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Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

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Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#31

Post by ashish01 »

eatporktoo wrote: post #2

As a person who recently switched from Android to a Windows Phone, I believe they can. The platform itself is fantastic. Once people start using the OS they fall in love with it. The problem is that most people don't even know that the OS exists. Most people I talk to think that it's Windows Mobile and that's very difficult to get the past. Now that I have had this phone for over a month, I must admit that I am not s…

Same here. After using android (CM6 and 7) for a year and a half I changed to windows phone mainly because of it was cheap and seemed more fluid. But after using it for a few months now I do feel its better than Android in most respects.

One thing which I like the most is that the OS itself in invisible most of the time. In Android I had a constant feeling of managing the OS e.g. installing advanced task manager to control processes running in back ground, rooting it to CM6-7 because HTC upgrade to 2.2 made it near useless.

[I work for Microsoft, not on WP7 though]

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#32

Post by recoiledsnake »

bad_user wrote: post #30
woobar wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, that's not entirely accurate. Competitor's 'free' OS comes with 'patent fees' to MS. So if you are a HW manufacturer choosing between Android and WP7 you will pay either way. [1] http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/05/27/htc-pays-5-per-andro... [2] http://fosspatents.blogspot.com/2011/09/samsung-takes-androi...

Patents are only a short term advantage and they know it - Google doesn't have lots of patents but they have cash and, surprise, they have gone shopping already. Just wait until Google, Samsung, HTC, LG and maybe smaller players like Acer form a coalition and go after Microsoft - a company that is not a patent trol, that can be attacked and that will take a stock market hit in the case of failure. What really works f…

>Just wait until Google, Samsung, HTC, LG and maybe smaller players like Acer form a coalition and go after Microsoft

Google has never filed an offensive patent suit. Also, MS can retaliate against almost every Google product out there.

Samsung, HTC are MS patent licensees and make Windows Phones. In fact, HTC came into the world phone market by making WM phones.

LG makes Windows Phones.

Acer's biggest business is being a Windows OEM.

Why would they waste tens of millions of dollars trying to shake down MS? If you think these are going to come together and file a patent lawsuit against the biggest patenter, I suspect you're wrong.

>..will take a stock market hit in the case of failure

The dent in MS's revenues even in the case of successful patent suits against it, compared to the cash brought in by their cashcows will be a blip on the radar.

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#33

Post by dagw »

I'm waiting to see what Nokia comes up with before making a call one way or the other. Personally I'm really intrigued by what I've seen of WP7 and would definitely consider it for my next phone. The main thing holding me back at the moment though is that the choice of hardware is very limited and the little that does exists is rather uninspiring and quite expensive compared to Android phones. HTC and Samsung seem totally uninterested in WP7 and are only going through the motions with their handsets. Hopefully a company that is 100% behind the platform can breathe some life into the hardware side of the equation.

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#34

Post by tomkarlo »

"...the only thing standing in the way of Microsoft’s ascendency is price when compared to similarly outfitted Android and iOS models"

Uh, author just kind of threw that in there, unsupported. You could have said the same thing about Apple back in about 1997, but it wouldn't have been true, either.

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#35

Post by joebadmo »

ChrisLTD wrote: post #28
joebadmo wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, you'd say, "Just grab any Mac in the Apple Store."? or any iPhone? I just recently advised a friend very carefully on whether she should get a Macbook Air or a Macbook Pro. It was a tough decision with a lot of considerations. There are now 3 iPhones available at different price points with substantial differences in speed and capability. This really doesn't seem like a line of reasoning worth advocating.

I guess I'm comparing it to what it was like in the early 2000s and 1990s. If someone asked me what computer they should get, I'd have to think about the quality of the manufacturer, the processor speed, the memory, the hard drive space and the type of removable storage (floppy, cd, dvd). These days you can go into an Apple Store and buy the cheapest Mac Mini they make and know you'll walk out with a good computer. Y…

It's true that there is a much greater diversity of Android handsets than there are iOS or Windows Phone handsets. You can read that as a feature or a bug.

I, for one, would never simply tell anyone to just get the cheapest Mac Mini at the Apple Store. If someone is coming to me for advice, it's because they want my informed opinion, and my advice is going to be considered in the light of their needs.

If you're saying that you're simply tired of having to think about things like that, then, sure, Android is too hard. I disagree that that's a problem with Android.

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#36

Post by rjd »

diminish wrote: post #24
rjd wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I guess we have to see if Android is still a viable platform in 2-3 years time. Don't under estimate the power of patents. Also don't under estimate the power of the enterprise and company issued phones.

microsoft is weaker in mobile patents than any other platform player. they could be a victime quicker than android.

You are aware Android is an operating system right (the same domain where Microsoft holds most of its patents) and not hardware (where Microsft holds the rest of there patents)?

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#37

Post by contextfree »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #14

It's not just the quality of the platform. Look at PalmPre for why that's not the most important aspect. There are lots of complicated reasons why a platform becomes popular or not. Also, there very much is an aspect of trust involved. Apple and google built up a lot of trust in different ways in providing excellent experiences to users. Apple with OS/X and the iPod. Google with gmail, search, maps, chrome, etc. When…

I agree, but that's actually an argument for persevering with the platform. That trust problem can only be fixed with time and continuing investment, and dropping platforms if they don't succeed right away would only compound the trust deficit (especially with developers).

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#38

Post by danthony »

diminish wrote: post #24
rjd wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I guess we have to see if Android is still a viable platform in 2-3 years time. Don't under estimate the power of patents. Also don't under estimate the power of the enterprise and company issued phones.

microsoft is weaker in mobile patents than any other platform player. they could be a victime quicker than android.

Tell that to Samsung and HTC. Microsoft's patent position was strong enough that it managed to force each of them to pay Microsoft a license fee for every Android device they sell.

Fact is Android is anything but free, except it's Microsoft, not Google, who's collecting on every incremental Android sale.

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#39

Post by shaggyfrog »

martythemaniak wrote: post #11

If we agree that eventually (within 15 years or so) all phones will be smartphones and that almost everyone on earth older than 10 will own one, you can see why I'm still bullish on RIM and MS. A relatively small number of companies (Apple, Google, RIM, MS) are fighting over a huge market which will grow from millions today to hundreds of millions to billions in time. Managing to capture or hold onto even 10% of that…

> Managing to capture or hold onto even 10% of that market will pay off handsomely.

I can't remember who said it, but it goes something like this: whenever someone tells me that all they need is 1% of some big market, I wonder if they realize that there exists a number smaller than 1%.

In other words, considering how MS (and RIM for that matter) have squandered their significant market share over the last decade or so, what evidence exists that you think they're going to turn it completely around?

Coming at this from another angle, consider that even having large market share does not equate to profits; just look at Nokia. So how will either survive with small market share? Especially if their margins aren't iPhone-esque?

Re: Can Microsoft Salvage Windows Phone?

#40

Post by ChrisLTD »

joebadmo wrote: post #35
ChrisLTD wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess I'm comparing it to what it was like in the early 2000s and 1990s. If someone asked me what computer they should get, I'd have to think about the quality of the manufacturer, the processor speed, the memory, the hard drive space and the type of removable storage (floppy, cd, dvd). These days you can go into an Apple Store and buy the cheapest Mac Mini they make and know you'll walk out with a good computer. Y…

It's true that there is a much greater diversity of Android handsets than there are iOS or Windows Phone handsets. You can read that as a feature or a bug. I, for one, would never simply tell anyone to just get the cheapest Mac Mini at the Apple Store. If someone is coming to me for advice, it's because they want my informed opinion, and my advice is going to be considered in the light of their needs. If you're sayin…

There are some cheap Android phones with ancient OS's and terrible screens. Maybe you aren't likely to end up with one, I don't know.

I'd still give someone advice about which Mac to buy, but I don't think an uninformed buyer is going to go wrong with any of the options.

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