perhaps less than they would if they actually figured that thing out like they had so expertly in the US.
EDIT: Also, thank you for shedding light on Brazil, which rarely gets mentioned, despite being a growing economy and thus, growing market. Same goes for India, sadly.
http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/apple_adds_china_telecom_as_iphone_carrier/
Apple has two official carriers now and demand enough to trigger riots in china. Mind you, this has only happened in this year... which is pretty amazing, considering the size of China's economy and how much Apple likes money...
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
Then again, this isn't an actual iPhone thread either, so much as a deviation onto international markets from me. *shrug* I don't expect Apple to ever turn it around in Taiwan, but then again, it's only 23 million people (and for all I know, they already own all the smart phones they plan to sell).
It looks pretty decent, checks all the boxes I'm looking for in my next phone. But I'm waiting for Nokia's Windows Phone 8 announcement next Wednesday before I commit to my next Windows Phone.
I bought a Samsung Focus at launch and recently upgraded to a Nokia Lumia 900. I've been much happier with the Lumia than I was with the Focus, so I'm partial to Nokia at this point.
920 doesn't seem to have a microSD slot, though the 820 does; does have 32GB, though. The new camera looks really really good - the entire unit is stabilised, which they say lets them leave the aperture open longer to let more light in.
The Lumia 920
The Lumia 820 with charging platter thing
And you still have a wire running from the wireless charger to the wall or your computer... so why do people care so much about it?
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
I'm not sure of the appeal myself, mostly because my battery life with WP7.5 is great enough that I have to use my phone practically nonstop to kill it in a single day.
That said, I'm glad Nokia is taking it up and I hope more manufacturers do, because if it catches on then there will be more innovation and we'll get to where we really want -- zonal wireless power. However, their wireless charging cradle looks kinda nice... it also leverages NFC so if you set the phone on the cradle it can also be configured to automatically open an app on the phone.
then improve the port. a 2-10 dollar cable is a much smaller point of failure than a 30-75 dollar touchstone with complex hardware, and matching complex hardware on the handset to receive the power.
Until we hit some kind of ISO standard, and we can have desk surfaces made of the technology that will charge everything from laptops to cellphones to portable gaming devices and bluetooth headsets... I just think this is flash without real substance.
the phone itself looks boss, though. Real boss.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
I do not think sitting in front of a large induction coil over your lap all day is a good idea. I'm generally not a conspiracy nut or a hippie, but wireless power is not something I want.
Love the phone though.
Yeah, too bad there isn't a standard that is catching on.
And a bunch of large, individual touchstones all charging individual devices.
Devices that your single object has to rest on, that takes up more desk space than a cable, takes more room when packed away, is larger in your day bag if you need to charge on the go, and is less efficient than a cable.
We don't have a GOOD standard yet. A good standard would mean that you wouldn't need the touchstone, as there would be ways to charge it already readily available, like your kitchen countertop or your desk.
Let's play Mario Kart or something...
I'm hoping they've got a few more phones left to announce, or at least plan to release more variations in the coming months. The 920's got the best body, but it's too large and in the wrong colours...
I was expecting some sort of announcement about Microsoft buying Nokia, but then why buy the cow when you get the milk for a nominal fee.
*waits patiently for Sept. 18*
Come on, HTC, you've done good by me so far...I would have gotten an HTC 7 Pro like that if I could have gotten a GSM model.