Yep, terrible idea. Lets put a stop to this and go back to the status quo of not having these apps released at all for WP and OEM's like HTC and Samsung releasing phones and not doing anything to promote them while they promote their android devices.
Lets ignore the fact that only a handful are actually exclusive to Nokia and only for a set time period. Lets convieniently forget that Nokia is also providing their mapping services, operator contacts and other benefits to MS and are not just being paid blindly by MS.
Yep, lets just wait for HTC and Samsung to jump in and fully support the platform and provide their exclusive services like Beats and Chaton. Lets just sit back and pray that WP somehow takes off like we've been doing since it was launched in October 2010 with no support from the launch OEM's. Yes, then its all going to work out for WP....
Exactly.
All this whining and predictions of doomsday scenarios over a few exclusive apps from Nokia is RIDICULOUS.
First of all:
People need to stop using the word "fragmentation" if they don't understand the definition as it pertains to a phone OS. Android has fragmentation. Fragmentation means there are multiple major versions of the OS being used at the same time, and even sold at the same time and no clear upgrade path. With Android you have devices with Android 2.2 Froyo, Android 2.3 Gingerbread AND a few with Android 4.0 ALL BEING SOLD CURRENTLY. You have people with 2.2 and 2.3 on their phones who may never be able to upgrade their OS, or may have to wait a year or more to do it.
THAT IS FRAGMENTATION.
A handful of app exclusives that have expiration dates is NOT FRAGMENTATION. Not even close.
Second:
People need to stop convenient glossing over the the facts.
FACT #1: There was zero indication of any of these apps EVER coming to Windows Phone prior to Nokia's investment in the development. Let's stop pretending that Rovio was chomping at the bit to make Angry Birds Space for Windows Phone and Nokia intercepted them at the last minute to snatch it out of the hands of HTC and Samsung users. That's a lie.
FACT #2: All of these apps (aside from the Nokia branded ones, like Nokia Drive etc) will be coming to all Windows Phones when the exclusives expire. WITHOUT NOKIA, you may never have gotten them. At minimum, you would have waited at least the length of the exclusive and probably long after before the developers even thought about making them. So YOU SHOULD BE THANKING NOKIA. You're welcome. :straight:
FACT #3: Overall Nokia has done more to help promote Windows Phone in the last 2 months than HTC, Samsung, LG and Dell have done in the last 2 YEARS. So please, spare us the argument that Nokia is "destroying" Windows Phone because you have to wait 6 months to get an app for your 2 year old HTC that you never would have gotten anyway if Nokia wasn't investing in it. YOUR OEM hasn't done CRAP for Windows Phone. Nokia is carrying all the weight. Complain to your OEM for not doing more.
FACT #4: Nokia is the ONLY OEM 100% committed to Windows Phone. The rest could care less. If Microsoft had not made this partnership with Nokia, I'm sorry but Windows Phone was going to die with the lackluster support of your precious HTC and Samsung releasing recycled Androids that sat in the back of the store with a layer of dust on them and zero promotion.
Be Positive: Microsoft and Nokia are pushing hard to encourage development, even covering the costs to get these apps made. You're already seeing a lot of new apps that wouldn't have appeared without this effort. If a few of them are exclusive for a while, well I'm sorry. Nokia PAID for them. Nokia has all it's chips in the Windows Phone basket, they are fighting for survival. Windows Phone is not a hobby for them like it is with the other OEM's and it's not Nokia's job to pay for apps to be developed to prop up Samsung and HTC. Samsung and HTC have billions in the bank. Let them pay for some exclusives. Anything that can be done to encourage development at this point is a good thing.
Nokia is aggressive because they HAVE to be. They are not in a position to concede even one inch to their competitors right now. If you want apps that Nokia PAID for, then you can wait, or you can buy a Nokia phone.