Apple vs. Microsoft: a Tale of Two Mobile Updates

snydeq writes "The latest mobile updates from Apple and Microsoft provide a stark contrast, one emblematic of the differences between the two companies, InfoWorld's Ted Samson writes. Militantly on time, Apple's iOS 4.3 update offers significant new functionality, total disregard for what Apple considers outdated systems, and mandated silencing of user complaints. Microsoft, meanwhile, has finally managed to push out an alleged February update to a subset of users, along with a lamentation about having to deal with handset and carrier fragmentation."

Re:Windows Phone 7

[wan9xu]

well let's see it from my point of perspective. i bought a WP7 phone, fully knowing the lack of certain key features, and erred on the promise that said features will be added in a prompt and timely manner. i also counted on the promise that carriers will not be able to mess with the OS thru version fragmentation, bloatware and update blocks.

so far the only solid return i got was the bloatware exclusion (they uninstall without leaving discernible traces). everything else is, for all practical purposes, down the crapper. aside from that, can you imagine having an app store that you seriously DREAD to use but have no choice? yeah, the WP7 marketplace is really that bad.

i don't give a cow's rear end about how great it is for developers to write WP7 apps. i didn't pay for a phone to appreciate that. and i'm pretty sure i'm not alone in my rant above.

Re:28 months of updates and they're still not happ

[binarylarry]

Every android phone running Cyanogen mod.

Re:Windows Phone 7

[gcnaddict]

The UI model is literally completely different from that of the iPhone. Whereas the iPhone is function-centric (you have to run an app to see data relating to that app), Windows Phone 7 is data-centric (apps pool data under categories which the user can access. For instance, Contacts would have twitter, facebook, and standard contact info along with info plugged into it by other applications.

It's a completely different approach to user interfaces, so calling Windows Phone 7 a copy of the iPhone is quite literally false in every possible sense.

Are you kidding?!

[Anonymous Coward]

Looking at the instructions for a Sprint HTC Hero [cyanogenmod.com], you have to:

• Install an Android SDK and configure it to talk to the phone.
• Download some packages from 'somewhere', and run a bunch of command line commands to root your phone.
• Now your warranty, extended warranty, etc. is VOID
• Download and install a ''Recovery Image'
• "Flash" your radio
• Flash CyanogenMod and reboot

Re:The whining is hilarious

[brobins8]

They didn't discontinue the iPhone 3G until June 7, 2010. Inventories don't often magically evaporate either so who knows when the iPhone 3G was no longer for sale by Apple's partners. They should do the right thing and do a point release of whatever iOS will run on the 3G containing just the security fixes.

Re:Windows Phone 7

[517714]

I have a WinMo 6.5 phone that I think is fantastic, but I would not consider WP 7 because it will not do as much as my current phone, and it is unlikely to improve precisely because it is completely different. Microsoft abandoned all of its developers so they are late to the party with an OS with no track record and new developer tools and a multitude of incompatible devices. Nokia may be the best phone manufacturer,but they are well down the scale when it comes to smart phones. WP 7 phones will have as much influence on the smart phone market as the Zune has had on the MP3 player market.

Re:Windows Phone 7

[BasilBrush]

Actually, I don't mean like the Newton interface. The Newton UI is just like the iPhone UI: it's a presentation layer for applications which accomplish different tasks, nothing more.

Metro UI in Windows Phone 7 is data-centric because of the fact that data is prioritized, meaning that applications supply data to central access points where the user can see what he/she wants to see.

Actually, What you describe is so very much like the Newton UI, if you hadn't said you were talking about Windows Phone, many people would have guessed Newton instead.

From Wikipedia:

"Data in Newton is stored in object-oriented databases known as soups. One of the innovative aspects of Newton is that soups are available to all programs; and programs can operate cross-soup; meaning that the calendar can refer to names in the address book; a note in the notepad can be converted to an appointment, and so forth; and the soups can be programmer-extendedâ"a new address book enhancement can be built on the data from the existing address book.

Another consequence of the data-object soup is that objects can extend built-in applications such as the address book so seamlessly that Newton users can sometimes not distinguish which program or add-on object is responsible for the various features on their own system, because the advanced nature of Newton devices makes it easy to accept such add-ons."

You're certainly right that WP is in no way a copy of iPhone though.