Why Continuum failed?

[matt john2]

I mentioned this on another thread so it saves me from having to make it up. My office is upstairs while my engineering, estimating, purchasing and project managers are downstairs. All I have to do is unplug my phone off a dock and plug into their monitors. A phone and a dock is infinitely easier and lighter to lug around than a laptop or full desktop don't you think? For security purposes my files and my boss's files are on a separate server. My charges don't have access to my stuff so sharing can be a chore. Enter Continuum.

Sent from my HP Elite x3 on mTalk

Well people, here you go, Continuum doesn't make any sense at all. Thanks @fatclue_98 for summing it all up

 

[nate0]

Well people, here you go, Continuum doesn't make any sense at all. Thanks @fatclue_98 for summing it all up

It does make sense if you use it on the 950/950 XL or Elite X3 for productivity. What also makes sense is that these are the only phones to run it with ease and run it well. The Idol 4s probably does too but does not come with it's own dock. Continuum won't make sense to anyone who is not a user of these devices and does not use that feature or have ever tried it. You should probably say continuum does not make sense because I do not want to use it on a dying/dead OS. Or the like. To me that would be the only viable reason it does not make sense. I thought about this now and how can folks use it now if Windows 10 mobile will not be around for much longer?

When the X3 came out I originally wanted it to replace my needs for a tower desktop and laptop. But I could not get away from most of the Win32 apps I used and needed to use up to this day. I needed more depth and I needed the ability to do more whenever I needed. Continuum was aimed at a niche market and still today that market of users is not huge nor even ready to use it. In a similar way it is not ready for us to use. Stellar idea, but they built the train and still need to lay all the track for it to go places.

EDIT: I will also add that Continuum is more than to use with a mouse and keyboard. If you want to cast to a tv or any display capable of using a widi stick/screen beam continuum stick it is simple and allows for versatility in the home or anywhere you want media/apps/music that way.

 

[fatclue_98]

Well people, here you go, Continuum doesn't make any sense at all. Thanks @fatclue_98 for summing it all up

It's your world boss. Sorry it doesn't make a lick of sense to you. Maybe you should try harder instead of dismissing something you've probably never used before.

Sent from my HP Elite x3 on mTalk

 

[covfefe]

Well it failed for me because Microsoft never gave me the two docks that I ordered with the two 950XL.

So I paid for 2 phones 2 docks, received only 2 phones.

The shop refused to send them, and totally refused to refund.

Oh and that kind of made my MS foldable keyboard purchase a complete waste of money also.

 

[nate0]

Well it failed for me because Microsoft never gave me the two docks that I ordered with the two 950XL.

So I paid for 2 phones 2 docks, received only 2 phones.

The shop refused to send them, and totally refused to refund.

Oh and that kind of made my MS foldable keyboard purchase a complete waste of money also.

That is a bummer. Would you use a dock if someone gave you one?

 

[Hirox K]

In the office, I have 2 monitors, I log into my desktop using company's username/password.
Sure, I'd love to run WhatsApp, etc using my personal account (and KB&M) but that means I'll have to give a monitor to my phone... not gonna happen. Continuum is useless to me.
However, if win10.pc shows WinPhone's apps icons in StatrScreen when connected through USB... and win10 allows me to launch those phone app directly (something like desktop's HW + app / data from phone)... that'd be useful.

 

[raycpl]

That's like running mobile exe/app off a pen drive, but only its from the phone... That would be interesting.


... !

 

[PerfectReign]

I think I mentioned in feedback at one point that there was no provision to log into and authenticate a docked phone against an Active Directory domain. That was also an issue.

Sent from mTalk on my 950xl

 

[Markus the merq]

Personally, I love Continuum. At home I plug in my Lumia 950 to Display Dock connected to a touch display and type with a wooden bluetooth keyboard. When I need to do some heavy lifting I just use Remote Desktop to connect to my powerful workstation at work. Works great.

When on the road I bring my laser pico projector and get Continuum projected using Wi-Fi Direct (Miracast) and use a really old DiNovo bluetooth keyboard for basic typing and navigation. Granted, Continuum over Wi-Fi Direct does studder, but it does work.

Edit: had to remove all mentions of the devices I actually use to be allowed to post. The forum engine used here does truly suck.

 

[covfefe]

That is a bummer. Would you use a dock if someone gave you one?

Probably couldn't ask for that, but if someone had no need for one I wouldn't say no.

 

[nate0]

I was right. Huawei just announced the Mate 10 series with PC mode support (Continuum-like experience on Android). Looks like they took some of Samsung's short coming and made them right too. Talk and Text while in pc-mode, and they even have track pad ability built in if you want to use it without a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.

 

[theefman]

Classic Microsoft, introduce a new feature then slack off while competitors step in and take the idea and fully flesh it out. And belfiore says they tried "really hard". Yeah, right.

Sent from mTalk

 

[fatclue_98]

Classic Microsoft, introduce a new feature then slack off while competitors step in and take the idea and fully flesh it out. And belfiore says they tried "really hard". Yeah, right.

Sent from mTalk

What's so fleshed out about Huawei 's take on PC mode? The fact they added in some features that Samsung left out? Features that were already in Continuum. Unless Huawei added a ton more apps than DeX offered, Continuum is still the standard bearer. Windowed apps is not a killer feature, more like a nice addition. People love to rag on MS for not having apps but this is one area where MS skunks the competition and the best people come up with is "oh, but it doesn't multi-task".

 

[Gunite]

I like it. I think the concept is great, it just still needs some more tweaking. I can use my phone as a laptop via my lap dock for office products on the move. When I'm done I just leave my lap dock in the truck without worrying about all my information being stolen as my phone is nestled safely next to my bosom and the lap dock is essentially useless without it. I'm always on the go and can attest to the fact that I was sick of always having to carry my laptop around. Take a one month challenge of going continuum as I am now and you will see the benefits of it as well.

 

[Tien-Lin Chang]

I don't know man, I have an iPhone, an Android phone and a spare W10M phone, a surface pro on the go, one BYOD laptop stay in my office table and couple of PCs in my house even one in my parents' house. All connected to teamviewer, dropbox and onedrive. I really just failed to see any way this continuum can change my daily life in a better direction when you already connect every device on-line. I can share my file through thumb drive, shared-dropbox folder, one-time password teamviewer connection without put a penny in extra hardware cost while keep the flexibility to upgrade any device in my eco-system anytime.

 

[michael mcdonald8]

Continuum is excellent!
Look how the other two overhyped leading mobile platforms out there are copying Microsofts creations from at least two years ago. Wireless/fast charging was with the Nokia line phones first, iris scanning while everyone was working on finger prints, continuum, now Samsung has a dock out with the S8, and other features.
Keep innovating but perfect it before putting it out there cause that can make or break you. Continuum is useful and people will know this in a couple years, that's how advance your thinking is, keep it up.

 

[michael mcdonald8]

Curious, in what way was W10M "exceptional and way ahead of its time"?

Continuum is way ahead, their UI is way ahead, easier to use and the flow of it (not necessarily the speed) is much better and makes more sense. Their layout, features and concepts of their phone OS is not just different than the other two but very good in a completely distinct way, the other two are just so similar to each other and as time goes by they look more and more a like. They were the first to pioneer the "true" phablet model with the Nokia 1520 having a 6" screen and wireless charging and long lasting battery life. Iris scanning vs
the others with the finger print. Everyone laughed an made fun of this feature but they are all coming out what amounts to nothing but GIMMICKS called face ID which surely aren't as secure as iris scanning.
Sure they have an app gap but all the basics that the majority of people owning the other two phones use everyday are there. I even use my Microsoft wallet at ANY PLACE that can take apple pay and it works flawlessly.
Look the only thing wrong with this W10M is or was the OS stability and the app gap.
Unfortunately one of those (the app gap) is harder to overcome simply because EVERYONE now a days are such sheep, EVERYONE thinks the same, looks the same, does the same and seem to THINK the same.

 

[michael mcdonald8]

I wouldn't say it failed because MS (as with their whole mobile strategy) only targeted a small slice of their audience. I guess i could never be a CEO because i just can't understand the logic of ignoring the largest user base of tech, consumer mobile. Not counting babies and small children but 90% of the world's population probably uses a mobile device and MS is ignoring them. Just don't get it.

Twitter: @PhotographyET

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.
Everyone is worshiping Nadella but to me he's just as DUMB as meat head Ballmer, both IDIOTS have and continue to ignore what was.tje fastest growing form of.computing and now inarguably the most ubiquitous form of computing. People in countries and continents where having a desktop is unaffordable or useless because there isn't and infrastructure foe proper phone lines or.electricity, have a cell phone now a days.
To THINK that you can continue to thrive, prosper and grow into the future without a presence in this now and future standard of.computing is RIDICULOUS and should NEVER be considered to lead a technology company because that i backward *** thinking.

 

[opium_tm]

I actually don't think Continuum failed as Samsung made their own Continuum-like feature (Dex), which means it did leave an impact on the industry. In my opinion, the world already sees tablets more like bigger mobile phones rather than a full computer.
What I think would be fascinating is Continuum in VR/AR (or any kind of projection), projected from the phone. The future is in the AR and VR and Microsoft started making it mainstream now and if they had really polished AR/VR experience it could work with some proper marketing.

Microsoft have too much impact on the industry but too small success on its own. In other words, Microsoft is constantly robbed of ideas. Microsoft just works as an R&D center for the Google and Apple generating ideas that would be used later by competitors. I think, Satya Nadella is too soft and too weak. He avoids competition too often and just give up and allow competitors to do same things instead of Microsoft, borrowing Microsoft ideas and using Microsoft software on their ecosystems to strenghten their own positions at Microsoft's expense. Satya Nadella is a classic "nice guy" who is too nice to others but have no good things back in return.