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A couple of questions about Windows 8 convergence

Just a quick question that has been bothering me. Considering that Microsoft goes full steam ahead with this plan of one OS for mobile phones and desktops, how will this work regarding new versions?

What i mean is, until now, both Android and iOS have been quickly iterating, with at least one major version per year, and several minor ones. Assuming that the several minor updates can be swiftly implemented and are just minor bug corrections without big hinderances, does this means that:

  1. Windows Phones will only have a new OS version every three years or more, becoming native feature stagnant in between? Third-party apps can offset this problem but if iOS and Android can do feature X and Y natively and more streamlined it would be an advantage for them.

  2. There will be a new major Windows version every year both for desktops and phones, making the legendary long-term support and software stability of windows a distant memory. I assume that by then, they will have no other option than going the Apple OS update prices to avoid OS fragmentation in at least half-dozen versions of Windows. I wonder how enterprises will react to this.

  3. The Windows core that both share will become feature-frozen for the conventional three years between Windows versions and only the Metro interface and API (Metro OS ?) will “suffer” frequent updates. But this will bring the same problems in itself. Either both desktop and phone Metro are currently updated and changed, leading to application versions conflict and possible fragmentation for the developers unless they (MS) make sure that everyone updates their Metro OS, possible only if nothing ever changes in Metro’s legacy code; or only the phone Metro will be frequent updated leading to a future and iterative divergence between phone Metro and Desktop Metro.

I’m not sure of the actual equivalence of Windows 8 Metro and Windows Phone 8 Metro, but if the Metro is supposed to be a common ground and they both share Windows Core, then they can’t be that different. And that, seems to me, is trying to tie together an elephant and a cheetah. One needs to run really fast to catch its opponents. The other just needs to be really still and move very slowly so that it doesn’t disturb or break anything in its current ecosystem. The only chance of they continuing “one” is feature stagnation for Windows Phone 8. Or tearing apart the “elephant” in a quick succession of runs and fast movements.

Or just finally assuming that they are two different applications of an OS and calling quits on this “One OS, no compromise” thing, because it will quickly lead to several compromises, it seems to me. However this is all based on the little that i know from Windows 8 Phone and Windows 8. Can anyone enlighten me regarding this “futurology” and the technical details?

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Lumia 900 won’t be sold by T-Mobile in Germany due to lack of WP8 upgrade path

” A member of T-Mobile’s support team in Germany has revealed, after asking around inside the company, that the reason the Lumia 900 won’t be making an appearance on the company’s shelves has to do with Windows Phone 8 — specifically, the fact that this new phone won’t be upgradeable to the upcoming OS version. As she tells it, T-Mobile opted not to incur the wrath of its users by selling them a new Lumia 900 today and denying them an upgrade to the very latest Microsoft mobile operating system a few months down the line.”

The Verge

NewImage

As i already said here this obsession of tying everything to “big” Windows is not only nonsense but a giant liability waiting to drag Microsoft to the end.

Can’t we somehow stage an intervention, “How I met your mother” style?

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Stephen Elop interview

I actually think that Windows Phone (WP) is a pretty interesting system. I have however, two very serious concerns about it.

The first one is the future of Windows Phone as Ballmer’s Microsoft chains it to the “big Windows” fate and needs. Windows Phone on its own i could buy into, with scarce concerns. Windows Phone joined at the hips with “big Windows” paints an all new picture. Where will it go from here? Will the interface somehow change? Will the “Windows 8” unique system bring security issues to my phone? Will the lean OS becomes more bloated and messy because of that “one OS for all” approach?

And the second one, is that if Windows Phone is so important to the Windows Division as an enhancer and appealer to the “big Windows”, then how can i be sure of the other OS support for Windows Phone? When i looked up Windows Phone i saw that it had a Mac app, support for contact sync, iTunes sync and albeit still limited then, it seemed that, along with Blackberry, I could count on Windows Phone to seamless interact with my Mac information (something that doesn’t happen with Android if you don’ use Google Accounts or have an expensive third party sync software). But if Windows Phone and ‘big Windows’ are so complementary and important to one another, how can i be sure that that other OS support won’t just disappear in the near future? (( Considering the track record of Microsoft owned Skype regarding Linux support and its utterly unusable Mac version, it’s something that can seriously and honestly raise concerns.))