Let me preface this by apologizing for the long post, but I just had to get this out there to people I hopefully feel the same way.
I've been part of the Windows Phone community now since Windows Mobile 6.5. Through all the ups and downs, I watched as Microsoft stumbled through each iteration of their strategies for phones and desktop devices. Each revision, it was always a "wait and see, it'll get better" approach. And each revision, I waited, hoped, and ultimately was to some degree disappointed. The Microsoft mobile vision was just a laughing stock to the rest of the world. And though the community had kept me going, with great developers like Rudy Huyn doing his best to bring all they could to this platform, I completely gave up. I begrudgingly looked around at what Android devices were out there to replace my device. While Android has come a long long way from when I last truly used it, it wasn't as fun or enjoyable as holding my Windows Phone device. In conversations I would have with stalwart Android and Apple backers I knew that if Microsoft got their stuff together, if they would stop silo'ing everything, they could really turn the ship around.
And then Tuesday happened.
Now I'll admit, the Phone presentation did feel a bit rushed. But overall, I was totally 101% in like Flynn. Never did I see so much passion and confidence in a Microsoft press conference then what I saw then. It was different. It was the NEW Microsoft that I'm sure all of us were hoping them to show. Panos keeps getting better and better, and it was brilliant on whomever it was to get him to be the head of the entire Devices division. I could just see him just put it all out there. He convinced me that he had a pulse on what's going on, about all the negativity out there by the mainstream tech bloggers and media outlets. And he faced them head-on to show that this Microsoft is willing to strive for greatness. It wasn't backing down on the challenge to make the products and services they were working on exciting. This event really was Microsoft's make or break. And they delivered in spades.
So yes, there are still a lot of things that need to be ironed out, there is still the app gap situation for mobile. But if this doesn't turn some heads in the dev community, then I don't know what will. But we as a community will do what we have been doing for some time, but this time with a bit more confidence. We will wait and see what's next.
I've been part of the Windows Phone community now since Windows Mobile 6.5. Through all the ups and downs, I watched as Microsoft stumbled through each iteration of their strategies for phones and desktop devices. Each revision, it was always a "wait and see, it'll get better" approach. And each revision, I waited, hoped, and ultimately was to some degree disappointed. The Microsoft mobile vision was just a laughing stock to the rest of the world. And though the community had kept me going, with great developers like Rudy Huyn doing his best to bring all they could to this platform, I completely gave up. I begrudgingly looked around at what Android devices were out there to replace my device. While Android has come a long long way from when I last truly used it, it wasn't as fun or enjoyable as holding my Windows Phone device. In conversations I would have with stalwart Android and Apple backers I knew that if Microsoft got their stuff together, if they would stop silo'ing everything, they could really turn the ship around.
And then Tuesday happened.
Now I'll admit, the Phone presentation did feel a bit rushed. But overall, I was totally 101% in like Flynn. Never did I see so much passion and confidence in a Microsoft press conference then what I saw then. It was different. It was the NEW Microsoft that I'm sure all of us were hoping them to show. Panos keeps getting better and better, and it was brilliant on whomever it was to get him to be the head of the entire Devices division. I could just see him just put it all out there. He convinced me that he had a pulse on what's going on, about all the negativity out there by the mainstream tech bloggers and media outlets. And he faced them head-on to show that this Microsoft is willing to strive for greatness. It wasn't backing down on the challenge to make the products and services they were working on exciting. This event really was Microsoft's make or break. And they delivered in spades.
So yes, there are still a lot of things that need to be ironed out, there is still the app gap situation for mobile. But if this doesn't turn some heads in the dev community, then I don't know what will. But we as a community will do what we have been doing for some time, but this time with a bit more confidence. We will wait and see what's next.
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