18 ms·

Windows Phone 8 was probably one of the best OS's Microsoft ever did. It was fast on cheap hardware and the UI actually had just one idea instead of several lay

by dep_b 9y ago

Windows Phone 8 was probably one of the best OS's Microsoft ever did. It was fast on cheap hardware and the UI actually had just one idea instead of several layers of cruft of generations of unfinished new ideas. It was more open than iOS where it counted and more closed than Android where it mattered. So naturally it failed.

gruez 9y ago
>It was more open than iOS where it counted and more closed than Android where it mattered. Elaborate on counted vs mattered?
- TomMarius 9y ago
  Customization vs security, probably.
- dep_b 9y ago
  Well Microsoft got a great balance between allowing a programmer or a user to do things without allowing them end up with a phone that drains battery too fast, isn't secure, looks like a mess etcetera. Most important is it's update model. It just works. A mid range WP Nokia would be a great secondary phone to me (disclosure: I'm an iOS developer) if it would have any traction.
nwah1 9y ago
Windows 10 Mobile is better. Developers can use the same XAML + C# toolchain for universal apps, but easily deploy to desktops as well. The Edge browser is much better. It is fast, and shares the same kernel as regular Windows, as well as Xbox. The upcoming mobile version will have something called CShell which means that the interface will be shared among desktop and mobile, meaning that there will be no differences aside from x86 support.
- 201709User 9y ago
  Are we supposed to buy legacy/obscure devices to get it though? They lied about upgrading my 920 very blatantly.
  - Dolores12 9y ago
    If you are talking about Windows 10 mobile on lumia 920 you can upgrade it by installing their app called Upgrade Advisor[0] in windows store. [0] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13778 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13778
    - 201709User 9y ago
      It doesn't work. Why would you waste my time like that? Have you tried it like I just did? Have you seen the comments there?
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - ThrowawayR2 9y ago
    > Are we supposed to buy legacy/obscure devices to get it though? It hasn't been advertised to regular consumers because it's targeted at business users but the HP Elite x3 is the current flagship Windows Phone device.
    - 201709User 9y ago
      I guess you are right but the price/feature combination is not for me.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  Windows 10 Mobile is not getting the Fall Creators Update, it was parked in a development branch, guess how many of us still care about doing UWP apps for it?
  - nwah1 9y ago
    The newest and most common out of the existing phones are getting the fall creators update, but a "feature2" branch without CShell. I believe CShell can run all the existing UWP apps. .NET and UWP sound like they'll be unaffected by CShell, except that developers targetting CShell will want to ensure their apps work on a larger range of display resolutions.
    - pjmlp 9y ago
      I doubt any Windows developer would be willing to keep on that track, after yet another deception.
  - WorldMaker 9y ago
    Rumors abound that 10 on mobile isn't getting the FCU for reasons of surprise/marketing/skipping ahead to Redstone 4. There's a lot of talk about "Andromeda OS" and the idea that it is something different from Windows 10 on mobile, but there's also signs/rumors that seem to say "Andromeda OS" is just an internal project name for the release plans after FCU (which is Redstone 3).
    - pjmlp 9y ago
      The problem with that decision, is that the very last ones actually enjoying WP10, just lost any hope left.
      - WorldMaker 9y ago
        I'm right there worried about things. I've got a tablet I keep active in the Windows Insider program and reading release notes it's very disconcerting these days to see the 15,000 build numbers on mobile versus the 16,000 build numbers everywhere else. I want to see excitement in the Feedback Hub about mobile and wish it were easier to run Insider builds on mobile without worrying about accidentally toasting your emergency needs device and/or 2FA device. I'd like to still hope that the Windows team knows what they are doing this time and the results will work out, but yes, things look pretty bleak today.

by dep_b 9y ago

gruez 9y ago

>It was more open than iOS where it counted and more closed than Android where it mattered. Elaborate on counted vs mattered?

TomMarius 9y ago
Customization vs security, probably.
dep_b 9y ago
Well Microsoft got a great balance between allowing a programmer or a user to do things without allowing them end up with a phone that drains battery too fast, isn't secure, looks like a mess etcetera. Most important is it's update model. It just works. A mid range WP Nokia would be a great secondary phone to me (disclosure: I'm an iOS developer) if it would have any traction.

nwah1 9y ago

Windows 10 Mobile is better. Developers can use the same XAML + C# toolchain for universal apps, but easily deploy to desktops as well. The Edge browser is much better. It is fast, and shares the same kernel as regular Windows, as well as Xbox. The upcoming mobile version will have something called CShell which means that the interface will be shared among desktop and mobile, meaning that there will be no differences aside from x86 support.

201709User 9y ago
Are we supposed to buy legacy/obscure devices to get it though? They lied about upgrading my 920 very blatantly.
- Dolores12 9y ago
  If you are talking about Windows 10 mobile on lumia 920 you can upgrade it by installing their app called Upgrade Advisor[0] in windows store. [0] https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13778 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13778
  - 201709User 9y ago
    It doesn't work. Why would you waste my time like that? Have you tried it like I just did? Have you seen the comments there?
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- ThrowawayR2 9y ago
  > Are we supposed to buy legacy/obscure devices to get it though? It hasn't been advertised to regular consumers because it's targeted at business users but the HP Elite x3 is the current flagship Windows Phone device.
  - 201709User 9y ago
    I guess you are right but the price/feature combination is not for me.
pjmlp 9y ago
Windows 10 Mobile is not getting the Fall Creators Update, it was parked in a development branch, guess how many of us still care about doing UWP apps for it?
- nwah1 9y ago
  The newest and most common out of the existing phones are getting the fall creators update, but a "feature2" branch without CShell. I believe CShell can run all the existing UWP apps. .NET and UWP sound like they'll be unaffected by CShell, except that developers targetting CShell will want to ensure their apps work on a larger range of display resolutions.
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    I doubt any Windows developer would be willing to keep on that track, after yet another deception.
- WorldMaker 9y ago
  Rumors abound that 10 on mobile isn't getting the FCU for reasons of surprise/marketing/skipping ahead to Redstone 4. There's a lot of talk about "Andromeda OS" and the idea that it is something different from Windows 10 on mobile, but there's also signs/rumors that seem to say "Andromeda OS" is just an internal project name for the release plans after FCU (which is Redstone 3).
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    The problem with that decision, is that the very last ones actually enjoying WP10, just lost any hope left.
    - WorldMaker 9y ago
      I'm right there worried about things. I've got a tablet I keep active in the Windows Insider program and reading release notes it's very disconcerting these days to see the 15,000 build numbers on mobile versus the 16,000 build numbers everywhere else. I want to see excitement in the Feedback Hub about mobile and wish it were easier to run Insider builds on mobile without worrying about accidentally toasting your emergency needs device and/or 2FA device. I'd like to still hope that the Windows team knows what they are doing this time and the results will work out, but yes, things look pretty bleak today.