Will Windows Central survive the death of Windows Mobile?

[Drael646464]

So far as I can tell some windows 10 mobile users here seem to suffer from some form of persistant depression.

A lot of people, included the OS agnostic have quite a bright view of MS's future. Follow some commentary on youtube for example. There's quite a strong contrast there.

I use a complete redundant blackberry q5. It has some great features, that when I get a new phone, I'll never see again. BB dropped support like a hotcake. Doesn't get me down. And while I'd be surprised if BB can even sell android phones via TCL, I have no personal doubt MS's future is bright - they have indispensable things on their platform, and are investing ahead of others in guaranteed future techs, as well as playing market strategies like a boss.

I come for the community, not any kind of article research, although the articles are good. Personally I could do with less eoyore the donkey.

 

[Cosmin Petrenciuc]

I'll continue to visit WindowsCentral web-site for information related to XBOX, Windows 10, 2-in-1 devices and many other things. Even just for reading news about Microsoft's latest plans and projects.

 

[digitaldd]

I think they saw this coming when they changed the name of the site from Windows Phone Central to just Windows Central. However, they may want to take it another step and name it Microsoft Central (although they probably can't), since they cover more than just Windows. Microsoft is not going away, neither is this site.

I was thinking this myself when I started reading this thread. I'm happy to see I'm not alone, then they could add some Data Center/SysAdmin/Active Directory stuff

 

[zr2s10]

I hope it doesn't come to it, but I'm sure I'll come check out all the articles talking about why it failed, will they bring it back?, why won't/will they, etc, etc, lol. I'm not overly interested in standard W10 articles, but it is good to keep up to date on this stuff. I also come here for Xbox articles, so I think I would still visit the site for sure.

 

[Summer_Moon]

Well judging by the response to your post, I think WC will be just fine
But I came because of Windows Phone articles. If those articles stop I will probably leave the site.

 

[Meisaku]

I've been lurking around the site and RSS from the days I got my 920. That phone is long gone and replaced by an Android device but I still consider myself a Windows (Phone) person by heart. Arrow Launcher + Outlook for Android <3

I see Windows Central of the future as a "MS" Central with possibly mobile angle to Windows + Android / iOS / W10M ecosystem - and as has been said this has already been happening a bit - and I certainly see myself lurking around as well.

Keep it up guys!

 

[Giansns]

I suggest you to change your name in AndroidCentral..

 

[Nick Gaughan]

I am an avid reader of the phone articles and take a look at the other big news too because, let's face it, if you use or are interested in Microsoft mobile efforts you definitely have at least one other product catagory that gets reported on. Plus the authors are pretty balanced and fair.

 

[preich78]

Although I do have a Windows Phone, it's not my daily driver. I use iOS for that. I do use Windows on all my computers and use Office 365 and other Microsoft services across all my devices so that's my main interest. I would definitely continue to read windowscentral.com daily if there was no Windows Phone provided that:
- The quality of the content on the website goes up
- The need to generate revenue is balanced with the desire to provide value

There have been too many articles recently that add little to no value. They either re-hash other stories into a single article, quote some official release notes or are blatantly poorly researched and incomplete. An example is the reviews of best home NAS published a few weeks ago that was woefully incomplete and looked like an excuse to make some money off of referal links to Amazon.

Today I subscribe to feeds from 3-4 Microsoft enthusiast's websites and 80% of the content published is the same across all. I pay little attention to those sites most of the time.

Stories that just quote official Microsoft blogs are particularly annoying because I subscribe to those blogs so I hear the news from the horse's mouth. Would be good if there was some editorial or opinion added to the piece rather than simply quoting the blog post.

Overall, the marketplace for tech news is saturated with too many publications adding little value. There is opportunity for people prepared to make the better editorial choices to come out on top and weed out the lesser publications but it will take some vision to accomplish that. If this publication is the one to give it I go it will certainly get my attention and loyal reading.

 

[TKAtlanta]

There is already no Windows Mobile news to report (except the upcoming funeral arrangements and MS's "in lieu of flowers why don't you go f yourself for thinking we knew what we were doing") and I would guess that Windows Central is still attracting enough traffic.

If I recall correctly this site used to be called WPCentral (Windows Phone Central) and they were wise enough to diversify the name/direction appropriately.

 

[sweatshopking]

While I agree that MS is becoming more and more like IBM, that should worry many people. IBM just posted their 20th quarter of declining revenue. They're dying. Copying them, as ms seems to be doing, is a bad idea.

 

[Zachary Wilmes]

I really enjoy the Windows 10 PC articles about apps and tweaks, as well as hardware reviews on this site, and the fact that every piece of hardware reviewed on here generally has a good Windows app or Windows support to go along with it. That being said, I found your website back when I first got into Windows Phone back in the Windows Phone Central days. It helped me immensely to get started in the platform and find cool apps and tips. So without that element, it pretty much loses the reason I joined, however, looking at the current state of things, it would be unreasonable to expect you guys to keep Windows Phone/ Windows Mobile as your focus. This site has become more than just Windows Phone news to me, and I will definitely always have your app both on my PC and my phone, it's one of the things that I check daily, usually multiple times a day, it's a part of my daily routine and my life. So, rock on, Windows Central!

 

[BigwaveMx]

I used to visite the site several times per day. But since I jumped to the less dark side (android device), I visit androidcentral instead windowscentral.

 

[NokianWP]

Comments were disabled on the corresponding article, but I think WC's most important contributions' have been their registry and windows guides that they have been doing more recently.

"I think your best content is the stuff that will be applicable years into the future, especially through search engine indexing: All if your registry edit and windows guides. This is by far, one of the most useful contributions you have made to the internet as a whole, because many guides are either low quality, extremely outdated, or hard to find"

 

[davidewart]

Good question. I came to find out info about Windows phones, I.e. actual devices - remember those? And then to keep up to date about W10M. But my 930 has been deprecated. Along with my Surface 3 (which replaced my Surface RT), and Band. I am not interested in Xbox not games nor AR/VR. So I don't know about staying active here. I'm gonna wait till my 930 dies and then decide what looks like the best thing at that time.

 

[BRomeroT]

I only ask because a quick look at the comments statistics on articles reveals that they go through the roof on most Windows Mobile subjects but sometimes barely raise an eyebrow on other more general Microsoft matters. It shouldn't be forgotten that up until a couple of years ago this website was essentially devoted to Windows Phone and only started diversifying when they saw the writing on the wall. I suspect that most readers are still only here because they had a Windows Phone/Mobile phone at one time or another.

First: Thanks for all this years of support Windows Phone/Mobile and to all of us (lovers of Windows Phone/Mobile plataform).
But sadly (and realistic) Microsoft almost kill Windows Mobile, the future is unlcear and maybe dark. All we dream about a Surface Phone or something that give a new hope to our Mobile OS, but may be don't come.
What could be now or Windows Central?
Well as you may remember (of course you do hehehe), when you change the name from WindowsPhoneCentral yo WindowsCentral is because you will write about all Windows related topics (Phone/Mobile, Tablets, PC, XBox, IoT, etc).
So, continue by that way... and now include iOS and Android tips/news to use Microsoft Apps/Services in combination with Windows (PC, Tablets, etc).
Yes several of us will be mad at begin but come on we should be go foward, and Microsoft is moving on that directions (I just hope don't convert on a new IBM -an older and almost forget enterprice-)
For example I'm evaluating to migrate to iOS or Android, I tested use Arrow Launcher, Swift Keyboard and remove most of Google Services on a new Android to get most of my Windows 10 Mobile experience... Maybe that kind of tips could be great on this site...
And -why not?- when some Windows 10 Mobile news comes... keep us informed.
Again Thanks a lot for all this wonderful years :smile:

 

[ianberg]

Everyone is dealing with convergence: a world with phones that are as powerful as PCs, lightweight laptops that are essentially just web browsers and devices that let you cast your mobile device to a 4K TV. The distinction between mobile, office, and home computing are blurred and I think it's fine for Windows Central to pivot away from mobile if Microsoft does.

 

[tubamaneric]

I always thought Windows Central meant it was about all things Windows, whether that was mobile, or desktop, xbox, or something else related to Windows. I certainly hope it will survive.

 

[chriswong13]

Sure, I originally started visiting because of Windows Phone coverage, but it's become my go-to site for Windows coverage, in general, as the site has evolved to cover more than just phones. I think all of the phone OS's have evolved to more than just phone-related functionality, so the other Mobile Nations sites will need to cover more as well...

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I always thought Windows Central meant it was about all things Windows, whether that was mobile, or desktop, xbox, or something else related to Windows.

Exactly, which explains the recent comparo of glass cleaners.

But seriously, it will be a strange place if WM dies. I suspect opening up to other forms of Windows didn't happen until the interest for phones alone no longer justified the cost for the site.