"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:2007-06-28
The problem (well, *one* problem) is that smartphones are being positioned to kill the general purpose PC.
The big guys know this and are trying to vest as much control as they can this time around and get rid of pesky concepts like 'device ownership' and 'user control'. Think locked-down app stores and development models.
If we, as consumers, are willing to replace our computers with smartphones and tablets, we really need to start examining what we're giving up. When everybody's buying smartphones and tablets, the general purpose computer market will begin to dry up.
Personally, I'd like to make sure that the good parts of existing computer culture survive into the next evolution of computing.
So much of today's tech innovation was born in the humble home computer room. The barrier to market entry is already becoming more difficult for small players now that walled gardens becoming the de facto method of software distribution. Even on the desktop, Apple and MS are trying to push their app stores over traditional retail channels.
This is all really important stuff to think about, and it seems like most people just aren't interested in the long-term implications of today's trends. We're not just gaining convenience by subscribing to this new computing model. We're also giving up independent software development and retail. We're also signing up for more regular forced hardware upgrades. It's no secret that smartphone and tablet manufacturers aren't exactly chomping at the bit to provide indefinite software updates.
If smartphones and tablets are to supplant the good ol' general purpose computer, we need to stop thinking of them as simple consumer electronics and demand at least some of the accessibility and control we've relied on for the past 30-ish years.
Sorry for the mouthful.
Member since:2012-06-22
I understand the sentiment but your outlook is myopic.
So far the iPhone has been more profitable for indy developers despite being less open. With side-loading comes piracy and sadly pirates have flocked to Android just as they do with pc gaming.
But more importantly the masses will decide the smartphone winners and losers and they don't care about side-loading.
I use my smartphone heavily and I'm not going to waste my time with an interface I feel is sub-par. The interface in WP7 is just hands down better. When Google decides to come up with more than an iPhone knock-off I'll give it another try.
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!The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.
Member since:
2012-06-22
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To be honest, why can't we wish dominance to open standards and *actual* ownership of our own devices?
Android is more open but the experience is so meh.
It's nice that you can side-load with Android but there is nothing to install that I care about. I use my smartphone as a phone and browser 99% of the time and that is where WP7 really shines.