Blaming Microsoft: Is it entirely fair?

[tgp]

Microsoft has been making Phone operating systems longer than both Apple AND Google.

That's true. I had WP7 in mind as the starting point since it was the beginning of Microsoft's modern mobile OS. But yes, Microsoft was in mobile long before that.

 

[poddie]

Microsoft has been making Phone operating systems longer than both Apple AND Google.

Anyone who doesn't recognize that the iPhone was a quantum leap forward has their head in a bag. That was definitely the starting point of this generation of phone operating systems.

I used Windows Mobile for many years. It was definitely not ideal... though I enjoyed using it for what it was.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Well maybe the agent is speaking from experience? Just a thought.

A carrier doesn't care what OS or what item it sells, as long as it sells. It's pure business.

If people were clamoring for Blackberry devices then carriers would carry more Blackberry items.

Everyone has biases. And that's w/o things you may never know about like sales promotions for particular items.

If you worked in a phone store, would not your bias lead people to the WP's?

Of course.

Like religions, biases have little to do with fact. More with legend and mythology.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

And then there's the odd model overlap of the 925, sold by both ATT and TMO. Yet very different in data bands and Wifi Calling (none on the ATT.)

Prepurchase of Nokia by MS, I think all the contracts were between the carriers and MS. Remember, WP is the operating system, just like Android is. Android does not contract with carriers.

In the old days when voice was voice and the only difference in carriers around the world was, "Which of four bands?" one phone model could literally cover the world, especially once four band became common. Data was voice tech based, 2G and 3G on GSM. Once we moved to data exclusive frequencies and technologies, we started to need carrier exclusive phones.

Of course, even before then, every carrier wanted their imprimatur on the phones. Boot screen, custom apps, etc.

 

[techiez]

lol it doesn't make sense in the US. Carriers agree to sell a device exclusively than the salesman says oh no don't by a windows phone? It makes no sense! Maybe Microsoft should just focus on other countries instead. so you can't really blame Microsoft for a biased salesman.

Does MS offer any incentives to carriers who would in turn pass it onto stores and then eventually salesmen? these devices are beautiful, so its difficult to avoid them if placed on front, now why do these sales ppl push customers to Android what are the incentives?

These are all valid questions I believe, carriers or stores dont have bias to WP specifically, they try to sell things which get them max profit, carriers might hv included WP in their line up but for stores, may be Androids are getting them more margins, WP being still in nascent stage requires MS to have a very good incentives program, WP did well in countries where Nokia used its supply chain partners to promote the phones using good incentives, In India, every reasonably mid to big store had WP specialists with colorful lumia t shirts with Nokia branding and the phones were given prime space in stores, is it the same situation in US? if not then yes MS is to be blamed.

 

[Ruined]

Microsoft has a giant pile of money. Regardless of the carriers current behavior, money can fix pretty much anything. But MS has not yet invested the big bucks they will need to in order to solve their carrier problem.

 

[techiez]

Microsoft has been making Phone operating systems longer than both Apple AND Google.

and yet it a lot of time to bring WP at par with IOS n Android isnt it? when WP7 & WP7.5 was brought and considering MS reputation as an OS company everyone was excited, developers were interested but WP was very very closed with very limited APIs so most developers waited/couldnt develop much for WP and then slowly as API's were brought in it was clear that marketshare was gng nowwhere so developers lost interest

 

[savagelizards]

Yes, Microsoft deserves the blame for the lack of sales of its own products.

Is that fair? Well, what about life has taught you that anything is fair? But certainly it took them until 2014 to reach parity with the other phone OSes. They squandered many chances to be the,leader along the way. They certainly have compensation in the form of patent revenue to show for their efforts, but why should any carrier bother at this point? It just makes life harder for them, especially when these poor selling phones generate so many FCC complaints from disgruntled users.

Personally, I think Microsoft is going to cede the high-end first world market and try building market share in emerging countries where they can be the most fully-featured value player, then return with Windows 10 for another bite of the apple.

Until then, I love my Icon, and certainly hope I can get firmware directly from Microsoft, where I bought my phone in the first place. My real worry is that in two years there will be nothing to replace it with.

 

[Richard Culverhouse]

...Like religions, biases have little to do with fact. More with legend and mythology...

A dig at the iCult there...? /S

 

[Immortal Lobster]

You would be correct in your analysis of my grammar if you looked at exclaim purely by its intransitive function. But I think you will find, if you look at is transitive function and definition, you will find it means to speak whilst impassioned or of strong opinion or will, or to speak with a vehement opinion.

Before you decide to call someone out for ignorance, maybe it would be best to check that you, yourself are not also speaking from a perspective of ignorance.


Also, I'm astounded that you looked right past the point of the emails message and decided to rather latch on to is grammar. Seriously?

 

[JNaDa]

Microsoft has a giant pile of money. Regardless of the carriers current behavior, money can fix pretty much anything. But MS has not yet invested the big bucks they will need to in order to solve their carrier problem.

LOL. Agreed. The overall goal is to make more money, but they can't do that if they aren't willing to spend it. More promotions similar to "Smoked by Windows Phone;" offering more incentives to salesmen for pushing a certain number of WP units in a given month (much like car dealerships); letting developers get 100% of app sales for a time frame, etc.

If you're giving out "free samples," more people get to "taste" your OS. Sure, you lose out on money with those samples, but if they like it, they'll tell their friends about it and probably buy a new one in 2 years. Next thing you know WP is at 7% or 8% market share and rising.

 

[tgp]

Could you be anymore disrespectful? Have some class.

FWIW, the letter is indeed poorly written. If someone writes a letter to a company, it had better be professionally written if he wishes to be taken seriously. If the writer can't do it himself, he should have someone else edit it. The problem is that a lot of people who cannot write properly don't even know that their writing needs editing.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Man, I buggered that. I meant that pre-purchase of Nokia by MS, that all the contracts were between NOKIA and the carriers.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

Any cult. Could be Apple eaters, veganism, Linux, or, oh heck, Microsoftism. I have a masters degree in theology (I'm sure you are impressed!) and believe me, I know cultism or religion, even if secular, when I see it.

 

[Paul Verizzo]

@techiez: Wow, what a great idea, that Nokia flash of oh so long ago! I spent years seeing it as my Nokia 9290's would boot. I thought it said it all; reach out, touch someone. Oh, wait, I think the old Bell companies used to say that. A great 20th century rendition of Michaelangelo's Cistine Chapel ceiling, God reaching to Adam. Do you have a decent jpg of that? I promise to not use it for any avatars on any forums. Thanks!

 

[Laura Knotek]

@techiez: Wow, what a great idea, that Nokia flash of oh so long ago! I spent years seeing it as my Nokia 9290's would boot. I thought it said it all; reach out, touch someone. Oh, wait, I think the old Bell companies used to say that. A great 20th century rendition of Michaelangelo's Cistine Chapel ceiling, God reaching to Adam. Do you have a decent jpg of that? I promise to not use it for any avatars on any forums. Thanks!

Is it this image?

 

[Visa Declined]

Any cult. Could be Apple eaters, veganism, Linux, or, oh heck, Microsoftism. I have a masters degree in theology (I'm sure you are impressed!) and believe me, I know cultism or religion, even if secular, when I see it.

 

[fatclue_98]

FWIW, the letter is indeed poorly written. If someone writes a letter to a company, it had better be professionally written if he wishes to be taken seriously. If the writer can't do it himself, he should have someone else edit it. The problem is that a lot of people who cannot write properly don't even know that their writing needs editing.

Amen.

I don't know what they're teaching in schools these days but I've read posts from so-called teachers that make me cringe. Makes me want to loose my mind. Saw what I did there?

 

[savagelizards]

Makes me want to loose my mind. Saw what I did there?

You're really playing fast and lose with that comment.

 

[anon(9057135)]

It would cost them a bit but this sounds like a good idea..