Is Microsoft unwise to ignore their own platform?

[DoctorSaline]

The article also quotes Joe Belfiore stating that the preview for ARM will be coming "well into 2015", MJF simply states Windows so without knowing if she is talking about the x86/x64 version or the ARM version we don't know.

But the preview version of x86/64 is already here. The preview expected/rumored in Jan/Feb is Windows on ARM.

Here: http://m.windowscentral.com/rumor-claims-threshold-preview-arm-windows-phone-devices-due-early-2015

 

[iamtim]

I DO mind when they are inferior on WP. It shows that they take loyal WP users for granted.

The thing is, though, they've only been inferior a very short while. It was only until recently that iOS and Android even had viable Microsoft-created Office equivalents.

It really feels like too many WP fans are missing the forest for the trees, here. Microsoft got Office (and related apps) on WP to a specific functionality level, and then began working on the platform: they unified the kernel, brought in a bunch of features, and are now working on unifying the platform itself. While that was going on, other teams released all the apps for other platforms as befitting Microsoft's new "platform agnostic services/mobile/cloud" paradigm.

I'm sure Windows 10 will be the trigger that brings Office (and related apps) up to par with the other platforms. If not... yeah, then you've got something to whinge about. But right now? WP users are not being taken for granted; sure, the other platforms temporarily have better MS apps and services, but there is SO MUCH WORK going on for WP right now.

 

[Squachy]

The thing is, though, they've only been inferior a very short while. It was only until recently that iOS and Android even had viable Microsoft-created Office equivalents.

It really feels like too many WP fans are missing the forest for the trees, here. Microsoft got Office (and related apps) on WP to a specific functionality level, and then began working on the platform: they unified the kernel, brought in a bunch of features, and are now working on unifying the platform itself. While that was going on, other teams released all the apps for other platforms as befitting Microsoft's new "platform agnostic services/mobile/cloud" paradigm.

I'm sure Windows 10 will be the trigger that brings Office (and related apps) up to par with the other platforms. If not... yeah, then you've got something to whinge about. But right now? WP users are not being taken for granted; sure, the other platforms temporarily have better MS apps and services, but there is SO MUCH WORK going on for WP right now.

Well we've had 4 odd years of a crappy version of office. Then poof, IOS and Android gets a good version out of nowhere so where's ours? Gotta wait for windows 10.... Sometime next year.......hmm really? So for those for years they did nothing to improve windows phone office?

Lets put it this way. You work for company x. Your the newest guy, just past four years on the job. They're a busy company so you share the job with two outsourced contractors. Both veterans of the trade so they're good at what they do. You all do the same thing.
One day your company x decides to give those outsourced workers each a new company car to use. That's nice, you have a company car too. But you realize soon that they are getting fully loaded BMW m3s. Wtf? You drove a base company Toyota yaris for the past several years... Where's your upgrade? Oh sorry, you'll get a new one next year when the newer m3s come out. Oh btw, those vets recieved new laptops awhile back too. You on the other hand got a nice amazon kindle.

 

[rodan01]

Lets put it this way. You work for company x. Your the newest guy, just past four years on the job. They're a busy company so you share the job with two outsourced contractors. Both veterans of the trade so they're good at what they do. You all do the same thing.
One day your company x decides to give those outsourced workers each a new company car to use. That's nice, you have a company car too. But you realize soon that they are getting fully loaded BMW m3s. Wtf? You drove a base company Toyota yaris for the past several years... Where's your upgrade? Oh sorry, you'll get a new one next year when the newer m3s come out. Oh btw, those vets recieved new laptops awhile back too. You on the other hand got a nice amazon kindle.

God, It's so unfair.
I'd use my Yaris keys to draw a **** in those m3s.

 

[spaulagain]

Well we've had 4 odd years of a crappy version of office. Then poof, IOS and Android gets a good version out of nowhere so where's ours? Gotta wait for windows 10.... Sometime next year.......hmm really? So for those for years they did nothing to improve windows phone office?

Lets put it this way. You work for company x. Your the newest guy, just past four years on the job. They're a busy company so you share the job with two outsourced contractors. Both veterans of the trade so they're good at what they do. You all do the same thing.
One day your company x decides to give those outsourced workers each a new company car to use. That's nice, you have a company car too. But you realize soon that they are getting fully loaded BMW m3s. Wtf? You drove a base company Toyota yaris for the past several years... Where's your upgrade? Oh sorry, you'll get a new one next year when the newer m3s come out. Oh btw, those vets recieved new laptops awhile back too. You on the other hand got a nice amazon kindle.

Your analogy is completely flawed on so many levels. But it illustrates why the WP fans that are pissed, are pissed. Because they have a very narrow minded view of the whole thing. So thanks for exemplifying the truly flawed perspective of their complaining.

And the iOS/Android versions didn't just come out of no where like poof. They've been working on them for a while just like the touch version for Windows. We've known about the iOS and Android version for well over a year or so.

Windows 10 is supposed to bring a lot of changes. Changes that may impact the way Office touch integrates with OS and how its used. So it makes sense to wait until that's released to release the new versions of Office for Windows.

In other words, get over it.

 

[iamtim]

Then poof, IOS and Android gets a good version out of nowhere so where's ours? ... So for those for years they did nothing to improve windows phone office?

Poof? Out of nowhere? Done nothing? Really?

Those lines show how incredibly far out of touch you are with any sort of software development, and they prove to me that it's not worth my time trying to explain... well, anything to you.

 

[neo158]

To be fair the Android version of Office Mobile is just as bad, I hadn't used the Android version since switching back to WP though so I didn't know just how bad it still is until I installed it again today.

However that still won't stop me from complaining about the Windows Phone version as the Android version is being updated, Microsoft have had 4+ years to provide WP with a first class Office experience.

 

[sumton]

the only reason i can come up with is that windows phone 8.1 OS isn't ready its not mature enough like ios or android to build a new office suite for it or get new features for onedrive / xbox music/ video / search / .......etc so im going to give them a chance and i'll wait for windows 10 phones actually i'll buy one of their windows 10 phones if they still prefering ios and android over windows phone sadly as much as i love Microsoft i will switch so its up to Microsoft to prove us wrong.

 

[spaulagain]

the only reason i can come up with is that windows phone 8.1 OS isn't ready its not mature enough like ios or android to build a new office suite for it or get new features for onedrive / xbox music/ video / search / .......etc so im going to give them a chance and i'll wait for windows 10 phones actually i'll buy one of their windows 10 phones if they still prefering ios and android over windows phone sadly as much as i love Microsoft i will switch so its up to Microsoft to prove us wrong.

It's not necessarily that the OS isn't mature enough. It's just why waste time developing a bunch of features for an app that will be completely replaced by another version in less than a year. And its not like Office for WP hasn't been updated in 4 years. It has, I know because I've been using it since day one.

Just wait for the release with Windows 10. It's OBVIOUS MS is holding out for that which is logical IMO. It's amazing how crazy people are getting because iOS and Android just now got Office and it happens to be slightly better than what's been on WP for 4 years.

 

[Ali Assaedi]

or we can just jump ship.. if Nokia launched a pureview phone with another OS, i might just buy it at this point. Andriod people swear by google services/apps, and how they cant live without them. and ppl reply saying that microsoft/nokia has comparable services, yet nothing guts me more than knowing those microsoft apps are released faster on other platforms, are more robust on other platforms, and gets more frequent updates at other platforms, and more features at OTHER PLATFORMS

it started with photosyenth , skydrive, remote control app, then one note, now office .. recently IOS had a complete rework in skype, and we got a drawing doodle plugin, lol.. and ofc they will never rework the WP versoin,.. mabye after 2 years time, by then IOS would have gotten tons of improvements.. all what i want is a stable skype app, i want to reliably receive the skype notification for chat, tap it , launch the app without fail, in less than 7 seconds, and reply back (too much?)


--i know this might have been said 100x before.. still lit feels good letting it out--

i understand from their business point of view, more users are available on other platforms, so it would make more sense to improve services where "more" ppl will use and benefit.

but the other part of the coin is, our own point of view. being consumers. it will make more sense for us to avoid this slow growing ecosystem. especially since its not as stable/fast as its used to be.

if Microsoft wants the consumer to sacrifice a bit for WP, microsoft itself should sacrifice 2x more in resources to make those few customers happy. coz atm i feel im being deceived. i bought WP coz of Nokia, and no one can deny that Nokia poured its heart into the Lumias.. so please, enough with the excuses.

/long *** rant

 

[felixl87]

I think the only reason for the delay of the office update on windows phone has much to do with the coming windows 10, don't be surprised to see new office preinstalled on W10 for phones, another thing is that windows phone 8x needs more coding in terms of app development that's why alot of APIs are unavailable for devs to utilize and I think it makes alot of sense for something new to arrive with something new, at least they will have something to brag about, its just a short period of time to meet 2015 lets just sit, relax and wait, me to am waiting and only one silly mistake I will be off to android
Looking forward to universal apps!

 

[Sodikin Gross]

Okay. This thread is interesting enough. And yeah, I can't talk anything. I am speechless.

 

[runamuck83]

Woopity doo...

How many of you actually use Office on your phone?!! I'd honestly like to get a real number. I bet it's less than 1% of users. Viewing maybe - editing... doubt it!

Let's focus on more important apps

 

[neo158]

Woopity doo...

How many of you actually use Office on your phone?!! I'd honestly like to get a real number. I bet it's less than 1% of users. Viewing maybe - editing... doubt it!

Let's focus on more important apps

I'd use Office on my phone a lot more if I could edit the documents that I need to edit instead of just viewing them.

 

[colinkiama]

I havea solution. office online. just pin it to the start screen and then you can edit any office file. Simple.

 

[neo158]

I havea solution. office online. just pin it to the start screen and then you can edit any office file. Simple.

That's not something that I should have to do though seeing as Office is built in. I shouldn't have to use a workaround for an issue that shouldn't exist in the first place.

Which is why I use my tablet when I'm out because it has a real version of Office on it and not just a viewer with a few tools I can't use with the documents I need to edit.

 

[iamtim]

Let's focus on more important apps

Why don't YOU focus on the apps which are more important to YOU, and let others focus on the apps which are important to them?

 

[runamuck83]

Why don't YOU focus on the apps which are more important to YOU, and let others focus on the apps which are important to them?

You editing this with PowerPoint on your phone? I honestly wanna know who on this earth is editing documents on their phone in heavy enough fashion to warrant such an outcry over this "iOS/Android version is better" crap...

 

[spaulagain]

You editing this with PowerPoint on your phone? I honestly wanna know who on this earth is editing documents on their phone in heavy enough fashion to warrant such an outcry over this "iOS/Android version is better" crap...

Agreed. People are all upset over slight differences in an app that few people would actually use on their phone besides basic viewing. How many people actually make critical changes to a Word, PPT, or Excel doc on their damn phone?

Tablet yes, but phone no. And Office for Windows on tablet is way better than Office for iOS or Android.

 

[anon(50597)]

Woopity doo...

How many of you actually use Office on your phone?!! I'd honestly like to get a real number. I bet it's less than 1% of users. Viewing maybe - editing... doubt it!

Let's focus on more important apps

I have to agree. I use Office for school documents. If I am going to do any editing its going to be on my laptop or, at the very least, my Venue 8 pro.