WP's Future: Hopeful or Bleak

[prasath1234]

That is your friends most of people in India have lost brand conscious if we say to them xiaomi is china they say everything even iPhone I made in china.people have gone mad for cheap smartphones as though they are the thing that could make them millionaires.lust for smartphone has peaked in India due to xiaomi high spec low cost phone.i cannot believe my eyes my neighbour who sports an iPhone 5s going hammer and tongs at MI 3.i don't understand this lust in smartphones as if they are only things that make life beautiful.
From Windows phone

 

[psoham777]

That is your friends most of people in India have lost brand conscious if we say to them xiaomi is china they say everything even iPhone I made in china.people have gone mad for cheap smartphones as though they are the thing that could make them millionaires.lust for smartphone has peaked in India due to xiaomi high spec low cost phone.i cannot believe my eyes my neighbour who sports an iPhone 5s going hammer and tongs at MI 3.i don't understand this lust in smartphones as if they are only things that make life beautiful.
From Windows phone

Yes & they'll regain brand consciousness as soon as their phone is defective.

 

[stevemind]

I suppose all forums have posts like these...apple forums and android forums......humans get bored easily, a new phone comes out and they think theirs is rubbish! A app ...they'll never be happy unless they have the NEXT big thing.......I have a sad mate who changes phones quicker than he's underpants.....*****

 

[anon6002755]

Windows 10 as a concept seems awesome and it does give me hope. There will be many more users because of the universal apps but lets just hope devs jump in since there will definitely be a much larger user base than just WP users.
Sent from my...

 

[JeffWeber]

I'm going to vote: Hopeful. I like the general direction they seem to be heading now that Steve B. is gone.

 

[tgp]

There will be many more users because of the universal apps but lets just hope devs jump in since there will definitely be a much larger user base than just WP users.

This seems logical. It does beg the question though: how many PC users actually use apps from the store? On a mobile device it's necessary to use apps to some extent, but not on a desktop. I personally don't use a single Store app on the 4 PCs that I use at work and at home. And now that the Start Screen is going away, I don't think it's going to be any easier to get users to install Store apps.

My 2?.

 

[iamtim]

It does beg the question though: how many PC users actually use apps from the store?

I run Windows 8.1 on both my office desktop and my home laptop (which is, in reality, a desktop for me; it doesn't go anywhere but where it sits - except for to the office every once in a while to snag a big download on the faster internet connection there, heh.) At work, I don't use a single Store app; in fact, I've actually deleted every Store app which Windows will let me delete (you can't delete Camera, Photos, OneDrive, Store, PC Settings, and of course Desktop). I *love* the Start Screen, even though I don't use a single Store app.

...actually, I take that back. I do use Camera every once in a while for an office selfie, LOL.

At home, I have used a few Store apps. I was using Adobe Acrobat Reader Touch for PDFs, because desktop Acrobat Reader is slow and laggy, but I recently installed the open source reader Evince and prefer that. I was also using the Store OneNote app until MS released the desktop OneNote 2013 for free. There are a few Store games that I play on my home laptop, but as of late Hearthstone has superseded them.

 

[FinancialP]

This seems logical. It does beg the question though: how many PC users actually use apps from the store? On a mobile device it's necessary to use apps to some extent, but not on a desktop. I personally don't use a single Store app on the 4 PCs that I use at work and at home. And now that the Start Screen is going away, I don't think it's going to be any easier to get users to install Store apps.

My 2?.

Me exact thoughts. Even just looking at the apps in the store and you'll see they will need a major shift in thinking to get people to actually use them or even want them.

 

[HeyCori]

Me exact thoughts. Even just looking at the apps in the store and you'll see they will need a major shift in thinking to get people to actually use them or even want them.

The process may be slow but all Microsoft has to do is put a link to the Store on the taskbar. Eventually users will click on it (even if by accident). That's why it's important that the Store has the most popular and requested apps. If someone wants Spotify, Instagram, Pandora, etc, they may find it more convenient to grab the app from the Store. I'm just theorizing but I'm guessing a lot of people would like the same friendly user experience on all devices, be it phone, tablet or desktop. Windows 8 couldn't do it but I think Windows 10 has a legit shot.

 

[FinancialP]

The process may be slow but all Microsoft has to do is put a link to the Store on the taskbar. Eventually users will click on it (even if by accident). That's why it's important that the Store has the most popular and requested apps. If someone wants Spotify, Instagram, Pandora, etc, they may find it more convenient to grab the app from the Store. I'm just theorizing but I'm guessing a lot of people would like the same friendly user experience on all devices, be it phone, tablet or desktop. Windows 8 couldn't do it but I think Windows 10 has a legit shot.

I'm open to all theories and yours seems plausible.

Most people just go directly to the web browser and call it a day. Especially on a PC

 

[tgp]

Most people just go directly to the web browser and call it a day. Especially on a PC

That's me. On a small device (read phone) I prefer apps to the browser, but on a PC I prefer the browser.

 

[Edge007]

I have to chime in on this.

I used to work for Sprint, and I can remember when the Palm Pre was launched, and then the Android back in '08 & '09. The main thing I remembered in the competition between the two was that the Android widgets caught on, and that Google was quicker to update Android than Palm. Palm suffered due in part to their issues with software updates (early days of cloud services), and hardware issues (the sliding mechanism would get worn, and keys were too small). But, Google had made a name for itself prior to making Android, that developed more of the peoples interest, I believe (Google Search, Google Maps, gMail, Chrome).

Microsoft decided to revamp Windows Mobile into Windows Phone 7, and the key to Marketing Windows Phone 7 was the Metro interface, Office, Bing, and IE. I eventually switched to my Samsung Focus in February 2011, and for me even up to this day (with my Lumia 1520), I love Windows Phone, but, the biggest chink with Windows Phone is the App Gap, and marketshare. I should not have to switch banks to get use out of my Windows Phone!

Right now, Microsoft is riding the Cortana wave, but Microsoft has to do something more than rely on Cortana, because eventually Apple and Google will catch up to Cortana's abilities. Microsoft has to find something that sets Windows Phone apart or unique (besides Live Tiles), to attract people who want leave Android and iOS (otherwise, Microsoft becomes mediocre, and will continue to see their marketshare shrink). The biggest thing Microsoft can do is humble it's position, and admit that there is an App Gap. Where is the Sirius XM radio app, where is Candy Crush, and where are the major apps that would entice Android/iOS users to migrate? Microsoft must try harder to entice developers to produce the apps that are on Android and iOS.

Lastly, unless we as Windows Phone users unite, and try to show the public that our Windows Phone is just as good as the Android/iOS phones, then, we will eventually lose our faith to having the best phone besides iOS and Android. I just see the facts the way they are.

 

[anon6002755]

Lastly, unless we as Windows Phone users unite, and try to show the public that our Windows Phone is just as good as the Android/iOS phones, then, we will eventually lose our faith to having the best phone besides iOS and Android. I just see the facts the way they are.

There is much of the platform i really like and I want it to succeed, but i cant see myself being a windows phone lobbyist of sorts. I've seen multiple threads about how many have you converted to the platform, I just don't see that as the end users job. Doing that makes me feel like the religious types who come to my door and hand me pamphlets. I'd rather keep using the platform and supporting it as an end user and let Microsoft do the marketing. But by no means do i think users shouldn't tweet, email, or contact companies they want apps from though.

 

[spaulagain]

With Cortana on Windows 10 (which will be on all device types), MS will have a seriously competitive platform. It will be the first digital assistant to be on all devices, phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, and TV. Not to mention that Cortana is already leaps ahead of Siri, and on par (maybe better) than Google Now.

Windows 10 will make it hard to argue that iOS or Android is better. Unless they just randomly strip out a bunch of features for the ARM segment, it's going to be a very comprehensive OS for phones and tablets.

And making Universal Apps deployable to all devices with identical APIs for all devices, that's killer for developers. Especially considering the desktop penetration MS has.

Anybody that currently gives me **** about my phone I just smile and laugh. I know that MS has the most potential in their ecosystem and is heading in the right direction. It may be missing a few features here and there, but once MS has completed their ecosystem synchronization, it will be a killer platform. It looks like Windows 10 will be the final major step towards synchronization.

 

[Loco5150]

I dont think its about "which platform is the best" anymore. Only the geeks care about these things so deeply. It's about what you are accustomed to and whats around you...

Microsoft has a big userbase in their pc's. Whats problematic about that, its that in general those are not considered cool or hip in anyway. For most people its "that annoying Windows that never works 100% and drives me crazy". Even though the problem is not in Windows, its in the user who does not know how to use it properly.

For those reasons they still have a looooong way to get people to their mobile platform.

Now, whats positive is that at some point people will move to something else, nothing is forever. If WP is then the best and most appealing choice sitting there... There you go.

This will still take years though. No shortcuts here.. Only baby steps.

 

[spaulagain]

I dont think its about "which platform is the best" anymore. Only the geeks care about these things so deeply. It's about what you are accustomed to and whats around you...

Microsoft has a big userbase in their pc's. Whats problematic about that, its that in general those are not considered cool or hip in anyway. For most people its "that annoying Windows that never works 100% and drives me crazy". Even though the problem is not in Windows, its in the user who does not know how to use it properly.

For those reasons they still have a looooong way to get people to their mobile platform.

Now, whats positive is that at some point people will move to something else, nothing is forever. If WP is then the best and most appealing choice sitting there... There you go.

This will still take years though. No shortcuts here.. Only baby steps.

WP won't exist. It will be gone as of Summer 2015.

If Windows 10 is a success for desktops, it will have a huge impact on users interested in tablets and phones. It will be the same OS, just an adjusted UI.

 

[Loco5150]

Yes yes we know the name changes.... But you see thats the whole problem, no one really cares about the name of the phone OS they are using. (except geeks)

A lot of people are using Apple and a lot of people are using Samsung.

When I sold my Ativ-S to a friend who had seen me using that "nice phone with those boxes", she commented later how her friend also has an Samsung, but its somehow totally different.

There will be no miracles for Microsoft OS powered phone in the near future. Only small baby steps. That's until some sort of a bigger movement starts to happen in either of the 2 major OSs. Or Microsoft has managed to gain market share step by step so much, that some sort of a point is reached where the speed starts to increase.... Maybe its the double digits that Nokia was so often talking about...

Who knows, but don't expect miracles.

 

[Edge007]

Products die when the consumers that have invested in the product do not care enough to tell others about it. For example, look at how long Sega lasted until it lost appeal with consumers, and although, Nintendo and Sony won over the videogame market, Sega tried to stay relevant with the consumers. What happened was that the people saw the game manufacturers release games that were only for Sony and Nintendo, and the consumer dollar voted to buy the Sony and Nintendo, however, the Propaganda is that the News Publications is heavily invested by the manufacturers to create appeal to get consumers to buy their product, and to add insult to injury is that the Sony and Nintendo consumers ARE NOT ASHAMED to stand by their company's product.

So, in essence, the future of Microsoft's success is in the hand's of the consumer, but it is up to the consumer to help Microsoft's Windows Phone (Windows 10 OS) to stay in the conversations with the media and private citizens (this is what is known as "BUZZ" or Elevator Talk). Do you think that the iOS and Android fanboys and girls are going to relent from their position without a demonstration of why Windows Phone has advantages over their phone. I can think of a few, which are, Windows Phone has not been hacked, there are no malwares in the ecosystem, Cortana, Nokia Camera software (and for some, the Lumia 1520 and 1020 hardware).

Keep talking about Windows Phone, and what it does for you! Let the Android and iOS fans see that you are not afraid to be Bold with your choice of your cell phone, because eventually you will inspire those who are ready to convert to consider buying a Windows Phone. Marketing is largely successful when the Word Of Mouth is hugely actively selling to others (Microsoft cannot sell Windows Phone successfully on their own). It is very important to see that Microsoft is penetrating the marketshare, and if we talk about Windows Phone to others, then, we will get the Manufacturers, App Developers, marketshare, and respect.

 

[spaulagain]

Yes yes we know the name changes.... But you see thats the whole problem, no one really cares about the name of the phone OS they are using. (except geeks)

A lot of people are using Apple and a lot of people are using Samsung.

When I sold my Ativ-S to a friend who had seen me using that "nice phone with those boxes", she commented later how her friend also has an Samsung, but its somehow totally different.

There will be no miracles for Microsoft OS powered phone in the near future. Only small baby steps. That's until some sort of a bigger movement starts to happen in either of the 2 major OSs. Or Microsoft has managed to gain market share step by step so much, that some sort of a point is reached where the speed starts to increase.... Maybe its the double digits that Nokia was so often talking about...

Who knows, but don't expect miracles.

It's not just a name change. Windows 10 will be the same OS on any device, just compiled for a different processor. But features and app development will be the same. Whether it's installed on 10 million or 300 million phones won't really matter because it will share market share with all other Windows 10 devices. Making it a very appealing to develop apps for. And the features will be shared in Windows 10, so there won't be issues with it falling behind in features like there currently is with WP.

There won't be two OSes. Just ONE. Screen size will be so spread out among desktops, tablets, and phones, it will be hard to classify anything as a particular segment.

 

[rodan01]

It's not just a name change. Windows 10 will be the same OS on any device, just compiled for a different processor. But features and app development will be the same. Whether it's installed on 10 million or 300 million phones won't really matter because it will share market share with all other Windows 10 devices. Making it a very appealing to develop apps for. And the features will be shared in Windows 10, so there won't be issues with it falling behind in features like there currently is with WP.

There won't be two OSes. Just ONE. Screen size will be so spread out among desktops, tablets, and phones, it will be hard to classify anything as a particular segment.

But Windows 10 for laptops and hybrids is optimized for keyboard and mouse, so probably developers will also optimize their apps for keyboard and mouse.
Store apps for touch devices will be an afterthought for third party developer, in the same way that touch interaction is an afterthought for Windows 10.