Windows Windows 8 Marmite thread... Because you either love it or hate it

On Twitter,

Microsoft announces:

https://twitter.com/WinAppUpdate/status/258672434633375744

A few weeks ago it was at about 3600 apps

 

Well I've just kicked my savings squarely in the nuts and ordered the system builder edition along with two SSDs. Which means I will now be going 100% SSD on windows 8.

 

You could have bought Windows 8 Pro Upgrade instead, if you were tight in money.
Its pre-order, so you can still modify your order, or cancel it, and get Windows 8 Pro upgrade digital download on Oct 26 for 40$ U.S

 

Its ok. If I didn't have the means I wouldn't have done it. I prefer to have the sys builder edition. Besides its the SSDs that are doing the real damage. Also this should be an upgrade that lasts a considerable length of time.

 

Ah ok,
But how many chocolate bars you could have with the saved money?

 

Actually I have that covered too, as a massive toblerone has just come into my possession.

 

Greetings!

 

start8 was key for me going with windows 8. I'm very happy with the latest beta. It disables the (what I find annoying) hot corners and allows the modern interface to be optional. Win all round.

 

Nokias latest financials don't make great reading For the future of its support of the platform. 754mil lost, at the current rate of loses they are bankrupt in less than a year. If nokias lumias are not a sales success I don't hold much hope for the company and with it the future of windows phone. Microsoft pay them 250mil per quarter so you could technically say they are 1bil near enough loses a quarter, if ms decides to look elsewere.

Microsoft may need to go talk more to Samsung about supporting the windows phone platform instead of making there own. For the sake of application support if nothing else.

 

The problem when you have 2 big company trying to work together, is that it doesn't work.
They are not in sync. If that makes sense. Nokia announces the Lumia 920, but Windows phone 8 is far from being ready. WHY? Nokia announced their phone WAY too early, already lost all hype, and excitement, and the release will barely be noticed. As for Microsoft, not providing actual status on Windows Phone 8, makes Nokia take bad decision. And its not the first time. It's like if they don't talk to each other, and both taking guesses.

Nokia has 3 problem to fix all at once, which is no easy feat, that is on top on what I said above:
1) They are trying to penetrate to the U.S Market. A Market VERY difficult to penetrate. Service Provider don't like you because you are new, and have no Apple like product where people will beg to have, to a point that they charge special, more expensive plan to them, and consumer ignores you, as you are new, and not have something groundbreaking. Plus, Nokia/Microsoft provides 0 advantage over other phones in term of after sale service.

Look at Apple:
-> OS update, directly. No waits. No exception, all phones are covered. You do it on the computer, and your done.
-> You got a problem with your phone? You call Apple, not your service provider.
-> Warranty coverage is by Apple also, not your service provider.

Nokia and Microsoft needs to set the above. They don't. The attempt in Windows Phone 7, clearly didn't work. They should be more serious about this.

2) They need to fix what the previous CEO of Nokia said "All our product sucks.", which he emphasis so many times, in news paper, interviews, and so on. Wow, lots of fate there pal, glad he is gone, but the current CEO has some serious damage control, and repair to do. This is hell for him.

3) Trying to boost and penetrate an OS platform, where the employees within Nokia aren't enthusiasts about, the structure of the company isn't design for this, where it needs to be restructured to be more efficient, and an OS that Microsoft let the cellphone manufacture do all the advertisement, they provide no advertisement support. If both Nokia, and Microsoft worked on advertisement together, they can have as much a TV ads as Apple, and people will be aware of their product. Sadly, web ads, and ads in YouTube videos aren't enough to get the mass population, you get people like you and me... that's a niche market.

Its a difficult task for both companies. Both aren't structures to build alliances. A small company can do this. But a large one with another large one. Ouch. I am no expert, but perhaps Nokia needs to be IN Microsoft, like Nokia has cellphone staff be part of big meeting from Windows Phone team to know what's going on, and exchange ideas. Nokia has knowledge of the market, and knows what people want more. Microsoft has the expertise to make a solid product and a full unified eco-system.
They need to be together, and work together. Not live in there own world. If the Windows Phone 8 doesn't pick up, the only hope that Nokia has, is that Microsoft has them and integrate them to Microsoft so that they can be part of the discussion, and maybe with Windows Phone 9, or 8.5, things will get better for both.

Anyway, that's my analysis on the current situation, with the information I current have in hand.

 

Just because company uses up all it's cash reserve it doesn't mean they will go bankrupt. Yeah, now they only have €3.6 billion cash reserve - after pretty much two quarters where they product wouldn't sell because MS pretty much ditched Windows Phone 7 devices, so no one will buy them if they can't upgrade them.

But cash reserve is only a part of the story - it's not like they don't have different cash sources. Sure, selling part of their patent portfolio will hurt their ego a bit, but can be a nice cash cow for some time if the situation doesn't turn to the better. 16k patents and 4k pending patents just in USA is a pretty big asset.

 

Problem is, Microsoft is not exactly a marketing genius either...

 

Whatever, that week would be full anyway. Apple event on Tuesday, then MS events, then Google event next Monday.

 

Gotta agree on the add stuff not seen a single windows 8 add for OS phone or tablet on general tv, a tonne of apple ads every day on the major channels in the uk and at the peak program hours during most of the big shows ( sports events soaps that all seen by millions )

Samsung also does a lot of advertising for its products ( guess that's why it's making money on andriod everyone else is loosing cash)

Just not been advertised to general consumer. Reports going around suggest Microsoft has 2-5% market share on the phone platform varies heavily per country ( outside of USA and Uk does not make good reading)

RIM is in a similar situation but its reducing its loses a lot quicker than Nokia is, and still has more market share + critical USA Canada government contracts.

 

Companies have tried selling patents for cash the big photo company Kodak for example it was expected to bring in 6-8bil the best offer was closer too 2bil.

Still sold 6.7mil windows phones faug its just not making enough on the sales. ( In the last 2 quarters alone)

They need to get the general consumer interested in the products, look at the hype for each Apple product launch or Samsung launch and then we wonder why every other phone company is struggling to break even.

 

Yup, Microsoft REALLY needs a new marketing team. Well, at least since Windows 7, Microsoft is showing decent ads of their product. They show you some cool features, and what you can do with it. They need to repeat this with Windows 8. The 7 second TV-ad were great. But that's not enough.

 

The Lumia ads were ubiquitous, but a disaster. They showed pretty coloured squares, an obtuse punch line and somewhere tucked in a corner amongst the noise the actual product. Apple just has a blank white space with BOOM! the product right in the middle of it. The punch line names the product and associates it with a positive action, emotion or experience. That's the way to do it.

 

I've got access to dreamspark premium once more . I've got the same options, however after clicking on one and checking under 'Are you eligible?' it states that I can download either the English version OR English-Great Britain version. I wonder if yours is the same, if so you'll have access to 2 licenses like me.

However I can also download another copy in another language (again limited to one of all the other languages in both 32bit and 64bit). Do you know if I could install another English copy using a key meant for a French version say? I could then upgrade my main pc, server and renderer to Win8 Pro x64 for free (if x86 keys can be used to install x64).

If other language keys can be used to install English Windows, then I'll have access to 4 licenses, either 2x32bit + 2x64bit or 4x64bit.

 

Greetings!

 

'Analysts' = Random number generators for (excuse me for the word) "idiots" who believe in what analysts say and buy stocks based on their word. They create unrealistic targets in middle of a industry wide drop of sales and then they are surprised if the company cannot meet those unrealistic targets made by "analysts". Because OMG, results are superbad, MS had only $4.47B USD profit instead of analyst expectations of $4.72B USD. OMG, what will we do, what will we do, MS is doomed, only $4.47B profit. That is like, not enough even for the salary of the morning shift, right ?