Here's where a poll of current WP users was conducted to get their feelings on the 7.8 update: http://www.wpcentral.com/poll-results-majority-windows-phone-users-happy-proposed-78-update
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Thank God Apple supports their iPhone, Microsoft abandons Windows Phone users
- Thread starter aneftp
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Why was it? It doesn't matter what the underlying kernel is, would iPhone fail if it wasn't based on OS X? It could be identical and still be running a different Kernel underneath, the decision to go with the new Kernel in Windows Phone was one of choice not necessity. They did it so that it would be very easy to port apps from Windows 8 to Windows Phone, the new Kernel already has a lot of the ground work put in thanks to Windows, DirectX for gaming etc, same Graphics drivers.
Wrong, there was no path forward with the CE kernel. The NT kernel is one that is running on hundreds of millions of machines. It scales up to 64 cores and supports unlimited resolution and many driver model improvements. It was by necessity. You can't make any technical case that the CE kernel would allow all those things.
You realize that updating all Mango phones because of a CE Kernel would involve bricking them? There is no way you can update the kernel through the normal Zune process, only components around it. So either way, you'd brick the phone so might as well go to the 100x better NT kernel.
So you're saying it's impossible to get a Kernel to support new features without bricking the device?
I don't really see the big deal. People who bought WP7 phones can still use them and will get a new interface. WP8 are getting new hardware features. Both will have apps available to them. I don't buy a phone so that I can upgrade the OS in the future, I buy it because I like the OS now. Ill have a new phone in 2 years anyways, so who cares. Backwards compatibility at all costs is what made Windows suck in the first place.
The point is that the apps written for Windows Phone 8 (even if they only include some of the Windows Phone 8-only features like in-app purchases) will ONLY work on Windows Phone 8 devices. If an app gets updated to add a WP8 feature then the updated version won't work on the old phones.
Microsoft haven't detailed what will happen to these apps - will the users of the old phones still be able to download them or will they be out of luck if they ever delete and want to reinstall?
Remember we are not talking about old phones here. The devices which won't support Windows Phone 8 and all these new apps are on sale TODAY and will continue to be on sale for months. Microsoft is calling these current devices "legacy", despite the newer ones like Lumia 900 and Titan 2 only being introduced a few weeks ago.
Currently Apps that are not available for your device don't show up in the store, if you manage to find a direct link to them on the web it won't even let you download it.
With all the extra storage memory available, I personally don't see much reason to worry about "carrier bloat" these days.
Those apps are no different than many of the other preinstalled apps which a person might never (or rarely) want to run.
Just leave them off the homescreen
I should have clarified.. the reason I am wondering is because carriers usually take FOREVER to send out the update, if they do at all, and if Microsoft can completely bypass this stage then they could provide updates as quick and seamless as Apple. That would be really nice and would be more influential for an iPhone fan to possibly try out a WP. Read a rumor about them possibly making their own phone instead of using HTC, Nokia, etc. That'd be awesome!
Is this only for Windows phones? Why then is the Windows phone update process really bad?
On Android devices, you can even modify and compile kernels yourself and flash them to your own device. Most OTAs for every Android phone ever have had a different kernel version.
As another example, every major version of iOS and OS X have used a different version of Darwin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_(operating_system)#Release_history
Bottom line is iOS 1 and iOS 5 have the same kernel, that's why all iPhones could OTA update.
I think he's talking about the fact that WP8 will switch from a CE to an NT kernel.
Obviously you couldn't only swap the kernel. You'd also need the rest of the OS and drivers updated.
It could be done if Microsoft wished, although it might require some user intervention to complete.
It wold be ridiculous amount of intervention required to do it, so Microsoft is better off porting a lot of WP8 features to WP7.8. The good news is all your WP7.5 apps will run on WP8, so that's hardly being abandoned. Not the same thing at all with WP6.5 --> 7 where it was a complete break of the platform.
I thought for sure Microsoft would be bringing on some good competition for Android and iOS, but now I am not so sure. What they are doing is like saying hey, thanks for buying our phones, want the new OS, buy another phone bc we are not supporting yours anymore. Oh wait you are not eligible for an upgrade, sorry we can not help you, but you can buy one at full retail if you like and then get the latest and greatest.
Ugh which way to go if the iPhone 5/6 whatever is not a big deal?
Looks like Android is making some moves, but I keep hearing a lot of good things about the S GIII, a few people I know got them and gave up on their iPhones only because of screen size.
C'Mon Apple Thrill us on 9-21-2012, we need a little Shock and Aw
Ugh which way to go if the iPhone 5/6 whatever is not a big deal?
Looks like Android is making some moves, but I keep hearing a lot of good things about the S GIII, a few people I know got them and gave up on their iPhones only because of screen size.
C'Mon Apple Thrill us on 9-21-2012, we need a little Shock and Aw