http://skattertech.com/2012/03/i-won-the-windows-phone-challenge-but-lost-just-because/
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"I Won The Windows Phone Challenge, But Lost 'Just Because'
- Thread starter Exotic-Car Man
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Why?
I agree that the writer should have won, it's a bit crappy of MSFT to cheat him like that. That said, WP7 is still an amazingly efficient OS.
It's OK, they've made up for it by offering a "random" rematch. (I bet "random" excludes the weather challenge again)
https://twitter.com/#!/BenThePCGuy/status/184123838949359616
If they lose the rematch, it'll move on to best out of 5?
The "Smoked By Windows Phone" campaign was generating some great headlines at the beginning but they seem to have shot themselves in the foot with this.
https://twitter.com/#!/BenThePCGuy/status/184123838949359616
If they lose the rematch, it'll move on to best out of 5?
The "Smoked By Windows Phone" campaign was generating some great headlines at the beginning but they seem to have shot themselves in the foot with this.
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All sounds a bit daft to me. They pick something very specific that they have already set their phone up to do and you are meant to beat them? I wouldn't say this has showed me anything about WP7.
Is it just me or does that Microsoft Store "slavishly copy" the Apple Retail Store concept? The picture is not clear enough for my tired old eyes to see if there is the equivalent of a genius bar at the far end of the store. Anyone been in a Microsoft store ... I have not?
There is a microsoft store here in Atlanta at Lenox mall.
Yes, they are pretty much copying or trying to foster a sense of community centered around their software and hardware offerings.
Keep in mind that Apple was not the first company to do this. Sony has had their store for many years and I'm sure that other people will be able to give other examples.
It makes sense, though. Microsoft makes a lot more stuff than Apple does and windows is the biggest, most recognizable brand in computing.
Yes, they are pretty much copying or trying to foster a sense of community centered around their software and hardware offerings.
Keep in mind that Apple was not the first company to do this. Sony has had their store for many years and I'm sure that other people will be able to give other examples.
It makes sense, though. Microsoft makes a lot more stuff than Apple does and windows is the biggest, most recognizable brand in computing.
The design of the Microsoft store pretty much follows a lot of tech stores I've been to, but they definitely are imitating Apple with the Genius Bar type place and the employees with brightly coloured T-shirts.
I'd think it would have more to do with the brightly coloured tiles in Metro UI than Apple Geniuses.
They gave the guy a laptop and a WP7 device, and apologized.
The weather challenge was stupid - their devices were preconfigured to win.
A non-rigged challenge would getting a brand new Android device, a brand new WP7 device, and on go seeing who can launch weather in x city fastest.
The weather challenge was stupid - their devices were preconfigured to win.
A non-rigged challenge would getting a brand new Android device, a brand new WP7 device, and on go seeing who can launch weather in x city fastest.
Come on any test like this no matter what and who did it you would be damn sure they would rig their devices to win. In this case the weather one. Just it back fired big time. Heck anyone going up their to take them on would try to rig their phone to that as well. For example I would do it and I would hang around listening to some of the things they are having people do and damn skimpy set up my phone take them on.
The picture setting would be at LOWEST possible resolution, I would have 2 different weather widgets set up. Things like facebook and those apps would all be on the main home screen and so on.
I will agree the weather one is rather fishy. Should be look up the weather at this one location (Store chooses) and then the other location the person taking them on chooses both have to be using zip codes. That way both have a fair chance.
The things that stuck out for me the one time I went into the MS Store at Mall of America to buy a Kinect was the creepy guy in the SS-looking uniform guarding the store. I've never seen any kind of security people in the Apple store but this guy stood out like a sore thumb, standing with his hands clasped behind his back watching everyone. Plus, the guy at the register didn't know anything about the $50 off a $200 purchase coupon I had that MS sent out and didn't know how to ring it up. The manager had to do an override because it wasn't in the system. And THEN, they had no appropriate-sized bags so I ended up with a huge bag with a little Kinect box in it, lol. I promptly went across the hall to the Apple store to feel more at ease
It was just one example, though this does sound like the most "rigged."
I remember the original launch videos from some tech conference and it had novel things like "first to find 'x' type of 3 star+ restaurant in the area" and so on. Just one of what I'm sure are many contests - this does sound like the lamest one though.
I'd actually love to try WP, it's just that I'm tied to my provider (super cheap, not by contract) and don't want to jump. If they got a WP device, I'd be all over it.
Oh it's rigged alright.
Just came back from "trading in" my iPhone 2G for a Lumia. Was asked to look up the weather for 2 cities. Santa Clara and Cupertino I believe, since we were in Santa Clara. From the lockscreen --> 5 seconds later they have Santa Clara's weather, another 2 seconds and they have Cupertino's weather showing. I barely got into the iPhone weather app. Granted I haven't used an iPhone in years.
Just came back from "trading in" my iPhone 2G for a Lumia. Was asked to look up the weather for 2 cities. Santa Clara and Cupertino I believe, since we were in Santa Clara. From the lockscreen --> 5 seconds later they have Santa Clara's weather, another 2 seconds and they have Cupertino's weather showing. I barely got into the iPhone weather app. Granted I haven't used an iPhone in years.
Most of the challenges I've seen seem quite fair to be honest. For the original set of challenges it was a mutually agreed upon task, and WP did indeed smoke most of the competition, even running custom ROMs etc. The weather challenge should really have been to find weather of 2 new cities that haven't been pinned/widgeted, but at least they acknowledged the mistake.
To be fair, I have a live tile on my focus, and I could tell you the weather in Pittsburgh in the time it takes me to unlock my phone too. Finding another city might take a second, but there is some truth to the fact that it's just faster
To be fair, I have a live tile on my focus, and I could tell you the weather in Pittsburgh in the time it takes me to unlock my phone too. Finding another city might take a second, but there is some truth to the fact that it's just faster
Ah, yes. But see, I could have a widget on my homescreen too that says the weather. And iOS users can have the weather in their notification menu.
But, the cities that they pick wouldn't be anywhere near you so you wouldn't have a use for having that city on there already set up. Like, the store in Pittsburgh might do the competition with cities like Miami and London - two cities you would definitely not have set up already, but they do. That's why it's not fair.
How are they trashtalking? They're proving that at these tasks a Windows Phone is legitimately faster. Also, it's publicity, y'know, the stuff that gets people interested in your product... how are they meant to gain marketshare without letting people know that their platform is good for.
"Smoked by Windows Phone" is trash talking. Implying the competition is slow and useless. Not a good way to gain customer base.
Well it's a head to head challenge, there has to be a loser, and "Performed the specific task slightly faster than the phone it was competing against" doesn't quite have the same ring to it. They are talking about a phone being faster than another phone, they're not insulting you or your choice of product.
I just have a feeling that if Apple had done a similar competition as an entry-level player, they'd not use inflammatory language. Apple is a positive-oriented company, while Microsoft seems to exude a certain sleazy desperation.
That's the thing though, Apple probably wouldn't do a promotion like this because they aren't in the position MSFT is in. They already have a huge marketshare so they don't need to point out they ways in which they top the competition. Also, they tend to stick their "trash-talking" in their keynotes rather than in their ads. It's less public but it's still very much there. The sleazy desperation bit is your own opinion, and I doubt I can change it so I won't bother to try.