Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8 • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#11

Post by weiran » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:08 PM UTC

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #8

Seems to be an odd decision to share the kernel with Win8, but not (explicitly) the WinRT SDK. It would seem in Microsoft's best interest to make sure bringing apps between the two is a recompile away; the way it's being phrased the SDK doesn't sound like it's absolutely 100% compatible.

Has this been explicitly stated? I'm hoping they do unify under the single WinRT framework.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#12

Post by glhaynes » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:09 PM UTC

What is it about its requirements that keep it from running on anything that exists today? The article just seems to talk about how it can support higher specs? (I ask because it'd better be a really, really good reason that it can't run on anything existing because that doesn't seem like good news for anybody.)

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#13

Post by eli » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:10 PM UTC

microtonal wrote: post #7

debacle wrote: post #2

This is more terrible news for Nokia.

Windows Phone 8 is an operating system, not a phone.

And is there an upgrade path from Nokia's current Windows phones to Windows Phone 8?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#14

Post by glhaynes » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:10 PM UTC

ttol wrote: post #10

cryptoz wrote: post #6

> incompatible with current devices Interesting. This may well be the right move for the long-term, but they're going to end up with a lot of angry early adopters right now. Android upgrades look nice all of a sudden.

I think cutting all the legacy is a good move -- start over from scratch. They have the wherewithal to round developer support (and also leverage their Xbox relationships), so cutting baggage is a good idea.

How much legacy is there? It doesn't seem like Windows Phone 7 handsets have been out that long... and my impression wasn't that they were generally extremely low-specced.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#15

Post by _mayo » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:11 PM UTC

robomartin wrote: post #5

Microsoft needs to get with it and provide video of these events.

http://live.Twit.tv is live streaming the event with commentary.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#16

Post by thejake » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:12 PM UTC

microtonal wrote: post #7

debacle wrote: post #2

This is more terrible news for Nokia.

Windows Phone 8 is an operating system, not a phone.

But who is going to buy a Windows Phone 7 device now? Nokia's already poor device sales is going to fall off a cliff.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#17

Post by sjwright » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:13 PM UTC

ttol wrote: post #10

cryptoz wrote: post #6

> incompatible with current devices Interesting. This may well be the right move for the long-term, but they're going to end up with a lot of angry early adopters right now. Android upgrades look nice all of a sudden.

I think cutting all the legacy is a good move -- start over from scratch. They have the wherewithal to round developer support (and also leverage their Xbox relationships), so cutting baggage is a good idea.

> I think cutting all the legacy is a good move

Microsoft clearly agree with you, because they seem to be doing that with every generation of Windows Phone.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#18

Post by WrkInProgress » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:13 PM UTC

cryptoz wrote: post #6

> incompatible with current devices Interesting. This may well be the right move for the long-term, but they're going to end up with a lot of angry early adopters right now. Android upgrades look nice all of a sudden.

They are bringing some features from WP8 to current devices (at least it seems so), like the new start screen, etc.

So besides support for NFC, dual core, new resolutions - it appears that most of the software based updates are coming to current devices in the form of WP 7.8

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/20/3096945/windows-phone-7-8-...

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#19

Post by wavephorm » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:14 PM UTC

I imagine a lot of RIM and Google executives are getting a twitch in their eye right about now. If these new devices live up to their hype I can easily see them supplant Android as the "anything but Apple" option.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#20

Post by WiseWeasel » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:14 PM UTC

It's strange to me that the company once renowned for maintaining backwards compatibility and established workflows well past what most customers might expect or demand has recently been so blasé about throwing their installed base under the bus. It's becoming hard to remember that Microsoft was once synonymous with a stable development platform.

Just from a UX point of view, starting with the ribbon interface in Office 2007, it seems like the company has become much more willing to change things around drastically without any apparent effort to help their customers make the transition gracefully. The Win Mobile to Win Phone 7 to Win Phone 8 transition has been equally disjointed, and the Windows 8 release seems to bring that level of adventurism to their bread-and-butter desktop platform.

Are these people regular crazy, or crazy like a fox?