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Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

bbc.com

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Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#71

Post by HenryMc »

LoneWolf wrote: post #16
dingdingdang wrote: post #10

Look at the pseudo-win-phone interface on that X2. It looks what it is: an imitation of another phone.. also it's blatantly confusing for users who will now see what appears to be a windows phone interface but be unable to use windows phone apps. Odd strategy.

That pseudo-win-phone interface was my first thought too, a really bad idea IMHO, as you pointed out it will only confuse users. Something I also thought was that the idea is to create a better opinion of the windows phone, and to confuse users to buy windows phones in the future. I also wonder how nice this pseudo-win-phone will play with all the other android apps. (Disclaimer: I have used a WP7.8 phone and hated i…

WP8.1 is so far ahead of 7.8. Don't write WP off just yet.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#72

Post by brudgers »

DCKing wrote: post #15

Microsoft releases a phone running Android, Microsoft releases hardware running Linux, pigs are flying and hell is freezing over etc etc. The real news is that this is not just an Android phone, it's a really good Android phone. It has a front facing camera, a decent SoC, enough RAM, what appears to be an IPS display (according to some sources), likely very decent build quality, and a price that is likely to dip belo…

Microsoft's roots are contrary to characture in popular culture - they sold and developed for Unix throughout the 1980's. It's big and corporate, but it's still a company founded as a software startup and always dogfooding its way into new products.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#73

Post by HenryMc »

skrebbel wrote: post #50
retejo wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm, just wondering. Why do you think windows phone is better than android? Android is easy to hack about with, custom roms, the source is open and out there (most of it anyway)and generally has great usibility.

Usability. I strongly disagree that Android has much of that, and I suspect that a great many Android users simply don't know any better. Windows Phone really is that much better. Rant: My first smartphone was a Lumia, and then when it broke i went to a Sony Xperia (with a rather clean Android 4.3 on it). I never even realized how well-designed WP was until I went to Android. Examples: - Operation. Nearly all of WP i…

Agree 100% with this. I think WP finds a good middle ground between the iOS and Android experience.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#74

Post by rbanffy »

DCKing wrote: post #15

Microsoft releases a phone running Android, Microsoft releases hardware running Linux, pigs are flying and hell is freezing over etc etc. The real news is that this is not just an Android phone, it's a really good Android phone. It has a front facing camera, a decent SoC, enough RAM, what appears to be an IPS display (according to some sources), likely very decent build quality, and a price that is likely to dip belo…

The interesting news are the implications of Microsoft distributing the Linux (and the Android) kernel under the terms of the GPLv2.

What happens to their patent portfolio they allege Linux infringes on?

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#75

Post by rbanffy »

wfjackson wrote: post #59
morganvachon wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except it doesn't have the Google Play store or Play Services, so it's not going to appeal to the usual Android user. As someone who uses Windows Phone, I keep scratching my head wondering why Microsoft even bothers.

It's a Nokia phone, not a Microsoft phone. It takes an average of 18 months to bring a phone to market. The Nokia acquisition was completed just two months ago, and the teams must be fairly independent right now. While the Nokia acquisition was being completed, Nokia was legally required to act as if the acquisition would fail. China approved the Nokia acquisition only on April 8, what would have happened if they did…

> The Nokia acquisition was completed just two months ago

Do you seriously think there would be any other possible outcome for the burning platform memo?

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#76

Post by fidotron »

dm2 wrote: post #33
richardwhiuk wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are the US against adopting the Euro? I'm only partially joking there. The Euro has had large amounts of turmoil in the past three years which has involved large bailouts of some countries. The inevitable path appears to be closer alignment of fiscal policy (including taxation and public spending) which is sovereignty that the UK public is opposed to giving up. There's a strong anti-EU sentiment in the UK with a…

That makes sense. It was a real question I had, I have no opinion of the matter. I guess the UK sees itself as having a more stable economy that other European Union countries, so it would benefit from having a separate currency (but the other countries would be hurt by not having a very strong country adopt the euro).

Not more stable, but historically out of phase. i.e. when Germany has done well the UK has had a down phase and vice versa.

The killer flaw in the Eurozone is not appreciating how useful different currencies are for dampening the effect of such differences. Greece is the classic example, where for them the Euro was too strong making them globally uncompetitive, leading to a nasty downward spiral, whereas Germany benefit from their exports being far more competitive than they would be if they were still using the DM.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#77

Post by jalanb »

brudgers wrote: post #72
DCKing wrote: post #15

Microsoft releases a phone running Android, Microsoft releases hardware running Linux, pigs are flying and hell is freezing over etc etc. The real news is that this is not just an Android phone, it's a really good Android phone. It has a front facing camera, a decent SoC, enough RAM, what appears to be an IPS display (according to some sources), likely very decent build quality, and a price that is likely to dip belo…

Microsoft's roots are contrary to characture in popular culture - they sold and developed for Unix throughout the 1980's. It's big and corporate, but it's still a company founded as a software startup and always dogfooding its way into new products.

+1 for Xenix: the first Unix variant I met, where I learnt C and sh, and capable of handling 8 student terminals linked to a single 386!

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#78

Post by retejo »

anko wrote: post #48
retejo wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm, just wondering. Why do you think windows phone is better than android? Android is easy to hack about with, custom roms, the source is open and out there (most of it anyway)and generally has great usibility.

Why do you want to be able to hack your phone? I would think you'd want your communications device to not be flakey.

I don't think hacks make your phone experience any less flaky. For example I run cyanogen mod on my n4, i almost feels LESS flaky than stock android.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#79

Post by rbanffy »

brudgers wrote: post #68

To me, this looks like Microsoft opening a new front against Google and one which has the potential to change the landscape - note that I said 'potential', I'm not claiming unequivocally the strategy will be successful and Google will be sent to the dustbin of history. What I am claiming is that Microsoft: + May have the killer smartphone app - carrier independent voice calls (aka "Skype"). + Clearly has a more thoug…

> + May have the killer smartphone app - carrier independent voice calls (aka "Skype").

So does every Android and iOS device, unless Microsoft wants to remove it from the android matket and the app store.

> + Clearly has a more thoughtfully designed user interface in the form of Metro versus Android's WIMP on a phone mashups.

That's debatable. I prefer Android to Windows Phone. Sometimes, even over the iPhone.

And there are days I miss WebOS...

> + Could offer a more thoughtfully integrated suite of development tools should they get Android tooling into Visual Studio.

I kind of like the Android toolset.

> + Already has a set of platform agnostic cloud services that are at least as good as Google's and since they include Office more attractive to general users.

At least as good as Google means Google is still the standard. Attractive to Office users.

> + Because of their B2B orientation, access to revenue streams other than advertising and therefore more latitude in providing a more appealing user experience in the consumer market.

Only as long as they can indirectly monetize a lock-in from the handset.

Re: Microsoft to release Android-powered Nokia X2 handset

#80

Post by wfjackson »

rbanffy wrote: post #74
DCKing wrote: post #15

Microsoft releases a phone running Android, Microsoft releases hardware running Linux, pigs are flying and hell is freezing over etc etc. The real news is that this is not just an Android phone, it's a really good Android phone. It has a front facing camera, a decent SoC, enough RAM, what appears to be an IPS display (according to some sources), likely very decent build quality, and a price that is likely to dip belo…

The interesting news are the implications of Microsoft distributing the Linux (and the Android) kernel under the terms of the GPLv2. What happens to their patent portfolio they allege Linux infringes on?

They have been distributing server based Linux through Azure for far longer. Creating a Linux VM is a matter of a few clicks and they have hundreds of ready to go VM images.

https://www.simple-talk.com/iwritefor/articlefiles/1610-VM-p...

http://vmdepot.msopentech.com/List/Index

On the flip side of what you said, now that they're an Android OEM they may have the legal standing to complain to regulatory agencies about how Google forces Android OEMs(which was kept secret from the public until it came out recently in court cases) to have Google Search as the default in order to get access to important Android Apps and APIs including the Play Store to the detriment of alternate search engines like Bing and DDG.

http://bgr.com/2014/05/05/google-search-and-apps-on-android/

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