Windows Phone 7 multitasking, revisited

 Windows Phone 7
Apr 172012
 

I wanted to post about this a couple of months ago when I first read it but I never did, so here it goes anyway, because it’s still relevant.

I wrote about Window Phone 7′s utterly useless implementation of “multitasking”, the reason being, among other things, the arbitrary number of five apps that you can have “running” at the same time instead of the number depending on the available RAM available; running a game such as “Infinity Blade” will inherently use considerably more RAM than a shopping list app, so it simply makes no sense to have that artificial limit of five apps. I thus predicted that the five-app limit would be way too restrictive (and making matters worse is the fact that you have a 3 min timeout before a background app closes on you).

Well, it turns out that prediction was quite correct, as even WP fans are now complaining about the five-apps limit. Problem is though most of them WP users STILL don’t get it, as they are still arguing about what fixed number of apps/cards should be able to run in the background.

But then again, if they really did get it they wouldn’t be using WP7 in the first place…

And when The Verge reviewed the Lumia 900 they wrote:

“…Though Microsoft has added some form of multitasking to the OS, there is nearly never a feeling that apps in the “background” are actually still waiting for you. In fact, many apps still deliver a splash screen to you when you reenter them — if this is a developer issue, then I guess most of the hardworking coders on this platform never got the memo. In short, it kind of sucks to use. Where iOS and Android at least feel responsive in packing and unpacking background apps, Windows Phone often comes across as broken and limp.”

I rest my case.

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Hyping the obvious

 Windows Phone 7
Aug 282011
 

I find it amusing that Matthew Miller points out that during his year with various Windows Phone 7 devices he hasn’t experienced a reset yet.

Well, duh! That is hardly surprising, nor impressive, given that WP7 has so far been little more than a feature phone, with no multitasking; if WP7 wouldn’t be rock solid even under those conditions then that would truly be an impressive feat of crappy engineering, wouldn’t it? But I guess WP7 fans just need something to rave about, what with the lack of other basic functionality.

And for the record, my iPhone 4 hasn’t had a single reset in the 9 months I have owned the phone. So what’s his point?

Rather, that still begs the question: what’s the point of WP7? Why would anyone bother with WP7 at all instead of an iPhone if you’re OK with a “walled garden”, or something like the Samsung Galaxy S2 (which is my current device) if you want a truly powerful and customizable phone? That’s the question that WP7 fans still have not been able to answer, beyond their loud yet empty and nonsensical hyping of the platform.

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Shocker! Windows Phone 7 Mango is not all that

 Windows Phone 7
Aug 202011
 

I have commented before how many WP7 users/fanboys are in complete denial about their platform, and rabidly go into defensive- and name calling mode when someone points out a flaw or make a negative comment about WP7. They surpass, by far, the iPhone zealots in that regard. (And to any WP7 users reading this: no, that is not a good thing).

The latest example of their attitude and behavior towards anyone who is not impressed by WP7 can be seen at WMPoweruser, who sum up Cnet’s Molly Wood’s experience for the last two weeks with WP7 Mango. It’s seemingly incomprehensibly to them that someone might simply not be impressed by, or even dislike, WP, and that WP actually might not be good. But what’s worse, it certainly was no good at all before Mango, and yet they reacted, behaved and responded exactly in the same way back then.

Is anyone, beyond your typical WP7 user/fanboy, surprised that WP Mango failed to impress a potential user?

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‘Stupid’ has a new name now (and a face)

 MeeGo, Nokia, Windows Phone 7
Aug 112011
 

It is now official that Nokia/Elop won’t offer the N9 in the UK either (along with the US – Update! nor in Germany). Among other things, the statement says:

“…Although we are delighted with the very positive reception [my emphasis] that the Nokia N9 has received, here in the UK there are no plans to offer the Nokia N9 at present.”

Given that Nokia is hemorrhaging money through their jugular vein right now, you would expect them (heck, any company!) to be desperate to sell a device that has had a “very positive reception”, even more so given that Nokia don’t have any other new high-end product right now and their WP7 phones don’t even have a launch date yet. And since, according to Stephen Elop, WP7 is superior to MeeGo/Harmattan, there is no chance of the N9 cannibalizing Nokia’s upcoming WP7. Right? Because that has been Elop’s message and argument all this time. Right? That WP7 is what consumers want, not the N9, hence Nokia’s decision to fully go with WP7. Right? Thus, the people who buy the N9 will eagerly jump to Nokia’s WP7 phones once they are out. Right? Because those devices will be superior to the N9 and will be what consumers really want, what with their “ecosystem” and everything. Right? So Nokia could make twice the profit by first selling people the N9 and then any WP7 phone, that people will be dying to get their hands on. Right? Because that should be the logic if Elop’s all-out WP7 bet is so right and sound. Right? Because if Nokia really wanted to release the N9 in every country then they would be allowed to do so because Nokia, under Elop, is not Microsoft’s biotch now. Right?

Yeah, right.

Given everything that Stephen Elop has done and said regarding the N9 since it was announced, I think it is now safe to make the name ‘Elop’ a synonym with the word ‘stupid’.

Thus, you could say:
“That’s just plain Elop!”

Or:
“What are you, Elop!?”

I wrote a post a few weeks back that could then be titled:
“It is not about Qt, it’s the OS, Elop!”

You could also use different forms of the name to mimic a noun. So Einstein’s famous quote would be:
“Only two things are infinite, the universe and human Elopness, and I’m not sure about the former.”

Of course, any word with a negative connotation (such as ‘stupid’) can also be used as an insult:
“You’re an Elop!”

‘Elop’ is obviously also equivalent to any of the synonyms of ‘stupid’, such as ‘dumb, ‘imbecile’, ‘ignoramus’, ‘dense’, ‘idiot’, ‘dimwit’….

So what other examples of ‘stupid’, sorry ‘Elop’, can you come up with??

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Nokia N9 vs. WP7

 MeeGo, Nokia, Windows Phone 7
Aug 052011
 

I think every single opinion I have read regarding Nokia’s decision to sell the N9 only in markets where they won’t launch their first WP7 phone, have given the same explanation so far: the N9 is threat to Nokia’s own WP7 sales and as such they will exist mainly (completely?) in separate markets.

WP7 users however seem to believe that the N9 would not stand a chance against a batch of WP7 phones on display, hence Nokia’s decision.

Personally, I find the latter explanation comical: given the rave reviews of the N9, which will likely be repeated in various magazines and newspapers when the get their hands on it, the N9 will likely receive a huge push as a result. And of course the unique colors only make for original and more personal phones than your standard black slab, which would make a blue/cyan or pink/cyan N9 stand out in a sea of black WP7 devices.

But imagine if Nokia would spend $120 million on promoting the N9 instead of WP7: does anyone really think that the N9 would not be a huge success for Nokia?

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The WP7 business model

 Windows Phone 7
Jul 252011
 

Apple’s business model is of course very clear: complete control over the platform and devices they sell. Android is the complete opposite: the platform (hardware + software) is open to everyone.

But what about Windows Phone? Where does it fit in? It is a hybrid between Apple’s and Android’s models: from the Apple-side, there is the tight control of the user experience and hardware, leaving little room (so far at least) for the OEMs to tweak and innovate; from Android you have the licensing model. So on the surface it seems that Microsoft have the best of both worlds with WP. But it is also a risky model as it is very easy for the phones from different OEMs to end up being virtually clones of each other, with the only differentiating factor being minor differences in the hardware, which could potentially be reduced even further by the specs/architecture requirement defined by Microsoft (which of course is why we have not seen any dual core CPUs in WP7 so far).

Some might point out that Nokia will be the exception, what with their supposed VIP status within the WP-sphere, but as I argued a couple of months ago, Nokia’s “green card” does not really make much sense, which was confirmed a few weeks ago when a senior Nokia executive said that they will in fact share the improvements they make to the platform with the other manufacturers.

So if WP7 phones do in fact turn out to be clones of each other I think that only a very few WP7 phones will sell well [relative to other WP7 phones], while most will simply be ignored by the consumers.

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A reason alone not to buy WP7 even with Mango

 Windows Phone 7
Jul 062011
 

First read this, which I posted back in 2009 (i.e. before iOS4 and multitasking was available on the iPhone) at my old blog.

I was quite certain that since the launch of the original iPhone, crippled multitasking would be a thing of the past on new devices/OSs. But this post (how’s that for history repeating itself?) then reminded me just how utterly useless Windows Phone 7 is in its current state.

But just when I thought that it could not get any sadder I came across this post about the multitasking in the upcoming Mango. Here is the relevant part for your convenience:

“You’ll be able to have up to 5 apps open and “multitasking”, and once you open a new application, the last app will be bumped off your multitasking list. That’s probably a perfect number for everyone, and will definitely help keep the operating system running smoothly.

And further down in the comments section by the same author:

“If you let an app sit in the multitasking section for awhile (like 3 minutes), it’ll tombstone and not be instantly resumed anymore. So it works fine as long as you’re switching between things quickly and frequently, but don’t expect to instantly jump back to a game after a few minutes!”

If true, that is just so wrong (read “pathetic”) on so many levels I don’t know where to even begin: the fact that a “modern” OS in 2011 still does not have multitasking; that people actually buy such a device at all; that when MS finally do come with a “solution” it is not even half baked (as in iOS); the arbitrary number of 5 apps that can “run” simultaneously (as opposed to the number being based on available RAM memory, though some WP7 users think that the criteria for that number should be based on the name “WP7″; he’s lucky MS did not chose the name WP1 then…); the author of the post jumping up and down in excitement because he will get multitasking on his WP7 device; the fact that the author even matter-of-factly states that the number 5 will be absolutely perfect for everyone(!); the author’s ignorance when he implies that multitasking will necessarily degrade the user experience on any phone (or maybe he just means WP7, but what does that say about the OS then?).

God forbid Windows Phone ever becomes the dominant OS, what with such followers/users and such poor OS design that it apparently cannot efficiently handle a reasonable number of concurrent process without noticeable slowdowns.

Oh, and if you have not been able to deduce so yet, I will not be buying a WP7 phone in the foreseeable future (again, if that post is true – it is such a poor implementation of multitasking that I am doubting whether the author is correct), whether it is from Nokia or any other maker; it is apparent that Windows Phone 7 and phones based on it will remain on my ‘What’s not’-list for a long time still….

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Two steps forward, one step back

 iOS, Windows Phone 7
Jul 022011
 

A few years ago, before the first iPhone, having a user accessible filesystem on your phone was basically a given. With Symbian you could/can just plug in your phone into your PC and it would show up as a USB drive (after selecting the USB mode). With Windows mobile it was not quite that straightforward, but there were free apps that you could install that would allow your phone to act as a USB drive. And then of course there was ActiveSync: when you connected your phone for syncing you were able to browse the filesystem within your personal documents folder. (Palm OS was a different matter since it basically did not have a file system).

Customizable ring tones were a little different though. On a Symbian phone you could/can simply select any track or MP3 file on your phone. On Windows mobile it was slightly more complicated, you had to store the file in a certain folder on your phone in order for it to show up in your list of selectable ring tones.

The point is that those feature were/are more or less readily available, and it was a given that for example you would be able to set any ringtone of your liking on your phone. But then came the iPhone and “everything changed”, though not necessarily for the better (even though Steve Jobs would like you to believe otherwise). And even now, in iOS4, there is still no way of selecting your own ring tone. In version 5 you will supposedly be able to buy ring tones from the App Store (what is this, 2002 all over again??), but that is obviously a completely useless “feature” and a blatant attempt by Apple to rake in easy money. And now it turns out that WP7 won’t be much better.

So while we are gaining some other features in our phones, for example better Twitter and Facebook integration, powerful browsers, etc, we are losing if not an equal then certainly an important number of features along the way. Apple obviously started the trend but what is disappointing is that Microsoft/WP7 has decided to follow exactly the same path instead of saying “we can do better than that while providing the same quality user experience”. But unfortunately the trend seems to be that while the so-called ecosystems are growing and the overall user experience is becoming more cohesive in many respects, some companies unfortunately seem to believe that a good user experience is incompatible with those useful, and dare I say basic, features.

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Why I would not want Microsoft to become the smartphone market leader

 Microsoft, Windows Phone 7
Jun 202011
 

No, it has nothing to do with the old ‘M$’. It has nothing to do with open source vs. commercial software either. My hope does not even have anything to do with my “disinterest” in WP7 right now.

The reason really is much more simple, and pragmatic, than that: whenever Microsoft has been the leader in any market they have all but stopped to innovate. Just to give a couple of examples, look no further than what happened after Microsoft came out victorious from the browser war between Internet Explorer and Netscape. They virtually stopped developing their browser and it was not until Firefox and later Chrome began to gain popularity that Microsoft finally put some effort into improving their browser again. And then of course there is the example of Windows Mobile: after Palm committed suicide by refusing to improve their hardware and software in their devices Microsoft had a window (no pun intended) of opportunity of 2-3 years to get a stronghold of the smartphone market. But instead, seemingly true to their modus operandi, they simply seemed happy that their largest competitor was out of the game and basically put their mobile OS in the drawer to collect dust. And look just how long it took Microsoft to react after that – even Steve Ballmer admitted they were late to the party.

Now I’m not saying that the other players would be any better if any of them became market leaders (just look at Nokia how complacent they became!). On the contrary, if I had to make a bet I would say that they would likely behave in the same way. But that is a supposition – with Microsoft it is a fact. They have proved that on more than one occasion.

Having said that, I really don’t expect either Microsoft nor any of the other players to become so dominant in the smartphone space that they can afford to just sit back and relax. But if one of them were to become the leader then, again, I sincerely hope that it will be Microsoft’s lot to be the chaser.

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Windows Phone 7 + Metro UI: an unappealing proposition

 Windows Phone 7
Jun 122011
 

OK, just for the record: I am completely and utterly unimpressed by Windows Phone 7, and that is putting it gently. I would be hard pressed to even classify it as a smartphone right now, what with the lack of multitasking.

I stated this before on some other site but I will repeat it here again: I would never, with a clean conscience, recommend a WP7 phone in its current incarnation to anyone I know. And I have tried it enough to know. I think that the live tiles are plain boring and very limited compared to widgets, and the Metro UI is appalling – it looks as if the design team came to a complete stop in the middle of the wireframe stage of the design process (wiki).

One of the sacred UI rules on a small screen is to take maximum advantage of the limited screen by displaying the maximum amount of useful information, but instead WP7 have these huge headers in most apps, with a font size that seems to be targeted at the visually impaired. But apparently the Windows Phone 7 team thought that was more important than always displaying the top status bar. How is that good usability?

And while I am at it: I have all but stopped reading comments on WP7 sites as the posters (=WP7 users) sound like they are in a state of as much denial and defensive regarding their platform as your typical iPhone user was, circa 2007, and I have little patience for that.

And for those who have not had the chance to make up their own minds yet, and if you actually are still in doubt about Windows Phone 7, have look at this and this video review of a couple of HTC phones.

Will I be able to look past Metro UI once Mango arrives? That remains to be seen.

UPDATE:
No matter how much the zealots in the comments below yell in a desperate attempt to distract from the matter at hand, there are in fact other professional designers who do agree that Metro UI is not very attractive (shocker!).

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Nokia’s exclusive WP7 features: it doesn’t add up

 Nokia, Windows Phone 7
Jun 092011
 

Nokia has said that they will have some kind of VIP relationship with Microsoft, and as a result be able to tweak the OS and add their own exclusive features to the platform.

That whole argument strikes me as odd primarily for one reason: assuming that Nokia actually will be allowed add significant, deep level features to the OS that they will not need to share with the other WP7 manufacturers, then why should the other manufacturers (e.g. Samsung, HTC, LG) want to continue to produce WP7 phones at all given that they would be in a permanent and default disadvantage against Nokia; for them it would be like being in an abusive relationship. I do not see any reason, no incentive, for them to license and manufacture WP7 phones under those conditions. For anyone wanting to buy a WP7 phone, and for the sellers, it would be a no-brainer: Nokia would be the brand to buy and recommend just for those added and exclusive features.

So again, why would the rest of the WP7 manufacturers bother at all with WP7 under that scenario? Obviously they wouldn’t.

And that could explain why both Microsoft and Nokia keep repeating that the other manufacturers are important in the WP ‘ecosystem’, i.e. it could be a false reassurance so that they stay in the game until Nokia starts producing their phones so that WP7 sales don’t stall completely in the meantime. It could also explain HTC’s recent announcement to wind down their WP7 efforts.

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Was Stephen Elop right to go with WP7?

 MeeGo, Symbian, Windows Phone 7
Jun 052011
 

Tomi Ahonen has written an interesting post over at his blog – it is very long but relevant for anyone who is truly interested in smartphones, so much that it prompted me, after a looong break from posting (and after having moved to and back from abroad in the meantime), to start posting again and write about my own view of Elop’s decision to go with WP7.

Overall I agree with Tomi, though think that maybe he underestimates the perception of who are the market leaders. Also, one thing is units sold (where Nokia is still the undisputed champion), but another matter is the profit made regardless of the number units sold which (where Apple reigns), and I don’t think he gave that distinction any attention; at the end of the day, it is the profit that matters.

But one of my main issues with with Elop’s decision to go 100% with WP7, which he based on the term ‘ecosystem’ which he constantly keeps throwing around, is that I believe the idea of an ‘ecosystem’, and which obviously stems from Apple’s attempt to create one (i.e. “the walled garden“) is vastly overrated. It’s a buzzword, a fad, that will disappear.

Let me explain. On your PC you don’t have an ‘ecosystem’ nor does anyone think in those terms. What you do have is a platform (=OS) and all you want is simply the tools (=apps) that will allow you to do what you want/need, whether it be the browser or dedicated programs.

Why do people think that it is a good idea to treat smartphones any differently, and even more so when smartphones are becoming more like PCs? Why would I want to be tied to any ‘ecosystem’ to have access to and download my tools (=apps), or upload files, or participate in a social network?

What Apple got right, besides from the UI/usability, was the appstore, i.e. a simple way of finding and downloading the tools/apps that you want or need. But that is it. (Note that an appstore is not the same as an ‘ecosystem’).

Now some people make the case that people want to have a seamless experience on their phone, and that inevitably requires an ‘ecosystem’. But that is not true nor the solution, or at least not the ideal solution. What they *should* be focusing on instead is to create a solid API so that the app developers can provide that experience (if the platform creators haven’t already, that is).

Nokia had the clout to bring that open platform, with superior hardware, to the masses (probably in the shape of MeeGo) but, as Tomi notes, they failed miserably with the execution. But that doesn’t mean the idea was wrong.

So even though Elop is absolutely right about that drastic changes are needed in Nokia (especially note the last paragraph in the link), the solution is not to copy the other players, but rather to drastically change the organization in order to quickly get Nokia to execute on that broader, greater vision that goes beyond ‘ecosystems’ (think what Google did on the PC). Now that doesn’t happen overnight obviously and in the meantime they would have needed to do a lot of firefighting which could very well have included adopting WP7 or Android in some way, but certainly not to the extent and fashion that Elop executed it; e.g. imagine Nokia doing their very best to create the best speced Android phone on the market (aka. a Samsung G2 but with a better camera, perhaps a keyboard, etc.); Samsung will be selling millions of their high-end G2, with high profit margins, so why wouldn’t Nokia do equally well or better while they get their act together?

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