This Is The Primary Reason Android Holds Little Interest For Me

Android is a highly capable operating system, but it has a number of flaws - not in its coding but in its execution. First of all, every manufacturer of an Android device adds their own "special sauce" to the UI, but more importantly, the upgrade story is quite possibly the worst in the mobile phone space.

The Motorola Atrix 4G, which was released in early 2011, will not get an upgrade to Android's latest offerings, either Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean. Instead, this phone, which is less than 18 months old, and is not a freebie entry level device, will stay on Gingerbread, a platform launched in December of 2010.

Keep in mind too Motorola is now owned by Google, so you'd think if any manufacturer was going to keep their phones on the latest and greatest, it would be Moto.

Sadly, almost 56% of Android users are on this nearly 2 year old platform.

To make matters worse, Motorola joined the Upgrade Alliance in early 2011, which is a commitment to upgrade devices for at least 18 months following their release. If you purchased a device such as the Atrix thinking you'd get at least one upgrade out of the device, well, now you know the Upgrade Alliance is little more than a marketing tool.

Windows Phone is little better. In fact it may be worse as Microsoft knowingly released Windows Phone 7.x with plans to never allow upgrades to Windows Phone 8.

Say what you will about Apple, but they take care of their users in the upgrade department. iOS 6 was released in late September, just two days before the iPhone 5 came out. Not only were owners of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 able to upgrade, but owners of the iPhone 3GS, released on June 19 of 2009 - yes, 2009! - can upgrade as well, and everyone can upgrade on the same day, regardless of the carrier.

Meanwhile, Android users with phones made in 2011 and Windows Phone users that buy a phone today are being left out in the cold.

That is a shame too. I think Android and Windows Phone both have some big advantages over iOS, but I am not willing to buy my phone as if it were a toaster. It isn't. It is a computer and I expect to be kept current on technology without having to buy a new device just to get it.

Microsoft Knew Windows Phone Early Adopters Would Get Screwed

Not many Windows Phone 7 owners were too happy with the news that the forthcoming upgrade, Windows Phone 8, would not be available for their WP7 device, even for the flagship Nokia Lumia 900 that just came out a few months ago. What makes this worse is Microsoft was working on WP8 to some degree before WP7 even launched!

Apple has done a really good job of keeping your hardware from going obsolete. Since the original iOS device, the first iPhone, Apple has consistently provided two full version upgrades to the device, and sometimes more. The iPhone 3GS, released in the summer of 2009 with iOS 3, will get iOS 6 this fall. Sure, not every feature will be supported due to hardware limitations, but the big benefits will be there.

Microsoft got a pass when WP7 came out and broke all compatibility with every phone and app that ran on Windows Mobile 6.x. The underlying platform for WinMo devices was a decade old and needed a reboot. I won't give MS a pass for doing the same thing less than 2 years later, especially when it knew from day one that WP7 was just a stall tactic.

According to CNet, Microsoft's Greg Sullivan said work on WP8 was ongoing before WP7 launched:

"It was right after Windows Phone 7," Sullivan said, speaking in an interview with CNET UK. The team that developed the 7.5 release actually was working in parallel with the core team that was already beginning [Windows Phone 8]. In fact some of that work was already initiated before Windows Phone 7 was even available -- so this goes back a little bit."

Unifying the Windows Phone and full-fat Windows kernel "was always the plan", he adds.

Sorry Microsoft. That is inexcusable. I'll be spending my money with a company that has a bit more respect for the consumer.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Goodbye Windows Phone - Lack Of Upgradability Kills It For Me

Yesterday Microsoft officially announced Windows Phone 8, and it looks like it will be a welcome release. Unfortunately, exactly zero percent of current Windows Phone users can upgrade their devices to the refreshed platform. That's right. If you have the shiny new flagship device, a Nokia Lumia 900, your phone just became obsolete.

WP8 has a lot of great new features like:

• Integrated VoIP support, so now Skype can let you know calls are coming in without having to be the foreground app.
• In-App purchasing
• Device Encryption
• Better multitasking

It also has an improved Metro interface as seen in the image above. All in all, it looks like a really nice upgrade to the current platform.

Developers will be able to take advantage of these features as well. They can also write native code, a big no-no in Windows Phone 7, something that drew complaints.

If you have A WP7 device, you might get Windows Phone 7.8 later this year, after WP8 launches. I say might because newer devices are more likely to get the upgrade from the carriers, but older first generation devices have probably been forgotten about. 7.8 though only gives you some of the visual enhancements, not the core upgrades. That means new apps written in native code won't run on your device. How much fun will it be this fall to see new apps being released in the Marketplace that you cannot run on your 4 month old Lumia? Not much I suspect. No other WP8 improvements will be in WP7.8, just the shiny new start screen according to Joe Belfiore.

I purchased a New iPad two months ago and am really enjoying it. In fact, this post is being written on it using Blogsy. I have been following the news on iOS 6 and like what I see and have been seriously considering an iPhone 5 this fall. My wife and kids all have an iPhone 4, and they have iOS 5 on there now and will be getting iOS 6 this fall. Heck, Apple is even upgrading iPhone 3GS users, which launched in 2009, over a year before WP7 launched! Sure, not every iOS 6 feature will work on older phones, but most will. Apple's upgrade for older phones isn't just window dressing, no pun intended.

So I'll get the iPhone 5 and can be reasonably sure I'll be able to upgrade to iOS 7 and 8, while consumers of Microsoft's platform get no such assurances that WP9 or above will come to their phones. Yeah, WP8 supposedly comes with better upgradability, as stated in the blog, but the same thing was said when WP7 was launched in 2010.

That is a shame too. I love the Metro interface. I love the people hub, Facebook integration, the smoothness of the UI, and overall intuitiveness of the platform. Phones today aren't toasters though. They are computers, and people expect to be able to upgrade them for at least the duration of their contract. How pleased will the guy that purchased a Lumia 900 last month be in early 2014 with a phone that hasn't seen an update in over a year and a wealth of cool new apps that won't run on the device?

You've lost me as a phone customer Microsoft for at least four years, which will be two contract upgrade cycles for me. In that time, you'll have to prove you have fixed your upgrade cycle and won't abandon current customers so quickly. Two years isn't enough time to establish a track record, especially given your past, so I won't even consider your platform in 2014. I'll keep an eye in you though. Your software is good and the Metro UI in a phone is great. That isn't good enough though. You have to keep me on the latest greatest after I fork over my hard earned money for your product, something Apple is willing to do, and has proven it year after year.

 

Windows Phone 7 Still Struggles For Apps

The best feature of smartphones is their expandability with third party apps. Both Apple's App Store and Google's Play store have the most, with the former having over 500,000 apps for the iPhone and the latter having over 450,000 for Android devices. When you see articles recommending apps for your phone, it is common for the app to be available on both platforms. That isn't the case with other platforms though like Windows Phone and Blackberry. In fact, it is the number one thing in my mind that is hurting the growth of those platforms.

This was highlighted to me in a June 2102 article in Money Magazine called "35 Best Money Apps." Sorry - no link as Money mag has virtually no online presence - not even a home page. It is a good article though so if you see that issue in the stores or want to buy the issue on your iPhone or iPad, you should do so.

The article highlights 35 great apps for your mobile device that will help you invest, save, use coupons, track expenses, make car buying decisions, look at homes, plan remodeling costs, and more. As I was reading it, it struck me how many icons for Windows Phone I saw. A year ago, there might have only been two or three apps. Just over a third though are available for Microsoft's mobile platform.

That is still a far cry though from what is available for Android and the iPhone. Only four apps weren't available on Android. The iPhone scored 100%. Even the iPad, a platform with a much MUCH smaller presence than smartphones, has 17 apps designed specifically for its screen. It can run the rest though by installing the iPhone version if you don't mind having less than stellar graphics since it just pixel-doubles the iPhone app.

These articles are free advertising for mobile platforms. Money Magazine typically encourages you to save money and not waste it on the latest greatest technology, but this issue says if you don't have a platform to run these apps to get one. The savings the apps can generate can more than pay for the device.

If you are looking through these apps and see that the iPhone and Android devices have just about everything, but there is only a third or less for Windows Phone or Blackberry, which platform do you think people will buy? It continues to be an uphill struggle for Windows Phone. Believe it or not, it is about to get worse for Windows Phone. The upcoming Windows Phone 8 platform will run most Windows Phone 7 apps in legacy mode, but that means developers have to start over to get apps to run natively on the new platform. If I were a developer with limited resources, I'm not sure I'd bother with a platform with low single-digit share.

Good News For Windows Phone

Microsoft got several bits of good news for its mobile platform this week.

• Both AT&T and Verizon stated they would put a renewed effort into supporting Windows Phone.
• Steve Wozniak praised Windows Phone, claiming it is more beautiful than the iPhone and Android devices

AT&T has recently put some heavy marketing muscle behind Windows Phone with the Nokia Lumia 900, and that will apparently continue. Verizon, with its sole HTC Trophy released in the middle of 2011, has decided it is in its best interest to have a third viable platform after iOS and Android. This is very welcome news, but selling new devices won't be good enough. Microsoft must fix its update story. When Mango released, Microsoft and its partners performed very well. Most devices were updated within two weeks and only one or two exceptions weren't updated within a month. Things fell apart though with patches. Mango broke a few things, as software updates are bound to do. Microsoft rushed out fixes for some of the biggies, like Exchange 2003 support and the vanishing keyboard issue. Both were ready to go late last year. Verizon just recently rolled out these patches and AT&T still has yet to do so for many of its phones. You can be assured if Apple rolls out patches like these, they are in users hands within hours, not days, weeks or months.

For me, this new found commitment to Windows Phone is a good start, but not good enough. I'll be watching the update story for the next year or so before committing to buying another Windows Phone device. If Verizon and AT&T update Windows Phone like they have in the past, or like they continue to update Android devices, then I'll pass.

The Woz recently got a Lumia 900 from AT&T and has high praise for the device.

I'm kind of shocked. Every screen is much more beautiful than the same apps on Android and iPhone.

High praise indeed. He goes on to compliment the platform in how it looks and its usability, but wraps up saying the thing holding it back is the availability of apps.

Which brings me to my next topic. One of the best things about a smartphone is the ability to install apps that enhanced their functionality and enjoyment. I am a big fan of sites like Lifehacker that posts frequent download articles for a variety of platforms, including Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS X and Windows. It is rare that an app they look at is available on Windows Phone. For that reason, and others, I also subscribe to the Chip Chick rss feed. Every week these ladies review a hot download for all of the mobile platforms, including Windows Phone. Sometimes though for WP it seems they are reaching. I knew this week that was the case when I saw the app. A tip calculator. Seriously. Now, there is nothing wrong with the app itself and can be very useful. I think it speaks though to the platform as a whole when a tip calculator is the hot app of the week for a platform.

The other bit of news that is disturbing is the share for the platform. It keeps getting smaller according to ReadWriteWeb. Microsoft peaked in 2007, right as the iPhone was launching with 36% of the market. It was the largest smartphone platform at the time. Yeah, Symbian might have been larger, but I have never considered that a smartphone platform as it was just as often used on feature phones with limited addon capabilities.

Windows Phone 7 launched in October of 2010 and by then, Microsoft's share had dwindled to 8% as Windows Mobile had run out of steam. A year later, even after the launch of a few Nokia devices and the significant upgrade to 7.5, also known as Mango, share is down to 5%.  This share is the reason for the dearth of apps. Microsoft boasts over 80,000 apps in the marketplace, but where are the biggies? Angry Birds Space isn't out, though it came out on just about every other platform at least two weeks ago. Popular consumer sites like The Consumerist and Fooducate don't support Windows Phone. I know some banks support it, like Bank of America, but online banks, where an app is most critical, especially when it comes to  depositing checks, are missing in action. Ally Bank, Schwab and ING Direct are all supporting iOS and Android. A few even support the iPad specifically, but none support WP7.

I think 2013 will be the make or break year for the platform. Nokia is now on board, Windows Phone 8 will have been released and some US carriers will finally push it with the same energy that they push Android and iOS. If the platform doesn't take off in 2013, it never will. A big chunk of its success though rests in the hands of developers.

Livescribe Pen + Evernote = Amazing Productivity

I am a huge fan of Evernote and recently got an iPad as it is an almost perfect form factor for the note keeping software. I routinely take the iPad into meetings and usually use Evernote for note taking. Depending on the meeting, I might also use MagicalPad, which can store it's notes in Evernote.

The only problem with my setup is I occasionally need to physically write my notes. Is some meetings or settings, using an electronic device is frowned upon as it looks like you are goofing off or worse, checking email.

Enter the Livescribe smartpen. The pen has the ability to recode what you write pans safe to PDF when you dock it. It even has an advantage over Evernote for some scenarios. I use it to take notes at church and the pen not only records what I write, but records tha audio! You can later tap on a word on your paper and the recorded audio will start playing at that spot. It is fantastic for lectures where you need to go back and listen to a particular segment.

Of course this all integrates Evernote, or email, Facebook, and a few other locations where you want to store your pencasts as they are called.

If this is of any interest to you, now may be the time to buy a model of the Livescribe Echo Smartpen. As long as you buy it by April 30 and register by mid-May, you get a free year of Evernote Premium. That $45 gets you 1GB of uploads per month versus 50MB for the free version. I recommend you check out Amazon as they often have the pens for a few dollars under retail.

In the six months I've had my Echo Smartpen, a 4GB model by the way, I've found it to be an indispensable part of my productivity arsenal.

Email Is Not A Tractor Beam For You To Point At People

Email is not some sort of weapon you point and aim at someone with the expectation that they drop what they are doing and turn over whatever bit of information you seek. Unfortunately though, that is exactly how email is used all too often.

I've even had co-workers send me an email, then use Skype or some other IM tool to see if I had received it and opened it yet before their mouse's button had fully recovered after being used to press "Send." I am sure you have experienced the same thing on occasion.

Lifehacker has run two excellent articles on this issue and I strongly encourage you to check them out. The first is "Email Is Not Broken; We Are." As you might have guessed, the thrust of the article is as a tool, email works just fine. The problem is, we are misusing it.

The second article is "When You’re Constantly Checking Your Email, You’re Putting Your Needs Behind Everyone Else’s." You might think that as an employee of a company, the needs of everyone else comes before you, but you are wrong. You have a job to do and you are doing your employer a great disservice if your full attention is not on the task at hand. If someone walks into your office and has a critical issue, then you need to make a judgement call as to whether or not that demands your full and immediate attention. However, you do not need to make that same judgement call regarding the 20-30 emails (or more!) that come in during the next hour while you are trying to finish those TPS reports. This article also has an amusing, and accurate, decision tree about when you should check your email.

What can you do right now to regain your productivity?

1. Turn off all email notifications, both on your phone and desktop. If you aren't expecting anything important, having your devices ding and throw up windows at you is about as useful to your productivity as having someone poke you with a cattle prod. I still leave my email on push, and keep Outlook running, but that is for my convenience, so when I need to refer to something, I know everything is up-to-date.
2. Set specific times to check email. I check mine first thing in the morning, around lunch, and at the end of the day religiously. I also may check it at around 3pm.
3. When you check email, clear them all. I have zero unread emails. That doesn't mean do them all. It means clear them. If you can take care of the email in 2 minutes or less, do it. Don't waste anymore time deferring it. If you can't, then file it for future action. See The Secret Weapon for some excellent tips on how to do this effectively. I actually use Evernote coupled with Zendone, which is a web app that automates much of what The Secret Weapon advocates. 

Now you can focus on projects, meetings, or your employees and peers, giving them the attention they deserve. It can take some getting used to, but trust me, once you free yourself from being yanked around by emails as they come in, you'll realize you get more done each week since you waste far less time having to change gears to satisfy the whim of each email.