Dual Booting may just be the ticket MS needs.

[gab1972]

I think it's the other way around.

Microsoft wants far more than just android dead, they want android , iPhone, Google and apple dead, not just the competing mobile platforms.

I must respectfully disagree with this. If this Microsoft wanted the whole lot dead, they would be trying harder to compete. That's not me bashing WP; that's saying they would be trying to do more to get developers/companies on board. There's a reason why companies like Pocket, Instagram, etc. stated that they have no intention of developing for WP - there's no market share. If you want market share, unfortunately, that means giving people what they want - like common features, etc. So far, the only thing I've seen us market is a good camera.

 

[gsquared]

Don't go getting your panties in a knot over this fellas. The probability of this happening is next to zero. GOOG simply would not allow it.

 

[wapoz]

Google just wants to keep in trucking, gathering, sorting, and regurgitating information for profit.

I really don't think Google or apple are concerned about a surface-like segment device. Yet. Right now it seems those two companies are waiting to see if the surface 2.0 will sell. If it repeats, expect no interest from apple or Google.

Google has been the most outwardly hostile company towards WP and windows 8 than any other company. Purposefully implementing a lower quality youtube experience on wp8 customers (blocking MS's youtube app, forcing WP8 customers to use the crappy HTML5 version, breaking 3rd party youtube apps in market), not producing apps that they make for other smartphone OS's (maps, drive, docs, voice, etc.), delaying the ad mob beta SDK for several months for WP8 developers (which is contributing to other devs not making apps for WP8), refusing to make a touch friendly metro version of chrome on desktop windows while making that chrome OS clone abomination instead- the list goes on and on with examples that Google legitimately views WP8/windows 8 as a threat and is outwardly hostile toward it.

 

[envio]

None of the articles concerning the idea of more devices for WP from HTC have anything to do with dual-booting with Android, I don't know why this has continued to surface - it's just not happening. Each device would simply ship with one OS or the other, it's quite simple.

This is purely a way for Microsoft to gain more traction with wider device choice in the HTC device space (there's only 2+1 variants for WP8 right now). For HTC, it's a cheaper way for them offer more WP devices without having to spend huge amounts of money (that they haven't got) on separate development hardware costs between WP and Android. It's supposed to be a win-win for everyone.

However, I see a couple of big potential flaws in the idea. Given that HTC are struggling to compete against the might of Samsung in the Android market, it's going to get even tougher for them to uniquely differentiate themselves when the hardware is shared with another OS and ecosystem. The other problem is that carriers should be rightly nervous about subsidising the exact same hardware twice over. They'll likely pick one OS over the other and market that alone. Who's to say that the carriers would choose WP over Android?

 

[Jazmac]

Really? Have we now reached the point where we'll have to start selling users to smart phones rather than smart phones to users? Scarey... very Terminator.

Pssst, Terminator was just a movie. Arnold Schwarzenegger is an actor. Tell your friends.

 

[fdalbor]

I think alot of people have a different idea as to what dual booting actually is. As someone who has been dual booting for many many years the two OS's have almost nothing to do with the other one. In fact if one crashed and would not even work anymore the other one could be fully operational. Is it practical on a phone; that is another question. Storage space already a problem on SMartphones would become a even bigger problem. Of course you can set up a system to boot from its internal storage or from an external flash drive. But I really don't think that's what Microsoft is trying to do. I believe they just want HTC to make phones that they can put either OS on and you can choose what one you want when you buy it. In fact if the phone is capable of both OS's you can run one reformat and put the other on. Plus mobile OS's are small enough that you could do it over the internet. Now that might be interesting. But I don't think dual booting from the internal memory will ever happen. Possible, but people would have to want it and I don't see that happening.

 

[ohgood]

Google has been the most outwardly hostile company towards WP and windows 8 than any other company. Purposefully implementing a lower quality youtube experience on wp8 customers (blocking MS's youtube app, forcing WP8 customers to use the crappy HTML5 version, breaking 3rd party youtube apps in market), not producing apps that they make for other smartphone OS's (maps, drive, docs, voice, etc.), delaying the ad mob beta SDK for several months for WP8 developers (which is contributing to other devs not making apps for WP8), refusing to make a touch friendly metro version of chrome on desktop windows while making that chrome OS clone abomination instead- the list goes on and on with examples that Google legitimately views WP8/windows 8 as a threat and is outwardly hostile toward it.

yes, i'm aware. it's common for companys to make life difficult for each other. silverlight on some platforms, development of mono lib's on others, it's part of the game i believe. as far as doing it to hamper growth, no i believe it's more of just posturing. a little immature flex by one company gets a little flex from the other. fairly typical, but it's not cutting off the water, or parking bulldozers in the the entrance. stuff like that really makes for fun days at work i'm sure.


the threat of microsoft to google in the mobile sector is very small at this point. incredibly rapid growth isn't happening, markets like china (from my memory, please correct me) have declined for wp instead of exploding as expected. i don't see the motivation to put large amounts of energy into the effort being justified just yet. if there was some huge ground swell of interest in surface/wp next week, yes. as it is now, it seems very much like an also-ran.

WHEN (notice, not if) microsoft starts to "get it", and get mindshare in mobile, -then- expect some incredibly wild efforts from google, and apple. they are not coasting my any means, but we all know (RIM, Appl, WM, Symbian, Nokia) things can turn from good to terrible in just a few months.

watch the uptakes. when it starts happening, it will be rapid. until then, google is just ribbing the expansive belly of microsoft a little.

 

[Christian Kallevig]

Google probably will do nothing to prevent the release of a dual-booting phone, so the argument is moot as far as I'm concerned.

But why is this something we want? This is only going to confuse people who buy these phones. Besides, people will inevitably end up using one or the other in the end, not both. And then you're left with one OS just taking up storage space. HTC has nothing to gain from doing this and I think it will help Windows Phone less than some might expect.

What we really need is for Microsoft to drop their licensing fee so companies like HTC can put Windows Phone on their top-tier hardware and price it competitively with similar Android phones.

 

[sinime]

I'm not a fan of dual booting... my touchPad has webOS & Android on it... Installed Android so I'd have access to things not available on webOS... but I preferred webOS... Got to a point where I never booted to Android cause it was too much of a pain going back and forth and Android just doesn't cut it for me. So now I rarely use it at all.

 

[Christian Kallevig]

Yeah, this is the problem in a nutshell. Even if it is relatively easy to switch back and forth, people are going to settle into one or the other in a few days or weeks and probably never switch again.

 

[xandros9]

Yeah, this is the problem in a nutshell. Even if it is relatively easy to switch back and forth, people are going to settle into one or the other in a few days or weeks and probably never switch again.

some chance in WP > 0 chance
its a lot easier to switch an OS than a phone for most

 

[Eduardo Galvan]

I read about the possibility of future HTC handsets dual booting Android and Windows Phone. This would be an awesome function for those who are afraid to commit to one platform and great for those who get 'bored' with a platform and switch back and forth.

I love the idea of this. If MS were dedicated to providing working drivers for the many handsets out there and eliminated licencing fees, I bet the install base would explode similar to how android has taken over the market being freely available for OEMs to use.

Microsoft could afford to give this OS away making money back on apps and people who use their services (similar to google). It may even entice people to make the jump to exclusive handsets like the Lumia line.

I think they should go for it. In fact, I think history should repeat itself and allow us to install whatever (mobile) OS we choose whether it be linux based Android or Windows

Thoughts?

Great for MS. They should do it. I constantly find myself switching from OS to OS. (From Windows 8.1 to Windows 7, or Ubuntu to Linux Mint.)
Although that would take a BIG chunk of battery if I tried to switch between Android and Windows Phone. We'll see in due time....(Play suspenseful music here.)

 

[Christian Kallevig]

Realistically anyone buying one of these phones is probably already going to know what they want, there will be some who don't and perhaps some fraction of them would end up using Windows Phone. But HTC is a small fish in the Android pond. They don't move enough units for this to make a significant impact. We'd be far better off with more unique phones or at least Windows Phone variants of existing phones. But no matter what happens there, any market share that Windows Phone gains is going to come from devices like the Lumia 520, not this.

So yes, some chance is better than no chance, but this is far from the best chance there is. This is small potatoes. It's not even going to represent a drop in the pond. (Oh god, I made two pond metaphors in the same post. Apologies)

 

[psudotechzealot]

Google probably will do nothing to prevent the release of a dual-booting phone, so the argument is moot as far as I'm concerned.

Huh, the argument is moot because you believe Google will do nothing to prevent this, even-though Google hates Microsoft? Google will not make an official Youtube app for WP8 nor a Google maps app, but you believe they will allow an Android device to Dual-boot Kit Kat & WP8.1?

 

[tgp]

Huh, the argument is moot because you believe Google will do nothing to prevent this, even-though Google hates Microsoft? Google will not make an official Youtube app for WP8 nor a Google maps app, but you believe they will allow an Android device to Dual-boot Kit Kat & WP8.1?

I believe Google would allow it. And, even if they tried to block it, I would think it could easily be worked around. Partition the drive, or even have 2 separate drives. What could Google do about it?

I find the argument silly that Google doesn't make apps for WP because they hate WP. That comes up on this forum all the time, but is there any proof that it's true? Does Google like Apple any better? Who's Google's biggest competition? Yet Google produces some of their best apps for iOS. Why aren't there official WP apps from Instagram or Facebook? Do they hate WP and hope to see it go down? Why does Microsoft itself produce a better Skype app for iOS & Android than for its own platform?

 

[AngryNil]

They should make the 8S dual-boot. That way you'll get about 100MB of available storage, which will be claimed by other storage within a second.

Who's Google's biggest competition? Yet Google produces some of their best apps for iOS.

Sorry, but you're wrong. Google's biggest competition is Microsoft.

 

[tgp]

Sorry, but you're wrong. Google's biggest competition is Microsoft.

How so? Or do you mean in other ways besides mobile phone OS's? Microsoft certainly isn't Google's biggest competitor in mobile!

If WP's market share got up to 15% like iOS, I guarantee you we'd see some first class Google apps for WP. Google is all about getting data. That's why they acquired Android in the first place.

 

[psudotechzealot]

Microsoft wants far more than just android dead, they want android , iPhone, Google and apple dead, not just the competing mobile platforms.

I disagree, Microsoft just want to be number #1 or #2 in this market. They could not careless if Google and Apple are around or not. While they're no.1.

Google just wants to keep in trucking, gathering, sorting, and regurgitating information for profit.

I agree.

I really don't think Google or apple are concerned about a surface-like segment device. Yet. Right now it seems those two companies are waiting to see if the surface 2.0 will sell. If it repeats, expect no interest from apple or Google.

If it repeats, sure. I believe the surface 2 & pro 2 will sell more that their predecessors. So yeah, I can see Google doing something, If Surface2/pro2 sales surpass expectations or previous surface sales. Like giving Chromebooks more ram & SSD memory and sell it competitively against the surface pro 2 and promote the nexus 10 like they did the Moto X. Apple would not care, though.

As far as windows phone, it's not a threat to their profits, so watching and waiting works there too.

Not to Apple, but to Google, there are. Hmmm lets just say theirs a reason why there are not any official Google apps in the WP Store, and market share nor mind share has nothing to do with it.

They have to innovate, and act extremely quickly at every opportunity to gain market and mind share.

I do not think innovating is the problem. IMO, Microsoft does not know how to sell a product besides Windows OS & Office. Also, there is no connection among the audience, the product & Microsoft. Most importantly, Microsoft must repair their image. If they want to put a dent into Apple's & Google's Market & mind share.

 

[tgp]

Hmmm lets just say theirs a reason why there are not any official Google apps in the WP Store, and market share nor mind share has nothing to do with it.

Really? Market share has nothing to do with it? How do you know? Why don't banks or Facebook or Instagram make apps for WP? Even Mobile Nations provides apps for iOS & Android for their respective forums, but not WP!

 

[AngryNil]

How so? Or do you mean in other ways besides mobile phone OS's? Microsoft certainly isn't Google's biggest competitor in mobile!

Windows Phone poses a larger threat in mobile than iOS. Google quite frankly doesn't have to care about iOS – by its nature it will not eclipse an Android-esque platform in sales, and Apple fails to compete with Google on services. Google can pretty much own the search, docs, mail, cloud storage, calendar and possibly even browser categories on iOS. At that point, who cares what platform it is? But Windows Phone comes with Microsoft services pushed left, right and centre. It's not hard to see why the two companies are constantly at odds.