Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8 • Hacker News Board

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#41

Post by WiseWeasel » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:27 PM UTC

phren0logy wrote: post #26

WiseWeasel wrote: post #20

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 Off…

>blasé about throwing their installed base under the bus. What user base? I for one am thrilled to see Microsoft responding with what seems to be an appropriate level of urgency.

Does that mean that the architecture of Win Phone 7 was a mistake? That it was never really part of a long-term strategy to transition from Win Mobile to Win Phone 8? Does Microsoft really intend to churn through platforms that quickly? It makes you wonder how far ahead they're planning things out over there, and whether this is a platform you should hitch your wagon to as a developer.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#42

Post by cryptoz » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:29 PM UTC

desigooner wrote: post #32

microtonal wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a Windows Phone (Lumia 710) besides my iPhone, that I bought two weeks ago. The phone itself was released in Europe in November 2011. And now it's outdated/legacy already? It breaks trust. How would I know that if I buy a WP 8 phone that it will be supported with upgrades a year down the line?

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.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#43

Post by sjwright » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:30 PM UTC

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 productivity software and the corporate desktop. They own business communications. They own corporate email. So when it comes to revitalizing their phone product, they focus on the twittering tweens?

Is it just me, or is it not freaking obvious that Microsoft should focus on building the ultimate business phone? Something that corporations around the world would deploy to every single employee in a heartbeat?

Hey, RIM is struggling. Perhaps Microsoft could stand to fork out a Skype-sized bundle of cash to buy them out.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#44

Post by sjwright » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:30 PM UTC

falling wrote: post #35

sjwright wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For that matter, who is going to buy a Windows Phone 8 device now, since there's no reason to believe it will run Windows Phone 9?

For that matter, who is going to buy an Android 2.3 device now, since there's no reason to believe it will run Android 4.0?

Or an iPhone 3GS, since there's... oh, wait... and it was released when? ... 2009 you say? Astonishing.

---------

EDIT: For the narrative impaired, I am saying that the 3GS is still being supported with major software upgrades despite being three years old, in stark contrast to all other major smartphone platforms.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#45

Post by glhaynes » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:31 PM UTC

saturdaysaint wrote: post #33

wavephorm wrote: post #19

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.

Yep. The real tragedy of fragmentation is that Android still lacks any kind of brand power - they're the phone equivalent of yesterday's faceless beige windows towers. If Microsoft actually ship this in 2012, and have someone mildly competent in marketing, I wouldn't be surprised to see most American users once again choosing between MS and Apple.

I'm not really sure whether it's true or not that Android doesn't have brand power. I mean, it's not as strong as "iPhone", certainly, and I don't have any specs to show, but I sure notice "Android!" on signs in front of cellular shops a lot... and there's a giant green Android robot balloon on the top of a little wireless shop just down the road. Even my non-techie friends say things like "Is that an iPhone or a Droid [sic]?"...

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#46

Post by daeken » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:32 PM UTC

ConstantineXVI wrote: post #24

weiran wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

They've only said "minimal code changes", "two days of work"; also only mentioned native code in the context of games and nothing to suggest support for HTML/JS-based apps (which would imply WinRT support). "Recompile + UI tweaks" would be a headline feature for the SDK, not stating such outright leads me to believe this isn't the case. EDIT: just said that the CLR is now identical between phone and W8, but again "sh…

They said that native code is going to be supported. That tells me WinRT will be as well; it's not like people are going to be writing MFC apps for it.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#47

Post by gouranga » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:33 PM UTC

I just sold my Lumia 710 and replaced it with a 10 year old Nokia 3310. Looks like i picked the right time i.e. Before the value bombs.

For ref it was sold because the battery life is abysmal, there is no upgrade path and the mic doesn't work properly.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#48

Post by IanDrake » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:33 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.

I have a HTC Titan. I'll get the new start screen feature and a few other updates in WP7.8. WP8 is really about supporting hardware that doesn't exist on my phone anyway.

That said, after WP8 goes out, MS really needs to step up there game with software updates. Having to get the carrier and manufacture on board to release an update has effectively made updates impossible.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#49

Post by glhaynes » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:34 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #40

glhaynes wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True from Microsoft's perspective but from a customer's perspective it looks like "Windows for phones" changes radically and entirely incompatibly pretty often. Edit: On the other hand, most of the current market probably didn't know about Windows Mobile so perhaps that's mostly moot.

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.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 8

#50

Post by cube13 » Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 5:35 PM UTC

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…

>Is it just me, or is it not freaking obvious that Microsoft should fire their phone strategists, and focus on building the ultimate business phone? Something that competes with Blackberry? Something that corporations around the world would deploy to every single employee in a heartbeat?

That's what they're doing: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/06/window...