"High Tech Computer (HTC) has grown up with Microsoft, from the old HTC-built iPAQ's running on Microsoft's Pocket PC operating system, to the Orange SPV - Microsoft's first Windows smartphone. The Taiwanese company has always been a loyal aid to the software giant, but lately that close relationship has started to feel a little dated. HTC's investment in Android and its Sense user interface has taken precedent over its initial work with Windows Mobile, and the company's Windows Phone flagships have been impressive, but overshadowed by Nokia's colorful Lumia range and partnership with Microsoft. That all appears to be changing though." HTC announced some good-looking Windows Phone 8 phones (ugh) today, but from my personal experience of owning several devices from both brands for over a decade, Nokia has the edge on quality. Good to see a serious commitment to WP8 though - we wouldn't want the Android dominance to continue.
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Member since:2006-01-03
I kinda get what alfman is saying dude. On one hand in that last thread you were basically saying you should never use html5 apps when you can write a native app. Yet here you are endorsing using a web app for something as critical as managing your files.
Packaging an html5 application in something like phonegap allows a web app to have much better integration with the native system. So allows one to write an html5 application that will allow easy manipulation of cloud based storage that integrates with the native os and can run on multiple platforms. Which apparently you are now apparently a proponent of even though in the last thread you clearly stated a complete and total disdain for any html5 based app because native development is better.
Am I missing something here. How do you explain these seemingly opposing views?
Member since:2005-11-29
When a user goes to a website, they expect one. They know it isn't an app.
When a user downloads an app from an app store, they don't expect a website. They expect a native app. Something that integrates, feels, and performs natively.
You quickly go onto uncanny alley where something kind of looks right, but isn't, so it becomes less pleasant to use. Basically, in this scenario the user takes a back seat to convenience.
Now, I welcome you to read my comments in their entirety in full context and you'll see I make this same point which helps reconcile these two views.
Facebook is an example. They serve native apps on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. However, for everywhere else, there's a least common denominator website. The reach is there, and the experience is preserved because the underlying service is platform agnostic.
Let's say I'm speaking about SkyDrive to make things simple. Sure, there are SkyDrive apps for the platforms. Sure, they feel nice and native, as they should. However, there's also a SkyDrive website for everyone else.
Its possible for me to say that an HTML website is a good idea for reach, and not contradict my very specific views that HTML isn't suitable for something that's packaged as an app and sold on an app store.
I think I've been as clear as possible with this comment this time around, so I expect you'll understand my point now.
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Member since:
2005-11-29
Again, for what possibly is the forth time, you misstate my position and who I bashed. I bashed a specific subset of people using a specific technology in a specific way. The fact is, you're intentionally misleading by broadening the scope of my remarks.
Maybe you're right, it is best you stop responding.