Newsletter Archives

• Gralla: RIP, Windows Phone. Your demise could lead Microsoft to redemption.

  Posted on October 30, 2017 at 11:25 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Another good one from Preston. Computerworld.

  It may be, though, that the demise of Windows Phone indicates that good things are ahead for Microsoft — that is, if its death means that the company has finally and truly shed the arrogance that hounded it for decades.

  You might’ve noticed that I’ve (almost) never written about Windows Phone. Er, Windows Mobile. Uh, Windows something-or-another for phones with Windows. Good reason why: I’ve never owned one — except for one inexcusable lapse. I bought a Windows phone about a year ago, to test Win10 builds, and Microsoft promptly declared it would no longer receive Win10 builds. It’s been sitting in a drawer, uncharged, ever since.

  Win10 Phone/Mobile always seemed like a waste of time to me. Never saw any compelling reason to switch from Android (I have a Pixel XL; son uses a hand-me-down Note 3) or iPhone (wife has a 7s). There are better ways to spend a thousand bucks.

  Other Windows Mobile, Windows Phone

• R.I.P. WP, WMP

  Posted on October 9, 2017 at 09:47 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Capping off a lackluster week of Windows non-news, the weekend brought two more headstones, hardly worthy of note. But I’ll note them anyway.

  First, MS Corporate VP for Windows Joe Belfiore confirmed in a series of tweets that Windows 10 Mobile is dead as a doornail. Zac Bowden, who’s been using Win10 Mobile far beyond its obvious expiration date, has details on Windows Central. (Formerly WPCentral, as in “Windows Phone Central” – a timely pivot.)

  I’ve never covered Windows Phone, and don’t understand why anyone would bother.

  I mentioned Edge’s coming metamorphosis to run on iOS and Android:

  Why would anybody use an also-ran browser just because it has Microsoft’s name on it?

  Then there’s the Microsoft Launcher on Android, now in beta. Hope springs eternal, I guess.

  Second, it looks like Microsoft is going to kick Windows Media Player out of the Win10 Fall Creators Update with a patch released to some folks yesterday called KB 4046355. I haven’t seen it on my FCU machines, but Günter Born and Martin Brinkmann both have full details. Says Born:

  Until now, the Windows Media Player was on board and pre-installed in Windows 10. If you enter Media in the search field of the taskbar, Windows Media Player will be found and displayed as a hit in the Start menu.

  Today I was suddenly offered a FeatureOnDemandMediaPlayer update (KB4046355) on one of my machines (a 64-bit Windows machine) running Windows 10 Build 16299.15.

  A search using the taskbar’s search box actually revealed that Windows Media Player had been removed from the machine as features. To use the WMP again, you have to add it as a feature.

  If you know anybody who’s still using Windows Media Player, encourage them to take short, deep breaths, and break the  news that there are myriad far, far better media players around, on all platforms.

  Of course, without any documentation, it’s anybody’s guess if this is an intended consequence or just a beta bug.

  Yes, I know, it’s not polite for MS to yank an app without warning. On the other hand, man, Windows has become so bloated and Byzantine, it has to be pulled into the 20th century at some point.

  UPDATE: Mary Jo Foley reports:

  

  Uncategorized Windows Media Player, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone

• Is the Windows phone fan community imploding?

  Posted on April 6, 2017 at 10:39 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Great analysis from Jason Ward at Windows Central:

  The Windows phone community may be the most passionate group of smartphone fans on the internet. Sadly, it seems that many, not all, of those fans, are also becoming the most jaded, cynical, aggressive and downright cruel group of anti-fans on the web.

  I don’t claim any first-hand knowledge here. I bought a Windows phone many months ago so I could test Office on it, but that’s the extent of my experience. I love my Nexus 6P and my wife’s very happy with her iPhone. I see no reason to move to Windows Phone just because it’s from Microsoft. And I see no other reason to move to Windows Phone, period.

  Maybe some day Microsoft will get its act together. In the interim, sorry, but life’s too short.

  Other Windows Phone

• If you ever wondered about Windows Phone…

  Posted on April 30, 2016 at 11:02 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Paul Thurrott’s analysis of Intel’s recent decision to give up on Atom mobile chips makes good reading:

  Intel isn’t just years away from fielding a viable smart phone chipset anymore. It has literally conceded the field for this generation. Thus, an Intel Surface phone is not happening… The fallout from Intel’s decision will be interesting. But this is as bad as when Microsoft conceded the smart phone market last July. It’s all over, folks.

  I’ve never understood the attraction of Windows Phone. Mobile’s great, but running 32-bit Windows on a phone is delusional. The incremental benefits of Windows Phone (of which there are a few) just aren’t worth the huge overhead.

  Yes, I do own a Windows Phone. Utter waste of money. That’s why I never covered it. I had the same approach to Windows RT. Waste of money. Not worth covering.

  Windows News Windows Phone

• Windows Phone is free in India — and worth every penny for Microsoft

  Posted on March 14, 2014 at 01:12 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Could this be the start of something terrific… and cheap?

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Free, Windows Phone

• Windows 8’s latest victim: Windows Phone sales

  Posted on January 24, 2014 at 10:19 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Microsoft blew it, big time – but it’s possible Myerson will fix things. Fingers crossed.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Nokia, Windows Phone

• Windows 8 should never have mashed up desktop and mobile

  Posted on March 12, 2013 at 23:10 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  For once, I disagree with Hal Berenson.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Other Metro, Windows 8, Windows Phone

• Has “Windows” become a liability to Microsoft’s mobile strategy?

  Posted on May 14, 2012 at 23:03 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Using the name “Windows” brings all sorts of baggage.

  InfoWorld Tech Watch.

  Windows News Windows 8, Windows Phone, Windows RT
• « Older Entries