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This is a long stretch.

This is Microsoft's best option at gaining wider adoption of Windows Phone. Once Windows 8 starts showing up on desktops and if the Surface tablets catch on (as I hope they do), consumers will become more familiar with the Metro UI & the new Microsoft ecosystem, and so Windows Phone will seem like a more viable (and perhaps optimal) option. That's how Microsoft sees it, I think.

Writer probably got kickback to write this article. Download the Win 8 release, good luck finding your apps or better find the shutdown location. Windows 8 not green , not mean but, definately a power vampire operating system.

ClaudeD, on 23 June 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

Its an honest article, there has been so much nonsense written by all those angry guys on the internet who cant get girlriends, about windows phone, rt and 8. silly observations that arent based on true investigation of the product.design philosophy, or win8 kernel.. The usual Im stepping over to apple, or google android rocks(it does but often it doesnt). Buy whatever you like be happy. Apple ios and google all suffer from the same issues. Its just troll nonsense, to state that apple and google are techically superior.. In 10 years time we might be paying for everything via secure sim, Metro ui will be refined. swipe let right up down its all there. A lot fanboys are just smug elite and fear being seen as somehow lacking imagination and just lazy copycats and a bt frightened by the amount of money they have spent on accessories. In a years time walk into any pc shop around the world and metro will be everywhere, there will be a bit of a leaning curve but not much. In the future you wont even have to touch the screen, kinect technology might even see eyeball movement, think about how great that would be for severly disabled people.

ClaudeD, on 23 June 2012 - 11:29 AM, said:

Find apps? Hit windows button. Power down? Windows Button + C, hit settings and *whoa* there it is. On top of that, I've seen a decent increase in battery lifetime since switching, and when I go into sleep mode it last for *days*.

It appears that MS is actually trying to get this right and to do so is unwilling to sacrifice quality and system integration for short term gains that, like Chinese food, often leaves you hungry an hour later. If MS continues on this course and doesn't open app development and distribution to every Tom, Dick & Harry (sorry ladies not trying to be sexist merely calling upon our colorful repository of quaint and expressive phrases) the issue of the lack of quality and consistency found in the Android open platform will be addressed and Windows Phone 8, Windows 8 Metro will be positioned to grow into a dominating position. At that point, Apple may have some real competition in the mobile spaces across all device categories. Developing compelling and quality apps for WP8 looks like a recipe for long term success and profitability.

This post has been edited by nonseq: 23 June 2012 - 03:22 PM

johnBallekom, on 23 June 2012 - 01:13 PM, said:

I'm all inn, Just wait for the release date. GO MS!

M$'s big problems won't be in their WinPhone or Surface. Their big problem will be in the Metro UI on laptops and desktops. It doesn't matter how many good apps you have for a platform -- if the UI is clunky and confusing (as it will be for 95% of end-users*) -- it will bomb.

This will continue to fuel the "bad experience backlash" that is at the heart of low sales of the WinPhone. ("I've been cussing at Windows for 20 years, why would I want it on my phone?")

* meaning the 95% who don't even know that Win 8 is coming, much less how it works.

ronin7752, on 24 June 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

It boggles my mind how many people seem to believe that Windows 8 will only have the Metro UI. The only version of Windows 8 to be limited to only the Metro UI will be Windows 8 RT, which will be ARM devices such as tablets. All x86 devices of Windows 8 will be able to choose between Metro UI and the classic desktop look and feel of Windows. The Metro UI will be useful for x86 tablets and tablet PC's.

ronin7752, on 24 June 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

To borrow a tag line from somewhere... "think Different"

Metro isn't a start menu, it's a smart menu.

Apps that are capable of such behavior show updates on te tile. Got three gmail accounts? No need to ever venture into the gmail web interface, the mail app aggregates your three accounts into a single screen and the tile displays the title, subject and sender of messages as they come in.
Like to arrange your desktop by category? Drag and drop apps until your heart is content. A flick of the mouse wheel scrolls through the list.
Use apps X, Y and Z frequently, but not P, Q and R? No problem, unpin tem to de-clutter te screen.
Need rapid access to the desktop app? Windows-d gets you there instantly.


It's a much less burdensome OS than 7 or Vista are, it runs great on my midrange laptop and I expect it would rejuvenate legacy hardware nicely.

MaryCryan, on 26 June 2012 - 05:34 PM, said:

Smart menu! That's brilliant. Microsoft should use that.

I understand some disappointment among new Lumia owners that they won't be getting the WP8 update; however, it's not like we weren't anticipating this. Neither did Microsoft promise that we would be getting the update, so there's no promise broken. I think WP7.8 is an acceptable compromise.

metromalenyc, on 26 June 2012 - 09:14 PM, said:

I agree. What a lot of WP users are forgetting is that this is pretty much what Apple does, except that Apple calls it iOS5 instead of iOS4.8. Also, I don't see Android users complaining and whinning when they buy a phone with Gingerbread that has no intention of being upgraded to ICS, There are still Gingerbread Android phones being sold, even though ICS is released.

I think the Android situation shows that the update to our phones is better than nothing, and that, most likely, current WP sales will not drop off a cliff, as many are predicting. Also current marketshare is very small, better for MSFT to make a drastic switch of the kernel now, rather than later when it may pick up steam and increase it's marketshare.

This post has been edited by SevenDead1ySinza52x: 28 June 2012 - 06:10 AM

I drowned my windows phone (LG C900) last week and was able to make the upgrade to a Lumia 900. I'd have liked to wait for the 900's Win 8 successor, but my choices came down to a $20 flip phone for months or upgrade now...
When the Nokia 8 phones appear, depending on how much better the hardware is, I may bite the bullet and buy one outright.