Shareholders strike back against Nadella's mishandling of Mobile

[RJ Priest]

Thanks to Cortana on WP8 with my Lumia 1520, I was greeted by this article.

Wielding their Windows Phones, Microsoft shareholders grill CEO Satya Nadella on device strategy - GeekWire

Glad to see shareholders stand up and defend excellent products like Lumia and Band, that have not been able to reach their full potential due to the dreaded "retrenchment" year(s).

Microsoft shareholder Dana Vance, owner of a Windows Phone and a Microsoft Band,*said he received an email about the Microsoft Pix app but was surprised to learn that it was available for iPhone and Android but not Windows Phone. Ditto for Microsoft Outlook. He also alluded to reports that Microsoft has put the Band on the back burner. Given this, he asked Nadella to explain the company?s vision for its consumer devices.

Another shareholder, who says he uses his Windows Phone ?18 hours a day,? said he has heard Microsoft is ?stepping away from mobile.? He asked, ?Can you calm me down ? and tell me what your vision is for mobile??

I know that many of us here share similar sentiments, and this article was a joy to see that similar voices are being heard.

Side note: I had been looking at MS stock when it was in the low $20 range.... wish that I had been in a position to get in at that price.

 

[rinosaur]

So basically Nadella's response was quite vague and not comforting to WM fans. At this point I think it's best to just pick one of the Big 2 and wait and see what this "next big thing" is when it's actually released by MS.

 

[Kacchan]

So basically Nadella's response was quite vague and not comforting to WM fans. At this point I think it's best to just pick one of the Big 2 and wait and see what this "next big thing" is when it's actually released by MS.

If I'm going to settle may as well settle for what I want. Not for the big two

 

[libra89]

So basically Nadella's response was quite vague and not comforting to WM fans. At this point I think it's best to just pick one of the Big 2 and wait and see what this "next big thing" is when it's actually released by MS.

I agree. No point in struggling to deal, when you can just use MS services just fine on the other two and wait and see. Whatever comes, I don't think much will happen until the middle of next year at the earliest.

 

[theefman]

So basically Nadella's response was quite vague and not comforting to WM fans. At this point I think it's best to just pick one of the Big 2 and wait and see what this "next big thing" is when it's actually released by MS.

If anything actually materializes, just like how the originally announced 3 tier range vanished without a trace....

 

[RJ Priest]

If anything actually materializes, just like how the originally announced 3 tier range vanished without a trace....

Good point there - rather than continue onward with three tiers of phones, MS gutted the Nokia D&S division and the rest is history. All the excitement of moving Nokia's talented hardware teams "in house" and creating this amazing synergy alongside Windows Phone OS development was lost.

As much of a bummer as it is that things have ended up as they are, as long as WP8 doesn't lose any functionality, I'm happy to continue rocking my Lumia 1520 on WP8.1. It meets all my needs, although I wish that Nokia had stuck with an f2.0 lens for the 1520.

It's frustrating knowing that there isn't a suitable upgrade if my 1520 were to fail or break, but with innovation shown with HoloLens, I'd like to think that Microsoft's current aim of looking beyond the current phone paradigm will reward us with something worth waiting for.

Arguably even more upsetting than phones, is the abandonment of the Band / MS health platform. I feel that the Band needed one more iteration - a Band 3 to perfect the product - primarily due to the strap cracking problem. My Band 2 will be 1 year old this Christmas, fortunately, it's holding together just fine.

The MS Health app is fantastic, and I love the golf integration of the Band 2. MS turning their back on the Band gives us reason to doubt the future - it's that repeat cycle of MS innovating with great products, failing to really push marketing, and then killing off a great product.

 

[zhris]

I used to feel that way myself, but darn it I like WM too much. I recently gave up my Note 4 and went with the Alcatel OneTouch. True, I miss a few apps, and the Map isn't as specific, but I'm happy overall.

 

[Shamshi-Adad]

I used to feel that way myself, but darn it I like WM too much. I recently gave up my Note 4 and went with the Alcatel OneTouch. True, I miss a few apps, and the Map isn't as specific, but I'm happy overall.

We've all been saying that for soooooooooooooo long. Everyone has their own limit though. Me, I bailed out a couple months ago, BUt KEPT service on my Windows phone so now its on the "Hobby Tier" so now I REALLY LIKE IT ! :winktongue:

Peace. Alan
Galaxy S7Edge [MM6.0.1] Full Dresser
Lumia ICON [Win10M 14977.1000] Sportster
Even when I lose, I win.

 

[anon(6078578)]

If anything actually materializes, just like how the originally announced 3 tier range vanished without a trace....

I have been noticing how Microsoft will say what the fans want to hear and then seem to tip toe away out the back door...

 

[Krystianpants]

These articles are ridiculous. They make it seem like they were ripping MS a new..... well you know. It was just some timid guy who seemed almost shy at the Microphone who didn't even look like a major shareholder asking a question and scared his fave OS will disappear.

 

[fatclue_98]

Click bait. I read the title and I thought there had been a board room coup d'etat of some kind.

 

[SlideWRX]

Whether it was a 'major' shareholder or not, Nutella needs to be reminded that things that sell NOW are things for sale NOW. Things that work NOW. He may have a great vision, but I can't buy that yet. If I decide to go to another platform because they have what I want, It will be that much harder to come back with resources invested there.

By the way, where is this 'Doubling down' on continuum? it seems to be just sitting where It's been for a year. multi/moveable window support? turning off the phone screen? Fer crying out loud, Motorolas phone docks from five years ago had multiple/moveable windows, Andromium does. Not a new concept here...

 

[xandros9]

By the way, where is this 'Doubling down' on continuum?

The same place as where HP's doubling down on webOS is.

 

[jazen]

After reading this article, I can't help that MS and Google do share some similarities in that they tend to pull the rug out on you, but the one big difference is, Google's services didn't have a monetary value associated with them. I can't say the same about MS products. Now I know advocates will say google markets your personal data to pay for the services. I get the impression MS does the same.

 

[fatclue_98]

The same place as where HP's doubling down on webOS is.

You just had to didn't you?

 

[fatclue_98]

Whether it was a 'major' shareholder or not, Nutella needs to be reminded that things that sell NOW are things for sale NOW. Things that work NOW. He may have a great vision, but I can't buy that yet. If I decide to go to another platform because they have what I want, It will be that much harder to come back with resources invested there.

By the way, where is this 'Doubling down' on continuum? it seems to be just sitting where It's been for a year. multi/moveable window support? turning off the phone screen? Fer crying out loud, Motorolas phone docks from five years ago had multiple/moveable windows, Andromium does. Not a new concept here...

Comparing Continuum to Andromium is like comparing a Little League team to the Yankees. There are only 3, you read that right - 3, apps that work - Chrome-based browser that's outdated, file manager and photo gallery. Continuum doesn't forcibly run in the background while killing your battery in a few hours and Continuum doesn't require you to restart your phone if you force close the app.

Even without any "doubling down" it's still in a league of its own.