Comments on: More Thoughts on Windows Whatever-it-is-That-Runs-on-Phones http://www.globalnerdy.com/2009/02/16/more-thoughts-on-windows-whatever-it-is-that-runs-on-phones/ Tech Evangelist Joey deVilla on software development, tech news and other nerdy stuff Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:30:00 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: David Warde-Farley http://www.globalnerdy.com/2009/02/16/more-thoughts-on-windows-whatever-it-is-that-runs-on-phones/comment-page-1/#comment-3542 David Warde-Farley Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:16:25 +0000 http://www.globalnerdy.com/?p=2802#comment-3542 This isn't so much about improving the developer community so much as a rant about the platform in general, and what I perceive as it's flaws and how they can be overcome. Given that you're on the inside, maybe someone in a position to do something about it will actually end up looking at this. And if developers are users of the platform too (as is often the case in non-mobile development), they'll care about all of this too. One thing that strikes me about Windows Mobile phones (as compared to, say, the elephant in the room) is that some of them are built on crap hardware. Cost-cutting is always a double-edged sword, and in this case the "user experience" and hence the entire brand suffers every time my phone starts refreshing its UI slower than molasses in January. Apple gets around this partially by not letting third party apps run in the background. I don't think that will fly at Microsoft, so I can only suggest vetting approved devices <em>much</em> more thoroughly. Another data point: my phone (an HTC Touch, if you're curious) advertises itself as having MP3 capabilities, which it does, I guess, technically speaking, in the same way that a 486DX has "MP3 capabilities". What they don't tell you is that the MP3 decoding is done entirely in software on the main ARM processor, and listening to music reduces your battery life to utterly pathetic levels (compare this to a dedicated MPEG decoding chip, which I'm guessing is what the iPods and iPhones do). I think a big step toward saving the platform from being the butt of mobile industry jokes and the target of user ire would be for Microsoft to stop approving Windows Mobile phones that are underpowered, underbatteried, and do in software what competitors do in dedicated hardware. In other words, <em>force hardware partners to produce phones that don't suck</em>. Even I wouldn't be using this phone if it weren't tied to a sweet unlimited data plan. This isn’t so much about improving the developer community so much as a rant about the platform in general, and what I perceive as it’s flaws and how they can be overcome. Given that you’re on the inside, maybe someone in a position to do something about it will actually end up looking at this. And if developers are users of the platform too (as is often the case in non-mobile development), they’ll care about all of this too.

One thing that strikes me about Windows Mobile phones (as compared to, say, the elephant in the room) is that some of them are built on crap hardware. Cost-cutting is always a double-edged sword, and in this case the “user experience” and hence the entire brand suffers every time my phone starts refreshing its UI slower than molasses in January. Apple gets around this partially by not letting third party apps run in the background. I don’t think that will fly at Microsoft, so I can only suggest vetting approved devices much more thoroughly.

Another data point: my phone (an HTC Touch, if you’re curious) advertises itself as having MP3 capabilities, which it does, I guess, technically speaking, in the same way that a 486DX has “MP3 capabilities”. What they don’t tell you is that the MP3 decoding is done entirely in software on the main ARM processor, and listening to music reduces your battery life to utterly pathetic levels (compare this to a dedicated MPEG decoding chip, which I’m guessing is what the iPods and iPhones do).

I think a big step toward saving the platform from being the butt of mobile industry jokes and the target of user ire would be for Microsoft to stop approving Windows Mobile phones that are underpowered, underbatteried, and do in software what competitors do in dedicated hardware. In other words, force hardware partners to produce phones that don’t suck. Even I wouldn’t be using this phone if it weren’t tied to a sweet unlimited data plan.

]]> By: Ian Tuck http://www.globalnerdy.com/2009/02/16/more-thoughts-on-windows-whatever-it-is-that-runs-on-phones/comment-page-1/#comment-3541 Ian Tuck Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:08:30 +0000 http://www.globalnerdy.com/?p=2802#comment-3541 I'm waiting to see the new interface. I've been a WM user since 5.0, and have been a big fan of all the software available for it, although the hardware seemed to lag. HTC has been pushing, but it still seems to run slow and not have enough RAM. Also, Bell pretty much ignored the platform, not activating the GPS until very recently even though the O/S and hardware were capable. That said, 3rd parties have kept coming up with better interfaces than MS (hello, Spb!), so here's hoping that 6.5 is that much of an improvement. Coupled with the rumoured (announced?) WM store, mebbe there's life in the platform yet. Are there 3rd party developer libraries for WM yet? Is VS the only development platform? I’m waiting to see the new interface. I’ve been a WM user since 5.0, and have been a big fan of all the software available for it, although the hardware seemed to lag. HTC has been pushing, but it still seems to run slow and not have enough RAM. Also, Bell pretty much ignored the platform, not activating the GPS until very recently even though the O/S and hardware were capable.

That said, 3rd parties have kept coming up with better interfaces than MS (hello, Spb!), so here’s hoping that 6.5 is that much of an improvement. Coupled with the rumoured (announced?) WM store, mebbe there’s life in the platform yet.

Are there 3rd party developer libraries for WM yet? Is VS the only development platform?

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