Microsoft betrays the trust of customers and partners in the name of progre

[CentralDogma]

It?s been a big week for Microsoft: The company surprised everyone by announcing the Surface tablet, a product that finally gets Microsoft into the computing hardware business. And yesterday, Microsoft finally lifted the curtain on Windows Phone 8, which aims to further marry its mobile ambitions with Windows 8.

Microsoft is for once the cool kid in the technology world, like a beaten-down nerd who inexplicably becomes Prom King (there?s a John Hughes movie in there, somewhere). But while much of Microsoft?s new-found popularity is deserved, it?s also become increasingly clear that the company is willing to betray the trust of consumers and its partners to get its way.

The trouble with Windows Phone 8

Microsoft confirmed yesterday that existing Windows Phone devices won?t get upgraded to Windows Phone 8. That includes the Nokia Lumia 900, which launched just two months ago. Microsoft is releasing an update, Windows Phone 7.8, which will have many WP8 features, but that may not be enough to satisfy early adopters.

Windows Phone is still a fledgling platform, even though it?s been out since the Fall of 2010. Consumers who decided to buy a Lumia 900 over the far more mature iPhone or Android phones put a certain amount of faith in Microsoft and Nokia. Now that faith has been betrayed. Losing the love of a handful of users is no sweat for Microsoft, but for Nokia it could be disastrous.

What?s even worse, it seems that Nokia knew it was building obsolete devices when it joined up with Microsoft last year, sources tell TechCrunch. At that point, Nokia had no choice but to agree to Microsoft?s terms: It desperately needed a new mobile OS. But if true, the arrangement would validate the greatest fears Nokia?s fans had about the Microsoft deal. Nokia effectively sold its soul to build the Lumia phones.

The far bigger problem for both Nokia and Microsoft now is that they?ve triggered the Osborne effect. Now that every knows that Windows Phone 8 will only be available on new devices this Fall, who?s going to buy a Windows Phone before then? Chumps, that?s who.

Both Nokia and Microsoft are obviously aware of the potential issues following the Windows 8 announcement, though that doesn?t seem to mean much. In response to a pleading letter from a Lumia buyer (via Engadget), Nokia CEO Stephen Elop wrote:

As we showed today, we have a lot of exciting capabilities coming as part of a pattern of updates for the existing Lumia products. This includes some of the most significant visual elements of WP8 ? for example, the new start screen. As we have always been, Nokia is committed to delivering a long-term experience to any purchasers of our products.

Apparently, a long-term experience to Elop means a phone that?s made obsolete in less than a year.

Looking below the Surface

Then there?s Surface, Microsoft?s bold attempt to finally build its own PC hardware. Like many, I was intrigued by the tablet (though not as much as VentureBeat?s John Koetsier, who went ga-ga for it). The Surface?s design is slick, the accessories are actually innovative, I can?t wait to touch-type the heck out of that keyboard cover, and in many ways, it offers a glimpse at the future of computing. Check out our hands-on with the Surface for more details on how amazing-looking this device is.

The Surface with Windows 8 Pro, for example, is no different than a standard Windows laptop. You?re not compromising productivity like you do with the iPad or Android tablets.

Microsoft is obviously trying to kick-start the Windows 8 ecosystem with a bang. All future Windows 8 devices will be judged against the Surface?s elegant design, much as Google?s Nexus family of devices sets the standard for Android. The company isn?t just aiming at tablets either. Eventually, all Windows PCs will resemble the Surface.

You could look at the Surface as a middle finger from Microsoft to lazy OEM partners, but there are still plenty of Windows PC makers that have stepped up their game with the recent Ultrabook trend (specifically, Samsung, Dell and HP).

While a noble goal, the way the software giant went about it seemed crass, as many partners reportedly didn?t even know about the Surface until it was announced (or at the very least, they were given very short notice).

The Surface announcement felt rushed from the get-go: Invites went out a week before the LA unveiling and attendees didn?t know where to go until the day of the event. I have a sneaking feeling that Microsoft didn?t plan to unveil the Surface so soon, and it was forced to do so to preempt an expected Nexus tablet announcement at Google?s I/O conference.

Microsoft holds all the cards with Windows 8. It?s not as if its partners are going to abandon the platform. But I can?t imagine that PC manufacturers are happy about the Surface, especially the ones who have actually been trying to build better machines.

With the Surface, Microsoft has opened itself up to an eventual day of reckoning from PC makers.

Fear leads to anger

Look beyond the hype from this week and you?ll see a company that?s unquestionably afraid: afraid of losing out on the tablet and smartphone market; afraid of the death of the traditional PC; and ultimately, afraid of no longer being relevant.

While I?m optimistic of Microsoft?s chances to succeed with Windows Phone and Windows 8, I?m worried about what it?s taking for the company to actually get there. Microsoft has plenty of users, but fewer outright fans. The company needs to support those true believers, not betray them with obsolete software. And when it comes to OEMs, Microsoft shouldn?t forget that it also needs to support those same companies that it?s now abruptly competing against.

What?s sad is that Microsoft isn?t a company that needs to be desperate. With Windows Phone and Windows 8, it has great platforms that offer quite a bit to consumers. Microsoft doesn?t need to be anxious about how far along Apple and Google are in market share.

It just needs to do three things: Be confident. Be cool. Be Microsoft.

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[Dot Matrix]

The only betrayal I see here is Lumia customers. Everything about Microsoft betraying OEMs is pure crap. The only ones to betray OEMs were themselves.

[ahhell]

What a **** article.

For example:

"The Surface announcement felt rushed from the get-go: Invites went out a week before the LA unveiling and attendees didn?t know where to go until the day of the event. I have a sneaking feeling that Microsoft didn?t plan to unveil the Surface so soon, and it was forced to do so to preempt an expected Nexus tablet announcement at Google?s I/O conference."

They kept it secret so that the Surface wouldn't leak before hand. This dude is moron.

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

And I suppose android phone manufacturers are any better?

What this article neglects to mention is that Windows Phone 8 phones have an 18 month OTA upgrade promise.

This is just more people wanting to hate on Microsoft.

[thealexweb]

Be happy you're not on Windows Mobile 6.5, their app store got pulled, gotta love the commitment from MS there.

[ahhell]

Be happy you're not on Windows Mobile 6.5, their app store got pulled, gotta love the commitment from MS there.

I have a WM6.5 (don't use it anymore). There was hardly anything of value on the store anyway. Most were poorly written apps that barely ran. It's no big loss.

[George P Global Moderator]

If you think Lumia owners are being betrayed then that's on you, but I don't think it's that clear cut. Nokia has done lots with it's exclusive apps and games that have been released or are coming soon to the Lumia, something other WP7.x OEMs don't seem to care about at all. As for not getting WP8, I think there's a perfectly reasonible technical limitation that stopped this from happening. That is, from everything I've been able to read, the lack of DirectX 11 GPU support on current WP7.5 hardware. DirectX 11 and it's driver model are core to WP8 and even Windows itself. How can you expect the OS to run when the hardware has zero support for DirectX? And don't bring up Direct3D mobile, because it's not the same.

While 7.8 doesn't bring the whole list with it, I think it will have enough to keep current owners happy till they can get a new WP8 device. Also, and everyones so quick to just gloss over this. What would developers do even if we could get WP8 on our devices? As we've already seen with Tango and 256MB phones there are a number of apps that won't run on them even though the OS is exactly the same between 256MB and 512MB phones. So then what guarantees do users have that developers won't just code for the newer dual core and 1GB RAM phones for their games/apps and just leave out older phones because they don't meet the "minimum specs"? I'd say nothing does.

[BigBoy]

There are dumb articles, very dumb articles and then there is this.

Trying to address false premises and purely anti-MS bias here line by line would be a waste of time.

[George P Global Moderator]

Be happy you're not on Windows Mobile 6.5, their app store got pulled, gotta love the commitment from MS there.

MS said that was coming, way in advance IIRC. Also devs totally jumped ship soon after MS started to show WP7. It was dead because development was dead on it. The same as webOS and it's starting to look like BB as well.

[ahhell]

MS said that was coming, way in advance IIRC. Also devs totally jumped ship soon after MS started to show WP7. It was dead because development was dead on it. The same as webOS and it's starting to look like BB as well.

This. I think it was a good 6 months (maybe longer) when the notifications started going out.

[funkydude]

The only person I blame is the idiot that named it 7.8, if they had just named it 8 and removed various features like iOS does no one would bat an eye lid... instead people are raging over what is essentially a different version number.

[BoredBozirini]

And I suppose android phone manufacturers are any better?

What this article neglects to mention is that Windows Phone 8 phones have an 18 month OTA upgrade promise.

This is just more people wanting to hate on Microsoft.

How long has the iPhone 3GS been out? Yeah.

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

How long has the iPhone 3GS been out? Yeah.

Yes and it has been upgraded during it's lifetime, agreed. It has features removed.

I agree that they should put 8 on these and just removed features, but like GP007 said, it just wouldn't be possible.

Windows phone 7 phones won't be able to run it properly.

Hey Microsoft, can you please update my phone to WP8.

"Sure"

Hey Microsoft, my phone doesn't work. It's all YOUR fault.

Yeah.

[George P Global Moderator]

That was stated as "at least" 18 months of OTA updates from the time you buy your phone not the time WP8 ships. That's a pretty big difference right there and something that isn't being stressed. If you buy a WP8 phone 4 months before WP9 ships, the way the comment sounds, you'll get WP9.

It's a clear cut stance going forward, probably because they're not going to change the core of the OS again anyways. It also doesn't say it's only 18 months, it could be 2 years. At some point though older phones will get left out, carriers would toss a fit otherwise I'm sure.

[Anthonyd]

So when Nintendo announced the 3DS, they stabbed al DS users? What a FUD here :/

Also, let's talk about MS partners building Android devices, they are the one stabbing MS, not the opposite.

Finally, blaming MS because they are building a device using MS Research work is just incredibly stupid!

[+LogicalApex MVC]

And I suppose android phone manufacturers are any better?

What this article neglects to mention is that Windows Phone 8 phones have an 18 month OTA upgrade promise.

This is just more people wanting to hate on Microsoft.

Hopefully we can get to a point where fanboyism isn't so blinding... This 18 month promise is a joke almost. It doesn't cover Windows Phone 7.5 handsets that launched little over a month ago, like the Lumia 900. As a result, Microsoft is asking users to take them at their word on this, a promise they are already breaking.

Especially since the whole reason MS created a chassis specification in the first place was to ensure they could release updates for devices and not suffer the problem Android has (an unlimited combination of hardware to support).

WP8 looks good, but there is no way around the fact that MS is throwing existing users under the bus on this one.

[still1]

The only person I blame is the idiot that named it 7.8, if they had just named it 8 and removed various features like iOS does no one would bat an eye lid... instead people are raging over what is essentially a different version number.

people would still rage about wp8 apps not compatible with wp7... Its same as pulling WM 6.5 market place down but slowly.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Yes and it has been upgraded during it's lifetime, agreed. It has features removed.

I agree that they should put 8 on these and just removed features, but like GP007 said, it just wouldn't be possible.

Windows phone 7 phones won't be able to run it properly.

Hey Microsoft, can you please update my phone to WP8.

"Sure"

Hey Microsoft, my phone doesn't work. It's all YOUR fault.

Yeah.

which is basically what Microsoft is doing with WP7.8 people are just complaining because it's not called WP8 and isn't getting the kernel change (and there's a reason for not getting that kernel change, in fact if i remember correctly the kernel change has everything to do with why the phones aren't getting the full WP8)

[Motoko.]

This move was the best thing MS could of done. People will upgrade to better phones as the hardware gets better so software is even more paramount to reap the benefits, it's not like Lumia customers were left in the dust. Your phone retains all the features it was advertised along with a finishing touch of 7.8; remember that Apple had a significant problem with older iphones slowing down with each iOS update. MS is taking notes and will manage more effectively from Apple's mistakes.

Don't let this dumbass article fool you.

[DrakeN2k]

Android is just the same lots of phones dont have ICS and never will.

When you buy a new mobile its out of date already, it was a massive wait for my SGS2 to get upgraded to ICS.

[Active.]

This move was the best thing MS could of done. People will upgrade to better phones as the hardware gets better [...]

Everybody wins! :rofl:

[+KibosJ Subscriber²]

Hopefully we can get to a point where fanboyism isn't so blinding... This 18 month promise is a joke almost. It doesn't cover Windows Phone 7.5 handsets that launched little over a month ago, like the Lumia 900. As a result, Microsoft is asking users to take them at their word on this, a promise they are already breaking.

Especially since the whole reason MS created a chassis specification in the first place was to ensure they could release updates for devices and not suffer the problem Android has (an unlimited combination of hardware to support).

WP8 looks good, but there is no way around the fact that MS is throwing existing users under the bus on this one.

I hope you weren't saying I am a fanboy... I have never owned a Windows Phone, ever. I'm not tied to any Microsoft Product at all. I just think people are complaining for the sake of bashing Microsoft.

As Humanz says, your Lumia 900 still has all the features it was advertised with AND it is getting an upgrade to 7.8 AND who's to say it won't get more updates after that? It just won't get 8.

Adding to this though, Microsoft should never have released stupidly underpowered phones, whether the OS needs it or not, they should keep with what the rest of the market is, so then this wouldn't happen.

This move was the best thing MS could of done. People will upgrade to better phones as the hardware gets better so software is even more paramount to reap the benefits, it's not like Lumia customers were left in the dust. Your phone retains all the features it was advertised along with a finishing touch of 7.8; remember that Apple had a significant problem with older iphones slowing down with each iOS update. MS is taking notes and will manage more effectively from Apple's mistakes.

Don't let this dumbass article fool you.

Android is just the same lots of phones dont have ICS and never will.

When you buy a new mobile its out of date already, it was a massive wait for my SGS2 to get upgraded to ICS.

Android is a little different, because manufacturers go wild and do what the hell they want and then make it so you can't upgrade without them! Stupid android manufacturers.

[+LogicalApex MVC]

which is basically what Microsoft is doing with WP7.8 people are just complaining because it's not called WP8 and isn't getting the kernel change (and there's a reason for not getting that kernel change, in fact if i remember correctly the kernel change has everything to do with why the phones aren't getting the full WP8)

*sigh* No, people aren't complaining about a version number difference. People are complaining because there are two separate OSs. The only thing that is the same between 7.8 and 8 is centered around the Start Screen looking the same.

Developers can't use the same application on both unless they target their app to the lowest common denominator (7.8) and rely on a compatibility layer to get it running on 8. They can't build an application the takes advantage of the features of both 8 and Mango devices without building two separate applications.

Mango device users will have a race against the clock here. If WP8 proves to get any interest from developers they'll face a continually shrinking app store. This hurts them as well.

Why is it so hard to see that this was an extremely bad choice?

This really makes me not want to recommend anyone I know to pick up a Windows Phone device. Microsoft can't keep rebooting this platform and expecting it to survive.

[neo158]

What people fail to realise, which they would if they watched the keynote, is that Windows Phone 8 uses the Secure Boot features of the Windows 8 kernel, which, in turn, requires the security hardware in the Snapdragon S4 to run and that's without even mentioning Bitlocker. WP8 wouldn't even boot on WP7 devices because of this.

[funkydude]

The only thing that is the same between 7.8 and 8 is centered around the Start Screen looking the same.

Incorrect. There is no confirmation that 7.8 will "just be a new start screen", what is confirmed is that 7.8 will contain the new start screen, there is still more to be announced, just like Joe explicitly stated.