It's quite possible that if/when Windows 8 takes off among people that need content-creation pads, rather than one primarily focused on content-consumption, there may be a halo-effect where people will be attracted to Windows phone.
We will only know where this smartphone game is headed about 2 years after the launch of Windows 8.
From here on, the smartphone game is tied to the fate of Windows 8, and whether Windows 8 can generate a halo effect of people getting Windows phones.
As I've pointed out before, Windows has long been on tablet computers, using pen interfaces. These are fully capable of running real Windows applications. Why are you waiting for Windows 8 for "content creation pads"?
As for the so-called halo effect that you think Windows 8 is suppose have on WP7, remember that the highly popular iPhone had a halo effect on the iPad, which critics called a "giant iPod Touch". If WP7's Metro interface wasn't enough to be a hit on its own, why would waiting for Windows 8 Metro going to change anyone's mind about WP7? That's like saying the Zune wasn't very popular, but if we put Zune inside WP7, that'll suddenly make people care about Zune. Do you think it's because people haven't given Metro a chance, and that if they are forced to use it, they will want the same in their phone?
I personally think WP7 trumps iOS and Android on the visual side (I like that minimalist ish) but from a functionality standpoint the OS feels very boring and cold and static (despite the moving 'parts')
I get bored with WP7 even faster than I get bored with iOS app launcher homescreen.
Could you please contrast WP7's "boring and cold" with warm and dynamic functions on the iPhone?
Not having used one yet, my only complaint about Windows Phone is that ugly Start screen. Those large monochrome tiles are aesthetically unpleasing. Perhaps functional. But definitely ugly.
What's obvious is you don't know your ass from a hole in the wall.
Microsoft was slow out of the gate watching and waiting like a predator. They "were" the only game in the smartphone market for years. Then iOS happened which took the smartphone market in a completely new direction. A direction Microsoft wasn't prepared for. 5 years later they have deployed Windows Phone 7.5 Mango (a great but young mobile OS)and have essentially purchased a phone manufacturer (Nokia). Over the next 12 months we're going to see a "sleeping giant" enter the mobile phone arena.
iOS and Android have a lot to fear.
Dream on. You don't seem to know much either.
Microsoft, like Obama, leading from behind ain't going to cut it.
Where have I seen this post before..oh yeah, before every single product Microsoft (or anyone else non-Apple for that matter) has released over the past 10 years. Absolutely hilarious. Yes, things can change and noone knows what the future holds. But these 'sleeping giant' posts are idiotic, especially after all these years. I can't see these being threats to iPhones in any way, shape, or form. What, the Nokia hardware is going to turn the tide? Nokia doesn't have a shadow of the brand power it once did. And Win 7 phones have been a market failure so far. I don't see whats changed.
The fact is that we'll never be forcibly limited to LTE (or wireless in general) for Internet
Sprint charges $10 a month for 4G services - even if you don't have access to a 4G cell. And 4G services suck battery life like nobody's business. And yet, you can't turn it off. So yes, while nobody will ever sell a 4G-only phone (No 3G fallback), you may be forced into 4G land whether you like it or not. Hopefully, the next generation of chips will be a little better.
It's 420? which is $584. That's below, but in the range of the iPhone 4S, not the iPhone 3GS.
That price is "excluding taxes and subsidies" according to the original article. Is it not true that the value-added tax in many countries is breathtaking? It's apparently 19% in Germany, which would make quite a difference in this comparison.
OK, so what if the W7phone is as good as a similarly priced Android or iOS phone. To sell it has to be prefered for some reason. To get something like all the apps and music in iTunes is to trival thing and then they still only have parity.
Sometimes people just want change. Today, the hipsters are already complaining that their parents are using iPhones. They wouldn't be caught dead using the same phone as their parents. There will always be a market for alternatives. It won't necessarily have to be significantly better than what you have now. It just has to be different.
OK, you've defined "maturing". Now what features do you feel are lacking? What in particular needs maturation? You wouldn't buy one today because you think it needs to mature. Well, what needs to mature? Is it simply a usability issue? The interface is different enough from iOS and Android that you weren't sure how to use it? Would time be enough? Or do you think the UI needs to become more iOS like?
I will try to answer some of your questions as best i can. I like Win7 phone. I liked the tile look to the UI. But I found I cound naviagte to find....settings for example. It took me a couple of minutes. I tried to find the basic functions I do on my current phone (IP4s) and do them on the Win7 phone and it was not as easy to do. Simple things like see what the weather was outside. Look up contacts...go to the internet and search for the nearest coffe shop. I think you hit on a big issue was I was not fmiliar with the OS enough. I only had about 10 minutes at the Verizon store to play with it. I really like the tiles though....that is a big winner for me. It reminds me of widgets on the Android OS. I wish IOS had widgets. I would venture to say that if I had one then I would grow to like it! BUT what about the phone and Win7 is attractive enough for me to spend the time to learn another mobile OS? Right now for me there isn't enough to grab my attention and get one.
So far this year I have had the following phones: IP3Gs, Motorola Atrix, HTC EVO, HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Bionic, IP4s. I like the mobile space and will contiue to get more of them. But there isn't a compelling reason yet (for me anyway) to get a Win7 phone.
As I've pointed out before, Windows has long been on tablet computers, using pen interfaces. These are fully capable of running real Windows applications. Why are you waiting for Windows 8 for "content creation pads"?
Because Windows today works terribly on tablet computers. Windows 8 will introduce the new Metro interface which has been designed specifically for tablet computers. It will feature a multi-touch interface - not available in previous pen-based tablets.
OK, so what if the W7phone is as good as a similarly priced Android or iOS phone. To sell it has to be prefered for some reason. To get something like all the apps and music in iTunes is to trival thing and then they still only have parity./QUOTE]
Sometimes people just want change. Today, the hipsters are already complaining that their parents are using iPhones. They wouldn't be caught dead using the same phone as their parents. There will always be a market for alternatives. It won't necessarily have to be significantly better than what you have now. It just has to be different.
That my friend is a true statement! My teenage son doesn't want a iPhone becuse both of his parents have one......He is due for an upgrade and he wants the new Motorola Razr.
If WP7's Metro interface wasn't enough to be a hit on its own, why would waiting for Windows 8 Metro going to change anyone's mind about WP7?
Because a billion people will eventually upgrade to Windows 8. Windows is the world wide desktop standard. Users will come face-to-face with the new Metro interface. Eventually, they will become comfortable with it. Seeing that same interface on a phone may appeal to them. They'll realize they already know quite a bit about how to use it and what it's capable of.
I will try to answer some of your questions as best i can. I like Win7 phone. I liked the tile look to the UI. But I found I cound naviagte to find....settings for example. It took me a couple of minutes. I tried to find the basic functions I do on my current phone (IP4s) and do them on the Win7 phone and it was not as easy to do. Simple things like see what the weather was outside. Look up contacts...go to the internet and search for the nearest coffe shop. I think you hit on a big issue was I was not fmiliar with the OS enough. I only had about 10 minutes at the Verizon store to play with it. I really like the tiles though....that is a big winner for me. It reminds me of widgets on the Android OS. I wish IOS had widgets. I would venture to say that if I had one then I would grow to like it! BUT what about the phone and Win7 is attractive enough for me to spend the time to learn another mobile OS? Right now for me there isn't enough to grab my attention and get one.
So far this year I have had the following phones: IP3Gs, Motorola Atrix, HTC EVO, HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Bionic, IP4s. I like the mobile space and will contiue to get more of them. But there isn't a compelling reason yet (for me anyway) to get a Win7 phone.
I'm curious as to the impact of widgets on battery life.
I haven't used a Windows Phone yet, so this is purely speculation. But I would think that anybody that's really into social media would love it. If you're one of those that live for FaceBook and Twitter, you might really like Windows Phone. Rather than separate apps managed separately, those functions are built into the phone. The phone's social integration is very interesting.
Because a billion people will eventually upgrade to Windows 8. Windows is the world wide desktop standard. Users will come face-to-face with the new Metro interface. Eventually, they will become comfortable with it. Seeing that same interface on a phone may appeal to them. They'll realize they already know quite a bit about how to use it and what it's capable of.
I have the devlopers copy of Windows 8 dual boot on my iMac and love! I like the Metro interface. The same as what is on the Win 7 phones. I like Win 8 a nd can't wait for more releases to test the OS. I will definatley get it when it is released. But there is a learning curve to the OS.
Where have I seen this post before..oh yeah, before every single product Microsoft (or anyone else non-Apple for that matter) has released over the past 10 years. Absolutely hilarious. Yes, things can change and noone knows what the future holds. But these 'sleeping giant' posts are idiotic, especially after all these years. I can't see these being threats to iPhones in any way, shape, or form. What, the Nokia hardware is going to turn the tide? Nokia doesn't have a shadow of the brand power it once did. And Win 7 phones have been a market failure so far. I don't see whats changed.
I think what you say has a lot of merit, but I would never count M$ out. They have come into markets and changed them before, and they continue to be strong in many areas.
That being said, given how fast the smartphone market is growing, I think that there will be plenty of room for the three platforms to each do very well. Once smartphones are a mature market, the zero sum game begins. But as of now, the pie is growing so fast that everybody can get big pieces.
I'd love to design an ad for Apple. A three your old is given a Windows phone to play with to keep it quiet and the adult says "Here you go, you will be able to use this with your chubby little fingers." the toddler looks at it then toss it over his shoulder and pulls an iPhone out of his diapers and says "Siri, where is mom?"
...except the 3-year-old would be wearing pull-ups (wee poop pants) and the adult, likely, grabbed the toddler's iPad
...Mango... Mangy... We don't need no stinkin' ZunePhone!
Is "dual-core" simply a check-box on your shopping list? Or do you believe there's some function that can't be performed properly on a single core system? Note that I'm not trying to pick a fight. I've just heard a bunch of folks hankering for a dual-core CPU, but without stating why they think it's necessary. I do honestly want to know.
Few technologies are "necessary", meaning that things are impossible without them. But in general, more CPU horsepower is a Good Thing, and multicore chips are a good way of getting that. Background processes can, in some cases, run more smoothly.
Listen - nobody needs a V12 engine either. But they are smooth and powerful.
I think what you say has a lot of merit, but I would never count M$ out. They have come into markets and changed them before, and they continue to be strong in many areas.
That being said, given how fast the smartphone market is growing, I think that there will be plenty of room for the three platforms to each do very well. Once smartphones are a mature market, the zero sum game begins. But as of now, the pie is growing so fast that everybody can get big pieces.
I agree. If MS had waited until 2014 to re-enter the smartphone market then I think they wouldn't have a chance... but there is still so much room to expand... and this is why I also think iOS still has plenty of time to take market share away from Android.
Few technologies are "necessary", meaning that things are impossible without them. But in general, more CPU horsepower is a Good Thing, and multicore chips are a good way of getting that. Background processes can, in some cases, run more smoothly.
Listen - nobody needs a V12 engine either. But they are smooth and powerful.
Are you willing to give up battery life today for your dual-core CPU? That's the trade-off. V12's suck gas like crazy.
Every function in a portable computer is a compromise to battery life.
Never count out MS...they are known for their third iteration being a hit -- windows 3.1 for example...
Windows CE on checkbook size PCs that connected to external modems in the mid 90s was attempt 1,
Windows Pocket PC/Mobile on palm like devices and phones like the Palm Treo was take 2,
Win Phone is try three. the one where they get it right usually...and they have xbox and Zune, which gives them a leg up in gaming, and subscribtion music on every phone, apple cant do the latter,
Err... perhaps you haven't been following MS in the news:
Comments
It's quite possible that if/when Windows 8 takes off among people that need content-creation pads, rather than one primarily focused on content-consumption, there may be a halo-effect where people will be attracted to Windows phone.
We will only know where this smartphone game is headed about 2 years after the launch of Windows 8.
From here on, the smartphone game is tied to the fate of Windows 8, and whether Windows 8 can generate a halo effect of people getting Windows phones.
As I've pointed out before, Windows has long been on tablet computers, using pen interfaces. These are fully capable of running real Windows applications. Why are you waiting for Windows 8 for "content creation pads"?
As for the so-called halo effect that you think Windows 8 is suppose have on WP7, remember that the highly popular iPhone had a halo effect on the iPad, which critics called a "giant iPod Touch". If WP7's Metro interface wasn't enough to be a hit on its own, why would waiting for Windows 8 Metro going to change anyone's mind about WP7? That's like saying the Zune wasn't very popular, but if we put Zune inside WP7, that'll suddenly make people care about Zune. Do you think it's because people haven't given Metro a chance, and that if they are forced to use it, they will want the same in their phone?
Why give free publicity to a product that would most likely not make any impact in the market?
For the same reason Apple sued eMachines over the eOne, a product that would most likely have not made any impact in the market.
I personally think WP7 trumps iOS and Android on the visual side (I like that minimalist ish) but from a functionality standpoint the OS feels very boring and cold and static (despite the moving 'parts')
I get bored with WP7 even faster than I get bored with iOS app launcher homescreen.
Could you please contrast WP7's "boring and cold" with warm and dynamic functions on the iPhone?
Not having used one yet, my only complaint about Windows Phone is that ugly Start screen. Those large monochrome tiles are aesthetically unpleasing. Perhaps functional. But definitely ugly.
What's obvious is you don't know your ass from a hole in the wall.
Microsoft was slow out of the gate watching and waiting like a predator. They "were" the only game in the smartphone market for years. Then iOS happened which took the smartphone market in a completely new direction. A direction Microsoft wasn't prepared for. 5 years later they have deployed Windows Phone 7.5 Mango (a great but young mobile OS)and have essentially purchased a phone manufacturer (Nokia). Over the next 12 months we're going to see a "sleeping giant" enter the mobile phone arena.
iOS and Android have a lot to fear.
Dream on. You don't seem to know much either.
Microsoft, like Obama, leading from behind ain't going to cut it.
Where have I seen this post before..oh yeah, before every single product Microsoft (or anyone else non-Apple for that matter) has released over the past 10 years. Absolutely hilarious. Yes, things can change and noone knows what the future holds. But these 'sleeping giant' posts are idiotic, especially after all these years. I can't see these being threats to iPhones in any way, shape, or form. What, the Nokia hardware is going to turn the tide? Nokia doesn't have a shadow of the brand power it once did. And Win 7 phones have been a market failure so far. I don't see whats changed.
That giant's not sleeping! It's in a coma!
The fact is that we'll never be forcibly limited to LTE (or wireless in general) for Internet
Sprint charges $10 a month for 4G services - even if you don't have access to a 4G cell. And 4G services suck battery life like nobody's business. And yet, you can't turn it off. So yes, while nobody will ever sell a 4G-only phone (No 3G fallback), you may be forced into 4G land whether you like it or not. Hopefully, the next generation of chips will be a little better.
It's 420? which is $584. That's below, but in the range of the iPhone 4S, not the iPhone 3GS.
That price is "excluding taxes and subsidies" according to the original article. Is it not true that the value-added tax in many countries is breathtaking? It's apparently 19% in Germany, which would make quite a difference in this comparison.
OK, so what if the W7phone is as good as a similarly priced Android or iOS phone. To sell it has to be prefered for some reason.
Sometimes people just want change. Today, the hipsters are already complaining that their parents are using iPhones. They wouldn't be caught dead using the same phone as their parents. There will always be a market for alternatives. It won't necessarily have to be significantly better than what you have now. It just has to be different.
OK, you've defined "maturing". Now what features do you feel are lacking? What in particular needs maturation? You wouldn't buy one today because you think it needs to mature. Well, what needs to mature? Is it simply a usability issue? The interface is different enough from iOS and Android that you weren't sure how to use it? Would time be enough? Or do you think the UI needs to become more iOS like?
I will try to answer some of your questions as best i can. I like Win7 phone. I liked the tile look to the UI. But I found I cound naviagte to find....settings for example. It took me a couple of minutes. I tried to find the basic functions I do on my current phone (IP4s) and do them on the Win7 phone and it was not as easy to do. Simple things like see what the weather was outside. Look up contacts...go to the internet and search for the nearest coffe shop. I think you hit on a big issue was I was not fmiliar with the OS enough. I only had about 10 minutes at the Verizon store to play with it. I really like the tiles though....that is a big winner for me. It reminds me of widgets on the Android OS. I wish IOS had widgets. I would venture to say that if I had one then I would grow to like it! BUT what about the phone and Win7 is attractive enough for me to spend the time to learn another mobile OS? Right now for me there isn't enough to grab my attention and get one.
So far this year I have had the following phones: IP3Gs, Motorola Atrix, HTC EVO, HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Bionic, IP4s. I like the mobile space and will contiue to get more of them. But there isn't a compelling reason yet (for me anyway) to get a Win7 phone.
As I've pointed out before, Windows has long been on tablet computers, using pen interfaces. These are fully capable of running real Windows applications. Why are you waiting for Windows 8 for "content creation pads"?
Because Windows today works terribly on tablet computers. Windows 8 will introduce the new Metro interface which has been designed specifically for tablet computers. It will feature a multi-touch interface - not available in previous pen-based tablets.
OK, so what if the W7phone is as good as a similarly priced Android or iOS phone. To sell it has to be prefered for some reason.
Sometimes people just want change. Today, the hipsters are already complaining that their parents are using iPhones. They wouldn't be caught dead using the same phone as their parents. There will always be a market for alternatives. It won't necessarily have to be significantly better than what you have now. It just has to be different.
That my friend is a true statement! My teenage son doesn't want a iPhone becuse both of his parents have one......He is due for an upgrade and he wants the new Motorola Razr.
If WP7's Metro interface wasn't enough to be a hit on its own, why would waiting for Windows 8 Metro going to change anyone's mind about WP7?
Because a billion people will eventually upgrade to Windows 8. Windows is the world wide desktop standard. Users will come face-to-face with the new Metro interface. Eventually, they will become comfortable with it. Seeing that same interface on a phone may appeal to them. They'll realize they already know quite a bit about how to use it and what it's capable of.
I will try to answer some of your questions as best i can. I like Win7 phone. I liked the tile look to the UI. But I found I cound naviagte to find....settings for example. It took me a couple of minutes. I tried to find the basic functions I do on my current phone (IP4s) and do them on the Win7 phone and it was not as easy to do. Simple things like see what the weather was outside. Look up contacts...go to the internet and search for the nearest coffe shop. I think you hit on a big issue was I was not fmiliar with the OS enough. I only had about 10 minutes at the Verizon store to play with it. I really like the tiles though....that is a big winner for me. It reminds me of widgets on the Android OS. I wish IOS had widgets. I would venture to say that if I had one then I would grow to like it! BUT what about the phone and Win7 is attractive enough for me to spend the time to learn another mobile OS? Right now for me there isn't enough to grab my attention and get one.
So far this year I have had the following phones: IP3Gs, Motorola Atrix, HTC EVO, HTC Thunderbolt, Motorola Bionic, IP4s. I like the mobile space and will contiue to get more of them. But there isn't a compelling reason yet (for me anyway) to get a Win7 phone.
I'm curious as to the impact of widgets on battery life.
I haven't used a Windows Phone yet, so this is purely speculation. But I would think that anybody that's really into social media would love it. If you're one of those that live for FaceBook and Twitter, you might really like Windows Phone. Rather than separate apps managed separately, those functions are built into the phone. The phone's social integration is very interesting.
Because a billion people will eventually upgrade to Windows 8. Windows is the world wide desktop standard. Users will come face-to-face with the new Metro interface. Eventually, they will become comfortable with it. Seeing that same interface on a phone may appeal to them. They'll realize they already know quite a bit about how to use it and what it's capable of.
I have the devlopers copy of Windows 8 dual boot on my iMac and love! I like the Metro interface. The same as what is on the Win 7 phones. I like Win 8 a nd can't wait for more releases to test the OS. I will definatley get it when it is released. But there is a learning curve to the OS.
Where have I seen this post before..oh yeah, before every single product Microsoft (or anyone else non-Apple for that matter) has released over the past 10 years. Absolutely hilarious. Yes, things can change and noone knows what the future holds. But these 'sleeping giant' posts are idiotic, especially after all these years. I can't see these being threats to iPhones in any way, shape, or form. What, the Nokia hardware is going to turn the tide? Nokia doesn't have a shadow of the brand power it once did. And Win 7 phones have been a market failure so far. I don't see whats changed.
I think what you say has a lot of merit, but I would never count M$ out. They have come into markets and changed them before, and they continue to be strong in many areas.
That being said, given how fast the smartphone market is growing, I think that there will be plenty of room for the three platforms to each do very well. Once smartphones are a mature market, the zero sum game begins. But as of now, the pie is growing so fast that everybody can get big pieces.
I'd love to design an ad for Apple. A three your old is given a Windows phone to play with to keep it quiet and the adult says "Here you go, you will be able to use this with your chubby little fingers." the toddler looks at it then toss it over his shoulder and pulls an iPhone out of his diapers and says "Siri, where is mom?"
...except the 3-year-old would be wearing pull-ups (wee poop pants) and the adult, likely, grabbed the toddler's iPad
...Mango... Mangy... We don't need no stinkin' ZunePhone!
Is "dual-core" simply a check-box on your shopping list? Or do you believe there's some function that can't be performed properly on a single core system? Note that I'm not trying to pick a fight. I've just heard a bunch of folks hankering for a dual-core CPU, but without stating why they think it's necessary. I do honestly want to know.
Few technologies are "necessary", meaning that things are impossible without them. But in general, more CPU horsepower is a Good Thing, and multicore chips are a good way of getting that. Background processes can, in some cases, run more smoothly.
Listen - nobody needs a V12 engine either. But they are smooth and powerful.
I think what you say has a lot of merit, but I would never count M$ out. They have come into markets and changed them before, and they continue to be strong in many areas.
That being said, given how fast the smartphone market is growing, I think that there will be plenty of room for the three platforms to each do very well. Once smartphones are a mature market, the zero sum game begins. But as of now, the pie is growing so fast that everybody can get big pieces.
I agree. If MS had waited until 2014 to re-enter the smartphone market then I think they wouldn't have a chance... but there is still so much room to expand... and this is why I also think iOS still has plenty of time to take market share away from Android.
Soon, though, the zero sum game begins...
Few technologies are "necessary", meaning that things are impossible without them. But in general, more CPU horsepower is a Good Thing, and multicore chips are a good way of getting that. Background processes can, in some cases, run more smoothly.
Listen - nobody needs a V12 engine either. But they are smooth and powerful.
Are you willing to give up battery life today for your dual-core CPU? That's the trade-off. V12's suck gas like crazy.
Every function in a portable computer is a compromise to battery life.
Never count out MS...they are known for their third iteration being a hit -- windows 3.1 for example...
Windows CE on checkbook size PCs that connected to external modems in the mid 90s was attempt 1,
Windows Pocket PC/Mobile on palm like devices and phones like the Palm Treo was take 2,
Win Phone is try three. the one where they get it right usually...and they have xbox and Zune, which gives them a leg up in gaming, and subscribtion music on every phone, apple cant do the latter,
Err... perhaps you haven't been following MS in the news:
Microsoft kills Zune player