Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8 • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#121

Post by e03179 » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 6:47 PM UTC

powertower wrote: post #108

sjwright wrote: post #43

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he made it really clear that Apple's job wasn't to beat Microsoft. Apple then delivered on that assessment and created entirely new markets for themselves. Sadly, somehow, Microsoft went all XOR on our asses. I'm still baffled about how Microsoft is still trying to out-Apple Apple when they've repeatedly proven it's a disastrous strategy (see: Zune). Microsoft are kings of productiv…

> when they've repeatedly proven it's a disastrous strategy (see: Zune). That's not the best example to use of Microsoft's failure. Every time Zune has been brought up for discussion here, I've seen primarily two types of responses... From people that actually owned a Zune: Fantastic product (better than my Apple iPod) . From people that never owned or tried a Zune: It's absolute crap (I've never seen any of my iPod…

Agree.

The Zune Pass worked great for me ($10/mo) to listen to all the music in their library on multiple devices and computers.

I've said for a while that if Apple released a subscription-based iTunes that a lot of people would use it...perhaps even rave about it.

And then Spotify came along which replaced my Zune Pass membership.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#122

Post by barista » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 6:48 PM UTC

cryptoz wrote: post #42

desigooner wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't such criticisms be valid for Android as well?

Depends. No such criticism can be said of Android as an OS, but you could certainly make good arguments directed at the ecosystem in general. The interesting thing here isn't that the upgrade isn't compatible, it's that most people would expect Microsoft to support older systems. It's a break in their character. Maybe a good one? We'll see.

So it is delivering an update for those phones too. Additionally there is a promise to support OTA upgrade of all released devices for 18 months. What android phone has that commitment?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#123

Post by barista » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 6:51 PM UTC

eli wrote: post #36

microtonal wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know Engadget's source, but: http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/20/microsoft-unveils-windows...

Right, so it's just a new OS... but it effectively dead-ends the Lumia, making it considerably less valuable.

How about the HTCs and Samsungs that ran androids and never got their upgrades?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#124

Post by barista » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 6:53 PM UTC

toyg wrote: post #79

druiid wrote: post #4

Wow, really Microsoft? You don't know better by now that if you're going to release a platform, hype is up like crazy and then basically leave people hanging... that it kills hardware/software communities? The WP8 features sounds great, but where does that leave my Lumia 900? I really love the phone and well, it sounds like I'm SOOL.

Welcome to the Nokia experience. I bought a N900 in 2010, and I was literally thrown under the bus not once (when Maemo was replaced by Meego), not twice (when the N9 debuted with a completely different UI) but three times (when they switched to WP7 even before the N9 was shipped). Meanwhile MS was busy killing off WinMobile, then Kin, and now WP7. And they wonder how Apple can get such faithful developers... A real…

Glad you didn't go android. Because their upgrade experience is not any different.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#125

Post by michaelbuckbee » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:12 PM UTC

powertower wrote: post #108

sjwright wrote: post #43

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he made it really clear that Apple's job wasn't to beat Microsoft. Apple then delivered on that assessment and created entirely new markets for themselves. Sadly, somehow, Microsoft went all XOR on our asses. I'm still baffled about how Microsoft is still trying to out-Apple Apple when they've repeatedly proven it's a disastrous strategy (see: Zune). Microsoft are kings of productiv…

> when they've repeatedly proven it's a disastrous strategy (see: Zune). That's not the best example to use of Microsoft's failure. Every time Zune has been brought up for discussion here, I've seen primarily two types of responses... From people that actually owned a Zune: Fantastic product (better than my Apple iPod) . From people that never owned or tried a Zune: It's absolute crap (I've never seen any of my iPod…

I played around (and rather liked the Zune) when it came out, but as with many of the devices discussed here it is more about the ecosystem than the device.

I was very put off by moves that Microsoft had made with Plays4Sure[1] (oh the irony) and worried that they would do similar with Zune Marketplace.

1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PlaysForSure

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#126

Post by simba-hiiipower » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:15 PM UTC

untog wrote: post #120

simba-hiiipower wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely agree about it being the right move for the long-term; Microsoft tends to have a bad habit of sacrificing performance and features for the sake of supporting old systems, glad to see this is changing. As for all us ‘early adopters’, I for one don’t mind at all. There are some features of the new OS that simply aren’t supported by current-generation WP hardware or just wouldn’t perform well on it. I’d rathe…

they’ve stated that all non-native code WP8 apps will work on WP7. Where did they say that?

Moreover, applications for Windows Phone 7.x will automatically run on Windows Phone 8 with little or no changes to the code of the app. Apps coded on Windows Phone 8 will conversely run on Windows Phone 7.x as well, so long as they don’t use native coding (apps coded with native C++ won’t run on Windows Phone 7.x since they use different APIs).

http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-officially-announces-wind...

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#127

Post by illumin8 » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:16 PM UTC

pilgrim689 wrote: post #85

zdw wrote: post #77

iPhone 3GS, released June 2009 and iPhone 4, release June 2010, both get iOS 6 (albeit with fewer features than an iPhone 4S). No Windows Phone 7 is getting Windows Phone 8. Supporting older hardware = brand loyalty, and environmental responsibility. Yes an iPhone costs more - it's also going to be updated for longer...

"albeit with fewer features than an iPhone 4S" And that's pretty much what's happening with WP7. Windows Phone users are getting an upgrade [1], but it won't be as fully-featured as WP8. Apple just did the slick move of calling both the partial update and the full update by the same name. [1] http://www.slashgear.com/windows-phone-7-8-brings-wp8-ui-to-...

So you get a new UI; who cares? What is truly important is application compatibility, and someone with a 3 year old iPhone 3GS will still be able to run brand new apps made for iOS 6.0. On the other hand, someone in a store buying a Nokia Lumia phone today might not be able to run apps released 3 months from now.

Don't you see the problem?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#128

Post by runjake » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:17 PM UTC

HorizonXP wrote: post #91

runjake wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Something that competes with Blackberry? The BlackBerry is pretty much dead. This is now largely the iPhone's market (being the only modern smartphone platform with completely solid Exchange support ), so Microsoft is back to competing with Apple again. Android has some level of Exchange support, as well. But what that entails depends on the OEM and their modifications (eg. Exchange support on an HTC Android device…

Legacy BBOS is for all intents and purposes, dead. BlackBerry 10 hasn't launched yet, but it's not exactly dead. Those of us actively developing for it are seeing lots of progress, and feel that RIM is far from dead.

Look, I'm going to be a bit harsh here. I've read your other BB cheerleading submission and the comments.

You can claim BB10 isn't dead, but neither is it alive.

It's vaporware at this point -- and it's logical to look at RIM's current performance to get a clue about how BB10 is going to perform and it just doesn't look good at all.

> Those of us actively developing for it are seeing lots of progress, and feel that RIM is far from dead.

Yeah and you're a small group of people compared to any other mobile platform with a very minority opinion. See also: the Amiga.

This just reeks of the WebOS debacle all over again. You can have the greatest technology ever but it won't matter if the company that owns it mis-markets/mis-manages it into the ground.

I hope they do succeed. I probably won't use one but it will foster more much needed competition.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#129

Post by freehunter » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:21 PM UTC

sjwright wrote: post #67

freehunter wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twice in the past 10 years, or once every 5 years. That's the difference between iOS 1 (2007) and iOS 5.

WP6 > KIN > WP7 > WP8. I count three killed platforms in three years.

Kin wasn't an official Windows Mobile/Phone platform, though.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#130

Post by freehunter » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 7:23 PM UTC

glhaynes wrote: post #49

freehunter wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twice in the past 10 years, or once every 5 years. That's the difference between iOS 1 (2007) and iOS 5.

We could just as easily say "twice in 2 years, or once every year" since the first WP7 devices shipped in late 2010 and WP8 will be out by end of 2012.

That's ignoring the long history of Windows Mobile from 2002 to 2010 though.