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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."
yea cause there is no way an Android phone would never get updated, you just have to do a sudo apt-get install and your cupcake turns into a ice cream sandwich
Microsoft, Google, or Apple ... who do you want to get fucked by today, and will it really matter tomorrow?
They took the phone manufacturers and carries out of the update process. When they release their updates, users of current and recently released devices get the update which they can apply. The other mobile OS makers need to make the same sort of change or they fear annoying what users they have left.
Microsoft just discovered that carriers prefer to NOT update phone software. Just like with android phones.
Better questions, since when is Microsoft disappointing Windows Phone users news?
Just speaking from my experiences with Blackberries, the slowdown always seems to be on the Telco's end. There had been many important updates which were put out by Blackberry... but ATT wouldn't release them for a month, or sometimes a few months, after Blackberry released it.
This is, once again, another example of why these companies need to be "dumb pipes" through which we access the internet. There's no practial reason we can't have a phone which simply connects to the internet for all it's needs, aside from the Telco's blocking it from happening.
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!
Microsoft has a monopoly on phones? When did that happen? I think you'll find that the 'open' Android is much closer to a monopoly. Then again most of us using Android are in the same place as the Windows Phone users. Manufacturers and Carriers would rather sell us a new phone.
"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.
http://www.businessinsider.com/android-activations-2011-12
"The other mobile OS makers need to make the same sort of change or they fear annoying what users they have left."
Boggle.
Indeed. This was most likely Carrier X getting tons of 'bad calls' from customers because they knew that Carrier Y had already delivered updates etc.
We can't have competition with real data to back up the customer now can we
Which is likely one of the smaller reasons why maemo/meego on phones was killed in the crib.
I hate to say it but I'd prefer Microsoft to the phone companies.
the first update affected by this policy change benefits a competitor. what severity is the gmail bug which this patch claims to address?
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.
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.
also, there should not have staged update for their phones. one of their big selling point was that every update was to be delivered to anyone on the release day
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/11/windows-phone-7-updates-can-carriers-block-them.ars
and then carriers bitched and moaned until it all changed for worse.
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?
Nope, more like this.
5-star reviews are useless, as always. Representative line:
One of my friends had only held it for literally five seconds before commenting on how amazing it was.
Or this HTC Titan review:
i love my wp7 its just the best phone ever the os is the best i have usaed on any cell phone. i got my wp7 phone in feb of 2011 and i have no problem with my lg Quantum and if the HTC Titan is that good i have to get my wife one.becouse my wife is geting it in feb of this year.
Rated 5-stars without even actually buying the phone yet.
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.
McDonalds is the top selling food in the country, that doesn't mean it's the best.
The Ford F-150 is the top selling car in the country, does that make it better than an Infiniti G37?
Depends on how many sheets of drywall you need to take to a jobsite or home improvement project.
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
I don't think you thought that through. WP7 isn't the top selling but it is rated as the best. So that makes it the Infiniti G37 in your analogy?
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.
Statistics are just confusing numbers to you right? Do a little search on the number of models of Android phones versus WP7 devices and also note that this is ONLY WP7 and not any earlier version of MS mobile while some Android phones have gotten multiple updates.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
This might just means Microsoft hired more bloggers than Google to boost their ratings. Also they don't have any iOS devices that I can see. Also note the top three unlocked phones are all running Android.
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the author.
Actually it's likely much worse. In Q3 ex Nokia CEO now mobile analyst Tomi Ahonen says worldwide market share is currently as low as 1-2%.
The Lumia launch isn't looking all too optimistic either.
I've often wondered why people put so much confidence in online product reviews. I don't personally known anyone who regularly reviews things that they buy online and personally the only time I review is if I had a notably poor experience. I would have to imagine that the majority of the good reviews on anything would likely be a combination of paid astroturfers and people who review for a perks. Likewise I would imagine that the majority of the bad reviews were only posted because the reviewer had a notably bad experience (and either wanted revenge on the product or felt a need to caution others). Thus it is my habit to totally ignore positive reviews and look at bad reviews for widespread issues.
So, you claim that Windows phones are common place because they will have 12% market share by [the end of?] this year? I notice a small difference on the time of those verbs... And I notice you are quite certain of things you don't know.
Rethinking email