Microsoft, scrapping things and starting over... and failure...

[dlalonde]

Microsoft has ruled the computer world in the 90's right up until Mac OS X came out. Until that point, they called the shots, they decided what was good and bad. IE was the most liked browser in comparison to Netscape and AOL.

Then Apple released Mac OS X. For the first time, an OS wasn't just useful, it was beautiful. Shortly before, Apple started releasing computer with colours, moking their beige PC counterparts.

During that time, Microsoft released Windows XP which, at the beginning, got a lot of hatred. Then they got working on Windows Longhorn which was supposed to be XP's successor. But when they saw how popular Mac was becoming, they scrapped it and started from scratch which made Vista come out 5 years after XP... and fully slowed down and buggy.

They managed to get things right 3 years later with Windows 7 but then they acted like they were calling the shots like in the 90's and thought "We'll make this OS that's aimed entirely at touch screens!". So they took the very good product that was Windows 7, removed the start menu and button (!!!) and changed the desktop from the center of the OS to a plain app thinking people would just adapt... but people get confused when their browser gets updated and looks a little different... so imagine a whole OS!

Again, they realized they made a mistake that they tried to fix with Windows 8.1.

Sadly, the same pattern applies with Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8.1. You had a great music player called the Zune. From Zune to the Music+Video hub, they lost functionnalities (gapless playback, FM radio, etc.). But then Microsoft decides they want to add functionnalities on Xbox Music more often and include streaming so, again, they scrap the whole thing and start from sratch and they release it in the wild fully buggy and slowed...

Microsoft should really stop scrapping things and starting over. Everytime it takes immense amount of time to correct and they're always set back after their competition. Sometimes it's the best thing to scrap and start over indeed... but if you do that, you have to make sure the product you're putting out is superior to the previous one and your competitors... not worst.

 

[Chregu]

You forgot to mention the Kin ;-)

Microsoft Kin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[spaulagain]

I really don't get the beef with the Xbox Music app. Works great for me, and I'm an avid Zune fan.

 

[dlalonde]

You forgot to mention the Kin ;-)

Microsoft Kin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Didn't even know that existed!

 

[dlalonde]

I really don't get the beef with the Xbox Music app. Works great for me, and I'm an avid Zune fan.

See I don't know if I should answer you because, from what I've seen from your previous posts around here, you seem to be an avid Microsoft fan who defends them quite a lot and do not seem to be open to even constructive criticism. But I may be mistaken and if so I do apologize. But as far as what's wrong with the Xbox Music app, it is well documented on this forum so I won't sum it up here again.

Though I will add that it's getting better. But when it was first released, it was subpar in comparison not only to the competition but also to everything Microsoft had done. That's my point. They sometimes release subpar products to make them better with time and that's bad for their reputation and it sucks for paying customers such as ourselves.

 

[spaulagain]

See I don't know if I should answer you because, from what I've seen from your previous posts around here, you seem to be an avid Microsoft fan who defends them quite a lot and do not seem to be open to even constructive criticism. But I may be mistaken and if so I do apologize. But as far as what's wrong with the Xbox Music app, it is well documented on this forum so I won't sum it up here again.

Lol, I love how supporting Microsoft makes people a "******" who must not ever critique Microsoft.

Yes, I love Microsoft products especially after they launched Windows Phone. Before that, I thought their stuff was mediocre at best.

I've read the "issues" with the Xbox Music app. And many of them have been fixed, and they're updating it twice a week. I've also used my Zune HD enough to know that while it might of had a few more features, it had some issues too.

The Zune Desktop app is where the feature gap really is. I use the Desktop app to manage my music library and the XBM desktop app still pails in comparison.

 

[Donny James]

Microsoft has ruled the computer world in the 90's right up until Mac OS X came out. Until that point, they called the shots, they decided what was good and bad. IE was the most liked browser in comparison to Netscape and AOL.

Then Apple released Mac OS X. For the first time, an OS wasn't just useful, it was beautiful. Shortly before, Apple started releasing computer with colours, moking their beige PC counterparts.

During that time, Microsoft released Windows XP which, at the beginning, got a lot of hatred. Then they got working on Windows Longhorn which was supposed to be XP's successor. But when they saw how popular Mac was becoming, they scrapped it and started from scratch which made Vista come out 5 years after XP... and fully slowed down and buggy.

They managed to get things right 3 years later with Windows 7 but then they acted like they were calling the shots like in the 90's and thought "We'll make this OS that's aimed entirely at touch screens!". So they took the very good product that was Windows 7, removed the start menu and button (!!!) and changed the desktop from the center of the OS to a plain app thinking people would just adapt... but people get confused when their browser gets updated and looks a little different... so imagine a whole OS!

Again, they realized they made a mistake that they tried to fix with Windows 8.1.

Sadly, the same pattern applies with Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8.1. You had a great music player called the Zune. From Zune to the Music+Video hub, they lost functionnalities (gapless playback, FM radio, etc.). But then Microsoft decides they want to add functionnalities on Xbox Music more often and include streaming so, again, they scrap the whole thing and start from sratch and they release it in the wild fully buggy and slowed...

Microsoft should really stop scrapping things and starting over. Everytime it takes immense amount of time to correct and they're always set back after their competition. Sometimes it's the best thing to scrap and start over indeed... but if you do that, you have to make sure the product you're putting out is superior to the previous one and your competitors... not worst.

It gets really annoying when they take out features that were already there before and you have ask for them back. And then they take so long with putting them back because of some big bug that delays it. I say hire more developers and get to the cranking. Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzz.

 

[Zulfigar]

You forgot to mention the Kin ;-)

Microsoft Kin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't actually count the Kin as anything special, because Microsoft was required to make it under contract when they acquired Dangerous Incorporated. The poor phone line was set up to fail from the start, sadly.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Ugggg

IE has never been the most liked browser,it is the most used browser and we all know about the flap over it .

Everything else except for all the issues 7 had and to be honest,I'll take XP over it any day...but know with the forced new standards folks have to change,like it or not.

As to the abomination of Xbox,I agree,but know that wither we like it or not,we are stuck with it till they fire the idiots who are running it,and I don't think that is going to happen neither. They are trying their best to force their streaming pile of horse manure on the Windows world,and they are to arrogant to care they are going to lose customers over it. They need to allow it and the video pile of cow dung to be completely removed from the phone and turn it over to the developers to fix. Those that want it,can keep it,but making it a non removable system app as screwed up as it is is ludicrous .

I've been a Windows fan since the beginning of it,but this is just pure arrogance on their part.

 

[dlalonde]

Lol, I love how supporting Microsoft makes people a "******" who must not ever critique Microsoft.

Careful that is not what I said. I also support Microsoft and I've been trying to get people I know to get a Windows Phone and to learn how to use Windows 8.1 because it's really good. Since Windows 8, I've been all Microsoft (Windows 8, outlook.com, Windows Phone, OneDrive, etc.). I don't even have a Google account anymore.

But the truth of the matter is that they are not infallible. If you have not been experiencing all the problems people have been experiencing since the launch of Xbox Music app, then good for you but you seem to be a rather privileged user.

And what you said about updates every two weeks is exactly what I'm talking about. They released a buggy app, that they know is buggy or they wouldn't treat it as a work in progress that needs updating every two weeks, and after the release, they work on making it better.

But the way they should do it is actually to make it great BEFORE the release and not rely on their paying costomers to act as beta testers (yes I am being a little harsh here).

 

[MDMcAtee]

Lol, I love how supporting Microsoft makes people a "******" who must not ever critique Microsoft.

Yes, I love Microsoft products especially after they launched Windows Phone. Before that, I thought their stuff was mediocre at best.

I've read the "issues" with the Xbox Music app. And many of them have been fixed, and they're updating it twice a week. I've also used my Zune HD enough to know that while it might of had a few more features, it had some issues too.

The Zune Desktop app is where the feature gap really is. I use the Desktop app to manage my music library and the XBM desktop app still pails in comparison.

It's not just because you're a fan,I am as well,but,because you like it and think it is swell...it isn't for thousands and thousands of people...

 

[dlalonde]

IE has never been the most liked browser,it is the most used browser and we all know about the flap over it .

Well in the 90's it was for a while because Netscape was so slow and AOL... was AOL

 

[T Moore]

And what you said about updates every two weeks is exactly what I'm talking about. They released a buggy app, that they know is buggy or they wouldn't treat it as a work in progress that needs updating every two weeks, and after the release, they work on making it better.

They were not going to hold up the release of 8.1 Developers Preview till Xbox Music was totally finished.
Xbox Music updates fixes the problems MS knows about and incorporates user input in their updates, what I would expect.
8.1 is about a preview for developers, not a polished OS for general release.

 

[AG VK]

I really don't get the beef with the Xbox Music app. Works great for me, and I'm an avid Zune fan.

How do you use it? I have a huge library, around 20 GB on my L920 and it's really really slow and laggy. So much so that I gave up and went back to using my iPod. I was considering getting a 520 or 525 just for music and gaming, especially now that you can put apps on SD, but I'll be holding off on that until these issues get fixed.

I think that people using the Xbox music pass and stream music will find it okay. The problem is for people like me who store music locally on the phone memory.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Well in the 90's it was for a while because Netscape was so slow and AOL... was AOL

You don't remember why it was slow,do you?

 

[spaulagain]

How do you use it? I have a huge library, around 20 GB on my L920 and it's really really slow and laggy. So much so that I gave up and went back to using my iPod. I was considering getting a 520 or 525 just for music and gaming, especially now that you can put apps on SD, but I'll be holding off on that until these issues get fixed.

I think that people using the Xbox music pass and stream music will find it okay. The problem is for people like me who store music locally on the phone memory.

Ya, I just use it for streaming. Only a few artists that aren't available in the XBM library are on my phone.

 

[MDMcAtee]

They were not going to hold up the release of 8.1 Developers Preview till Xbox Music was totally finished.
Xbox Music updates fixes the problems MS knows about and incorporates user input in their updates, what I would expect.
8.1 is about a preview for developers, not a polished OS for general release.

No...that's bs....they have had more than enough time to straighten this out. This was supposed to be a RTM,not beta remember....
The fact is Microsoft wants you and me and everyone else to stream music and video and purchase through them. They forced this on us,and unless they receive more flack over it,they won't put enough resources into fixing their screw up.

 

[Chregu]

They were not going to hold up the release of 8.1 Developers Preview till Xbox Music was totally finished.
Xbox Music updates fixes the problems MS knows about and incorporates user input in their updates, what I would expect.
8.1 is about a preview for developers, not a polished OS for general release.

And I thought the Lumia 630 is already being sold...

 

[dlalonde]

They were not going to hold up the release of 8.1 Developers Preview till Xbox Music was totally finished.
Xbox Music updates fixes the problems MS knows about and incorporates user input in their updates, what I would expect.
8.1 is about a preview for developers, not a polished OS for general release.

Partly true. Actually, the OS itself was RTMed. Which means that when people buy new phones in a couple of weeks/months whenever 8.1 is officially released, they'll have to update Xbox Music to get the latest. But that is OK in itself because, indeed, we are on a developer preview. BUT the app itself is already available on Windows Phone Store. Which means that non-8.1 users can access it and comment on it and make their minds up and convince other people that it's subpar... which is bad for Microsoft.

 

[dlalonde]

Ya, I just use it for streaming. Only a few artists that aren't available in the XBM library are on my phone.

You have your answer. The focus was put on streaming first. I and others here use XBM with local music and it's a mess... less and less, but a mess nevertheless.