Windows Phone to be renamed just "Windows"?

[Beijendorf]

Didn't anyone post a link to the source of these rumors?

Exclusive: Nokia, Windows Phone Brands to be Replaced by Microsoft, Windows - Geek on Gadgets : Geek on Gadgets

 

[a5cent]

Didn't anyone post a link to the source of these rumors?

Exclusive: Nokia, Windows Phone Brands to be Replaced by Microsoft, Windows - Geek on Gadgets : Geek on Gadgets

Thanks for that. Pretty much what I expected. A self proclaimed geek with a background in dental work, but no knowledge of software, engineering, nor what MS' plans actually are. Nothing wrong with that, but like many other bloggers, he probably shouldn't attempt to interpret MS press releases that are intended for developers.

He could be correct about Nokia and Windows branding, but he definitely isn't correct about WP and Windows merging to become one and the same OS.

 

[Faisal Khatib]

Some more fodder for our discussion is the article about the same on Verge (Can't post links yet. 10 post limit)

 

[Jas00555]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/10/6131695/microsoft-is-killing-the-nokia-and-windows-phone-brand

If Tom Warren confirms it, that's telling.

 

[micallan_17]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/10/6131695/microsoft-is-killing-the-nokia-and-windows-phone-brand

If Tom Warren confirms it, that's telling.

Seems that the link was taken down, but here is the one from neowin
Microsoft to drop Nokia and Windows Phone brands [Update] - Neowin

 

[a5cent]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/10/6131695/microsoft-is-killing-the-nokia-and-windows-phone-brand

If Tom Warren confirms it, that's telling.

A quote from the article:

"That doesn't mean the Windows Phone operating system is dead, just that Microsoft won't be using it as a brand in marketing materials in future. "

This is pretty much what I've been saying all along. We've already seen how much confusion this move has created in this thread alone, with people assuming that calling it all the same thing, means it is all the same thing. It's not surprising that people who understand what an OS is would suspect that.

To me this sounds pretty confusing, even more confusing than Windows RT. I wonder how this is intended to help MS sell Windows (a.k.a. WP+RT) and Windows (a.k.a. the original Windows) to the masses.

Since all versions of "Windows" will run the same ModerUI apps, calling it all the same thing isn't completely unjustified, but how many will scold MS for making it so hard for the average Joe to determine if a specific device will actually run Windows desktop applications, or only the ModernUI apps?

 

[DavidinCT]

Not sure I like where it's going but, I'll ride it out....

I do not think they should change the name of Windows Phone... They have spent BILLIONS to get people to even hear the Windows Phone name and now they are going to change it and possibly confuse people ?

There are good and bad to everything of course but, changing the name of Windows Phone devices is not a good move...

 

[Lance_WPCentral]

Just Windows sounds really odd. I somehow preferred the way it currently is termed as Windows Phone.

 

[dkediger]

Yeah, they could just use Windows Desktop, Windows Touch (for the old RT, and potentially "merged" RT/Phone), and Windows Phone.

 

[colinkiama]

Windows 9

 

[LockOnTech]

Getting rid to the names to reduce confusion, in this case just made me confused. To me this is not helping much .

 

[maclancer]

I think Windows Phone should stay... It makes sense and it will make it more valid in a Phone platform.

 

[Jas00555]

I think Windows Phone should stay... It makes sense and it will make it more valid in a Phone platform.

See, the problem is that one of the upcoming SKUs of Windows will combine WP and RT. They can't call a 10-inch tablet Windows Phone.

 

[DoctorSaline]

My God! This is Windows RT all over. But this time, phones running on windows will get affected too. See, how silly it sounds?

 

[maclancer]

See, the problem is that one of the upcoming SKUs of Windows will combine WP and RT. They can't call a 10-inch tablet Windows Phone.

Hold on... The GUI in the phone and tablet are different... Are you saying that the next version of Windows will combine the same GUI?

 

[a5cent]

See, the problem is that one of the upcoming SKUs of Windows will combine WP and RT. They can't call a 10-inch tablet Windows Phone.

That is surely a good point. But then I say again, why not "Surface OS"? Okay, someone will surely shorten that to S.O.S., which may not be such a good thing, but still. Just anything other than plain "Windows" would be better, no? I still think we must be missing something... :-/

 

[Jas00555]

Hold on... The GUI in the phone and tablet are different... Are you saying that the next version of Windows will combine the same GUI?

I'm not sure what it'll look like, but it has been unofficially confirmed that there will only be one SKU of Windows on ARM and it combines WP and RT.

 

[Jas00555]

That is surely a good point. But then I say again, why not "Surface OS"? Okay, someone will surely shorten that to S.O.S., which may not be such a good thing, but still. Just anything other than plain "Windows" would be better, no? I still think we must be missing something... :-/

I've thought about it a lot, but the only conclusion that I've come to is that I'm glad I'm not the one in charge of the branding lol. I'm honestly not sure what to call it.

 

[Jas00555]

So I found this interesting....

I finally decided to look at the picture instead of just reading the article and I noticed that it says "we will drop the manufacturer name from product references during the Holiday Campaign'". I found that interesting because it said that it's only doing that for the holiday CAMPAIGN. I think these articles could have it wrong and the name could only be dropped in the advertisements. Idk, but to me, "holiday campaign" sounds like an advertisement, not a product. So the Nokia name might not be leaving from the phones *yet*.

 

[vlad0]

I just hope its more RT and less WP... the side swipe/charm thing on RT is very efficient.

Whatever they do, we are in for another semi-major overhaul of the OS.. no in terms of core, but UI..