Speculating On What a Microsoft Superphone Might Mean

smitty777 writes "Forbes is running an intriguing story on a new 'Superphone' under development by the folks at Microsoft. According to this leaked MS roadmap document, the plan is to build the Apollo-based phone in the 4th quarter of 2012. FTA: 'In the end, however, none of this matters. Microsoft's "peek into the future" is barely a glimpse into what the company may or may not have planned for 2012. While the "superphone" bullet is worth noting, it is not the confirmation of a revolutionary new product. At best, it indicates that Microsoft wishes to compete with Apple by offering a product that is, well, super.' It's also interesting that Sony and AT&T also appear to be working on superphones of their own."

Re:Easily explainable: Nokia

[mrclisdue]

This obvious troll is obvious has gotten out of hand.

Seriously, it would be wonderful, just once, for InterestingInsightbitesCmdPony et al ad infinitum to STFU, and perhaps enter the fray once the discussion begins, rather than rushing to be the first post with all the ms tripe.

Ducks, "great software" from Microsoft, google sucks, etc.

All just pure bullshit and astroturf.

With the added bonus of modding oneself up, with who-knows-how-many aliases, and modding anyone who points out the obvious troll, down.

Really, it would be nice to, just once, to read a discussion that isn't anchored by some preselected MS astroturf.

cheers,

Re:Easily explainable: Nokia

[Pax681]

Only bad thing about WP7 is that you can't run apps outside markets as easily as with old Windows Mobile's. It really sucks. But it's something iPhone and Android mandated, so blame is on them.

Erm.. android? erm... no there is a nice simple setting where you can chose to install things not from the official android market, there are also other markets such as the app brain market for android.... so yer kinda of .. well way off the mark

Re:Easily explainable: Nokia

[mrclisdue]

If you cant recognize that Microsoft has made SOME great products, then youre either ignorant or a fanboy, and probably both. Examples: Exchange, Outlook, Excel, Visio (FINALLY there is a worthy competitor in Gliffy),

Win7 (Hows gnome3 / Unity treating you?), etc.

Nice try.

So I'm either ignorant or a fanboy? How's about neither. Try realist. I don't recall saying that MS has made NO great products. The same way I didn't say I hated ducks. But keep demonstrating where your level of comprehension is, and perhaps I can dumb my posts down (even more) for you.

Gnome/Unity? Seriously? Fluxbox, ftw.

Keep flaming, tho. Looks good on you.

cheers,

Re:Easily explainable: Nokia

[Anonymous Coward]

Nokia has been preparing their Windows Phone 7 line-up. Their Nokia Lumia smart phone [nokia.co.uk] has beat sales in many European countries and Australia in December and November, even topping iPhone and every Android phone. It is also a very solid offering. I think both Microsoft and Nokia did the right to go together. Great hardware from Nokia and great software from Microsoft. That combination is pure gold.

You silly little WP troll. The Lumina 800 has been a flop in Europe and it'll also be a flop in the US joining the list of all other WP7 flops that have come before it.

Here's The Guardian's review of the Lumina:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/dec/30/nokia-lumia-800-goodbye?newsfeed=true

Re:unifying windows kernel and api

[jcupitt65]

I don't think Apollo will be on the NT kernel.

One of the bullet points for Apollo is support for dual core (current wp is single core only due to a limitation in wince 6), which by coincidence is also a bullet-point for wince 7 (released March 2011). I'd therefore guess they will stay with wince until at least 2013.

I wonder if wince is the thing that's also keeping them from allowing native code. It has rather poor process separation, compared to linux / osx anyway, so they would find supporting it safely difficult.

When the controls differ so much

[tepples]

Xbox 360 is for applications that are games and use a gamepad. Windows is for applications that use a mouse and keyboard, or rarely a gamepad. Windows Phone 7 is for applications that use a touch screen. The input device feels differ so much among those that one style of real-time game isn't going to be very playable across all three, as anyone who has tried the classic console emulators for Android has discovered. The only games that stand a chance of being portable are the turn-based ones.