Microsoft shocked to find interest in Windows Phone 7
After Microsoft's head of Windows Phone 7 offered free phones and training to any published webOS developers, he reported being "caught a bit flatfooted" to find 500 people interested in actually taking him up on the offer.
Shortly after HP announced the surprise termination of its mobile hardware business, Watson tweeted, "To Any Published WebOS Devs: We'll give you what you need to be successful on #WindowsPhone, incl.free phones, dev tools, and training, etc."
Microsoft similarly offered to pay iPhone developers to bring their apps to Windows Phone 7 last summer, but that didn't result in a flock of attention for the new platform. Six months later, Microsoft's own developers were still complaining that they hadn't been paid and couldn't even see if their apps were selling.
At the same time, Microsoft was advertising that 15,000 developers were "signaling their intent to bring exciting content to Windows Phone," while claiming 3,000 apps in the pipeline.
Microsoft welcomes webOS developers
After getting "more than 500 emails" inquiring about the free smartphones, Watson replied, "to be honest, we didn?t expect this level of response," adding that "It took a few days (on the weekend) to pull all the mails together into one place to allow me to respond in a smart way and not retype every mail by hand."
He concluded his note saying "We are psyched to have you aboard and to see what your imagination can do on the Windows Phone canvas," an interesting invitation given that Microsoft strongly downplayed the importance of apps as it prepared to relaunched Windows Mobile under the Windows Phone 7 brand, complete with a new UI that mixed features into a grid rather than calling attention to a library of apps.
Microsoft: a platform without first party hardware is "abandoned"
Microsoft has found itself trapped between its legacy of Windows Mobile, which once had a significant third party software platform, and its new Windows Phone 7 brand, which broke compatibility with the existing generation of stylus-driven apps to deliver a rethought user interface patterned after the Zune music player.
The company is planning to similarly remake Windows 7 to feature a touch-centric interface that runs web-based apps capable of running on ARM processors, tentatively dubbed Windows 8.
Watson claimed HP had "abandoned the [webOS] platform," despite HP's efforts to adopt a licensing business model that could actually bring webOS more into direct competition with Windows Phone 7 than it was formerly.
HP has maintained that it is not abandoning the platform, but rather just killing its hardware portfolio, although such a distinction may simply be semantic. However, Microsoft currently does not make first party hardware for its Windows, Windows Phone 7 or Slate PC platforms either.
Partner or prey?
HP was Microsoft's primary tablet partner last year when the two companies appeared on stage to tout Slate PC just prior to Apple's debut of the original iPad. HP subsequently purchased Palm and discontinued both its Windows 7 slate and its Windows Mobile smartphones in favor of its own webOS.
HP's Personal Systems Group continues to be the largest licensee of Microsoft's Windows PC platform, making Watson's unflattering digs at HP, whether automated or retyped by hand, a curious business strategy.
Shortly after HP announced the surprise termination of its mobile hardware business, Watson tweeted, "To Any Published WebOS Devs: We'll give you what you need to be successful on #WindowsPhone, incl.free phones, dev tools, and training, etc."
Microsoft similarly offered to pay iPhone developers to bring their apps to Windows Phone 7 last summer, but that didn't result in a flock of attention for the new platform. Six months later, Microsoft's own developers were still complaining that they hadn't been paid and couldn't even see if their apps were selling.
At the same time, Microsoft was advertising that 15,000 developers were "signaling their intent to bring exciting content to Windows Phone," while claiming 3,000 apps in the pipeline.
Microsoft welcomes webOS developers
After getting "more than 500 emails" inquiring about the free smartphones, Watson replied, "to be honest, we didn?t expect this level of response," adding that "It took a few days (on the weekend) to pull all the mails together into one place to allow me to respond in a smart way and not retype every mail by hand."
He concluded his note saying "We are psyched to have you aboard and to see what your imagination can do on the Windows Phone canvas," an interesting invitation given that Microsoft strongly downplayed the importance of apps as it prepared to relaunched Windows Mobile under the Windows Phone 7 brand, complete with a new UI that mixed features into a grid rather than calling attention to a library of apps.
Microsoft: a platform without first party hardware is "abandoned"
Microsoft has found itself trapped between its legacy of Windows Mobile, which once had a significant third party software platform, and its new Windows Phone 7 brand, which broke compatibility with the existing generation of stylus-driven apps to deliver a rethought user interface patterned after the Zune music player.
The company is planning to similarly remake Windows 7 to feature a touch-centric interface that runs web-based apps capable of running on ARM processors, tentatively dubbed Windows 8.
Watson claimed HP had "abandoned the [webOS] platform," despite HP's efforts to adopt a licensing business model that could actually bring webOS more into direct competition with Windows Phone 7 than it was formerly.
HP has maintained that it is not abandoning the platform, but rather just killing its hardware portfolio, although such a distinction may simply be semantic. However, Microsoft currently does not make first party hardware for its Windows, Windows Phone 7 or Slate PC platforms either.
Partner or prey?
HP was Microsoft's primary tablet partner last year when the two companies appeared on stage to tout Slate PC just prior to Apple's debut of the original iPad. HP subsequently purchased Palm and discontinued both its Windows 7 slate and its Windows Mobile smartphones in favor of its own webOS.
HP's Personal Systems Group continues to be the largest licensee of Microsoft's Windows PC platform, making Watson's unflattering digs at HP, whether automated or retyped by hand, a curious business strategy.
Comments
The challenge is to get hard-core first party developers for your platform to create the best experience for your users.
Nokia will be trying to strengthen Windows 7 soon, but my feelings are that this will be WebOS-like release with Nokia changing their mind yet again on what their strategy is. Any company not willing to commit to a long term strategy is going to fail. Windows 7 isn't competitive enough yet, so Nokia isn't going to find a lot of success right out of the gate. Microsoft is persistent though... they may be the only ones with a chance to be a third player in this market. Microsoft couldn't compete with the iPod ecosystem though. There are a lot of parallels in the smart phone ecosystem... so they may be doomed from the start.
Oh wait.
-kpluck
The headline of the story is misleading and makes you guys look foolish.
-kpluck
The writter is DED. What did you expect?
500 people?
Free Phones! What would you expect. Their current phone and tablet, Pre and HP Touchpad... DEAD. Developing for a platform to make a living... GONE!
Imagine had Apple put forth the following... "We'll give you what you need to be successful on iPhone, incl.free phones, dev tools, and training, etc."
What do you get?
Anarchy, my friend. A.N.A.R.C.H.Y.!
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How much worse can it get?
What is most telling is that this MS guy is unprepared for 500.
How much worse can it get?
Maybe he was surprised that there were 500 webOS developers.
All kidding aside, it makes me wonder.
If HP can't find the value in making webOS devices themselves, why would anyone want to license it? The best I can see is some niche uses, and that's not enough to keep the platform alive. Maybe some kind of kiosk, appliance or vehicle use such as the center console or entertainment system. I see that as recovering what you can from the project, not a prospect with a likely future.
The writter is DED. What did you expect?
I knew from the tabloid headline that it was another DED article
I knew from the tabloid headline that it was another DED article
Me too.
Microsoft shocked to find interest in Windows Phone 7
Haaaa haa ha! Tut tut, now, be nice!
I knew from the tabloid headline that it was another DED article
Knew it was DED from the headline, but that doesn't mean it's not a good and funny headline. I don't think we should tech too seriously until the Singularity arrives.
Free Phones! What would you expect. Their current phone and tablet, Pre and HP Touchpad... DEAD. Developing for a platform to make a living... GONE!
Imagine had Apple put forth the following... "We'll give you what you need to be successful on iPhone, incl.free phones, dev tools, and training, etc."
What do you get?
Anarchy, my friend. A.N.A.R.C.H.Y.!
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Apple could do the same thing . . . oh, wait, Apple doesn't need more apps.
What qualifies as a WebOS developer? There are probably some people who released some piece of crap, amateurish looking app for WebOS, which didn't sell much of course, and now they're just trying to get a free phone. Many people will do anything for stuff that's real cheap or even better, for free.
Look for spike in eBay auctions for unused Windows 7 phones in the original packaging.