The app gap will close. MSFT living up to its promise.

rodan01

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I think MSFT has found aways to defeat it, and that is not even compete with it. I think that is why "threshold" has been rumored to be able to disable the metro interface on PC devices but not tablets or anything smaller. I'm sure if you looked at those utilizing mobile devices, you'd see more utilizing the store. The question is of the numbers reflecting those using Win8 how many are using it on a screen 10" or smaller?

Sales of devices with a 10-inch screen or smaller are really low probably a lot less than 3 million per quarter.

Microsoft needs their desktop users to make a difference.
 

WillysJeepMan

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I'm simply going by MS' own words and their actions in the latest attempt at a new platform. I would love to see evidence that this is all a ruse and MS is in fact not working towards a unified OS. If you have such evidence, then please share it.

It sounds like to me your response is based on the past, which certainly does matter, but it cannot negate the actions MS has taken in the present alone.
The totality of Microsoft's words and actions over the past 14 years speak clearly. Their efforts with WP8/8.1 are in essence no different than with WP7, WM before that, PocketPC before that, and Windows CE before THAT. The names of the executives are different. The hardware is different. But the promises are the same. The optimism of the MS-faithful is the same.

At this juncture, it is unreasonable for me to take Microsoft at their word for what they say they're going to do. I'm not trying to convince anyone to think differently about Microsoft than they currently do. I have arrived at my opinion of Microsoft (wrt mobile platforms) from first hand experience over these past 14 years. They have to show me through actual products that ship and a longevity of commitment before I will believe what they say. There's no shortcut to establishing a good track record.



As far as I'm aware, MS only restarted their mobile platform once, going from WM to WP. Are you referring to changes to WM before that? If so, then fair enough. I guess you can count WP7 to WP8 as a change, but that was certainly not a restart. It was not a smooth transition though and it was not great for the end user, no arguments there.
Yes, I'm also counting WP7 to WP8 as a reboot. It wasn't a rough transition, there was NO transition, that is why I refer to it as a reboot.


I'm not denying MS' actions in the past, I'm just wondering what the evidence is beyond 'history' that the same thing is about to happen now. I'm not giving MS a pass, I'm just looking at their words and actions today versus in the past. I'm not going to blindly support them, but if they follow through on the current path, then it will be a good thing. Also, I kind of doubt this topic really matters to most consumers-at-large. Most consumers are not following the history of these companies and using that as a basis for a smartphone purchase. It matters to developers though and if developers jump ship, then that hurts the experience for end users, resulting in those users going to other platforms.
You appear to be looking at their current words and actions absent of the past. I see nothing that they've said and subsequently delivered to give me reason to put more weight in the words they say now, than those they said 4 years ago.

I bolded the comment that hits at the heart of the issue. The current WP app gap is not solely due to marketshare of WP, but to Microsoft's track record. Reputation is important.
 

Maitrikkataria

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And finally will the Windows Phone community receive the recognition it deserves?

I think so.

Your thoughts?

Yes, you are right. With continuous updates and numerous efforts by Windows Phone developers, the scenario is changing.
As of December, 2013 they have 200,000 Windows Phone applications.
Source: PC World

And now, they have 255,000 apps! And this is great, more and more developers looks interested to exploit the potential of beautiful apps Windows Platform can deliver.
Source: GSMARENA

This looks very promising. I am hopeful for their success.
 

Pierre Blackwell

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@Willysjeepman...I believe there is a decent amount of people that know Microsofts track record and understand the nature of common practices remaining the same. Any historian will tell you that even the biggest most dominant forces must adapt if the environment changes around you, or like the dinosaurs, you'll end up extinct. The whole technological landscape has changed over the past 14 years. MSFT is looking at a completely different dynamic. Their paradigm needed to change or they'd be committing suicide. Mobile was nothing with CE or WM, like it is today. The shift in PC relevance wasn't even fathomable back then. I completely understand your skepticism about MSFT commitment, however they have changed their approach and its not just because they felt they should, but they felt they needed to.
 

Mr Lebowski

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I can't find the place, but I remember somewhere that the store received 14 million app downloads per day, so I would say a decent amount use them.

10 million of those 14 million downloads are users uninstalling and then reinstalling apps that don't work properly the first go-around.
 

AG VK

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Yes, you are right. With continuous updates and numerous efforts by Windows Phone developers, the scenario is changing.
As of December, 2013 they have 200,000 Windows Phone applications.
Source: PC World

And now, they have 255,000 apps! And this is great, more and more developers looks interested to exploit the potential of beautiful apps Windows Platform can deliver.
Source: GSMARENA

This looks very promising. I am hopeful for their success.

Yawn. Numbers mean nothing, and the WP store has it's share of poorly designed crappy apps. Where are the first-party biggies? I'm talking Lyft, Uber, a proper Instagram and Snapchat, Tinder, Citibank...
 

misfitpierce

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Agreed. Tons of new games and Pinterest and tons of great apps have all come in recently. Very happy that they are helping to push it along.
 

Pierre Blackwell

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First party apps in some cases are overrated like Instagram or Snapchat. Any WP user will tell you Rudy Huyn produces first party like apps and most prefer his renditions to the official ones.
 

k0de

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I'm afraid that even though what you say is partly true, Microsoft cannot forget that Quality>Quantity.

The release of web wrappers (Official Pinterest), eternal betas (Official Instagram) and apps that STILL lack basic functionality (Official Twitter, Vine and Foursquare), can still drive people away from the platform as much the app gap would. Mind that the apps I just mentioned are not the only ones that are likely to drive people away.

Quality third party apps like the ones from the amazing Mr. Huyn are still not enough. Lack of decent support from the developers of official apps leave a lot to be desired when evaluating WP as a potential OS to migrate to.

Dev's are starting to support this platform. Things change. No this is not a one man effort platform. Who told you that?
 
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LumiaWorld

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The next challenge of Microsoft after closing the app gap is maintaining or fixing the QUALITY of their apps.

Constant updates is a must!!!
 

LumiaWorld

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One quality I like about Microsoft is their patience...

Look at Bing... Internet Explorer... Even though many people hate them or are not using them, MS still didn't give up on them...
 

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