Why Hasn't Windows Phone 7 Taken off?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 27th Dec 2011 21:50 UTC
Windows Fascinating, this. As a Windows Phone 7 user, I can attest that it is every bit as good as iOS and Android - heck, in my experience, it is more polished, more consistent, smoother, and faster than either of those two. Yet, despite raving reviews and glowing user comments all over the web, Windows Phone 7 simply isn't selling. Former Windows Phone 7 general manager Charlie Kindel believes it's because neither carriers nor device makers like the control Microsoft exerts over the platform.
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As a consumer...
by Wodenhelm on Tue 27th Dec 2011 22:48 UTC
Wodenhelm
Member since:
2010-07-16

As a consumer, I finally have a choice, and these choices are equally on-par (in contrast with the home computer world, where Windows is on everything, Mac is stupid-expensive, and for the longest time, Linux was not a realistic option for users who dont wanna bother with command-line hackery).

And given the long history of having to deal with Windows, I most certainly chose NOT to go that route.

Reply Score: 6

RE: As a consumer...
by jonsmirl on Tue 27th Dec 2011 22:57 in reply to "As a consumer..."
jonsmirl Member since:
2005-07-06

I too will never buy another Microsoft product again unless their monopoly forces me to. I have over thirty Windows licenses from various machines I have bought. How many can I use at once? Half those are from replacing Windows with Linux. And I still don't think I can legally load it into a VM even though I own thirty licenses.

Plus their sticking the phone makers with a patent fee equal to the price of the WinPhone7 license is going to make all of the OEMs hate them. BS software patents must die.

MS should just get on with acquiring Nokia which they will do sooner or later since they obviously have iPhone envy.

Go Android!

Edited 2011-12-27 22:59 UTC

Reply Parent Score: 9

RE: As a consumer...
by David on Tue 27th Dec 2011 23:13 in reply to "As a consumer..."
David Member since:
1997-10-01

I honestly think this a (probably minor) contributor to the lack of WP7 adoption. The Geek Elite haven't warmed to it because of bad blood. Even people who use Windows don't necessarily want to see Microsoft succeed, and certainly don't want to see it dominate in mobile, because the vibrant mobile ecosystem developed in large part thanks to Microsoft not being a player and being able to throw their weight around.

And even though the Geek Elite don't make up huge numbers compared to the larger mobile phone market, they have outsize influence on the adoption of new tech.

Just because something's in the store, doesn't mean people will buy it. For a few months, the Zune was all over the place, but that didn't make it successful. The influence that the carriers have is surely bigger than Best Buy's displays on potential Zune buyers, but if there were more enthusiasm for WP7 on the demand side, the carriers would come around.

Reply Parent Score: 2

RE[2]: As a consumer...
by WorknMan on Wed 28th Dec 2011 02:19 in reply to "RE: As a consumer..."
WorknMan Member since:
2005-11-13

The Geek Elite haven't warmed to it because of bad blood. Even people who use Windows don't necessarily want to see Microsoft succeed, and certainly don't want to see it dominate in mobile, because the vibrant mobile ecosystem developed in large part thanks to Microsoft not being a player and being able to throw their weight around.


I rarely, if ever, make decisions based on which company I think is 'most evil', because there really is no such thing. All these companies care about is making money, and will screw you in the first instance where it makes business sense for them to do so.

Having said that, my reason for passing on WP7 is purely technical. As long as their phones are tethered to Zune, I will not even consider one. Even Apple, who caters mostly to tech tards, were smart enough to figure out the people shouldn't have to deal with a bloated media manager for updates and syncing files to/from their PC if they don't want to. And anybody who says Zune is better than iTunes, although you may be correct, it's like arguing that a pool of vomit is better than a pile of shit.

Reply Parent Score: 2

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