youserblog – nothing else
user generated opinions
Microsoft Hinting at the Release of a WinMo Makeover?
Dec 31st
6.5.3 Announcement Imminent @ Upcoming CES Keynote?
They Need This One Not to Fail
With the past releases of the Windows Mobile operating systems for their branded smartphones, Microsoft really needs the future release of WinMo, no mater what it is, to be perfect. Otherwise, I fear it will be the end of anything remotely Microsoft. The past failures of Microsoft were so complete and so catastrophically total, and I am including desktop and smartphone operating systems in the mix, that if this one does not have anything special, it might just be the last we will want to hear from them.
WinMo was a legacy in its own right, being as it was the first OS to make it onto a smartphones and 6.1 made headlines, deservingly so, and went on to partially make up for the complete and total failure of Vista. Imagine that, a smartphone was the redeeming quality of Microsoft-how ironic. 6.1 had what they needed it to have-almost perfect user interface, even better features, and more than anyone anticipated it to have. So, it’s not surprising that WinMo relied heavily on the reputation of 6.1 to market the new version, 6.5, when its release neared. And everyone got hyped up for the new and improved WinMo 6.5 too. All the big smartphone manufacturers eagerly awaited WinMo’s release, they even held off on the release of some smartphones just so they could be the first with WinMo 6.5 on them…
The Unthinkable Happened
And then it happened. Smartphone OS Acute Death. The complete and utter failure of WInMo 6.5. Before it even materialized at all. Some even say it makes Windows Vista look angelic. Amazing. Apparently something went so completely wrong with the technical aspects of the update that it actually looks they forgot to update anything at all! According to some, who have hands on experience with 6.5, the only thing that look like it was changed was the name. Everything else stayed the same. Minor updates to the UI and a name change. Yup! That’s what you call a major half point release, uh-huh, for sure! Why didn’t they just wait for WinMo 7, instead of putting any energy into WInMo 6.5, they should have waited and actually done something right, like engineer an update worth something to the people.
Enter WinMo 6.5.3
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have always been one to give the benefit of the doubt-even where it doesn’t belong-but this time I can’t. It’s not that I am a Microsoft hater, or even that I don’t like Windows. It’s the fact that Microsoft is finished living off it’s reputation. Microsoft died when Bill Gates left and any humanity the company had left, well that left with him. Microsoft has to now actually do something interesting to win back the respect of the tech world. It has to actually update WinMo.
And apparently, as rumor has it, they have. WinMo 6.3.5 has been leaked in the MSDN Mobile Developer Center, with details of a touch tile instead of a soft key, and the rumors are starting to fly. And everyone is speculating the official announcement will be made at he CES Keynote, scheduled for January.
But just like with any good fairy tale, we are going to have to see where this one leads the people. I mean, what are we going to all get our hopes up for? WinMo has cried wolf too many times already and I honestly can’t even believe people still actually care about WinMo updates. Oh, that’s right… There are still people who use WinMo based phones. That’s a shame too, they are really nice phones…
For more great articles and user ratings and reviews, please visit the home page @ Youserbase.org
Check back tomorrow for more of the latest in the mobile phone industry. If any if our readers have any suggestions as what to review, or something you think needs to be talked about, feel free to leave a comment and I will see what I can do. Til then, happy phoning!
The opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of Youserbase.org’s executive staff, and Youserbase.org as such hold no liability of any damages arising from any opinions expressed by the author.
T-Mobile Sidekick Going Down In Flames?
Oct 14th
Because of Another Greedy Microsoft Mistake?
First Things First
First, I need to apologize for not writing on the Apple/Google controversy like I had promised, but there is something that has been recently uncovered that is a bit more pressing. And I am sure that everyone who reads these posts is aware of the cracks I make about Microsoft and anything having to do with the company (Linux All The Way!). I state this because what has happened (and is still happening) to T-Mobile is not their fault, yet they are taking the hit for it already.
What’s Going On?
It was announced recently, or finally admitted, (depending on how you look at it) that T-Mobile’s data services have been interrupted for some time. The apparent explanation was that a Danger Microsoft server had gone down. Microsoft acquired Danger about a year ago and had teamed up with T-Mobile shortly after to deliver the data services to Sidekick users. It was announced yesterday that the server problems are probably due to sabotage within the Danger Microsoft company.
What Kind Of Sabotage?
Well, according to Apple Insider:
…“The sources point to longstanding management issues, a culture of “dogfooding” (to eradicate any vestiges of competitor’s technologies after an acquisition), and evidence that could suggest the failure was the result of a deliberate act of sabotage...”
And also stated:
Microsoft’s Roz Ho launched an exploratory group to determine how the company could best reach the consumer smartphone market, identified Danger as a viable acquisition target, and then made a series of catastrophic mistakes that resulted in both the scuttling of any chance that Pink prototypes would ever appear, as well as allowing Danger’s existing datacenter to fail spectacularly, resulting in lost data across the board for T-Mobile’s Sidekick users.
Meaning, in complete layman’s terms, that Microsoft screwed up, AGAIN.
So What Happens Now?
Well here’s the problem. Because of this catastrophic screw up, apparently most of the Sidekick users have lost all of their data. 800,000 Sidekick users and there is nothing left. T-Mobile is claiming that they have found a way to possibly restore some of the lost data to maybe a handful of users, but I’m thinking that it is being said just to hold back their customers form torching their building. Think about this… Why would it be announced to Sidekick users to “…please do not turn off phones, or let them power down in any way. If you do, all data WILL be lost because there is NO BACKUP on our servers…” and then a day later claim that there is a possibility of recovery? I don’t think so.
What Is Being Done About It?
So because of this, T-Mobile is offering a $100 credit towards any of the other services they offer, or for a credit towards a future bill, among other things. But I’m thinking that after a disaster like this, why on Earth would anyone WANT to continue using T-Mobile services? After putting your trust into a big company like T-Mobile and having all of your important and, in most cases, irreplaceable information lost, who is going to want to chance it again? Some are talking about moving to a Blackberry, but the problem with that is there is a chance that the same thing will happen there too.
So What’s The Verdict?
Do not abandon T-Mobile! It’s not their fault. besides, they can’t afford this hit anyway. They are a relatively good company. It was Microsoft’s fault, so the Sidekick users should make it Microsoft’s problem. First of all, why should T-Mobile have to pay their customers for a problem Microsoft created? Second, because it is being shown that it was most likely the result of sabotage from an insider, I say put responsibility where it should be. With the greedy company that caused the problem in the first place and the greedy people who run it. I think that the T-Mobile customers who put their trust (and money) into their hands should try to make Microsoft pay. It’s about time Microsoft is made to have to clean up after at least one of their messes (Windows ME and Vista, among countless other problems). Class action suit anyone?
For more great articles and product ratings and reviews, check out the home page @ Youserbase.org.
And I promise that tomorrow I really will write about the Google/Apple controversy, as it seems to be heating up some again.
Any opinion expressed within this post is not necessarily that of Youserbase.org
