Do you think Windows Phone Blue will solve all the problems?

[snaqvi91]

So apparently reports are that Microsoft is moving to an yearly update cycle. That sounds awesome. But only if that means there will be major changes every year to help windows phone catch up very fast and also go ahead of the other platforms. The fact that Microsoft is not addressing so many of the issues people have with windows phone may be because they're holding off for blue.

 

[anon(1019781)]

Is Windows Phone not already on a yearly update cycle with 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, etc?

I don't really see a difference no matter what they call it.

 

[Onager1286]

Not to be a negative nancy, but on the Windows Phone side of things, they'd better be updating multiple times a year. Windows Phone 8 brought next to nothing new feature-wise to the platform and still has to catch up to iOS and Android in some ways.

 

[AngryNil]

Byzantium is right, and it's biannual if you count the minor updates such as NoDo, Tango and Portico. I personally think Windows Phone needs to move to a quarterly update schedule at minimum, one major and three minor updates per annum. And no, Blue will not solve all the problems.

Windows Phone 8 brought next to nothing new feature-wise to the platform...

Not true, WP8 made some pretty big and necessary steps to achieve parity with iOS and Android.

 

[realwarder]

To answer the question, it will solve problems and bring more of them. Software releases always do.

WP is on a fast track whatever anyone says. While people say nothing new appeared in WP8, in some ways that appears true, but in others it was a massive change from WP7. Underneath it's an entirely new OS (NT v CE) with new SDKs and the potential for more synergy with RT/Win8 due to shared OS.

Yes, you may still be waiting for X, but the platform already has features that others don't like kids corner.

It also has the best development tools.

Personally I'm looking forward to seeing what new features come next. Filling in X, Y and Z isn't as exciting as those new things other platforms don't have.

 

[jdhooghe]

I certainly hope so but Microsoft has shown itself to be incompetent in many ways. Hopefully they will surprise us

 

[socialcarpet]

I wasn't aware that Blue had anything to do with Windows Phone. I thought it was just for Windows and Office.

As far as updates go, one big one a year that adds noticeable changes and includes at least a few of the highly requested features is plenty IMO, and of course bug fixes and small incremental updates throughout the year.

I don't know that they need to be on some kind of quarterly schedule though, I think they need to release bug fixes and fine tuning as it becomes available, not necessarily on some kind of pre-determined schedule.

I want to see changes and improvements to the OS as much as anyone. Microsoft needs deadlines just like any other software developer, but I also do not want to see them rushing their work to hit some arbitrary quarterly deadlines and turning out half-baked software with bugs in it.

Microsoft already has had a long standing tradition of releasing buggy software with the intent to fix it after release. I'd like to see them get away from that M.O. because it makes people question the quality of their stuff and because it's inconvenient to deal with buggy software.

Set realistic goals and deadlines. Be more aggressive in the development of the OS and give us a little more in terms of control and options/features. By all means, keep the simple and clean UI, but a few more controls really wouldn't hurt *cough* independent volume controls *cough*.... orientation lock *cough* *cough*

...but do it when it's well vetted and ready to go. A large part of the tech press is eager to see Microsoft fail, so if they ship an OS update that is buggy, the tech blogger jerks will have a field day with it. They can't afford to sit still, but they can't afford to fumble either.

 

[snaqvi91]

At this stage it almost feels like Microsoft is behaving like it did with windows xp. From a user point of view of was buggy as ****. They don't seem to be making aggressive app development strides unlike BB10.

 

[kevinn206]

My top items to fix:

1. Reliable live tile - frankly, it's not "live" enough and not reliable enough. Toast notification is almost perfect. Getting toast + live tile + lock screen to synchronize is broken.

2. Resume should be instant and no more of that Resuming message. Android and iOS and probably even BB10 can do it.

3. Orientation lock. There isn't a modern smartphone OS that doesn't have orientation lock.

 

[jdhooghe]

At this stage it almost feels like Microsoft is behaving like it did with windows xp. From a user point of view of was buggy as ****. They don't seem to be making aggressive app development strides unlike BB10.

BB10 only has support for one alarm. One **** of a development stride. The update will come but it seems like the OS isn't all that it was made out to be

 

[cRAZY Canuk]

Simple answer - no, because we'll find something else to complain about

 

[rockstarzzz]

i wasn't aware that blue had anything to do with windows phone. I thought it was just for windows and office.

As far as updates go, one big one a year that adds noticeable changes and includes at least a few of the highly requested features is plenty imo, and of course bug fixes and small incremental updates throughout the year.

I don't know that they need to be on some kind of quarterly schedule though, i think they need to release bug fixes and fine tuning as it becomes available, not necessarily on some kind of pre-determined schedule.

I want to see changes and improvements to the os as much as anyone. Microsoft needs deadlines just like any other software developer, but i also do not want to see them rushing their work to hit some arbitrary quarterly deadlines and turning out half-baked software with bugs in it.

Microsoft already has had a long standing tradition of releasing buggy software with the intent to fix it after release. I'd like to see them get away from that m.o. Because it makes people question the quality of their stuff and because it's inconvenient to deal with buggy software.

Set realistic goals and deadlines. Be more aggressive in the development of the os and give us a little more in terms of control and options/features. By all means, keep the simple and clean ui, but a few more controls really wouldn't hurt *cough* independent volume controls *cough*.... Orientation lock *cough* *cough*

...but do it when it's well vetted and ready to go. A large part of the tech press is eager to see microsoft fail, so if they ship an os update that is buggy, the tech blogger jerks will have a field day with it. They can't afford to sit still, but they can't afford to fumble either.

m.o.?

 

[SnailUK]

To me its extremely simple.

Everything possible needs to be ripped out of the OS, and made into apps. Mail, Music Client, Settings, Office, etc etc. Then there is no reliance on WP updates, no carrier issues, etc.

Nokia have already shown this is possible, with all the various little apps they have for audio settings, accessibilty, etc.

Make the OS a bare hulk, with APIs for everything, then update all the features reguarly through the app store. This seems to be the case for Windows 8, so why not WP8?

 

[DontHate707]

At this point the updates need to be faster and there needs to be more then one a year. The software isn't working as promoted and as far as functionality were a couple steps behind the competitors even bb10 but i have faith within two years the os should be caught up and be way more powerful then any of the others.

 

[Great deal]

They are updating multiple times a year, Blue will be the name (alegedly) of the major updates, they will have smaller fixes throughout the year. It will not be yearly but much more frequently, they know that as anything less and it fails. As to wether Blue will solve all the problems, absolutely not, no update ever does. I guess it will plug a few of the gaps, improve numerous things and introduce a whole new set of issues lol - which will be addressed throughout the year and with Blue 2.0 - ahhh the joys of development. We as consumers need to start charging these companies for testing services.

 

[hamzie11]

Byzantium is right, and it's biannual if you count the minor updates such as NoDo, Tango and Portico.

.

youre forgetting mango

Nodo, Mango (BIG update), Tango... wp7.8...

Portico ...

 

[Great deal]

At this point the updates need to be faster and there needs to be more then one a year. The software isn't working as promoted and as far as functionality were a couple steps behind the competitors even bb10 but i have faith within two years the os should be caught up and be way more powerful then any of the others.

Its crap programming..none of us need to wait for 2 years for something to work as advertised.

In my very first programming lecture at Uni (top 10) the lecturer who is extrememly well known in the world of security encryption stood up and said -

"there are 2 ways to program, the correct way and the long money making way. You can either do it right the first time and be done or you can write it in such a way that if 'bugs' were to be found then they 'have' to call YOU back to fix it and you can then charge them double"

I wonder how many in that lecture chose route B

 

[DaveDash]

What problems are these?

I have come from iPhone, and I have a flagship Google tablet. WP8s problem is not that it needs updates. Compared to Android, its fast, fluid, and stable. Also some Android handsets wait months for updates.

WP8s problems cannot be solved by updates. There isn't really much of a reason to switch from iPhone. Apple has unified content, and Android is dirt cheap.

Microsoft & partners need to drop their pants on pricing if they want significant gains in the market. Seriously guys most Android users don't even use or care about half the functionality in their phones, they just want a cheap smartphone.
Or Microsoft needs to unify its platform so that Windows 8 PC users get some benefit from having a WP8 phone. At present due to lack of store unification, that benefit is minimal.

 

[DaveDash]

Its crap programming..none of us need to wait for 2 years for something to work as advertised.

In my very first programming lecture at Uni (top 10) the lecturer who is extrememly well known in the world of security encryption stood up and said -

"there are 2 ways to program, the correct way and the long money making way. You can either do it right the first time and be done or you can write it in such a way that if 'bugs' were to be found then they 'have' to call YOU back to fix it and you can then charge them double"

I wonder how many in that lecture chose route B

I actually write windows 8 phone apps, and the framework is so far ahead of almost anything else out there, that its almost criminal its not popular.

Again, Android is a horrible platform to code for, and even worse to make money off. But its popular because its dirt cheap.

 

[Piratelooksat40]

Unless it has some way to run iPone apps natively on Windows Phone then it will not solve the problems. App availability is the problem.