Dumb Questions: Will Windows Phone 8.1 save WP?
Every time there is a new substantial release to the platform this question is asked again. And it is idiotic every time. A new version of the OS will do nothing (directly) to help Microsoft.
The other day I published a post on how Windows Phone between the OS and 1st party apps is actually better than iOS or Android. And I stand by it. The OS is fine. Really it is. I dare anyone with the resources to take me up on that challenge and try to prove me wrong.
People don't really care what the OS does.
Microsoft falls short for 2 reasons. Brand image and the product on the whole (which includes things Microsoft has no control over). Brand image refers to the fact that people just seem to arbitrarily hate Microsoft.
My nephew told me that his friends refused to buy an Xbox One because "they hate the company that makes it". That is not paraphrased. Those are actual words that came out of the mouth of a 12 year old. TWELVE YEARS OLD!!! And they'll proclaim that they hate a COMPANY! Sure, kids toss the word "hate" around like its nothing, but normally the things they hate are a little more corporeal to them. It would make sense for instance, in my mind, to hear a kid claim he hated the Xbox One. It is a physical thing they can understand. These kids don't understand companies. So it is really weird to hear them say that they don't want a product because they hate the company that makes it.
As far as the product as a whole is concerned, I mean the ecosystem, most importantly including the app stores. Theirs is smaller and does not contain certain key apps people expect to be there. A new version of the OS, intrinsically does nothing to aid this. So why should it help the platform's popularity one bit? It shouldn't. And it won't.
What Microsoft has done (and yes, some of this is tied to the 8.1 release, but that is simply incidental) that might actually improve situations all revolves around their SDK. Added API's help since it enables developers to do more. Perhaps an app wasn't developed for Windows Phone because it wasn't possible due to API restrictions. This will help that scenario. And universal apps. Universal apps will help developers reduce the efforts to deliver their application to a broader range of Microsoft platforms.
Those things might attract more developers. Both of those things should have a positive effect on their app store situation. How big of an impact is yet to be seen. But this. more than the OS itself, is likely to improve their situation.
The unfortunate conundrum is "hero apps" can't originate on Windows Phone. No matter how good an app is, the market for Windows Phone is too small to get word out about an app that would make owners of a platform missing it jealous. Which means, no matter what apps are released, until Windows Phone gets a larger market share, it will always be iOS or Android exclusive apps which are perceived to be missing from the Windows Phone store and not the other way around.
The other day I published a post on how Windows Phone between the OS and 1st party apps is actually better than iOS or Android. And I stand by it. The OS is fine. Really it is. I dare anyone with the resources to take me up on that challenge and try to prove me wrong.
People don't really care what the OS does.
Microsoft falls short for 2 reasons. Brand image and the product on the whole (which includes things Microsoft has no control over). Brand image refers to the fact that people just seem to arbitrarily hate Microsoft.
My nephew told me that his friends refused to buy an Xbox One because "they hate the company that makes it". That is not paraphrased. Those are actual words that came out of the mouth of a 12 year old. TWELVE YEARS OLD!!! And they'll proclaim that they hate a COMPANY! Sure, kids toss the word "hate" around like its nothing, but normally the things they hate are a little more corporeal to them. It would make sense for instance, in my mind, to hear a kid claim he hated the Xbox One. It is a physical thing they can understand. These kids don't understand companies. So it is really weird to hear them say that they don't want a product because they hate the company that makes it.
As far as the product as a whole is concerned, I mean the ecosystem, most importantly including the app stores. Theirs is smaller and does not contain certain key apps people expect to be there. A new version of the OS, intrinsically does nothing to aid this. So why should it help the platform's popularity one bit? It shouldn't. And it won't.
What Microsoft has done (and yes, some of this is tied to the 8.1 release, but that is simply incidental) that might actually improve situations all revolves around their SDK. Added API's help since it enables developers to do more. Perhaps an app wasn't developed for Windows Phone because it wasn't possible due to API restrictions. This will help that scenario. And universal apps. Universal apps will help developers reduce the efforts to deliver their application to a broader range of Microsoft platforms.
Those things might attract more developers. Both of those things should have a positive effect on their app store situation. How big of an impact is yet to be seen. But this. more than the OS itself, is likely to improve their situation.
The unfortunate conundrum is "hero apps" can't originate on Windows Phone. No matter how good an app is, the market for Windows Phone is too small to get word out about an app that would make owners of a platform missing it jealous. Which means, no matter what apps are released, until Windows Phone gets a larger market share, it will always be iOS or Android exclusive apps which are perceived to be missing from the Windows Phone store and not the other way around.
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