I agree that developers aren't going to invest the effort on a platform that isn't sure thing for them, especially a team as small of the one responsible for Temple Run. iOS is a sure thing, as is Android to a lesser extent. This is where it becomes Microsoft's responsibility to bolster the platform. The competition is simply too strong and consumers constantly compare the competing platforms.
As for your other complaints, I think you're way off base.
1) The freaking home screen IS the notification center. I've yet to be in a situation where not having a notification center has a problem. Keep in mind that iOS didn't have one for the longest time and that no one missed it until Android introduced it. And as it stands, it's poorly implemented.
Those of us that don't post every last application (especially since so many contrasting, flat, different colors grouped together is flat out ugly) to our home screens have no way of knowing if we got a toast notification from an app that isn't pinned. This has happened to me many times, as I just don't want to pin everything to my homescreen. The homescreen is ugly when everything is pinned, sorry but it's true.
So the fact that you have never seen a need (presumably because you pin all your apps to the home screen) for a notification center means that there's no need for it. The facts speak differently my friend. A notification center is one of the most highly demanded missing features, and for good reason: it's useful. If MS wants any chance at gaining market share they are going to have to listen to the demands of their users, and not those that are happy with the "status quo" because the status quo is not even 1% of US market share.
2) No way of organizing the home screen? Are you sure you've even got a WP8 device? This is one of the most customizable OS's out there!
Is it really though? It could be improved so much more. Why can't I create a "category" with my messaging apps like Whatsapp, kik, groupme, the messaging hub. Then one for photo apps, one for navigation and maps, etc.
Right now, you can pin a bunch of things to your home screen and group them all together as you please, that's great. But it still ends up looking like a jumbled mess and it is hard to differentiate between different categories of apps once you get enough of them. The home screen as it stands is *not* the end all solution. Can't for the life of me figure out how people think it is.
3) Why do we need folders? Because iOS has them?
Um, no, try because it's a damn good feature for organization and productivity? And being able to find an app quickly? Right now, the alphabetical jump list is sooooo efficient to use. Folders have been around since Windows 3.1, because they are a great idea and useful. What genius decided they are not necessary needs to be canned, sorry.
4) The last time I checked Android doesn't come with a file explorer, and iOS definitely doesn't. It doesn't seem that anyone's made an app for it, but then what's the need? I had one on my Android and never used it.
Once again, because *you* don't use a specific feature it's not worth while. I can't count the amount of times I would have loved a built in file explorer. I used to use it all the time on my Blackberry bold 9700, which is a calculator compared to my 920. Once again, why are you making excuses for a platform that has less than 1% of US market share? A file explorer is a great, useful feature. Period.
5) I 100% agree with you on not being able to lock screen orientation. One big annoyance with Windows Phone is that which screens rotate is inconsistent and there are times when I'd like to keep it vertically oriented.
First thing of sense you've said all day!
I can completely understand your dissatisfaction with the app situation. However, on most other counts you're being unreasonable. iOS and Android have as many annoyances as Windows Phone, if not more. They all have their quirks. The problem is that familiarity with the platform causes people to instinctually overlook the issues to the point that they even forget they're there. So when faced with a new platform, even if the UI is handled more efficiently people are still turned off by what they perceive as issues.
Despite my dissatisfaction with some things I still prefer WP, so obviously the damn OS does something right. But like I said, MS is slow as molasses at adding these new features, if it wants to have a fighting chance in this market, these features that are clearly in demand from a sizable portion of its users (and non users) need to be added. That's really the bottom line.
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