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Windows Phone 7 Update Jams Some Phones

CWmike writes "Microsoft's first Windows Phone 7 update is apparently causing some users' phones to not work. Microsoft has advised at least one person to take his device into a store for a fix. The company's WindowsPhoneSupport Twitter account shows the responses to a variety of queries from users who have experienced problems over the last half-day. Microsoft released the update on Monday but played it down. The update was designed only 'to improve the software update process itself,' wrote Michael Stroh on the Windows Team Blog. One user, Alex Roebuck, wrote on Twitter that the update had bricked his Samsung Omnia 7. 'We're very sorry for the inconvenience,' Microsoft responded on Twitter. 'For this issue we would suggest taking it to a store.'"

177 comments

  1. NOK is in trouble. by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is the user experience with Windows Phone 7?

    Seriously?

    Nokia's in serious serious shit.

    I hope that Nokia can help iron out problems like this before they launch WP7 devices.

    --
    Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    1. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      An extreme minority experiencing a problem...since when is this news? it's happened with android and with the iphone as well.

    2. Re:NOK is in trouble. by microbee · · Score: 1

      And the next thing you know, the sky is falling.

    3. Re:NOK is in trouble. by the+linux+geek · · Score: 1

      As opposed to Samsung Android devices, which are perpetually several updates behind?

    4. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Old is better than broken.

    5. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Agreed. Don't let the fact that it's been narrowed down to two particular firmware versions on one phone get in the way of the fun!

    6. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Zelgadiss · · Score: 1

      Sadly Samsung phones are, half the time, both - old and broken.

      I would never buy from them again.

      Fooled me once, shame on you;
      Fooled me twice, shame on me;
      Fooled me twice despite warning from everyone I know, shame me who lacks common sense.

    7. Re:NOK is in trouble. by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2

      An extreme minority experiencing a problem...since when is this news? it's happened with android and with the iphone as well.

      True, but with the paltry install base for WP7 it's probably a larger percentage than with other smartphones. If it is just "two particular firmware versions" as mentioned in the other reply than how did MS miss testing this update with this manufacturer?

    8. Re:NOK is in trouble. by DigiShaman · · Score: 1

      There are old coders, and there are bold coders. But you won't ever find a coder that's both old and bold.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    9. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why do you bother with such a lame ass post? Seriously what? Do you remember Apple's updates and the 50 times I had to download iTunes on my bloody machines for updates that "had" to happen. Its the first rev of the new interface. Relax. How come nobody shits about their Android phones taking a shit or their iPhone's taking a shit? And trust me they do because I know tons of users who complain about them.

      Christ get off it. Use what you like to use and stop bitching about everyone else's choices.

    10. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is entirely a Samsung issue. This is because of a bug in their firmware.

      The very same brand whose WP7 I bought on three separate occasions, but which had three separate hardware defects. (Malfunctioning CPU, broken charger (would not charge from wall outlets, but would charge from a computer), and finally a broken Bluetooth)

      Which is a shame, because I love my Samsung monitors and my first "dumb phone" was a Samsung, which I loved.

    11. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      This is the user experience with Windows Phone 7?

      Seriously?

      Nokia's in serious serious shit.

      I hope that Nokia can help iron out problems like this before they launch WP7 devices.

      What did people expect? Microsoft's been promising that WP7 would "bring the Windows experience" to your phone; I can't think of a more quintessentially "Windows experience" than getting completely fucked by a random update.

    12. Re:NOK is in trouble. by aliquis · · Score: 0

      Meanwhile in iOS camp you're up there with your fourth super-expensive phone.

      Only the Nexuses really do it right in Android camp to, even though HTC should been shown some appreciation, so here goes:
      Well done HTC! You're the least suckiest Android phone manufacturer!

    13. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What percentage of the total number of firmware & phone versions is that?

      I bet it's at least statistically significant!

    14. Re:NOK is in trouble. by symbolset · · Score: 2

      Your team has legions of press-release mills and "analysts". Our team has slashdot, digg, Reddit, twitter. You have legions of astroturfers, we have legions of fanbois and phandroids. That's how it is. Whining isn't going to change it.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
    15. Re:NOK is in trouble. by underqualified · · Score: 1

      the noisy over-opinionated minority experiencing a problem

      there. fixed that for you.

    16. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why?

    17. Re:NOK is in trouble. by deniable · · Score: 1

      Why? Did Nokia say Windows Phone or Windows Phone 7? There's speculation that they'll be waiting for WP8 and that uses a different code base.

    18. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah and you're a fag. Keep playing with your tablet

    19. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What percentage of the total number of firmware & phone versions is that?

      I bet it's at least statistically significant!

      Only because there are so few Windows 7 phones out there. :rimshot:

    20. Re:NOK is in trouble. by darkpixel2k · · Score: 1

      the noisy over-opinionated minority experiencing a problem

      there. fixed that for you.

      Hey! Leave the teachers unions out of it.

      --
      There's no place like ::1 (I've completed my transition to IPv6)
    21. Re:NOK is in trouble. by darkpixel2k · · Score: 2

      How come nobody shits about their Android phones taking a shit or their iPhone's taking a shit?

      Because I got my Android phone pre-loaded with annoying crap from HTC and I immediately rooted and reflashed to Cyanogen--now I have no issues with my phone.
      Where's the open source but modded-to-be-better version of Windows Phone 7 Phone Experience awesomeness you can toss on your Windows Phone 7 Series. What the hell is the name of their phone platform anyways?

      --
      There's no place like ::1 (I've completed my transition to IPv6)
    22. Re:NOK is in trouble. by RobertM1968 · · Score: 2

      Agreed. Don't let the fact that it's been narrowed down to two particular firmware versions on one phone get in the way of the fun!

      Actually, an extreme minority of users have been pushed this update. And considering that WP7 users are already an extreme minority, that means a hundred people is probably a big deal. Think about it... take "an extreme minority of smartphone users" (WP7 phone owners) and then take an extreme minority of them (the Samsung users in the limited initial staged rollout who are part of the earlier mentioned extreme minority) and perhaps the problem IS bigger than you allude to.

      If people RTFAs, they'd have noted this. This was not a mass rollout. It was a staged rollout to a smaller percentage of people with certain Samsung phones. If this was a mass rollout, (and perhaps if WP7 marketshare wasn't negligible), then I'd agree with you.

    23. Re:NOK is in trouble. by 6ULDV8 · · Score: 1

      Samsung is not the only manufacturer to trail the bleeding edge. At least with an Android phone, you have the option of reaching out on your own for replacement firmware with all the fancy features.

      --
      Pull my finger for my public key.
    24. Re:NOK is in trouble. by bemymonkey · · Score: 1

      Agreed. My Win7 Pro X64 update to SP1 just bombed too ("Update failed"), but that's not going to stop me from using Windows... :p

      There are a lot (!) of reasons not to use Windows phone, but this isn't one of them.

    25. Re:NOK is in trouble. by davester666 · · Score: 1

      And by super-expensive, you mean $50 more on a 2 year contract with the carrier of your choice, and that's only because your carrier can't move them unless they are discounted to less than the iPhone?

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    26. Re:NOK is in trouble. by davester666 · · Score: 1

      er, oops, changed which phone I was referring to mid-sentence.

      How about:

      And by super-expensive, you mean $50 more on a 2 year contract with the carrier of your choice, and that's only because your carrier can't move Android phones unless they are discounted to less than the iPhone?

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    27. Re:NOK is in trouble. by 517714 · · Score: 1

      BSOD.

      --
      The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
    28. Re:NOK is in trouble. by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 1

      The news is that this is an update to make updating easier?

      What?

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
    29. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Americium · · Score: 1
      If Nokia can't fix Microsoft, it might a long painful road towards demise. Let's all hope it's OSS that wins, and not something even more closed than Microsoft. It would be a painful irony if OSS's efforts resulted in the demise of MS, and instead of an Android win, an Apple win from DRM on software, combined with closed hardware

      And my N900 could have had such a beautiful future, but if MS can make their phone as nice as their Xbox and an easy to program for, it may have a beautiful future, if they stop attacking OSS for their phone.

    30. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not just WP7 phones. I've had to nuke and pave my iPhone 3G twice because of updates. With the newest IOS release my maps app crashes all the time, and the only way I can get directions in under 7 minutes is if I shut the phone off and open the map app right after a fresh boot; and that only brings it down to 6 minutes for directions..

    31. Re:NOK is in trouble. by phonewebcam · · Score: 3, Interesting

      And many more times on WM 6.5.
      Since m$ decided that stopping their phones bricking during updates, pointlessly draining bandwidth, multitasking, cut n paste and flash is nowhere near as important as connecting to xboxes what do you expect?

      I foresee much more of this kind of stuff - this is m$, dammit - the first 2 years of any products life is just an extended beta test by its users.

    32. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Because they have a culture originating from letting the customers do the testing.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    33. Re:NOK is in trouble. by petermgreen · · Score: 1

      You will because unlike with electricians it is rather hard for a coder to kill themselves...

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
    34. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Plasmoid2000ad · · Score: 1

      If by different Code Base, you mean changed, then "well duh!" If you mean completly distinct, then what are you smoking. Why in gods name would they drop so much development effort into WP7 only to throw it out the window in the next revision

    35. Re:NOK is in trouble. by DrXym · · Score: 1

      I'd say give them a break. It's not hard to find firmware fuckups on other smart phones and devices.

    36. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

      By the time "WP8" will be in any way usable, the platform everyone but Apple will be running, will be called Ubuntu Phone Remix or Qt-Android. The latter will be double ironic if Nokia itself didn't support it. Triple if Qt will be BSD-licensed because Nokia abandoned it in favor of .NET.

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
    37. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      The same reason they did that with version 6?

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    38. Re:NOK is in trouble. by deniable · · Score: 1

      One version is that they're moving actual Windows (NT line) to ARM. That way they can have a single code base. It makes as much sense as a lot of other MS decisions. My point remains, Nokia hasn't been talking about Windows Phone *7*.

    39. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well they were trying to install Windows Genuine Advantage, as stated in the summary: "The update was designed only 'to improve the software update process itself."

    40. Re:NOK is in trouble. by glebd · · Score: 1

      Not the first one ever for the platform, surely.

    41. Re:NOK is in trouble. by halcyon1234 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, and they only compounded it with their stupid advice. Broken phones don't need fixing, it just means you aren't holding it right.

    42. Re:NOK is in trouble. by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Well that changes by the week and who does the talking. Last week MS said Nokia phones won't be ready until the end of 2011. Seeing there is no launch date or definite plans at the moment for WP8, the phones will probably use WP7. This week Nokia said that phones will be ready in a few months. My take is if the two can't get their stories straight now, it's going to be long time before they get something ready. By then it really will be WP8.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    43. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      As opposed to Samsung Android devices, which are perpetually several updates behind?

      You fail to understand that this is another reason that the Android platform is better. Microsoft attempted to create an update quickly after release and it failed..so obviously updating is the problems. Thank goodness that the One True Google had thought this so far in advance for everyone.

      I'll go back to my iPhone now that has had steady and timely updates since 3G

    44. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Suddenly... I realized the burning platform were Nokia was on, according to Elop, is a burning toilet. And MS is the one who is going to flush Nokia out of the market since they decided to jump into "murky waters".

      Cheers!

    45. Re:NOK is in trouble. by beh · · Score: 1

      All you cynics!

      Don't you realize what Microsoft is doing?

      So many people complain about Apple's 'walled garden', and the 'necessity' to jailbreak your iPhone if you want to be able to do more - at the risk that an update might brick your jail-broken phone.

      Now - Microsoft is giving you the (more or less) open phone - no walled garden - and all that without having to give up the thrill of bricking your phone on an upgrade...

    46. Re:NOK is in trouble. by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      So many people complain about Apple's 'walled garden', and the 'necessity' to jailbreak your iPhone if you want to be able to do more - at the risk that an update might brick your jail-broken phone.

      Sadly, it's actually quite difficult to brick an iPhone. Apple's put in some really lowlevel code that exists in silicon that ensures that iTunes can pretty much restore it always. If the basic OS can load, the "restore" optoin works. If not, you can put the phone into DFU mode which basically reformats the storage media, reloads the OS loader and kernel and all that fun stuff.

      The only time I've heard of actual "bricking" was those with early iPhones who decided to do some hacky SIM unlock thing that Apple even warned about, which ended up corrupting the baseband firmware. Even then the 2.0 update fixed things up again. And I believe the OS still ran, just the baseband was hooped so you didn't get any phone functionality.

    47. Re:NOK is in trouble. by aliquis · · Score: 1

      They cost more earlier, and I'm not in the US so I can buy a phone without having fees added to my purchase.

      iPhone 4: 7390 kr
      (32GB iPhone 3Gs): 5490 kr
      Desire HD: 4879 kr
      Nokia C7: 2789 kr
      S-E X8: 1685 kr

      I don't know what high-end Android phones are the better ones. But yeah, 4.4x more than the X8 (320x640 I think.), C7 may be somewhat similar to N8 in capabilities but cost less, 2.65x more for the iPhone.

      3Gs vs Desire HD may not be too obvious ..

    48. Re:NOK is in trouble. by intheshelter · · Score: 1

      Except there have been maybe 4 WP7 phones sold nationwide, so this update bricked over 50% of the user base.

      Obviously the above is half joke, half truth, but seriously, WTF would anyone buy a WP7 phone, ANYTHING Windows, and be surprised at mediocrity any more?

    49. Re:NOK is in trouble. by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > An extreme minority experiencing a problem...since when is this news?

      This is news since an extreme minority of smartphone users use Windows Phone 7.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    50. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Zaiff+Urgulbunger · · Score: 1

      In fairness to MS, the update was "designed only 'to improve the software update process itself'", and in that sense it is a success -- by bricking these phones, the surface area for future problems has now been reduced! Plus, the bad publicity will likely have a small impact for future sales which *also* will reduce the problem surface area. Well done Microsoft! :D

    51. Re:NOK is in trouble. by jellomizer · · Score: 1

      I am willing to bet if we switched Windows 7 and Microsoft with Android and Google respectively that we would get a slew of comments like (well bugs happen in early versions, this is just for a small number of people....) Please I implore you don't let your hate for Microsoft effect your overall judgement. We are supposed to be geeks who think scientifically not just jump to rash judgement based on our feelings.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    52. Re:NOK is in trouble. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1
      Lucy: Get over here Charlie Brown - I've got this killer Phone OS from Microsoft for you!

      Charlie Brown: No way! Every time You've sold me on one of their products, it's turned out bad. Everything breaks, and it takes way too much effort to keep the things that do work, working.

      Lucy: Aww, come on. This time it's different. I promise.

      Charlie Brown: That's what you told me the last ten times.

      Lucy: Why would I lie to you, Charlie Brown? C'mon, pretty Please?

      Charlie Brown: It's just what happens every time. Why would this be different?

      Lucy: Think about it Charlie Brown, the odds are in your favor that they did something right. Seriously, how could you go wrong?

      Charlie Brown: Well, that appeals to the mathematician in me, and it really isn't fair to judge something new on a previous track record, is it? Okay Lucy, I'll try it - give me the phone.

      Lucy: Oh, make sure you do the updates, Charlie, They're very important, you know.

      Charlie Brown updates the phone. You hear at Wah, wah, wah on trumpet in the background as the phone is bricked.

      Charlie Brown: Rats! I'll never learn!

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  2. Jams? by maxwing · · Score: 0

    Oh no! They've jammed the radar! *tastes screen* With strawberry! I hate strawberry -Dark Helmet

    1. Re:Jams? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      probably wanted to avoid using the term 'bricks.'

    2. Re:Jams? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is so wrong I didn't even feel like logging in to say this.

    3. Re:Jams? by S.O.B. · · Score: 2

      I think this is the quote you were looking for:

      Radar Technician: Sir! The radar, sir! It appears to be... [Jam starts flowing through the computer screen] jammed!
      Dark Helmet: Jammed... [Examines the jam and tastes it] Raspberry. There's only one man... [Sandurz gets out of the way of the approaching camera] ...who would dare give me the raspberry! [Pulls his mask down] Lone Starr! [Walks into the camera and collapses]

      --
      Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
    4. Re:Jams? by colinrichardday · · Score: 1

      Actually, it was raspberry. And there is only one man in the galaxy who would give me the raspberry, Lone Star>

  3. It never ceases to amaze me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...how bad MS update services are. It breaks more often than not and when it does you get obscure hex codes for a reason.

    Seriously, you're just trying to download some files and run them. How can a completely closed system be worse at this than my buggy 5 year old browser with 11 third-party toolbars installed?

    1. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 1

      Seriously? You are saying that over 50% of Microsoft updates break the system? I administer around 50 Windows computers and never have updates break anything. Now I feel sorry for the other guy out there who handles 51 Windows systems who must have everything break all the time!

    2. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by clang_jangle · · Score: 3, Funny

      I administer around 50 Windows computers and never have updates break anything.

      Congrats on the new job! After you've been doing it for a few years you too will have windows update horror stories to tell.

      --
      Caveat Utilitor
    3. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It breaks more often than not and when it does you get obscure hex codes for a reason.

      You have hardware problems.

    4. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by aliquis · · Score: 1

      Maybe his 51 machines where running cracks?

    5. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by ZosX · · Score: 1

      My thoughts exactly. Half the time it would be a flip of the coin to see what service pack 3 would break on XP. Win2000 never seemed to break like that.....hmmmm....

    6. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by Bert64 · · Score: 1

      Run something like Nessus against those systems in authenticated mode...
      What it does, is log in and verify the versions of the individual files installed by various updates, rather than relying on the windows update apis to tell it if updates are correctly installed. You can get a list of the correct versions from most microsoft knowledgebase articles...
      Give it a try and let me know what it finds, in my experience on any large network running the windows update services, a handful will think they have patches installed when in reality the updated files are not present (ie your still vulnerable).

      --
      http://spamdecoy.net - free throwaway anonymous email - avoid spam!
    7. Re:It never ceases to amaze me by Gadget_Guy · · Score: 1

      Congrats on the new job! After you've been doing it for a few years you too will have windows update horror stories to tell

      Thank you, but I have been doing this job since last century, and in the industry since the 80s. The last time I had something get stuffed up by Windows Update was on Windows 2000.

      I do admit that in the early days of automatic updates I switched it off and worked to my own update schedule so my systems wouldn't get hosed. But sometime during the life of XP I gave up my paranoia and just let the automation do its thing. It helps to keep your installations fairly generic if you want to avoid obscure third party software from causing problems with patches.

  4. For once, Microsoft support gave good advice ... by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the update had bricked his Samsung Omnia 7. 'We're very sorry for the inconvenience,' Microsoft responded on Twitter. 'For this issue we would suggest taking it to a store.'"

    After all, that's where the Returns counter is, right?

    According to some comments on the mini microsoft blog, between 50% and 80% of what few WP7 phones are being bought end up being returned, so take a number, and get in line ...

  5. And where is Roz Ho? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is she still involved? Because this sounds an awful lot like the fiasco that happened THE LAST TIME under her watch.

    1. Re:And where is Roz Ho? by symbolset · · Score: 1

      She doesn't show on the executive bio site any more. No announcement though. They're probably grooming her to head up their new division: Novell.

      --
      Help stamp out iliturcy.
  6. Another Microsoft Product success by hsmith · · Score: 4, Funny

    Should have been renamed Windows Mobile Vista

    1. Re:Another Microsoft Product success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you as well.

      If you're going to reproach someone for being an typical boring internet toolbag, at least take precautions to not be a typical boorish internet bully.

    2. Re:Another Microsoft Product success by Rufty · · Score: 4, Funny

      Naah. Windows Mobile Edition. Or Windows ME to its friend.

      --
      Red to red, black to black. Switch it on, but stand well back.
    3. Re:Another Microsoft Product success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or Windows ME to its friend.

      Aww, it's lonely. It only has one friend.

    4. Re:Another Microsoft Product success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Windows ME to its friend.

      I see what you did there :-)

    5. Re:Another Microsoft Product success by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its a Windows!

  7. No sympathy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Its there own fault for buying a new W7 phone. Its a basically a new OS and you now $MS won't have it debugged until SP2. What were they expecting?

    1. Re:No sympathy by NEDHead · · Score: 1

      It's;their;It's;know

      all better now.

    2. Re:No sympathy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No more stupid than people who rushed out to buy the Apple Crumble, though. ;-)

  8. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The only thing I found that said the return rate was 80% was from a comment from a Anonymous.

    "The AT&T dude told me that WP7 phones had -- listen closely -- an 80% return rate."

  9. I knew it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I should have known microsoft was on the job

    http://astechnoinfo.webstarts.com/

  10. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's exactly right. That's also exactly why I keep up to date with sites like slashdot so that I could turn off my auto update in Windows 7 because I don't want M$ just installing SP1 on my machine. M$ has lead the way in the tech mindset of bring barely beta products to market as if they are final products. Wake up, look around. People are smarter than they've been given credit for and they are starting to see through the smoke and mirrors.

  11. Update the software that updates the updater first by matrixskp · · Score: 1

    Update the Zune software first, so you can update your phone with software that will help with future updates. And users get what exactly out of this process? I love instructions pages that mention the first thing you should do right at the bottom of the page, after you have completed all the other steps... way to go! Instructions on that page are a prime example of how MS has no idea about designing computer user interfaces for people!

  12. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by the+linux+geek · · Score: 1

    Slashdot broke my comment. The first line should have been "a small (below 1 percent) number of WP7 devices have to pull out their battery and restart the phone after an update. Let's compare to the Galaxy S, which had, out of the box:"

  13. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by __aaqvdr516 · · Score: 1

    According to comments on a blog...

    According to my comments I'm right 100% of the time and the Win7 phone never crashes.

    It's retarded to get bent out of shape over one user being sent back to a store over a broken update. It's happened plenty of times with Android phones (and every other phone that's been upgradable) and I've yet to see an article posted about it here.

    This story is a non-story.

  14. Big improvement! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That means that WP7 phones finally got multitasking! at the same time they jam and .sucks

  15. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Curious that we don't see similar articles whenever a carrier decides to send out an Android update.

  16. A bad phone is not news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I consider this story to be a problem with the internet. Lets say assume for a second he had a problem with the flash memory in his Nokia phone. So the phone just died because the upgrade is when the flash failed. Suddenly, the world is being told Microsoft dropped the ball.

  17. Holy big issue batman by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "At least one user"?

    1. Re:Holy big issue batman by Tablizer · · Score: 0

      "At least one user"?

      Well, that is 25% of all Win-Phone7 users, which is a pretty big portion.
         

  18. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And I read some anonymous comments on a blog somewhere that indicated that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction - with 100% slam-dunk no-mistake certainty!

    See what happens when you believe everything you read?

    - Dubya

    To recap:
    -- What we know: "ONE guy has been told to bring his device in for service."
    -- What you're assuming as a result: "100% of the phones are non-operational, and destined for a return."

  19. Version 1 by yankeessuck · · Score: 0

    I dislike Microsoft as much as anyone but even I have to cut them some slack for the first update to essentially a version 1 product.

    1. Re:Version 1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What part of windows phone 7 is confusing? The 7? MS has been doing shitty phones for a long time. This is not a version 1 product.

    2. Re:Version 1 by LWATCDR · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yea it isn't like Microsoft has been producing Phone OSs for the last ten plus years! I mean they are new to this market... Oh..... Wait Windows phone 7... Humm....

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    3. Re:Version 1 by __aatirs3925 · · Score: 1

      To be fair, I think he (she?) meant the first real phone. Every other OS prior to WP7 was crappy to say the least. The more I see posts against Microsoft, the more I feel like a fanboy trying to defend them =/ There are certainly some amazing products being dished out by microsoft but then there's the not so great apps like IE, IE, and IE. I say this three times because they have three different (supported) standards and it makes CSS compatibility hell >: | But, I still love the big M for the other great things that they came out with. WP7 is one of them (and I'm stuck with an android outside of my dev life ;__;)

    4. Re:Version 1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can't win with people that simply want to hate a product because of its name.

      Very few people actually seem capable of understanding that Windows Phone 7 threw the Windows Mobile code base out of the window. They started fresh from the latest Windows CE (6.0, I believe) kernel.

      The simple fact is, WP7 is awesome. It's missing copy and paste, for another week, multitasking, for a few months, and a solid browser, for a few months, (to be honest, the browser renders surprisingly well, but it's definitely slower than it should be compared to Mobile Safari and Chrome on Android). It will have caught up to Android and iOS in under a year. Anyone that scoffs at that notion is either a super coder (and API architect), or ignorant.

      I definitely prefer the done-right approach that appears to be happening. I don't even own a WP7 device because I had to return Samsung hardware three separate times due to hardware failures (bad CPU [all sorts of things were being miscalculated], broken charger [only charged when connected to a computer and not from any wall charger], and finally broken GPS/Bluetooth). I really miss the software, and I was hoping for new hardware to come out during Mobile World Congress 2011. I even liked the hardware when it was working. That's how good the system is. Three separate phones died on me, and I still want one. Just not enough to get another Samsung phone in the current generation (and I don't want a useless speaker, or a phone with a physical keyboard and the weight of a brick).

      Samsung has completely screwed the pooch here. It's their firmware that is failing, and all other WP7 phones are working perfectly fine. It's no surprise that their Android Galaxy S line is also running late on updates. Just now getting Android 2.2? What a joke.

      If anything, it really points out, to me, that I should probably try to avoid Samsung. Which is a shame, because they make the most attractive looking WP7 and Android hardware, in my opinion.

    5. Re:Version 1 by Malc · · Score: 1

      This is not a version 1 system. We had HTC mobiles running Windows four or five years ago. Then again, Windows Update never worked on that version of the OS (depended upon the vendor, not Microsoft).

    6. Re:Version 1 by pinkushun · · Score: 1

      The update was designed only 'to improve the software update process itself,'

      You know you screwed up when your update's update breaks the entire device. LOL!

    7. Re:Version 1 by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes Microsoft has come out with some good products like the XBox and the flight sim series. I will even give Office it's due except that it has created a virtual monopoly but Excel is actually really good Access is just Evil. Powerpoint is tool of unlimited evil and boredom and Word is well Word.. That and the document formats are terrible.
      IE, Outlook, Visual Basic, and MFC all should be considered crimes IMHO.

      WP7 the first real phone OS? Really? What about Windows Mobile? What about WIndows Mobile 6.5 that Microsoft is still selling? I am not going to give Microsoft any slack for WP7. It right now is a non-completive product in my opinion. First of all let me say one thing. announced features are not real. If it isn't shipping it doesn't count.
      WP7 does not have multitasking or even task switching like WebOS, IOS, and Android.
      WP7 does not have free turn by turn navigation like Android.
      The mobile browser on it is not as good as IOS, Android, or even WebOS and Symbian's.
      It lacks the Enterpise management features of BlackBerry OS and even IOS.
      I do not know what is in the new update so I will say that at launch it also didn't have even cut and paste and custom ring tones.
      Microsoft has had four years to answer the iPhone and three to answer Android and this is what they came up with? Really the largest software company in the world and this is all they came up with. Let us not forget that they bought and destroyed Danger as well. Microsoft entered the smartphone market back when it was only Palm and Symbian. They sat and didn't innovate and now they have not even caught up. Throw in the disaster that was the Kin as well and I must ask why give them any slack? I don't get it. If say Sony or Nokia had come up with this OS at this time people would be laughing in their face.
      If I was a on the Microsoft Board I would outraged at the current state of affairs.
      Considering the time and resources that they had to work with they should have come up with a phone OS that would be an world beater and frankly it is an also ran with a pretty face. I will say the UI isn't bad and was very fast when I used it. But the OS is feature incomplete.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    8. Re:Version 1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What part of windows phone 7 is confusing? The 7?

      It certainly seemed to confuse you good and proper. The 7 matches the number on their desktop Windows offering.

      This is not a version 1 product.

      How many versions of Windows Phone have there been? Oh that's right...one.

  20. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by kevinmenzel · · Score: 1

    In my experience, Microsoft does a lot of testing of their products actually... but they don't have test labs or even beta testers with 100% of system configurations. No one does. They do a lot to fix the problems that their testers find. SP1 for Windows 7 was in public beta testing for 6 months, and avaliable for beta test to MSDN subscribers for longer than that. That's not exactly rushing something.

  21. Yeah, it bricked my iPhone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can confirm that this update is very harmful. I tried to load Windows Phone 7 on my iPhone and it's dead now.
    I also tried it on my Commodore 64... killed it also. Then I tried it on my TI-83 calculator.... killed it.
    I'm blaming Microsoft and Sony for this fiasco

  22. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Warll · · Score: 1

    That makes soo much more sense now. I thought "(" was supposed to be a smiley.

  23. Is it bricked or is it really bricked? by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

    Really, the term "bricked" has been misused so much. If the phone is beyond repair and the only way to get it functional is to basically replace everything on the inside, it's bricked. It's not bricked if installing another update or rolling back the update or resetting the memory fixes it. More details please.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    1. Re:Is it bricked or is it really bricked? by rritterson · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's really bricked. See here:

      "... If this is successful, it should allow the handset to recover its original firmware and resume operation. But not everyone can get this to work, indicating that the devices are truly bricked, with the only option being to return them to the network operator and have them replaced under warranty."

      The article has more details; the problems appear to be restricted to a few samsung firmware versions. Given how religious MS is about testing every combination of everything come patch time (how many times have we bitched about the slowness of a patch), I'm going to speculate the source of the cock-up is a miscommunication regarding which firmware versions are out there (MS didn't know they existed) or what the differences between them are (MS thought the differences were irrelevant come patch time) and at least half the blame lies with Samsung.

      --
      -Ryan
      AUWYHSTOT (Acronyms are Useless When You Have to Spell Them Out Too)
    2. Re:Is it bricked or is it really bricked? by js3 · · Score: 0

      I have a Samsung Focus, I got an update notification this morning. I performed my update and everything was fine. All I see is a few people either didn't wait for the thing to complete or whatever and the microsoft bashing ensured

      --
      did you forget to take your meds?
    3. Re:Is it bricked or is it really bricked? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      js3's update worked therefore there is no problem!

      Suppose the bricking only occurs

      • With only certain firmware versions.
      • When connectivity is lost during the process.
      • If certain applications are installed
      • For a ton of other reasons

      Would these all be the fault of people being stupid? I have no idea if hysteria is warranted but "it works for me" is not a valid argument.

    4. Re:Is it bricked or is it really bricked? by cbhacking · · Score: 1

      That sounds pretty plausible, especially because it seems that there was a bug in the Samsung firmware that would lead to possible problems with updates, and this update was supposed to fix that. You'd think they would test against the specific problem they were trying to fix, which suggests some miscommunication

      --
      There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
  24. jamming, insn't that a good thing? by __aatirs3925 · · Score: 1

    Hey guys, I totally overheard that Microsoft was jamming some cellphones and I was ready to jam with them, but it seems you guys aren't as radical as Microsoft is. I think they are EXTREME! *plays air guitar* I think you should give Microsoft a chance, after all, jamming is only one of things they are good at doing, they're also great at making dev kits *plays air drums*

  25. This is the responsible party by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have it on good authority that this is the person responsible. His name is Justin Bonsey, but now is going by Justin B.

    http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/6862/justinbonseygoogleprofi.png

    Is it any wonder WP7 is all "fucked up"?

  26. Re:Update the software that updates the updater fi by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

    Microsoft updates have a history of breaking things, I'd expect their phones to not be an exception.

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  27. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by breenmachine · · Score: 2
  28. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by zombiechan · · Score: 1

    According to some comments on the mini microsoft blog [blogspot.com], between 50% and 80% of what few WP7 phones

    According to some comments on some blog, Android devices have a 99% return rate. It's true because it was a comment posted by an anonymous on some google blog.
    Sadly though... your comment was modded +5 insightful without giving any real evidence. Also this is only happening to a few phones, (what I've read is the minority). This is their first phone update, there's bound to be a few problems here and there.

  29. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by LWATCDR · · Score: 2

    Actually only the Nexus S has 2.3 and almost no software is written for 2.3. The current majority of Android devices have 2.1 But yes Samsung is a pain when it comes to updates plus they Skin it which sucks.
    Of course WP7 still can not multitask yet and is this update finally adding in cut and paste and Custom ring tones? Kind of hard to brag about an update that brings WP7 up to the standards of 2008.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  30. Windows Phone 7 + Zune by stillpixel · · Score: 0

    Maybe if you sell them both you can afford to buy a refurbed iPhone from AT&T or Apple.

  31. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    This is because carriers aren't sending out Android updates.

  32. Re:Update the software that updates the updater fi by loving_weiners · · Score: 0

    Wahaahahhaahhaha omg hahahhahaaaaa microsoft sux lol lol lol fap fap fap.

    I guess that's why they have so many successful products and make millions of dollars. Cause they have NO IDEA about designing computer user interfaces for people. I bet you could do much better. In fact, why don't you start your own company and take out "stupid microsoft" cause they're so useless anyway. I mean, they've only been building software for four decades, they clearly have NO FUCKING CLUE what they're doing.

  33. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by publiclurker · · Score: 0, Troll

    You do realize that 1 Windows phone is probably 5-10% of the market. that is not the case with Android phones.

  34. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only on slashdot would an anti-ms post citing an anonymous user's anecdotal evidence on a random blog get modded +5 insightful.

  35. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Informative
    First, a lot of the comments on the minimsft blog are posted anonymously because both mini and the commenters work at Microsoft.

    Second, Microsoft has been trying to puff up the disappointing numbers by quoting units shipped to stores, and not units activated.

    So, since Microsoft won't release hard numbers, we have to go with what we can find elsewhere; the fact that Microsoft doesn't want to talk about activations and return numbers is a good indicator that the anecdotal evidence is, if not 100% accurate, at least in the ballpark.

    Of course, if your product only had lost 50% market share in the last year, and was down to 3%, and Android in the same time went from 2% to #1, you wouldn't want to give out the real numbers either.

  36. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why exactly should anyone listen to you? You have no real numbers either, just worthless guesses pulled from your ass.

  37. Spaceballs quote by coldmist · · Score: 1

    What does it mean to "jam" a phone? I've heard of bricking, etc. but to "jam" it? Raspberry or Strawberry?

    The radar has been jammed, sir.

    Raspberry. There's only one man who would dare give me the raspberry: Lone Star!

    --
    Don't steal. The government hates competition.
    1. Re:Spaceballs quote by semi-extrinsic · · Score: 1

      Would be ironic if it was Blackberry...

      --
      for i in `facebook friends "=bday" 2>/dev/null | cut -d " " -f 3-`; do facebook wallpost $i "Happy birthday!"; done
    2. Re:Spaceballs quote by 517714 · · Score: 1

      Jamming is used when smuggling cellphones into prisons. It has also been proposed as a solution to smuggled cellphones in prison.

      --
      The US government have made it clear that we have no inalienable rights; any we do not defend vigorously will be taken.
  38. Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by Proudrooster · · Score: 1

    This is truly sad news for MS and the new Nokia relationship. I know their are a lot of hardware variations out there but bricking a paying customer's phone is truly bad form, especially when you are paying $400-$500 for a phone that isn't an iPhone. While everyone hates that Apple fan boys, one nice thing that Apple has going for them with the iPhone is a very controlled hardware platform. This simplifies patch testing to alleviate problems like bricking phones. This also begs the question, who is on the hook for the repair when the warranty for the phone runs out? Will MS pay for the repair or is the customer going to have to sign another 2-year contract to get a new phone? This reminds me of the BlueRay player firmware patches that bricked the out of warranty players. Interesting problem.

    1. Re:Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      The phone is probably still under warranty. Whether the manufacturer or MS has to pay for a new phone is not as important as the customer gets a free phone.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    2. Re:Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The phone is probably still under warranty. Whether the manufacturer or MS has to pay for a new phone is not as important as the customer gets a free phone.

      Maybe this is Microsoft's strategy of increasing the number of activated phones

    3. Re:Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      [...] probably still under warranty.

      What would they've done if it wasn't under warranty?

      If an update bricks a phone not under warranty, are those responsible for the update liable?

    4. Re:Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by uglyduckling · · Score: 1

      Yes... but the point of the post above is that, once the phone is out of warranty, will people be confident to install updates? Right now, all Windows Phone 7 phones are in warranty, by definition. What about in a year's time when that's not the case?

    5. Re:Patch Tuesday will soon be Brick Tuesday by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even better, who would legally be responsible for the update? Wouldn't that ultimately be the customer himself?

      In practical term you're never going to get your rights satisfied. When an update bricks your phone and a fix doesn't appear on the 'Net in a reasonable period, you're just out of luck. You would have to buy a new phone. And you would be really dumb to buy another one of the same brand.

  39. louboutin shoes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it isn't like Microsoft has been producing Phone OSs for the last ten plus years! louboutin shoes,I will wait it ~

  40. Dongs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not surprising, seeing as Windows Phone 7 is a big huge dong. You can't update a dong. It's dongness is not updateable. Mise a jour non, c'est dong. Cocks dongs.

  41. ghd straighteners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it true ? I will think about it .ghd straightenersthank you very much!

  42. security feature by binaryseraph · · Score: 0

    Well at least we know it's a certified windows product now.

  43. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    According to some comments on the mini microsoft blog, between 50% and 80% of what few WP7 phones are being bought end up being returned, so take a number, and get in line ...

    So, it's just like the xbox360 then

  44. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, only if you have your screen rotated 180 degrees counter clockwise :) ----- That's a smiley. Though to you perhaps not :)

  45. It's bad by kelemvor4 · · Score: 1

    "Microsoft's first Windows Phone 7 update is apparently causing some users' phones to not work. Microsoft has advised at least one person to take his device into a store for a fix." The other fifteen windows phone 7 users have not yet been in touch with technical support, but Microsoft is very concerned.

  46. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by deniable · · Score: 1

    Was the next unquoted line "but we have these nice iPhones over here. Would you like to look at one?"

  47. Ever wonder why the carriers insist on it? by erroneus · · Score: 1

    Wireless carriers invariably insist on controlling the phones they sell. They also insist on obnoxious branding but that's another matter.

    The reason the carriers insist on controlling the phones and the updates to them is to minimize these problems. In this case, it would seem Microsoft has complete control over the phones and can push updates at will. The action of Microsoft can create tremendous cost for the carriers and also cause them to lose customers should they become too frustrated with the problems.

    Now I will be the first to say I don't like carriers telling me what I can and can't do with my personally owned equipment. But the same goes for the software vendor. I don't want unwelcome updates forced upon me. I am fairly certain Windows7 phone updates prompt the user and ask permission to perform the update. That's good. But do they provide a means of rolling back the way they do in their OS products? I'm guessing not. So what should Microsoft do? That's right -- give the updates to the carriers and let THEM do the testing and the pushing out. That way, the carriers are prepared for what may happen and it's all on them when things go bad.

    1. Re:Ever wonder why the carriers insist on it? by dido · · Score: 1

      Not outside of the USA they don't. Most places you don't buy phone handsets from the mobile carrier, but from an independent phone shop, and insert a SIM from a mobile carrier and off you go. Sure, you can get a phone from a mobile carrier with subsidies (which wind up costing more) the way it's done in the USA but that's the exception rather than the rule most everywhere else. The kind of extremely tight dependence on mobile phone handsets and mobile carriers seen in the USA is almost nonexistent elsewhere in the world. In these cases, since the phone experience and the mobile carrier experience are decoupled, there is no need for the carrier or anyone to insist on absolute control of the handset hardware. That this should be thought of as necessary is a load of nonsense promoted by American mobile telephony providers. Whether or not to exercise full control over a mobile telephone should be a choice available to the customer. The fact that this choice is frequently denied to American mobile telephony subscribers by the structure of their market is an aberration.

      In any case, I doubt that the mobile carriers would do a much better job of testing such updates from Microsoft (or Google, or Apple for that matter) either. That just becomes an expense for them, as they have to test updates for every phone they have on their network.

      --
      Qu'on me donne six lignes écrites de la main du plus honnête homme, j'y trouverai de quoi le faire pendre.
    2. Re:Ever wonder why the carriers insist on it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not outside of the USA they don't. Most places you don't buy phone handsets from the mobile carrier, but from an independent phone shop, and insert a SIM from a mobile carrier and off you go. Sure, you can get a phone from a mobile carrier with subsidies (which wind up costing more) the way it's done in the USA but that's the exception rather than the rule most everywhere else. The kind of extremely tight dependence on mobile phone handsets and mobile carriers seen in the USA is almost nonexistent elsewhere in the world. In these cases, since the phone experience and the mobile carrier experience are decoupled, there is no need for the carrier or anyone to insist on absolute control of the handset hardware. That this should be thought of as necessary is a load of nonsense promoted by American mobile telephony providers. Whether or not to exercise full control over a mobile telephone should be a choice available to the customer. The fact that this choice is frequently denied to American mobile telephony subscribers by the structure of their market is an aberration.

      Also: Why do USA mobile phone customers pay for recieveing texts and calls?

    3. Re:Ever wonder why the carriers insist on it? by uglyduckling · · Score: 1

      That's not the case in the UK, and I would guess most of Western Europe too, although I'm willing to stand corrected. In the UK, at least, the vast majority of people have no idea how much a phone really costs, and only buy 'subsidised' phones where you essentially pay the full price of the device over the duration of the contract.

    4. Re:Ever wonder why the carriers insist on it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The American companies want to sell you some crappy $3 midi ring tones that are DRMed that you can get only through their store. That is why they want to control them. Europeans laugh at us as they have freedom.

  48. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    According to some comments on the mini microsoft blog, between 50% and 80% of what few WP7 phones are being bought end up being returned, so take a number, and get in line ...

    Oh well anecdotal evidence in an anonymous comment on a website, must be factual then. Are you seriously that retarded? You're probably the one that posted it.

  49. Physical brick-and-mortar store?? by sunderland56 · · Score: 1

    So Microsoft's fallback for all this newfangled all-connected-all-the-time Internet era is... a physical store? Really?

    Which store do they mean, anyway? The Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile store, staffed by people who are, to be polite, not rocket scientists, especially with a just-released operating system? Or a Microsoft store, which are outside easy reach of 99.9% of customers?

    1. Re:Physical brick-and-mortar store?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How does Microsoft's approach differ from Apple's? you can't even change the battery in the iPhone without having to go to a store....

    2. Re:Physical brick-and-mortar store?? by musikit · · Score: 1

      the staff at the apple store is at least trained.

  50. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So, since Microsoft won't release hard numbers, we have to go with what we can find elsewhere

    Ok well i'll put an anonymous post on a random blog citing an anonymous AT&T employee telling me returns are 1% and daily activations are approaching the numbers seen with Android. And of course you'd believe such a baseless unsubstantiated comment.

  51. A possible fix by atomicbutterfly · · Score: 2

    http://www.neowin.net/news/bricked-wp7-this-is-how-to-fix-it

    On a side note, I hate the term "bricked" given this is a recoverable problem, although someone did point out that "bricked" is a perfectly acceptable term to describe a non-functional device during the period of time in which there is no known fix.

    1. Re:A possible fix by Nyrath+the+nearly+wi · · Score: 1

      According to this article

      http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2011/02/everything-that-can-go-wrong-with-windows-phone-7-update-does.ars

      there is a percentage of users where that procedure does NOT fix the problem. In those cases, Microsoft advises the user to return the phone to the place of purchase to obtain a replacement phone.

      Sounds like the correct use of the term "bricked" to me.

  52. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Oh, wow. And those were posted on Slashdot, numb-nuts? Oh, no?

  53. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by tomhudson · · Score: 3, Informative
    The poor sales were verified by one of Microsoft's WP7 partners - LG Electronics. Since Microsoft won't release the actual figures (because they really ARE that bad), we have to use what's out there.

    Ballmer has said that the mobile phone industry needs WP7 because it needs a 3rd option. WP7 isn't 3rd, or even 4th, in terms of sales. 3% is 5th place, and a drop from the previous year's market share of almost 7%.

    Why do you think that Microsoft had to pay Nokia so much to get on board?

  54. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by masterwit · · Score: 1

    Meh... those users should just wipe it and install Linux.

    --
    We should start a new Slashdot and return control to the geeks. It actually wouldn't be that hard to get some users to
  55. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by miffo.swe · · Score: 3, Informative

    His numbers are just as good as the ones Microsoft pulls out of their behind. LG have told us that sales are abysmal and every other hint says that sales are very dissapointing. When everything leans towards bad sales and Microsoft wont release any numbers, its a safe bet that sales are really that bad.

    --
    HTTP/1.1 400
  56. The deal with Nokia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...is probably about just supporting one hardware platform and thus avoiding these kind of problems.
    (I think I recall Bill Gates stating that it was a winning strategy during the 80:s.)

  57. My GOD! by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 1

    I know that some people don't get the meaning of simple words and we call them republicans. But failing to grasp the meaning of a single digit number?

    Exactly what is so confusing about "7"? Windows Phone 7. That is the name. Can you even grasp the notion that this means there was a version 6? A version 5 etc etc? And unlike Vista, 6 and 6.5 were named just that for phones.

    MS is a decades old company with experience in PC's, phones, consoles and they can't get a simple update right on a very high profile product.

    This is however the reason MS does so poorly in this area. They keep listening to fanboys who excuse everything even if it means redefining numbers and just don't get that they need to work harder in a market where there is competition. They only did well on the console race because their opponents were to busy shooting themselves in the foot.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  58. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Actually, the next unquoted line is "but we have these nice Android phones over here. Would you like to pick one to your liking?"

    Remember, cellular companies are making money from Android purchases.

  59. Kin 2.0 is proceeding according to plan by phonewebcam · · Score: 1

    As is Sendo 2.0 with the Nokia "deal"

  60. They are mad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is all nice and dandy to "bring it back to store" if you live in NY or LA, but what shall we do in some other countries, where they will show the finger/door, instead taking our phone?
    World is a lot larger than your back yard. Why do you think Nokia sold 1200 in millions every month of last year?

    1. Re:They are mad. by 1s44c · · Score: 1

      It is all nice and dandy to "bring it back to store" if you live in NY or LA, but what shall we do in some other countries, where they will show the finger/door, instead taking our phone?
      World is a lot larger than your back yard. Why do you think Nokia sold 1200 in millions every month of last year?

      While you are in the store why not swap the phone for something that actually works? Like maybe a pre-windows nokia or an iphone.

    2. Re:They are mad. by NiteShaed · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure what you're getting at here, how is it Microsoft's fault/problem that you bought your phone from a store with awful customer service? I agree that MS should have done a better job, but really, if the clerk is flipping you off for a valid return that's a problem between you and the store, not MS.

      Why do you think Nokia sold 1200 in millions every month of last year?

      Are you suggesting that it's because they have zero defects and that a Nokia phone has never been returned, or does Nokia personally come to your house and pick up defective units so that you don't have to deal with the obnoxious store clerk that doesn't like doing returns?

      --
      Some bring out the best in others, some the worst. Some bring out far more.
  61. Nokia by 1s44c · · Score: 1

    And so begins the long drawn out death of Nokia.

    Such a terrible shame.

  62. Re:Holy Anti-Microsoft Hysteria, Batman! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot broke my comment. The first line should have been "a small (below 1 percent) number of WP7 devices have to pull out their battery and restart the phone after an update. Let's compare to the Galaxy S, which had, out of the box:"

    The Preview feature is hard. So hard to use.

    Yes it was Slashdot that broke your comment. And it's the jeans that make her look fat.

  63. Title is misleading by Toreo+asesino · · Score: 1

    Should state "Windows Phone 7 Update Jams Phone", as this is basically what's being reported.

    --
    throw new NoSignatureException();
  64. half the blame lies with Samsung? by doperative · · Score: 1

    Yea, Samsung developed a time machine, went back-in-time and prevented Microsoft developers into not testing their own product ..

  65. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I heard from friend who heard from other friend that 110% of WP7 phones end up returned. Just a food for thought..

  66. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Tharsman · · Score: 1

    Android devices all over the world have a 97.6% return rate.

    It must be true since I'm posting it here, in the comment section. Everyone knows this is the best source of reliable information in the planet. Oh darnit, I didnt click the Post Anonymously box!!! That destroys my credibility... I'll learn from that guy in that blog's comment section next time and remember to post this Anonymously for maximum credibility!

  67. We're very sorry... by sabt-pestnu · · Score: 1

    ... that you can't see our apology, considering that you use your phone to read Twitter...

    > 'We're very sorry for the inconvenience,' Microsoft responded on Twitter.

  68. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    but they don't have test labs or even beta testers with 100% of system configurations. No one does.

    I'll bet you Apple does have 100% of system configurations for Macs and iPhones/iPods/iPads. Probably Sony too for PS3/PS2/PS1. Nokia RIM

    Also, in this early stage where you can count the number of manufacturers for WP7 phones with both hands, Microsoft does too (or at least they should have 100%).

  69. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The poor sales were verified by one of Microsoft's WP7 partners - LG Electronics.

    Yes yes, of course now you'll change the subject to sales ever so quickly to detract from the fact that you publicly look like an absolute tard having accepted anonymous unsubstantiated second-hand comments regarding return rates as fact.

    But of course once again your idiocy knows no bounds and you'll believe the first thing you read regardless of context, so how about we have a look at why you're such a moron this time shall we?

    “From an industry perspective we had a high expectation, but from a consumer point of view the visibility is less than we expected”
    From here.
    Now of course you believe the first thing you read, so you only read the headline and took that as fact rather than what was actually said.

    Looking a little more deeply we also see:
    "LG has been closely collaborating with Microsoft from the beginning. What we feel is that it is absolutely perfect for a huge segment out there." From here.
    Now if they are saying that it is likely they aren't experiencing a high rate of returns, or at the very least you can't use LG's comments as a basis for estimating the rate of return.

  70. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by tomhudson · · Score: 1
    In terms of absolute numbers, the amount of windows phone returns is low ... because almost nobody is buying them. Microsoft won't release activation numbers, just "sales to retailers", and even those are grim. Couple in that they had to pay Nokia big bucks to keep them from adopting Android (and that the first Nokia WP7 phones will only be out in 2012), and it's the next of kin of the KIN.

    So let's see ... smartphones now outsell pcs, and Androids are outselling even iPhones ... Microsoft is a rounding error. Tablets will be a repeat.

  71. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by kevinmenzel · · Score: 1

    I'll bet you Apple doesn't have 100% of system configurations for Macs. They don't have every possible combination of extensions or third party software installed. As for phones, they may not actually have test versions of every phone at every firmware revision avaliable. Between software and hardware, there is a lot you can do to vary a platform even on a closed system like a console...

    But whatever. Go ahead, assume that everything is perfectly testable.

  72. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In terms of absolute numbers, the amount of windows phone returns is low ... because almost nobody is buying them.

    And quickly back to returns - albeit without percentages this time - after another moronic post is debunked as utter rubbish and coming to conclusions based on the first thing you read. But that affirms your comment regarding percentages how?

    Couple in that they had to pay Nokia big bucks to keep them from adopting Android

    Did you read that from another anonymous post on a blog citing an unknown source? Or did you find an article and read no further than the sensationalist headline?

    So let's see ... smartphones now outsell pcs, and Androids are outselling even iPhones ... Microsoft is a rounding error. Tablets will be a repeat.

    Apple's marketshare was once akin to a rounding error and they bounced back but perhaps you haven't noticed that while smartphones may outsell PCs MS' share of the PC market is still more than any manufacturer's share of the smartphone market, more than enough to support a smartphone market entrant for a very long time. But of course you've made it quite clear that objectivity is not a strength of yours and you're happy to believe any evidence no matter how unsubstantial so long as it supports your view.

  73. Re:For once, Microsoft support gave good advice .. by tomhudson · · Score: 1
    Microsoft is going to have to "support" WP7 for a long time. They had to throw a wad of cash at Nokia, and now that the other manufacturers know that Microsoft paid Nokia to opt for WP7, they're going to have their hands out too.

    Simple, undeniable fact: It's not like Microsoft is a new entry in the phone market either - they started with the Pocket PC 2000 Phone Edition. After more than a decade, they're #5 in the ranks, in the single digits. That's a far cry from 23% of the market in 2004.

    Who's going to develop for the #5 platform?

    Microsoft has been in tablets for almost 2 decades - they released Windows for Pen Computing in 1992. Gates did a demo of a Microsoft tablet PC at Comdex in 2001. So why did Apple totally crush Microsoft? Any why is everyone releasing Android-based tablets?

    More important - how long before there are more tablets being sold every year than there are PCs? 2014 at the outside. People don't like desktops - it's why laptops have been outselling them for years. Tablets, and the final killing of XP, will render the desktop as the #4 platform, behind smartphones, tablets, and laptops.

    And with fewer desktops, fewer licenses for MS-Office. THAT is going to hurt. And once that starts to drop, there goes vendor lock-in.

    And while we're at it, let's not ignore webOS - HP's attempt to offer phones, tablets, laptops and computers that all run an OS that doesn't come from Microsoft.

    There's going to be a lot more chair-throwing ...