Has Microsoft made a mistake releasing the Preview?

[Zeem Frostmaw]

If Microsoft's teams are eight years old and can't take any form of criticism, then yes, maybe it might have been a bad decision.

But since Microsoft are professionals you can bet they're swimming in all the critique and suggestions and using it to their advantage to improve the OS.

The only real mistake was on the part of people rushing out to download the 'cool new thing' without any clue what exactly that was because they couldn't wait a day or two to hear people's opinions first. That and WPCentral's articles held the preview a bit too highly, making it out to be more polished and fit for public use than its really meant to be. They certainly made a very committed effort to debunk people's (now justified) concerns about the developer preview.

 

[Bahamen]

Actually, I'm in agreement that some sort of screening needs to take place on who should be allowed to install the DP. But rather than payment as the criteria as suggested by OP, they should instead require the user to pass some sort of maturity or personal accountability test. Clearly a huge warning sign is not enough to deter these people.

 

[mparker]

Given the level of negativity on the forums, do people think that it was a mistake to allow the general public to download the Preview for Developers?

It is not available for the general public, only for developers. You were able to download it by registering as a developer.

However, I do think it was a mistake for this site and others to encourage people who aren't truly developers to go ahead and register as developers and install it, that it was safe, that it was the final version, etc. Developers know what they are getting into; we deal with shakier software than this on a daily basis.

 

[AndrewL920]

WP 8.1 Preview is like the betaphone 920. This WP 8.1 Preview is Beta so if you are having bugs on your phone, wait for Microsoft to release there bug fix patch.

 

[hs k]

Two weeks fast forward. I sold my Android device and with some extra money and brought my awesumtacular 820.

Awesumtacular? goddamn, what are you? A lexicographer or what? LOL!

 

[anony_mouse]

Reading these forums, I would say that Microsoft made a mistake releasing the beta so widely. Too many people do not seem to understand that this is not the finished article, and there will be bugs. Next time, I suspect they will stick to MSDN, which is the normal channel for this kind of thing, and which reaches only those with enough understanding to cope with a beta release.

A quick question to those who have complained - have you filed bug reports with Microsoft over the problems you have found? If not, then you're part of the problem, not part of the solution.

 

[Edward_g]

I wonder how many people registered for the DP overall.
Do you think it would be a hundred thousand +-
And out of that number how many would be enthusiast's (like me) vs
actually being a developer.
I'm really glad I was able to register and get the 8.1. It's been a fun week. I have no complaints running it on my 822.

 

[knuckles245]

I do think it was a mistake for this site and others to encourage people who aren't truly developers to go ahead and register as developers and install it. Developers know what they are getting into; we deal with shakier software than this on a daily basis.

I completely agree

 

[PipoDj]

That's why it's a preview. And yes they may have released a buggy OS but isn't that the purpose of the preview, determine the kinks that needed ironing out and releasing to the general public a better software after the enthusiast and developers have given their feedback. So no this was never a mistake. It is serving its purpose.

 

[Helder Costa1]

no mistake, it's a great idea. i have no major issues at all. battery wasn't good in the first 2/3 first days but now i think its better than before. the only reason of complain is the games,music and photos hubs. that can be solved since they are a separate application. go for it MS you have the majority of the people supporting you. my lumia 920 is very happy now. and thanks MS for allowing me to have this preview months before even if its not perfect, it's very good.i'm very happy!!!

 

[tk-093]

So glad they released it. My only issue has been maybe some battery issues. However I can't speak too much about the battery issues as I got this 928 a few days before 8.1 came out because my last one was broken. I did not have it long enough to get a baseline.

The Xbox music app I had been using since it was released months ago. I've always like that better since you can actually make playlists.

 

[hopmedic]

I don't think Microsoft made a mistake in releasing it. I do think that lots of people made the mistake of installing it. If you are going to be bleeding edge, you may encounter some blood. If you can't handle that, wait until the public release, which will come along with firmware updates which may correct some of the issues that are out there. I've had a few problems, but I accept them as part of being on the bleeding edge.

 

[MikeSo]

Definitely not a mistake. Notwithstanding the changes in the design and functionality of hubs, and some bugs in the apps, 8.1 is an improvement. Nobody was forced to update yet, but even with the bugs and issues (which ALL OS HAVE, including WP8.0), I am very happy I did and would not want to go back to 8.0 given the choice. It's a release that IMO IS ready for primetime, especially with the new model where they can release updates quicker to individual apps.

If MS hadn't released this early, while starting to sell new phones that has it, there would have been outrage about that I am sure...

 

[boasist]

Plus, a huge portion of the Windows Phone user base (read most), don't even know this is happening right now. You're on a Windows fan site, so your ear is closer to the ground on this. As such, you're going to be subjected to more news, negative and positive, that most don't even know, or care about for that matter.

 

[Chris_Germany]

I read BETA a few times...i thought the preview is the final rc build?

- Tapatalk -

 

[muvig]

Thanks MS for the Preview. I couldn't afford to wait.
One more thing, our networks are so bad that sometimes we fail to connect to the net, that part of Cortana which doesn't need internet surprised my workmate who is a iPhone holder, he told me that Siri depends on internet always.

 

[hopmedic]

I read BETA a few times...i thought the preview is the final rc build?

- Tapatalk -

The people who keep crying "beta" are going on false information. We have the same build as what the manufacturers got.

 

[neo158]

I read BETA a few times...i thought the preview is the final rc build?

- Tapatalk -

It's not beta or an RC it's the final feature locked build that was sent to manufacturers, obviously there are issues that firmware will sort and a few bugs that MS need to squash before release though.

 

[link68759]

The only negative I see is that MS may stop opening the DP to people who don't pay to be a "developer" and that would be a shame. I take responsibility for what happens to my device if I want to put software on it that might not be ready for the masses. I don't want it to be like this for a few people then have to wait months for the final product to come from Nokia and then AT&T.

I certainly didn't run to the forums to say "hey guys everything works for me!"

I am on the ##windowsphone IRC channel on freenode, and most people there seem to have no issues. So that's like 7 people, lol. But I wasn't aware that more than a handful of people had any significant issues. Actually I don't even know what these issues supposedly are.





Sent from my RM-824_nam_att_101 using Tapatalk

 

[Zulfigar]

It's more like the final beta test before final release. Better to let people download it incase they want to test it, but it's not going to the masses yet - more like, maybe a couple hundred thousand to a low million? Get some feedback, and make it perfect before the millions get it (that don't know about it because they're happy with what they have).