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Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

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Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#21

Post by seanmcdirmid »

fpgeek wrote: post #20
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> CEO of Cyanogen makes claims about people wanting use CyanogenMod without the Google Apps. You know, China exists; Google apps are blocked in an entire country that just happens to be the largest single country market for mobile. > The only company that has had any success with a forked Android is Amazon That is definitely not true. Xiaomi? Anyone selling Android in China (which excludes Amazon)?

As you note, inside China is an important special case, but outside China, Xiaomi includes Google apps. For that matter, even plenty of people in China want Google. There's a practically a cottage industry of hacks to get the Play Store on Chinese devices (including a shady app in the Mi Market, I believe).

The situation is totally artificial: most Chinese would love to have Google on their phone if the gov would allow it. But given the situation, it should be no surprise that some of the biggest consumers of Cyanogen are OEMs making phones for use in the PRC market.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#22

Post by teh_klev »

shmerl wrote: post #12
teh_klev wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pretty sure he means just the embrace and extend bits.

The whole thing given Microsoft's history has a very sinister connotation. The author even puts "trusted" in quotes, as if hinting that one shouldn't do such a thing really.

Journalists and their "scare" quotes. I think people need to get over that period in Microsoft's history. To be honest Oracle, Google, Facebook et al aren't exactly angels when it comes to their own acquire and bury practices.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#23

Post by fpgeek »

Alterlife wrote: post #5
samspenc wrote: post #2

I wasn't sure what to expect after seeing the title. But I will admit, the author makes an interesting point about how Microsoft could "embrace and extend" Android . But: I personally don't see that happening. Even if Microsoft was able to influence the forked versions of Android, how would that help Microsoft's bottom line? And at this stage, how much damage could they inflict to the real Android, which is now runni…

The big problem with Android is the lack of updates for popular phones. Love it, or hate it, cyanogen does address that. More significantly, manufacturers have tested the waters with cyanogenmod devices -- oneplus one, Oppo n1, Micromax's Yu Yureka. I for one would be more likely to buy a cyanogenmod supported phone than a 'touchwiz', 'optimus' or "Windows 8" phone if I was assured of two year updatability. And how w…

For popular devices, the bottleneck with Android updates isn't really the resources to develop them, it's the carrier certification process. You can see that when the same device gets updates on some countries/carriers and not others. CyanogenMod doesn't address that, it just evades it via unlocked bootloaders and flashing. The more official they try to be, the more they will run into the same problems.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#24

Post by fpgeek »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #21
fpgeek wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As you note, inside China is an important special case, but outside China, Xiaomi includes Google apps. For that matter, even plenty of people in China want Google. There's a practically a cottage industry of hacks to get the Play Store on Chinese devices (including a shady app in the Mi Market, I believe).

The situation is totally artificial: most Chinese would love to have Google on their phone if the gov would allow it. But given the situation, it should be no surprise that some of the biggest consumers of Cyanogen are OEMs making phones for use in the PRC market.

Exactly. That demonstrates the fundamentally unstable foundation of Chinese non-Google Android. China might decide to interfere with the non-Google services being used (I suspect that's more if they come from a foreign company like Microsoft), Google might negotiate a new agreement or something else might scramble the playing field (China taking a hard line on device encryption?).

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#25

Post by sliverstorm »

barrkel wrote: post #13
damianknz wrote: post #6

I made the switch from an Android Sony to a Lumia 530 this Christmas. Apart from the LCD TN screen the Lumia is easily the best phone I've ever had at half the price.

You can't make a statement like that without qualifying it. Why is it easily the best phone? What do you use your phone for? I know I very rarely use my phone for phone calls. For me, it's all about apps and the capabilities those apps have. My own phones have all been Nexuses. The reasons being that I consider Apple fascist[1], and Android is the only alternative with the combination of lots of apps and a way of rep…

It's an exhaustive topic; presumably your parent was ready to respond to specific queries but not write a full length piece.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#26

Post by shmerl »

teh_klev wrote: post #22
shmerl wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The whole thing given Microsoft's history has a very sinister connotation. The author even puts "trusted" in quotes, as if hinting that one shouldn't do such a thing really.

Journalists and their "scare" quotes. I think people need to get over that period in Microsoft's history. To be honest Oracle, Google, Facebook et al aren't exactly angels when it comes to their own acquire and bury practices.

> I think people need to get over that period in Microsoft's history.

Are you saying they righted their wrongs in this regard? I don't think so. They are slightly better than before may be, but they have a lot of old baggage left. I can't say they stopped their lock-in tactics already and became friendly to open standards. Others have their wrongs as well, but the article is about Microsoft.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#27

Post by jmspring »

Kattywumpus wrote: post #17
barrkel wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can't make a statement like that without qualifying it. Why is it easily the best phone? What do you use your phone for? I know I very rarely use my phone for phone calls. For me, it's all about apps and the capabilities those apps have. My own phones have all been Nexuses. The reasons being that I consider Apple fascist[1], and Android is the only alternative with the combination of lots of apps and a way of rep…

I'm not the OP, but I am a Windows Phone user, and I love it. Obviously, it may not be your cup of tea, but it has an appeal other phones don't for me. First, I don't think MS is "copying Apple". Using Live Tiles is a very different experience than poking at icons on the iPhone. And MS isn't marketing to "narcissists" -- the best selling Windows Phones are all at the very low end of the market. The fit and polish you…

The Nokia HERE apps are amongst the best mapping apps out there, and until recently they were only on Windows Phone. I've had two high end Lumias -- the 928 and the Icon. I still use the Icon as my phone when traveling to put a third party sim card in as well as a camera now and then.

My primary phone is an iPhone. It has the apps. It mostly just works. However, an interface of "a bunch of icons" or "a bunch of icons in folders" is a really tired interface.

I'd like to see better innovation from the UI/UX on the iPhone, but we really don't get much beyond a flatter theme. (this is not to take away from all the advancements happening under the hood).

I'd like some combination of the Windows Phone interface with a blend of features from IOS and Android.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#28

Post by _nedR »

Microsoft is adopting the "Services, not devices" (or OSes) strategy envisaged two years ago (http://stratechery.com/2013/services-not-devices/).

Under Ballmer, Microsoft had a brief identity crisis, trying to be a vertically integrated company like Apple. It is clear that Satya Nadella is taking Microsoft the other way to become a horizontally-integrated company like Google (http://stratechery.com/2013/understanding-google/)by open-sourcing .Net platform, to support competing platforms like Linux, releasing Office and Outlook on all mobile platforms (Windows, iOS, Android), focusing on cloud services, and deprioritizing Windows.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#29

Post by frozenport »

_nedR wrote: post #28

Microsoft is adopting the "Services, not devices" (or OSes) strategy envisaged two years ago ( http://stratechery.com/2013/services-not-devices/ ). Under Ballmer, Microsoft had a brief identity crisis, trying to be a vertically integrated company like Apple. It is clear that Satya Nadella is taking Microsoft the other way to become a horizontally-integrated company like Google ( http://stratechery.com/2013/understand…

>>like Google

But in an ironic way!

Both companies are the foundations upon which the digital age sits, everybody runs Windows/Office and everybody uses Google search. MS and Google can do whatever the heck they want and fail often without consequence.

Re: Microsoft Makes Clever Moves

#30

Post by yuliyp »

fpgeek wrote: post #23
Alterlife wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The big problem with Android is the lack of updates for popular phones. Love it, or hate it, cyanogen does address that. More significantly, manufacturers have tested the waters with cyanogenmod devices -- oneplus one, Oppo n1, Micromax's Yu Yureka. I for one would be more likely to buy a cyanogenmod supported phone than a 'touchwiz', 'optimus' or "Windows 8" phone if I was assured of two year updatability. And how w…

For popular devices, the bottleneck with Android updates isn't really the resources to develop them, it's the carrier certification process. You can see that when the same device gets updates on some countries/carriers and not others. CyanogenMod doesn't address that, it just evades it via unlocked bootloaders and flashing. The more official they try to be, the more they will run into the same problems.

Why is carrier certification a thing? The carrier supplies a SIM card and as long as the device cna properly use its antenna and the SIM card the carrier should not need to do anything else.
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