Microsoft: Of course we threw Windows Phone 7 buyers under the bus
Summary: Microsoft supporters felt the company did not desert existing Windows Phone buyers by leaving them in the lurch without the ability to upgrade to Windows Phone 8. According to Microsoft they are wrong.
The bus throwing incident in question involved Microsoft's recent announcement that the next big version of Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8, would be the greatest thing in the platform's short history. The bus pulled into view when Microsoft added that no phone sold to date would be capable of running Windows Phone 8. Even phones that continued to be sold to this day (and after) will never get to run Windows Phone 8.
According to the CNET interview of Greg Sullivan, Microsoft's senior product manager for Windows Phone, this clean break for Windows Phone 8 was by design and in fact part of the plan for the platform from the very beginning. Back when buyers were grabbing the very first Windows Phones, Microsoft was already working on Windows Phone 8 for future buyers only.
Why would Microsoft's plan involve leaving early supporters in the cold? Apps, according to Sullivan, or more correctly developers building Windows Phone apps. They needed an installed base to get developers interested in creating apps, so they pushed Windows Phone knowing it would be forked in very short order.
Microsoft has stated clearly that Windows Phone 8 requires phone hardware that no existing handset possesses, and thus the need for leaving older phones behind. That may be so, but unsuspecting buyers of Windows Phone between now and the rollout of new Windows Phone 8 hardware will never get to experience what Sullivan admits is cooler than anything to come yet.
"There are a whole series of... new capabilities and features that will come that we haven't talked about and there's integration with Windows 8 that we'll demo closer to the date," he says.
Sounds pretty nice but new buyers of a Windows Phone, even those who buy after this is written, will never get to run Windows Phone 8. The bus has left the station and Microsoft is firmly behind early Windows Phone buyers.
Android comes out with a new version, and the bus rolls over current owners. Apple comes out with a new version, and they drag users behind the bus, relegating them to an unpleasant existence unless they buy the version the new OS is intended for, and thus temporarily getting a seat back on the bus.
How is there ever supposed to be any innovation if each product ever released must support its predecessor? Why can't you let WP 7 be what it is (by all accounts, a good product in it's own right) without lamenting that it is not a device from the future?
The funniest part of it all is that these are many of the same people that claim that Windows biggest shortcomings is MS's unwillingness to leave the past behind, that they keep deciding to
support the older legacy systems and programs.
When an app for Android comes out, unless it is specifically built for a specific version, it just works. I have phones with 2.2, 2.3, and 4.0 on them and they work on all versions (phones).
I can't say the same for my iPhones if they are on different OS versions. I find more iPhone apps are version specific (no legacy support).
and how many android devices out there are on the lower end?
lets say its 100 million android devices out there and 75 million are running 2.2, 20 million running 2.3, 4 million on 3.0, and just a mere 1 million running 4.0....so yeah it make sense to develop for android 2.2 cuz it'll be operable across the newer hardware.
The debate is mostly pointless because: Show us one WP that has shipped that's got an extra, unused core? How many have an SD slot? How many have an NFC chip? How many have a GPU that will support 720p screen resolution? Okay, Skype users have got something to bitch about.
App compatibility. Sure. There's a gripe here. But even JK has known for a year that WP8 would be converging to the NT core. When was the last time Apple or Google replaced their kernel and kept a high degree of backwards compatibility, especially in the apps space? Never! Of course, because neither company has done anything on this scale before.
But wasn't getting software updates on time one of the big selling points of Windows Phone when it first was announced?
With Microsoft "locking down the hardware specs" and all...
You can't really blame Microsoft for trying to catch up in a hurry. They entered the mobile-ecosystem race a bit late, and now they are rushing to get an edge over iOS and Android in having a unified, cross-platform OS kernel running on the latest hardware.
I blame the the carriers and their antiquated scheme of two-year contracts. The least they can do is offer a good rebate for Win7 users to trade in their old phones for new ones.
The problem is, MS doesn't have that much clout over the carriers to push this through, without giving a way a lot of money as subsidy.
"I blame the the carriers and their antiquated scheme of two-year contracts. The least they can do is offer a good rebate for Win7 users to trade in their old phones for new ones."
So the carrier should first subsidize the phone, then take a hit for Microsoft's poor decision? Here's a hint for you... Microsoft published the specs for WM 7 phones. Microsoft knew in advance these phones wouldn't cut it using a newer OS, but had to do something rather than give the competition more time to move people off in a new direction. Microsoft slapped some lipstick on the pig and said "It's a new OS", knowing the creaky old underpinnings were going away in roughly two years. Then they called their employees (Like Matt Miller) to proclaim it's the best. Peole with proper cognitive skills could figure it out, why couldn't you?
James, you lost all objectivity with regard to Microsoft products a few years ago. Just move on and limit your reviews and opinions to Apple products. That's the only market where you start off with a neutral slate.
he should ditch mobile and join the Apple Core as he doesn't belong in Mobile Tech...
First, he didn't. Know the difference between a Dev kit and source code and then, he needed support to troubleshoot his wifi router...
For a man doing this stuff 18 years or more, he gravitates toward the stuff that is overly simplified and cannot solve the simplest problems with his mobile tech.
I don't know where you get that James is losing objectivity. I've been reading his articles since a long time ago and I can tell you that James calls it as he see it.
Talkback
How is this different?
How is there ever supposed to be any innovation if each product ever released must support its predecessor? Why can't you let WP 7 be what it is (by all accounts, a good product in it's own right) without lamenting that it is not a device from the future?
Because those that are afraid of competition
The funniest part of it all is that these are many of the same people that claim that Windows biggest shortcomings is MS's unwillingness to leave the past behind, that they keep deciding to
support the older legacy systems and programs.
Afraid of competition? Like Microsoft? On desktops?
Silly Wilie, Trix are for kids!
A wee bit different
I can't say the same for my iPhones if they are on different OS versions. I find more iPhone apps are version specific (no legacy support).
compatibility at a cost
and how many android devices out there are on the lower end?
Pointless
App compatibility. Sure. There's a gripe here. But even JK has known for a year that WP8 would be converging to the NT core. When was the last time Apple or Google replaced their kernel and kept a high degree of backwards compatibility, especially in the apps space? Never! Of course, because neither company has done anything on this scale before.
Absolutely much to do about nothing.
Replacing the kernel
That simple.
Differentiator
With Microsoft "locking down the hardware specs" and all...
Welcome to the new ZDNET!!!!!!
Carry on.
Well don't let the door hit you in the ass
;)
Trade-in rebates from carriers would help
I blame the the carriers and their antiquated scheme of two-year contracts. The least they can do is offer a good rebate for Win7 users to trade in their old phones for new ones.
The problem is, MS doesn't have that much clout over the carriers to push this through, without giving a way a lot of money as subsidy.
Microsoft should be footing that bill.
So the carrier should first subsidize the phone, then take a hit for Microsoft's poor decision? Here's a hint for you... Microsoft published the specs for WM 7 phones. Microsoft knew in advance these phones wouldn't cut it using a newer OS, but had to do something rather than give the competition more time to move people off in a new direction. Microsoft slapped some lipstick on the pig and said "It's a new OS", knowing the creaky old underpinnings were going away in roughly two years. Then they called their employees (Like Matt Miller) to proclaim it's the best. Peole with proper cognitive skills could figure it out, why couldn't you?
Just move on
I agree
First, he didn't. Know the difference between a Dev kit and source code and then, he needed support to troubleshoot his wifi router...
For a man doing this stuff 18 years or more, he gravitates toward the stuff that is overly simplified and cannot solve the simplest problems with his mobile tech.
If you believe that
Bored with you now...
What happened to voting down comments?
Well @PollyProteus and @kstap
~
Btw, I had a nice 4th of July. Two bad you two were cooped-up flaming Jumping Jack Flash all day.
;)
Nope.