4 ms·

This shows Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here and stick with very strict hardware specifications. Honestly it's probably a smart move, i

by javery 17y ago

This shows Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here and stick with very strict hardware specifications. Honestly it's probably a smart move, if you don't think the hardware is perfect for the device then don't let users run it on there. Because if they did upgrade and there were less than optimal things they would complain and blame MS.

nailer 17y ago
> "Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here and stick with very strict hardware specifications." FTA: "the HD2 meets many of the criteria laid down in Microsoft's 'Chassis 1' specifications. After all it has a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, a high-res capacitive touch display, a 5 megapixel camera and 3.5mm headphone jack. However it turns out that the phone has five buttons instead of the three blessed by the Vole's CEO Steve Ballmer." The HD2 is more than capable of running WinMo 7. In fact, if you loved WinMo, the HD2 would be (and still is) the phone to buy. Microsoft is sticking it to the fans who really love their stuff here (I work with a lot of Windows professionals and they're the hardcore WinMo fans - most of whom control the messaging environment in their offices).
- javery 17y ago
  If you read this article [1] (which is where I think the other sites are getting their quotes) then it sounds like its more than just a couple buttons: "There could be more to this than just the sin of having two buttons too many, however: Tony Wilkinson, Business Operations Director for Microsoft Australia, told APC that “there are some hardware components that the HD doesn’t have”." So there are apparently valid hardware reasons to not allow an upgrade. 1. http://apcmag.com/microsoft-no-windows-phone-7-upgrade-for-windows-mobile-6x-devices.htm http://apcmag.com/microsoft-no-windows-phone-7-upgrade-for-w...
- sp332 17y ago
  http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/27/exclusive-lgs-windows-phone-7-series-early-prototype-unveiled http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/27/exclusive-lgs-windows-pho... The first Windows 7 phone has more than 3 buttons.
raganwald 17y ago
> Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here I see Microsoft as following Microsoft's playbook for devices. On the desktop their mantra was backwards compatibility, backwards compatibility, backwards compatibility and that worked for them. But on devices, they are far more liberal. PlaysForSure is a good example, they threw their users and partners overboard when they released Zune.
- javery 17y ago
  They kept trying to emulate their desktop success on mobile, build a general purpose operating system and then let any and every hardware manufacturer ship it with their hardware. It worked great on desktop, a thousand IBM clones beat down Apple's proprietary hardware/software combination. They finally realized the same approach might not work on mobile, the experience is more closely tied to the physical hardware then the desktop or even laptop experience will ever be. Killing the current Windows Mobile (6.5) is the best move for MS, as was killing PlaysForSure. If you just try to make everyone happy you end up making no-one happy.
  - raganwald 17y ago
    Are we in violent agreement?
    - javery 17y ago
      It appears so. I guess my main point was that MS seems to be trying to do what Apple does (limit hardware, make tough choices), but when you have vendors and partners that strategy is pretty rough on them.
- ZeroGravitas 17y ago
  The Zune replacing a plethora of PlaysForSure devices was itself an example of copying Apple's iPod strategy. This was the point when they realised their desktop strategy of creating an OS for multiple commodity hardware manufacturers wasn't working in the mobile device space. Windows Phone 7 Series is just taking the Zune and turning it into a phone. Which again, is copying Apple's iPod -> iPhone strategy and adding the odd compromise of still having multiple commodity manufacturers but constraining them all to producing near identical devices.

by javery 17y ago

nailer 17y ago

> "Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here and stick with very strict hardware specifications." FTA: "the HD2 meets many of the criteria laid down in Microsoft's 'Chassis 1' specifications. After all it has a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, a high-res capacitive touch display, a 5 megapixel camera and 3.5mm headphone jack. However it turns out that the phone has five buttons instead of the three blessed by the Vole's CEO Steve Ballmer." The HD2 is more than capable of running WinMo 7. In fact, if you loved WinMo, the HD2 would be (and still is) the phone to buy. Microsoft is sticking it to the fans who really love their stuff here (I work with a lot of Windows professionals and they're the hardcore WinMo fans - most of whom control the messaging environment in their offices).

javery 17y ago
If you read this article [1] (which is where I think the other sites are getting their quotes) then it sounds like its more than just a couple buttons: "There could be more to this than just the sin of having two buttons too many, however: Tony Wilkinson, Business Operations Director for Microsoft Australia, told APC that “there are some hardware components that the HD doesn’t have”." So there are apparently valid hardware reasons to not allow an upgrade. 1. http://apcmag.com/microsoft-no-windows-phone-7-upgrade-for-windows-mobile-6x-devices.htm http://apcmag.com/microsoft-no-windows-phone-7-upgrade-for-w...
sp332 17y ago
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/27/exclusive-lgs-windows-phone-7-series-early-prototype-unveiled http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/27/exclusive-lgs-windows-pho... The first Windows 7 phone has more than 3 buttons.

raganwald 17y ago

> Microsoft is really trying to follow Apple's playbook here I see Microsoft as following Microsoft's playbook for devices. On the desktop their mantra was backwards compatibility, backwards compatibility, backwards compatibility and that worked for them. But on devices, they are far more liberal. PlaysForSure is a good example, they threw their users and partners overboard when they released Zune.

javery 17y ago
They kept trying to emulate their desktop success on mobile, build a general purpose operating system and then let any and every hardware manufacturer ship it with their hardware. It worked great on desktop, a thousand IBM clones beat down Apple's proprietary hardware/software combination. They finally realized the same approach might not work on mobile, the experience is more closely tied to the physical hardware then the desktop or even laptop experience will ever be. Killing the current Windows Mobile (6.5) is the best move for MS, as was killing PlaysForSure. If you just try to make everyone happy you end up making no-one happy.
- raganwald 17y ago
  Are we in violent agreement?
  - javery 17y ago
    It appears so. I guess my main point was that MS seems to be trying to do what Apple does (limit hardware, make tough choices), but when you have vendors and partners that strategy is pretty rough on them.
ZeroGravitas 17y ago
The Zune replacing a plethora of PlaysForSure devices was itself an example of copying Apple's iPod strategy. This was the point when they realised their desktop strategy of creating an OS for multiple commodity hardware manufacturers wasn't working in the mobile device space. Windows Phone 7 Series is just taking the Zune and turning it into a phone. Which again, is copying Apple's iPod -> iPhone strategy and adding the odd compromise of still having multiple commodity manufacturers but constraining them all to producing near identical devices.