Windows Phone
February 16th, 2010, 3:09pm by Mike
Can’t believe that nobody’s said anything about the new Windows Phone 7 OS! Completely threw out the old Windows Mobile, to the point that it sounds like old apps won’t run on it without emulation. I haven’t dived too deeply into it, but from the screenshots I’ve seen, it looks like a completely new idea of a smartphone OS. Aesthetically, the extended desktops look really nice, but the tile interface (pictured) looks awkward, and I can’t figure out whether it’s actually functional or not.
Still, Gizmodo characterizes Windows Phone 7 as nothing short of game-changing:
The three most significant companies in desktop computing—Apple, Google and Microsoft—now stand to occupy the same positions in mobile.
The core organizing principle of Windows Phone 7 is this idea of hubs, which sounds pretty cool — really gets at the idea that your information, not your apps, should be the core of the device (that we think in terms of people to contact, not which app to use to contact them) — kinda like Synergy, but more pervasive through the whole OS, from what I’ve gathered. Guess you have to hope that your developers are onboard with all that. All info syncs over the air (no desktop sync in sight), and of course, there’s a marketplace.
So what do you guys think, does Microsoft have a chance here, or are they simply too late to the game?
February 16th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Sounds like a larger-scale duplication of webOS– out with the old, in with the new! I think w/ smartphones you have to use them for a few days at least to figure out what works/ doesn’t work. I think Gizmodo/engadget & other tech bloggers are in love w/ WinMo7 for the same reason they drooled over the Pre/webOS– they dig the idea of making a clean break, and it’s new, and new=good.
Really, the new S3 looks good. And Windows Phone. And Android, webOS & iPhone. Can all 5 survive? At a minimum, the odds of the iPhone achieve hegemony over the phone world have dimmed substantially in the last 6 months, which is a good thing. Android & iPhone look like winners. The others are all in doubt.
On the other hand, Bada was received with a collective snooze. And I’m not sure if Blackberry is ever going to step up its game– between Windows Phone corporate support and Android’s cutting-edge devices and openness, it’s going to get tougher & tougher for RIM to win over the knowledgeable consumer.
And I think Gizmodo way overstates the case– Windows Phone 7 won’t be on the market for 6 months, and by then Palm & Apple are both due for major product upgrades.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I’m losing respect for Gizmodo — just one day after declaring Microsoft one of the New Big Three in the smartphone OS game (next to Apple and Google, of course, see quote above), today they posted an article in which they lay out how Microsoft is going to charge carriers for the OS, unlike what Google does.
In a complete change of position, Gizmodo now declares:
I understand that circumstances are slightly different today than yesterday, but a little consistency would be much appreciated.
February 17th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Microsoft is planning to charge manufacturers for WinPhone7, not carriers, meaning it’s the same as it ever was for WinMob. Probably just a mistake, but it had big implications. I would never have assumed that Microsoft would give it away for free, like Gizmodo did. I don’t think it’s a deal breaker in the phone world, but who knows. For all we know, Chrome OS will make it so no one is willing to pay for Windows either.
February 17th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Well, since Microsoft is essentially designing the whole phone, I don’t think this is much of a surprise. This is the Microsoft Phone, as much as the Nexus One is the Google Phone. Instead of paying the manufacturers a cut to build it & selling it (Nexus One), they are charging the carriers to build it & letting them sell it. Which sounds a bit like the original TiVo model.
I think the Switched On article from Engadget was more in line w/ my thoughts. It’s different, but does that make it better? Whether Windows Phone succeeds or not will have a lot more to do with its usability, apps & hardware than an extra $10 cost.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/16/switched-on-making-it-different-versus-making-a-difference/
February 17th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Also, the Giz article makes the tragic mistake of comparing licensing fees with revenue, when it should be compared to profit. Considering Microsoft’s massive margins, it’s still a drop in the bucket. Actually read the same article on another site earlier– not sure if Giz is reprinting it or vice-versa.
IMHO, both big gadget blogs have gone way downhill. Another joke was excitedly hyping RAW capability in a camera phone, as if this would be worth buying a phone for! The irreverent tone is fun, but some of these writers need to be a little more cynical. Irreverent cynicism, that’s really what built both those places. Now it comes across as excited carping.
Of course, there are exceptions (see above).