Actually, Windows CE and Palm based smart phones have been around a lot longer than Android and iOS. I don't think they are late to the game. I think Apple just reinvented what the game was when they came out with the iPhone.
That is funny that it took you any time at all to figure out the Windows Phone interface. It is dead simple compared to Android and iOS. You have 2 screens, 1 is your home and one is a full list of apps.
You don't have to worry about widgets or what they are and what they mean (live tiles are shortcuts and widgets in one). You don't have to search through multiple screens to find a shortcut or app. You have ALL of your device shortcuts right in the notification area including a built-in flashlight toggle, external display connect, mobile hotspot, quiet time, VPN, Camera, Notes, Wifi, BT and several others. Android and iOS devices make you go into settings or find an app (sometimes even a 3rd party app) to do the same things.
The nice thing about the home screen on Windows Phone is you only need to put your most used tiles there. If you want to run something that is not on your home screen, just flick left and all of your apps are there where you can quickly jump alphabetically or search or scroll to what you need.
I personally find the interface to be orders of magnitude more intuitive than Android and certainly more intuitive than iOS...
Not to mention that a cheap (inexpensive) Android phone is basically unusable out of the box. You need some serious processing power and RAM for Android to be able to run smoothly.
I had a Lumia 520 for over a year and it was sluggish at times but perfectly usable and the battery life was pretty decent.
I never did have a Windows RT device. However, I have had many Windows CE and Pocket PC devices over the years which are arguably worse than RT ever was. I liked those devices just fine.
I actually hold out hope that low power x86 chips will become viable in mobile devices which would allow app compatibility between the desktop version and the mobile version of Windows.
Yeah, same thing here. My lost the password to my first account and it was tied to an e-mail I no longer have. My current user name I created around '99 or so.
I have never done the "post as AC in order to moderate in the same discussion" thing and there have been times when I throw away all mods done in order to comment. It is not a deal breaker, but I do like the idea of not being able to moderate in threads you have commented it (but being able to moderate in the same discussion).
MS has already stated that they will continue to develop and support Windows Phone OS. This article is just fear mongering. The platform is not going anywhere.
They really have no other choice anyway. It would be foolish to give up on the platform because it can be used for IoT and tablets as well and it is also allows them to be more agile if things ever change. Not that I see them changing in the short term, but who knows, the pendulum may swing back into MS's favor in time and if it does, they will have the OS and infrastructure ready for it.
Anyway, I will continue to use a Windows Phone because I like the interface. The lack of apps is not a concern for me.
In addition, the fact that Windows Phone OS has such a low market share helps ensure its security as well since most malicious software and exploits will be developed for Android and iOS.
I have an open wifi hotspot that I let anyone use.
I am in an apartment building and the SSID is: Free_Internet_Courtesy_of_apartment_311
I am happy to let my neighbors use my Internet. I certainly don't utilize it fully myself (I have 1Gb up/down).
I remember when I first moved in. I didn't have the Internet lined up right away and was using a neighbor's open wifi for about a week. I was so grateful for that I decided I would give back.
We were watching the launch on TV in our Elementary school (I want to say I was in 4th grade) science class.
That class more-or-less became the Challenger discussion class from then on. We followed all of the latest developments in the investigation and I want to say (though I don't recall 100%) that it was in this same class that we learned about the O-ring problem and what it meant.
My question is: In this day-and-age, why is it reasonable for Apple products to have a 50% premium?
It's not like they are using high end hardware any longer... they are utilizing the same commodity hardware that everyone else is using.
In addition, many companies have some very stylish product lines that are arguably more distinguished than Apple products (which, more and more, these days look somewhat dated).
Also, the services that they provide like iCloud and the AppStore are falling further and further behind in features and functionality to their competitors...
When I was working as a consultant for a small HP VAR, we would sometimes buy from Newegg even though we had access to the channel partners because their prices were significantly better.
But I take your point about Amazon search. That is one thing about selling everything... your search, no matter how good, has to wade through a lot more categories of items.
Any sort of remote access to do work is basically the same as letting the code out of the building
I can attest to this.
I have worked for large corporations that utilize proxied access to the Internet and locked down removable media.
It was still trivially easy to circumvent by using PuTTY to open an SSH tunnel over 443 to my home network, then using port forwarding to open an RDP session to an internal Windows box (complete with file transfer and drive redirection).
I really just wanted to see if it could be done more than anything else.
PuTTY turns out to be on the approved executable list of every place I have worked.... Hey, if you give me the tools.... *shrug*
There simply was no comparison, Newegg was the best. For many, many years, Newegg was my one-stop computer shop. They ALWAYS had the best prices. Even better prices, in some cases, than buying direct from a channel partner like TechData or Ingram.
These days I almost always find better prices on Amazon for the same stuff. Couple that with Prime membership and zero hassle returns... I just can't justify buying from Newegg anymore.
The problem is that you have already bought and paid for the newspaper. You can do whatever you want with it.
You have not bought and paid for the web page you are viewing.
Hosting costs money, especially if you are serving to thousands of people a day.
I think what we really need is a new model. I think that sites should just start blocking users if they don't disable their ad blocker. See how easy that is? Everyone wins then.
If you are a regular visitor to a site, the least you can do is help pay for it's upkeep. Unfortunately, it means you might have to view some ads.
If you are concerned about malware, by all means, run a script blocking tool like NoScript.
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Actually, one of the coolest things that MS has done in recent memory is the feedback and insider programs.
I am not sure if Android or iOS have anything similar.
I think the current MS definitely does listen and engage with their customers.
Actually, Windows CE and Palm based smart phones have been around a lot longer than Android and iOS. I don't think they are late to the game. I think Apple just reinvented what the game was when they came out with the iPhone.
That is funny that it took you any time at all to figure out the Windows Phone interface. It is dead simple compared to Android and iOS. You have 2 screens, 1 is your home and one is a full list of apps.
You don't have to worry about widgets or what they are and what they mean (live tiles are shortcuts and widgets in one). You don't have to search through multiple screens to find a shortcut or app. You have ALL of your device shortcuts right in the notification area including a built-in flashlight toggle, external display connect, mobile hotspot, quiet time, VPN, Camera, Notes, Wifi, BT and several others. Android and iOS devices make you go into settings or find an app (sometimes even a 3rd party app) to do the same things.
The nice thing about the home screen on Windows Phone is you only need to put your most used tiles there. If you want to run something that is not on your home screen, just flick left and all of your apps are there where you can quickly jump alphabetically or search or scroll to what you need.
I personally find the interface to be orders of magnitude more intuitive than Android and certainly more intuitive than iOS...
Not to mention that a cheap (inexpensive) Android phone is basically unusable out of the box. You need some serious processing power and RAM for Android to be able to run smoothly.
I had a Lumia 520 for over a year and it was sluggish at times but perfectly usable and the battery life was pretty decent.
I never did have a Windows RT device. However, I have had many Windows CE and Pocket PC devices over the years which are arguably worse than RT ever was. I liked those devices just fine.
I actually hold out hope that low power x86 chips will become viable in mobile devices which would allow app compatibility between the desktop version and the mobile version of Windows.
Understood. I am not suggesting that it is secure *because* it has low market share.
All I am saying is that it doesn't hurt security.
Yeah, same thing here. My lost the password to my first account and it was tied to an e-mail I no longer have. My current user name I created around '99 or so.
I agree with this.
I have never done the "post as AC in order to moderate in the same discussion" thing and there have been times when I throw away all mods done in order to comment. It is not a deal breaker, but I do like the idea of not being able to moderate in threads you have commented it (but being able to moderate in the same discussion).
MS has already stated that they will continue to develop and support Windows Phone OS. This article is just fear mongering. The platform is not going anywhere.
They really have no other choice anyway. It would be foolish to give up on the platform because it can be used for IoT and tablets as well and it is also allows them to be more agile if things ever change. Not that I see them changing in the short term, but who knows, the pendulum may swing back into MS's favor in time and if it does, they will have the OS and infrastructure ready for it.
Anyway, I will continue to use a Windows Phone because I like the interface. The lack of apps is not a concern for me.
In addition, the fact that Windows Phone OS has such a low market share helps ensure its security as well since most malicious software and exploits will be developed for Android and iOS.
Get rid of Obamacare!
I want my insurance company to be as wasteful as possible! It's the Mercan way!
I have an open wifi hotspot that I let anyone use.
I am in an apartment building and the SSID is: Free_Internet_Courtesy_of_apartment_311
I am happy to let my neighbors use my Internet. I certainly don't utilize it fully myself (I have 1Gb up/down).
I remember when I first moved in. I didn't have the Internet lined up right away and was using a neighbor's open wifi for about a week. I was so grateful for that I decided I would give back.
We were watching the launch on TV in our Elementary school (I want to say I was in 4th grade) science class.
That class more-or-less became the Challenger discussion class from then on. We followed all of the latest developments in the investigation and I want to say (though I don't recall 100%) that it was in this same class that we learned about the O-ring problem and what it meant.
Until they force and update which kills performance
My question is: In this day-and-age, why is it reasonable for Apple products to have a 50% premium?
It's not like they are using high end hardware any longer... they are utilizing the same commodity hardware that everyone else is using.
In addition, many companies have some very stylish product lines that are arguably more distinguished than Apple products (which, more and more, these days look somewhat dated).
Also, the services that they provide like iCloud and the AppStore are falling further and further behind in features and functionality to their competitors...
So... where does the premium come from?
Ok, that is weird.... I *just* had a conversation with a co-worker where he used that exact same expression "[they] can go pound sand".
I hadn't heard that one before and now twice in 10 minutes.
Pity? Really?
It's not even like Apple *lost* $5 billion.... they *could* have made $5 billion more than they did if X, Y and Z circumstances were different...
That is along the same lines as counting it as a loss when you don't make as much money as you did last year.... you didn't *lose* anything...
I was focused on the same thing and was going to write a post based on the same quote.
It's funny, you normally expect lawyers who are speaking publicly to use legalese jargon....
When I was working as a consultant for a small HP VAR, we would sometimes buy from Newegg even though we had access to the channel partners because their prices were significantly better.
But I take your point about Amazon search. That is one thing about selling everything... your search, no matter how good, has to wade through a lot more categories of items.
Good points, I hadn't really thought about it like that before. I appreciate your reply.
Any sort of remote access to do work is basically the same as letting the code out of the building
I can attest to this.
I have worked for large corporations that utilize proxied access to the Internet and locked down removable media.
It was still trivially easy to circumvent by using PuTTY to open an SSH tunnel over 443 to my home network, then using port forwarding to open an RDP session to an internal Windows box (complete with file transfer and drive redirection).
I really just wanted to see if it could be done more than anything else.
PuTTY turns out to be on the approved executable list of every place I have worked.... Hey, if you give me the tools.... *shrug*
The brain seemed to be stuck in a rut—using the same pathways over and over again.
Man, this really struck a chord with me. This is almost exactly how I would describe being really high on THC...
There simply was no comparison, Newegg was the best. For many, many years, Newegg was my one-stop computer shop. They ALWAYS had the best prices. Even better prices, in some cases, than buying direct from a channel partner like TechData or Ingram.
These days I almost always find better prices on Amazon for the same stuff. Couple that with Prime membership and zero hassle returns... I just can't justify buying from Newegg anymore.
Am I a bad human being?
The problem is that you have already bought and paid for the newspaper. You can do whatever you want with it.
You have not bought and paid for the web page you are viewing.
Hosting costs money, especially if you are serving to thousands of people a day.
I think what we really need is a new model. I think that sites should just start blocking users if they don't disable their ad blocker. See how easy that is? Everyone wins then.
If you are a regular visitor to a site, the least you can do is help pay for it's upkeep. Unfortunately, it means you might have to view some ads.
If you are concerned about malware, by all means, run a script blocking tool like NoScript.
Ignore those silly rumors about it causing some susceptible people to explode...
Or snowcrash
Flash is executable content, it is the same exact thing as a .exe on Windows.
Your browser should not be executing anything.
Ad blocking and executable (script) blocking are two different things but seem to be lumped together in these discussions.
If you are afraid of malware, run a script blocking program like NoScript.
If you don't like ads run an ad blocker like ABP.