Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Scraps 'Where's My Phone Update?' Site
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft disappointed some Windows Phone users on Friday by saying it would stop providing specifics about who will get software updates and when, and announcing vaguely that a new update is 'available to all carriers that request it.' The update fixes a few issues, including one that caused the on-screen keyboard to disappear and another that caused problems with synching Gmail. Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Windows Phone, said Microsoft will no longer say when people will get updates based on their country, phone model and carrier."
Microsoft just discovered that carriers prefer to NOT update phone software. Just like with android phones.
yea that is a lot easier when you only have one product to support (hint thats apple's magic, similar to how the Model T was really easy to find touch up paint for)
What happened to phones that Just Work? I don't want to update my phone. It must be reliable, just like an analogue wire line phone used to be.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
"OS updates manditory" was one of the great selling points they had over Android, now it's "OS updates available to carrier on request". Yeah.
I predict Windows Mobile "fragmentation" stories and much gnashing of teeth.
Well, Android is selling like cocaine hotcakes.
But I, for one, am sick of getting no support from the manufacturers of my last two Android phones. Next time I'm up for a new phone, I am going to give the iPhone very serious consideration.
Maybe it's only nerds like me and other Slashdot posters who care about getting OS updates for their phones, rather than the general market... but it is a major shortcoming of the Android ecosystem when compared to Apple's offering.
I hate to say it but I'd prefer Microsoft to the phone companies.
Well, if you want Android but you want to get updates straight from the OS manufacturer like you do with the iPhone... then get a Nexus? That's what they're for.
It's the same as the people who complain about the custom skin on their phone and say they just want plain, vanilla Android. Some people don't care about that, but if you're someone who does, then the Nexus range of phones is specifically designed for you.
Why don't geeks have the ability to understand consumers? is it like a lesion in the brain that simply blinds them to everyone not like them? As someone who builds and sells all matter of electronic gizmos to the consumer I'll be happy to tell you why they really don't give a shit how locked down a phone is, you ready?
Get this, it'll blow your mind...a phone is not a computer to them you see, not at all, its "A screen with buttons that Googles and is disposable" and that's IT. That's all it is, its a screen with buttons that does Google and they throw it in a drawer when their contract is up and get another one. This is why the carriers can do any damned thing they want, because a phone is just a phone to the consumer. Its also why they don't care about Windows on a tablet because a tablet is not a computer its "a screen i poke that does Google, lets me read books and plays Angry birds" and I can tell you with most of the consumers I've seen they rarely use it for even Google, its a fancy book reader that plays Angry Birds. same as ARM and MIPS netbooks won't go anywhere because a netbook is not a general computing device its a "cute baby laptop" and as such should do everything a big laptop does only slower, because babies are littler than grown ups and so not as strong you see?
So you see its isn't about Linux VS MSFT VS Apple or any of that shit, not to the million upon millions actually getting the things, its a phone that does Google. You wanna know why iPhone is so popular? It looks cool and plays lots of games real good like...Angry Birds. Do you think even 10% of them can name what OS it runs? And people like my dad are getting Android not because they give a flying fuck about freedom to tinker, they saw "that cute little green dancing thingie" and it looks nice and plays Angry Birds. this is why MSFT is having a hell of a time getting into mobile because people see the Windows or MSFT name and think "Why would I want Windows on my phone? I don't want to play Farmville or the sims on my phone" and they ignore it. You see consumers are strange and curious creatures, nothing like the geek in any way shape or form.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
Better questions, since when is Microsoft disappointing Windows Phone users news?
If the reviews on Amazon are any indication, most people are pretty happy with their Windows Phones. The top 3 highest reviewed phones are all Windows Phones.
Hmmm. Think those may be astroturfing?
This is just yet another case haters on the internet moving the goalposts in order to hate on MS. IT also shows why no matter how good MS's products are, they simply can't when.
When WP7 forced carriers to update, all the digerati ignored WP7's great reviews and made fun of it. "The two people that bought Windows Phones seem to like them hahahaha. Guess they don't mind the BSODs LOLOLLOl!". According to Slashdot posters, Android is the BEST (even though you have to deal with fragmentation, etc).
MS desperately wants their (good) products to be more successful, so now they drop their update requirements and be more like people'es beloved Android... and now people hate on WP7 FOR THAT.
MS is always damned if they do and damned if they don't because people don't give them a fair shake. Focus on everything bad about MS while focusing on everything good about MS's competitors.
Well you can hardly compare the situation in Android with that in WP7. When Google released ICS it took 3 months for any old phone to get an upgrade, some will never get an upgrade and some will get wait more than 6 months. By contrast it took less than 3 months for each and every WP7 device in the world to get the Mango - the most important WP7 update.
I have a Windows Phone and I will rate it pretty high. What is your point? Even if I am the only person in the world who owns Windows Phone that will still make the average rating pretty high. It will not mean that a lot of devices were sold, it will not mean that it is better than Android or iPhone. It will only mean that the average satisfaction of people who have WP7 is pretty high. Of course Amazon probably has some minimum number of reviews needed to rank the phone but I imagine this number is something like 20 and surely MS managed to sell 20 phones.