4 ms·

I agree on everything except Windows phone. It was terrible compared to Android & iOS.

by rajeshp1986 4y ago

paulryanrogers 4y ago
I thought it was great! Notification defaults, snappy, decent architecture. But network effects dictated that three platforms were too many.
drc500free 4y ago
I think TFA misses the main thing that made Windows Phone both fantastic and not competitive. They were selling an interpersonal communication device, and the organizing principle was a Contact. It demoed terribly because without your personal contacts loaded the OS made no sense. WITH your contacts loaded it was magic - you pinned your boss or your mother or your friend to the home screen, and it showed you every communication with that particular person across all channels. You spent some of your time at the OS level (not in a particular app) and most of your time not on your phone at all. IOS and Android were selling a pocket computer for media consumption. The organizing principle is the App. They demoed great, because Apps demo great without personalization. Windows Phone failed because they didn't take apps seriously. The devices were insanely underpowered, and App Stores became OS-specific walled gardens. No one was going to build a third version or their app when it was annoying already to build two. Windows didn't take apps seriously because they took the category name "Phone" very literally and positioned themselves around purposeful person-to-person communication. They failed to understand that the App Store revenue stream was actually what would keep the product line afloat and they had nothing similarly high-margin to replace it with. For people who still wanted to do that, it was amazing... but what most people wanted was a pocket computer called a "phone" that would be used to consume media, some of which came from their friends (not any particular friend) and some of which didn't.
- cpeterso 4y ago
  > you pinned your boss or your mother or your friend to the home screen I’m still surprised that iOS can’t do this! Instead of one tap to text or call a contact, you have to launch the appropriate app and find the right person in a list.
  - systoll 4y ago
    you can do this now with the contacts widget.
  - withinboredom 4y ago
    Just search for the contact from the Home Screen.

I agree on everything except Windows phone. It was terrible compared to Android & iOS.

I thought it was great! Notification defaults, snappy, decent architecture. But network effects dictated that three platforms were too many.

drc500free 4y ago

I think TFA misses the main thing that made Windows Phone both fantastic and not competitive. They were selling an interpersonal communication device, and the organizing principle was a Contact. It demoed terribly because without your personal contacts loaded the OS made no sense. WITH your contacts loaded it was magic - you pinned your boss or your mother or your friend to the home screen, and it showed you every communication with that particular person across all channels. You spent some of your time at the OS level (not in a particular app) and most of your time not on your phone at all. IOS and Android were selling a pocket computer for media consumption. The organizing principle is the App. They demoed great, because Apps demo great without personalization. Windows Phone failed because they didn't take apps seriously. The devices were insanely underpowered, and App Stores became OS-specific walled gardens. No one was going to build a third version or their app when it was annoying already to build two. Windows didn't take apps seriously because they took the category name "Phone" very literally and positioned themselves around purposeful person-to-person communication. They failed to understand that the App Store revenue stream was actually what would keep the product line afloat and they had nothing similarly high-margin to replace it with. For people who still wanted to do that, it was amazing... but what most people wanted was a pocket computer called a "phone" that would be used to consume media, some of which came from their friends (not any particular friend) and some of which didn't.

cpeterso 4y ago
> you pinned your boss or your mother or your friend to the home screen I’m still surprised that iOS can’t do this! Instead of one tap to text or call a contact, you have to launch the appropriate app and find the right person in a list.
- systoll 4y ago
  you can do this now with the contacts widget.
- withinboredom 4y ago
  Just search for the contact from the Home Screen.