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Oh, I agree there is also a marketing problem, and a big one. I just don’t feel that the problems with Xbox Music are exclusive to poor marketing/communications…

3 days ago on Microsoft has a terrible marketing problem 1 reply

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This isn’t a marketing problem, it’s a product problem. It’s what happens over and over again at Microsoft: most of their interesting consumer value propositions are forced to be subordinate to Windows in some misbegotten effort to “add value”. The original Zune initiative stumbled in part because there was never a Mac client or mobile clients beyond Windows Phone.

It would have been so easy for Microsoft to update and rebrand the Zune desktop client to have massively more reach for Xbox Music out the gate. Classically, the leadership driving the “new new thing” failed to appreciate the value that existed in the Zune products and decided to go “all in” on the new paradigm, needlessly alienating millions of customers in the process. Instead of trying to build the world’s finest music service capable of reaching every customer possible, Microsoft releases a half-baked thing that only runs on the latest version of Windows.

It’s the same reason they shot themselves in the foot with Windows 8 by refusing to offer an option for power users to retain the Start Menu and boot to desktop experiences. That decision has caused millions of Microsoft’s most ardent Windows supporters to rage-quit over Metro, and join with the Google and Apple fans in hating on Windows 8. All the resulting negativity has completely drowned out the positive improvements in the OS. The mainstream press can focus on nothing but the controversy and sales numbers which “prove” that Microsoft has stumbled.

At least the SkyDrive and Outlook.com teams realize that they have to be cross-platform… the result is they are gaining traction while Xbox Music is going nowhere.

3 days ago on Microsoft has a terrible marketing problem 1 reply 4 recommends

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I agree it’s been frustrating watching Microsoft’s seemingly slow evolution of Windows Phone. The thing is, the vast majority of the improvements in Windows Phone 8 were underlying architectural changes that did not manifest directly as end-user features, but that are now paying dividends as many more high profile apps and games roll out for WP8. I think I’ll have to wait and see what ‘Blue’ brings before I dismiss the Windows Phone team as “useless”.

That said, you should never expect Windows Phone to be as customizable or feature packed as Android. Microsoft has prioritized simplicity ahead of an endless array of options, and is aiming to be the better experience for the 90% of smartphone buyers who never need or use those things.

I think the strategy is sound, but has been held back by their execution so far.

12 days ago on Nokia hedges its commitment to Windows Phone with new Asha platform and $99 phone

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I find this to be a very useful feature of SkyDrive, so it’s nice that Google Drive users will soon benefit too.

15 days ago on Google Drive desktop app now lets you share files from PC and Mac 1 reply 9 recommends

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It’s because iOS has the dominant share in mobile operating systems (combined tablet and phones) and is thus too big to ignore.

Windows, on the other hand, is still a nascent OS in the mobile space, and to Google it is more important to impede Microsoft’s success than to support their customers who use Windows. Building native non-desktop apps (whether for Windows Phone or for Windows 8/RT) would lend a boost to Microsoft’s mobile platform ambitions.

It’s the same for all of the major platform providers. Apple would never support iTunes on Windows if Windows did not have a commanding market share on PCs. Microsoft, if anything, has been the best at this, offering a version of Office for Mac for many years.

15 days ago on Why is Google ignoring the Windows app store? 1 reply 10 recommends

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Chris wrote:

It took a long time to get here — too long by any measure…

I agree, but I would point out that it was not until the release of Windows Phone 8 in November, with its vastly improved Windows NT kernel and support for true native code, that big mobile developers could really port to Windows Phone. This is the real reason we are seeing accelerating support from major developers. (Netflix could support Windows Phone 7 because they were already using Silverlight streaming technology and undoubtedly had help from Microsoft in building the app.)

Surely it’s taken “too long” to bring native code development to Windows Phone, but Microsoft made a strategic call to wait for Windows 8. I think they feel that over the long term, the benefits of being synchronized with the desktop version of Windows and the additional capabilities that will bring are worth the pain.

15 days ago on Hulu Plus arrives on Windows Phone as Microsoft's game of app catch-up continues 2 replies 13 recommends

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When you first set up an account you have to log in to the web site a few times to verify your account and set up your security information. Until this is completed you will not be able to use client apps successfully.

19 days ago on Microsoft completes Hotmail to Outlook.com upgrade, SkyDrive integration rolling out

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David, I don’t quarrel with any of your observations and agree that the first gen RT devices are held back somewhat by current hardware, but in terms of final score, my thought was that it’s disappointing to see reviewers are still judging Windows RT devices as “deficient PCs” instead of “tablets plus”.

I don’t know if it is Microsoft’s fault for not better communicating it’s strategy around Windows on ARM, or if they didn’t do enough to differentiate RT devices based on price (probably both), but it’s ridiculous that RT tablets are held wanting because they only do some of what PCs can uniquely do, while iOS and Android devices are given a pass because they are “just tablets”.

For all the so-called “confusion” that reviewers mention inexhaustibly, I’ve never found it hard to explain to anyone what Windows RT is good for. “It’s a tablet version of Windows that exclusively runs new touch apps, plus a special version of Office so you can do some work away from your PC”. Jeez, how hard is that?

19 days ago on Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 review: a netbook by another name 1 reply 11 recommends

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Brilliant, thanks.

20 days ago on Microsoft targets Android users with Switch to Windows Phone app

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Windows 8 is like sex: you have to do it a few times before you get the hang of it.

22 days ago on Screw Windows 8 desktop, Windows 7 is beautiful again 3 replies 17 recommends

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The surest way to prohibit Microsoft from benefitting from Android device sales and to ensure that OEMs pay no royalties on sales of same is for everyone to start buying Windows devices.

Problem solved. ;-)

25 days ago on Judge rules that Motorola's patents aren't worth the $4 billion a year it demanded from Microsoft 1 reply

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There are many ways to approach this.

First, I believe AppleTV works with iTunes on your PC, so if you are an iTunes user, this may be a way to go. (We’re pretty Windows-centric, and use Xboxes and Windows Media Center as our STB solution, so perhaps someone else who knows the Apple ecosystem can weigh in on this.)

Alternative ideas:

Solution 1: Send media to your TV from your PC
You can do this using Play-To on your PC. If your TV is new-ish, it may support the DLNA / Play To digital media receiver function right out of the box, avoiding need for a separate STB. (Bing Play-To if you don’t know how to set this up.)

Solution 2: Pull (stream) media from your PC to your TV
In this solution, your PC acts as a digital media server, and you use your TV or STB to browse and stream content. You must enable media streaming in Windows. (Again, Bing or Google is your friend.)

Solution 3: Get all fancy with Windows Media Center
This only makes sense if you already have an Xbox 360 and can use it as a Media Center Extender to play content from your PC. Again, lots of online help and info on this.

Whichever solution you choose, you should know Windows will not play .MKV stuff you download from torrent sites out of the box. There are alternative codecs and media players to do this on your PC, but many do not work with media streaming scenarios. On the music side, protected content also sometimes can’t be played (but unprotected MP3s, AAC, and WMA files are fine).

Good luck.

26 days ago on Set-Top Box: I need your help!

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26 days ago on Set-Top Box: I need your help!

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Have you tried chatting using the native Messaging hub? I’ve linked my Microsoft ID to my Facebook account, and while I don’t use this feature much, I believe it’s possible to message a Facebook friend. Same when using the Messaging app on Windows RT/8. This seems like a simpler and more elegant use of the platform than having to go into a specific app.

28 days ago on WinPhone Facebook App Hate 2 replies

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Re. the default file type handlers: it would have been nice had Microsoft provided a configuration wizard so that users could choose “desktop mode” or “touch mode” for preferred actions like this. I think this alone is responsible for much of the confusion and anxiety the some long-time Windows experience using Windows 8 for the first time.

That said, it is really easy to change this using Default Programs. (And to be fair, Windows 8 does prompt you to change the default app when you open a file for the first time. I think a lot of users just don’t pay attention the system prompts.)

28 days ago on What's the consensus on Windows 8 so far? 1 reply

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Not exactly. Microsoft’s gross profit margin for the recent quarter was 76.64%. Apple’s was 37.5%. (To be fair to Apple, that’s a very compelling margin for a hardware company.)

28 days ago on Apple posts $9.5b profit on $43.6b in revenue, but iPhone growth slows at 37.4m units sold 15 recommends

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Google sells advertising and (your) data. They give away software.

28 days ago on Apple posts $9.5b profit on $43.6b in revenue, but iPhone growth slows at 37.4m units sold 2 replies 4 recommends

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I think looking strictly at processor and display specifications is too limiting when thinking about “hero” devices, particularly when considering platforms other than Android. The iPhone 5 is still a “hero” device in the minds of most.

In terms of design and build quality and unique features (NFC, PureView, Kid’s Corner, Data Sense, Nokia Apps, etc.), this device is competitive with other high-end phones. I think the benefits of 1080p are lost on sub-5 inch screens anyway, and in terms of user experience, Windows Phone has always needed less hardware to run smoothly.

28 days ago on Nokia unveiling Lumia 928 for Verizon next month, says Bloomberg 2 replies 5 recommends