Windows Phone Hits the Final Lap

Rating:

(55)

Paul Thurrott

Windows IT Pro

InstantDoc ID #125619

This morning, Microsoft announced an important milestone in the development of its next-generation smartphone platform, Windows Phone. The company has delivered a near-final, technical preview version of the system to developers in preparation for a broad, worldwide launch in the fourth quarter.

"Our software is now ready for the hands-on everyday use of a broad set of consumers around the world," Microsoft Corporate Vice President Terry Myerson wrote in a blog post announcing the release, "and I can’t wait to see how our developer partners take advantage of our new approach to smart design and integrated mobile experiences."

Myerson also took an implicit dig at Apple, whose own lack of testing has finally come back to haunt the company in the form of multiple, endemic hardware problems with the iPhone 4.

"The [Windows Phone] software has undergone extensive testing, in daily use by more than 1,000 people at Microsoft who have been using [Windows Phone] as their only phone for the past several months, and the more than 10,000 devices in our test labs," he noted. "We've been testing usability, battery life, network connectivity, and many other metrics for a long time. As a result of that work, I hope you will find the experience to be of surprisingly high quality."

That's what I've found. In my owns tests of the technical preview software this month, running on prototype hardware devices, Windows Phone has worked reliably and with excellent performance. More enticingly, Microsoft's new Metro UI, with its integrated panoramic hubs and touch-based interaction model, is like a breath of fresh air in a me-too mobile industry that's been bogged down for too long trying to ape Apple's increasingly tired apps-based model. Windows Phone isn't perfect—yes, it will lack features like copy and paste and true multitasking at launch—but I don't believe these concerns will deter actual consumers, either.

You can read my initial hands-on report of Windows Phone on the SuperSite for Windows. I'll have more information about Windows Phone in the days ahead.

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Is it just me, or does Windows Phone 7 look very over complicated and scroll-tastic? I mean seriously, what business user is going to want to waste time wading through all those animated transitions? How is anyone expected to know where things are when you can't see them because they're off-screen. Surely tapping from App to App directly is much more efficient?
There's a big difference between 'innovation' which means doing things better, and 'different' which means not being the same.
Yes WP7 is different, but then so was the Sinclair C5.

Klimecki7/21/2010 4:09:36 PM

Nice try, Chuckie. Your Doctorate in Trolly Goodness is showing through. Thank goodness I'm not as "educated" as you.

fanboys suck7/21/2010 1:23:21 PM

"Apple admits there is an issue"

I don't recall this ever being stated.

Did you even watch any of the event? They have slides showing where not to touch the side to cause the attenuation. They demonstrate holding the iphone4 drops the signal strength. They said they received complaints for .55% of use"

No, he did not watch it. Of course not. Even he did, he would not understand it.

He's defending his 'I am not a fanboy' so vigorously, it's fanboylike.

Fortunately for him, he's so dumb he fails to see the inherent difficulty in his reasoning.

Laugh at him, pet him on the virtual head, and move on.

The Real ChuckD7/21/2010 7:37:02 AM

"Apple admits there is an issue"

I don't recall this ever being stated.

Did you even watch any of the event? They have slides showing where not to touch the side to cause the attenuation. They demonstrate holding the iphone4 drops the signal strength. They said they received complaints for .55% of users.

If that is not admitting there is an issue, I am not sure what it.

It sounds like you just want them to admit they are wrong, and that the design is flawed. That is very different..

17/20/2010 3:33:27 PM

"Apple admits there is an issue"

I don't recall this ever being stated.

My statements are in regards to the company, Apple. The difference here (and its my opinion, so good ol' Chuck doesn't start ranting about facts and calling me names again) is that when Microsoft ran into the same issue (a hardware problem) with their Xbox, they put a system into place that addressed it. I am speaking from experience, because I lived through it. Frustrating as anything since I use both xboxes that I own as extenders. While the process was fairly smooth, the fact that it happened to both of my xboxs was very frustrating.

So, despite the fact that there was a very high percentage of failure, when the device worked it worked well. Many times I have read the smug remarks from Apple fanboys that spout off about the xbox as "an utter failure", yet there are more than a few people I know that have never had an issue with theirs. Sound familiar? Microsoft has been taken to task on their xbox reliability issues, they responded. It has cost them a *lot* of money to do so, but they did it. Would I buy another xbox? I'm mulling that over, actually. I read that the new one is much improved. But I'm a little sour on my previous experience with it, so I'm, not sure I will be tied to another one as of yet.

IN MY OPINION (that was for you, Chuck!) Apple is seriously dropping the ball, and for the reasons I stated above. Er, below. All of the recent actions by Apple lead me to believe that they need to mature as a company. Will I buy an iPhone? Probably. My wife wants one in the worst way. But, I will probably be skipping v. 4 this time, largely because I think they need to address the problem and I have zero confidence that they believe there is a problem.

fanboys suck7/20/2010 12:59:07 PM

Wow Fanboys,

Everything you just accuses ChuckD of really applies to you as well.

"yet you spend amazing amounts of time defending a company that couldn't care less about you. "

And you spend just as much time attacking them, as do I and everyone else who frequents these sites.

"Arrogance, denial, holier than thou attitudes...just a few adjectives to describe Apple and most especially their leader. Oh, and their maniacal fans (See: The RealChuckD)"

That really describes all of us here. :)

"1st: Blame the user: "Don't hold it that way." This from their *CEO*!"

And the part you miss is that ALL companies do this. The amount of diagrams from cell phones I have seen posted in the past two weeks is astounding. All of them show how to and how not to hold the phone. Where is your attack on them? At least ChuckD linked to show these.

"2nd: Blame the media: "The media is blowing this out of proportion.""

Which they are. Such a small percentage of users are having trouble with their iphones. Yes, this is a real issue, but you would think that 25-50% of people are suffering given all the hype.

"3rd: Point the finger at other companies: "All phones have the same problem.""

Which they do. Despite all the other companies renouncing Apple for their media event on Friday, not one said that their products do not attenuate when held in certain positions.

"4th: Offer the cheapest fix possible, while denying the issue: "Everyone gets these [CommentText].01 (cost) rubber bands we sell for $29.00 USD for free!"'

When did Apple ever deny this was an issue? They admitted there was a problem for a small amount of users, they apologized for it, and offered a solution. You are simply making up numbers as to the [CommentText].01 cost to produce. I am sure the markup is quite outstanding on these, but you are, "blowing this out of proportion."

So recapping, Apple admits there is an issue, wants to make it right for those who are affected by it, and they are arrogant.

17/20/2010 12:32:29 PM

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. You just keep on with the schoolyard antics, Chuckie. Apple has a PR nightmare and a hardware issue on their hands, yet you spend amazing amounts of time defending a company that couldn't care less about you.

There's a problem with their phone. What's the response?

1st: Blame the user: "Don't hold it that way." This from their *CEO*!
2nd: Blame the media: "The media is blowing this out of proportion."
3rd: Point the finger at other companies: "All phones have the same problem."
4th: Offer the cheapest fix possible, while denying the issue: "Everyone gets these [CommentText].01 (cost) rubber bands we sell for $29.00 USD for free!"

Arrogance, denial, holier than thou attitudes...just a few adjectives to describe Apple and most especially their leader. Oh, and their maniacal fans (See: The RealChuckD)

"And I make a habit out of not talking to nitwits with a college degree at most.

Dumb ass."

Good news for you! I don't have a college degree! So often I run into pompous fools like you. But, still, congrats on your PH. D. in Arts majoring in... trolling?

fanboys suck7/20/2010 12:04:12 PM

@ fanboys suck7/20/2010 9:23:02 AM

I love how you always present opinions as facts. But I don't hold it against you: it's highly likely it is a function of your utter stupidity.

And I make a habit out of not talking to nitwits with a college degree at most.

Dumb ass.

The Real ChuckD7/20/2010 10:35:27 AM

"Microsoft is an utter, utter, UTTER, failure in consumer industry."

This is the dumbest, dumbest, DUMBEST statement you've ever typed up. Well, to date. I'm sure you have it in you to top that one. And the other accusations you drop on there? Your messiah and his company will be in the same boat soon.

"Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it."

--Georges Santayana

fanboys suck7/20/2010 9:23:02 AM

@ Corcoran7/19/2010 6:20:14 PM

Don't worry. Snapshots of Kin looked great to for some Microsoft fanboy fools. As did something called Microsoft Courier.

Guess what happened to those two things?

Microsoft is an utter, utter, UTTER, failure in consumer industry. Without its gridlock and illegal business deals for their office and windows software (e.g., paying Dell for something stupid like 'Dell recommends Vista'), Microsoft would have been extinct.

The Real ChuckD7/20/2010 3:08:59 AM

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