How Microsoft killed Windows Phone, then killed it again.

[anon(50597)]

100% agreed. I for one am looking at today because, if and when MSFT gets it figured out, I probably won't be around to enjoy it anyway, or at least not of sound mind

That's a great point. Perhaps younger users do not feel the time crunch as older ones do. The older I get the more I tend to want to enjoy the present rather than worry about some potential future that may never come or arrives when I'm sitting n my wheelchair staring out the window.

 

[Drael646464]

Once again, how does that help current mobile users who continue to leave the platform? We're talking this, IF it happens as you say, is years away.
When do you think, realistically, people will "stop buying slabs, etc." and have chips in their brains? I'm not saying this won't eventually work out at some future point for MS but you keep ignoring current users. You just talk about some future technology, which is interesting, but not available to the public. I think we have to separate the two issues: today and some future point. That's all I'm saying.

I'd say the first emergence of folding tablets and useable affordable consumer AR will probably be 10- years off-ish. That is a fair point, but I mean if you are not prepared to deal with a nascent app platform, your probably going to have to at some point regardless. It's not that bad, I mean, I actually enjoy using my phone. If that doesn't work for you, android still exists (and it might get axed at some point)

Apple or google, or whoever else wants to guard their tech future will likely have to go through a similar process. In way its good, that's not all happening at the same time.

By the time apple and google get around to it, windows will already be mature (IMO its not that far off. When we start to see major win32s and ios apps make their few first ports to full uwp, its pretty much 'on', and I think that's probably only a year or so off).

And while its maturing, ios and android are still supported.

 

[anon(50597)]

I'd say the first emergence of folding tablets and useable affordable consumer AR will probably be 10- years off-ish. That is a fair point, but I mean if you are not prepared to deal with a nascent app platform, your probably going to have to at some point regardless. It's not that bad, I mean, I actually enjoy using my phone. If that doesn't work for you, android still exists (and it might get axed at some point)

Apple or google, or whoever else wants to guard their tech future will likely have to go through a similar process. In way its good, that's not all happening at the same time.

By the time apple and google get around to it, windows will already be mature (IMO its not that far off. When we start to see major win32s and ios apps make their few first ports to full uwp, its pretty much 'on', and I think that's probably only a year or so off).

And while its maturing, ios and android are still supported.

That sounds about right. I figured 10 years before this all comes to fruition. Technology this new doesn't pop up overnight.

As far as the other OS's, I'm not sure they'll go down the same path. I still think there may be a continued market for a "smartphone". Not everyone will want a computer in their pocket. Now 50 years from now, long after I move to the great beyond...

 

[Drael646464]

That sounds about right. I figured 10 years before this all comes to fruition. Technology this new doesn't pop up overnight.

As far as the other OS's, I'm not sure they'll go down the same path. I still think there may be a continued market for a "smartphone". Not everyone will want a computer in their pocket. Now 50 years from now, long after I move to the great beyond...

I think the market has already proven that people prefer big screens to small, and that small screen touch input, is really only for the portability.

Once something like AR glasses becomes a viable alternative or folding tablets, the small screen optimised, touch only interface makes about as much sense, as a mouse and keyboard one does on a touch device.

It's a bit like desktop OS versus mobile OS. When you have those larger output forms, and things like 3d gestures, the existing UI format looses its relavance.

Google is already developing their hybrid OS, fuschia. that's been leaked, give it a search. I'm pretty positive android will not make it to Z.

I'm also pretty sure apple will have something similar up its sleeve eventually. No one wants to be last to the party, and tech is all about broad investment and hedging ones bets, not depending on a single, potentially one day redundant income stream.

In many cases its simply a matter of, if everyone else is doing it, you better be on board. If google and msft are doing it, what are the odds apple just says nah.

 

[bbbar]

Murderers :wink:

 

[anon(50597)]

I think the market has already proven that people prefer big screens to small, and that small screen touch input, is really only for the portability.

Once something like AR glasses becomes a viable alternative or folding tablets, the small screen optimised, touch only interface makes about as much sense, as a mouse and keyboard one does on a touch device.

It's a bit like desktop OS versus mobile OS. When you have those larger output forms, and things like 3d gestures, the existing UI format looses its relavance.

Google is already developing their hybrid OS, fuschia. that's been leaked, give it a search. I'm pretty positive android will not make it to Z.

I'm also pretty sure apple will have something similar up its sleeve eventually. No one wants to be last to the party, and tech is all about broad investment and hedging ones bets, not depending on a single, potentially one day redundant income stream.

In many cases its simply a matter of, if everyone else is doing it, you better be on board. If google and msft are doing it, what are the odds apple just says nah.

I don't think that will happen overnight. AR will be available using touch screen devices very soon. People won't give up those devices and walk around with goofy glasses any time soon. First, people will hold up their mobile device and "see" in AR through the screen. No new hardware needed. Once people see the usage opportunities and glasses become more like normal ones, it may advance as you say (just my opinion), but not in the early stages.

Thoughts?

 

[Drael646464]

I don't think that will happen overnight. AR will be available using touch screen devices very soon. People won't give up those devices and walk around with goofy glasses any time soon. First, people will hold up their mobile device and "see" in AR through the screen. No new hardware needed. Once people see the usage opportunities and glasses become more like normal ones, it may advance as you say (just my opinion), but not in the early stages.

Thoughts?

Yeah, I don't think the HoloLens will hit the mainstream.

MSFT are already developing a glasses form factor holographic display (separate from the HoloLens). I think that'll be out, and affordable in under 10 years easily. On release, it'll likely have the processor etc separate, because its hard to cram all that in there.

I think the HoloLens, is more of an enterprise product, and a development platform. A forerunner if you will.
Like the old cheezeblock cellphones of the eighties.

The biggest potential I see with AR, is putting your digital world, into your real world.

You don't really get that with a phone. There's no point in making a big screen, in your small screen. Things aren't "just there", you have to pull out your phone and point it somewhere.

Plus if you are using a "viewing portal", you probably want something with as big a screen as possible, or to simply strap the phone to your head cardboard style with cheesecloth effect and all.

It has its uses, and its fun, but I don't think its very similar to the potential of a glass FF, 3d holographic HMD. It's 2d, through a small viewing windows, and a lot less immersive and immediate.

I agree that's where the money is, the glasses FF, in terms of something that could see mass consumer adoption, and make the slab phone second place. Something, at least a tad lighter and more normal looking than the HoloLens.

I'm 39 and I am sure I will see the day not too far off really where AR and VR take off. It scares me as much as it excites me. Think people are anti-social with their phones? Wait till they are immersed in holographic realities.....Think people are escapist with the internet and gaming? Wait till they can live alternative lives in VR...

 

[anon(50597)]

I'm 39 and I am sure I will see the day not too far off really where AR and VR take off. It scares me as much as it excites me. Think people are anti-social with their phones? Wait till they are immersed in holographic realities.....Think people are escapist with the internet and gaming? Wait till they can live alternative lives in VR...

This is so true. With the positives technological innovations bring comes abuse and overuse. People use it too much for an escape instead of a tool. Oh well, that's human nature.

 

[MrScotian]

OP's lamentations are even more surprising considering that BlackBerry did the exact same thing to its customers already and Microsoft is just following suit. Personally, I think Microsoft has the best chance at long term success out of all players but that all depends on whether they squander their opportunity or not. So far, they are squandering it.

 

[Manu Sekhri1]

My 950XL power button died and so I went to the Toronto Eaton Centre to get a Microsoft Care warranty replacement. They did not have the 950XL but had the HP Elite X3, inspite of that the rep of the store was adamant that I get the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ as a replacement ie they gave me a full refund for $849 and then I paid the difference.

That in a nutshell is where Microsoft is at with Windows 10 Mobile -- I also read today that Gardner is saying W10M has 0.1% global market share as of Q1 2017.

 

[Tsepz_GP]

My 950XL power button died and so I went to the Toronto Eaton Centre to get a Microsoft Care warranty replacement. They did not have the 950XL but had the HP Elite X3, inspite of that the rep of the store was adamant that I get the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+ as a replacement ie they gave me a full refund for $849 and then I paid the difference.

That in a nutshell is where Microsoft is at with Windows 10 Mobile -- I also read today that Gardner is saying W10M has 0.1% global market share as of Q1 2017.

That is quite sad and yet very true.