Today, at a press event in San Francisco, Microsoft launched two mobile phones which run a specialised, social media-oriented version of Windows Phone. The devices are aimed at the social generation of teens and twentysomethings (I shall burn in hell for writing that), and while they do not appeal to me (and you, I take it) in any way, shape, or form, they do sport an immensely interesting user interface.
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I don't think it's "terrible" to have a large social network (much as "networking" is overhyped these days). However, knowing what most social network sites are used for, I can see a day where the bulk of a teen's social interactions are punctuated by chirps heralding such important messages as "Jenny just harvested their chicken coop and found some Treasured Golden Mystery Eggs, and wants to thank their friends for feeding the chickens!"
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These aren't windows mobile devices or windows 7 phones. They just shanked themselves. What the heck is the point of this line of phones? Why couldn't they just have a less powerful win 7 phone?
These are like a motoblur phones, but less useful. If some great new killer social networking app comes up, these kids will be stuck until they get a new phone. If the tech was around a few years ago thse phones might be integrated with friendster, yahoo 360, and myspace.
Member since:2006-07-14
New social websites/tech are difficult to predict, if you don't allow for expandability through an app store, the product has the potential to become unpopular overnight. 4 square is a good example. These social kids all gravitate to 4 square and compete to be the mayor of apple bees or what not, but the poor kids that end up with a kin will be excluded.
The Android/Iphone kids will pity them and cry out "why don't you get a real phone".
People get all upset about the iphone Lock in, well this is pre Iphone cell phone openness. No apps for anyone, from any source!
Member since:2006-07-04
Because that would fragment the WP7 platform. They have very strict minimun hardware specs for WP7, such that users can expect that any app will run properly on the WP7 phone that they own. Making a less powerful WP7 phone would go totally against that, and would be the first step to fragmentation that WM encountered and that Android is on the way to suffering (if the issue is left unaddressed).
Member since:2006-07-04
Well, software updates are easy to add functionality as time goes on, including the ability to run apps, if necessary
Also, I don't know what the motoblur features are, but these kins are Zunes as well, and allow playing millions of Zune songs over 3G if you have Zune Pass. (Were I Verizon, I'd offer Zune Pass as an option for the data plan (I would still offer plans without Zune Pass, for those that already have Zune Pass).) (For Mac users, these Kins also sync with iTunes libraries' non-DRM music.)
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). And yes, the Courier is the device I really want! 
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I read somewhere this morning, it mentioned that courier has a big battery problem with supporting its idea to have two LCD screens. I think it makes sense. Portable is the king for any new concept.
Kin phone is really for sale in Toy R'US... Good job, MS!
Edited 2010-04-12 22:01 UTC
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Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/12/technology/12slate.html?ref=techn...
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Apple has a single OS for the iPhone, iPod touch and the iPad. Even the main desktop Mac OS X shares a bunch of technologies.
On the other hand, Microsoft has Windows Mobile 6, Windows Phone 7 & Kin? 3 different OSes just for phones? Why couldn't they have waited a few months and launched these phones with Windows Phone 7? Integrate the social aspects into an app or something. If MS themselves don't use Windows Phone 7, why should others use it? After all Android is free?
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2008-03-27
For what it's worth, it's not worth for me but for the Sidekick crowd (teens) this is perfect. What I don't really like is that it's exclusive to one carrier, and should be really on all major ones as they really sell this stuff.
Kin One looks like crap, but Two looks cool, reminds me of my Pre.
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2005-10-11
The new (old?)strategy at MS seems to be to release something horrid and then release something halfway decent. The release of the second product is seen as the second coming because it looks so good compared to the first product while in all reality is only halfway decent.
vista<win7
kin,1/2<Upcoming winphone7 device
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2006-07-04
I already knew that the kin wouldn't be for me, but I watched the announcement just to see the tech, and it's pretty impressive.
I think that there would be a market for Microsoft/Verizon to sell a kin hub to WP7 users, so one could use a full WP7 phone, but still have the "spot" and automatic upload of pics/vids to the "cloud" and the very slick timeline interface kin uses to access the uploaded content from the web on a computer.