Microsoft has the money to convince the carriers, and probably a lot of weight as well. Why wouldn't they avoid that nightmare?
Granted I don't have a windows phone so it doesn't affect me, but my brief foray into the Android world frustrated the hell out of me in this regard. With Android it was an extra step: Android released, phone manufacturer needed to build their own version of it, then my carrier needed to decide when I could access it.
When Apple announces an update, I can download it whenever I want it.
[1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/micros...
The app is called "Preview for Developers" and it makes you sign into your live account.
http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/preview-for-deve...
To me, this sounds as absurd as an ISP having control of your computer - imagine if you had to wait till your ISP allowed you to update your OS. Yet that seems to be your situation with respect to mobile.
first the OS people update it. Then the manufacturers launch a device with said OS. Then your ISP gets to sell said devices to you. (or maybe you can update on your existing device but the ISP still has to approve it)
In simpler words:
In US, people do not directly buy their phones from the manufacturers. They buy the PHONE from the carrier, who also includes a SIM with said phone. And the cost of the phone is distributed over several months and is combined with your monthly cellular service charges.
Pro: you get to have expensive phones for far less.
Con: The carrier apparently gets a lot of say. In fact you can't even switch carriers easily. They make you sign a contact.
Interesting fact: Originally when the smart phones came out in the pre-iPhone era, the carrier's tried to control app stores by having exclusive, carrier specific app-stores. It was apple who convinced one carrier (can't remember which one) to let Apple control the app store and thus this revolution.
In my ideal world, I'd download (say) Android 4.4 and install it on my phone. After that, I'd hunt around, download and install the drivers for my phone like mic, camera, gyro, etc.
Why is this not possible already?
I get why OEMs need to test/approve an update for their specific phones but what kind of role carriers play here ?
Also, Carrier IQ. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_IQ)
This is a feature that would make me interested in switching to a WinPhone
That's because it's a fallacy from the start. What happens on-line, what's digital, is as real as anything else. It's a mental dead end to think there are two separate things.
[1] http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp [~1:12:50]
Hopefully she's better at navigation on the phones. I don't think providing a compass heading to your destination, and constantly yelling that you need to get there is going to cut it.
If so, am definitely getting a win phone next!
Careful, people. If the aliens invade make sure you're using your iPhone that day.
Separately there is the hot word plugin (I think that's what it's called) that lets you say 'ok Google' when on the US Google homepage.
Its a huge market, but space for a lot of niches.
We could all focus more on the work and let VS handle the scheduling and minutiae according to our priorities.
I have a toothache - I simply go to the dentist.
I need food - I simply go to a shop
I need water - i simply turn on a tap.
The "complexity" of my modern, urban life is the cost of having my life already very very simple.
Yes the noise of my daily life feels more complex, but there is a great deal of signal if I chose my perspective correctly.
As a member of the computing industry, you should be happy about this :)
Other than being a bigger number, what radically different changes is the author expecting for Windows Phone 9? It seems like all the fundamentals are there. The changes to the OS at this point are rather incremental
- Can it handle an interaction such as:
-- "Michael, you've got a new message from Paul"
-- "Read it for me"
-- 'Ok, Paul wrote: "Where should we meet today?"'
-- "Answer with "in the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed".
-- 'Ok, here is what I understood: "In the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed". Shall I send it?
-- "yes"
-- "Ok, your reply has been sent.
1. Hold down start for 2-3 seconds
2. Say "Send text to Joe Bloggs"
3. Wait a couple of seconds for it to work it out.
4. Say your message. It gets this right nearly 100% of the time.
5. Asks you if that's ok or do you want to add some more
6. Say yes and it sends it.
It has an option to read and dictate texts to you as well but I've never used it as I think that would annoy me. Might go and play with it now.
You can do a fair bit with it. It can find a pizza place locally and call it without any trouble (my main use case :-)
http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp
It starts around 1:12:00
http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burton-ranking-his-movies-fr...
Creepy...
