[Windows Phone 7 General] speed_pour:
Terrifying misconceptions and assumptions

OMG!!! THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!

It must be, cause a piece just landed right in front of me!!! Oh wait...woops...just one of those blue chemical bombs from passenger airplanes.

Come on people, half of the stuff I've read in the last few pages reads like old ladies in a hair salon.

Statements like "no access to PIM database" and "they have no plans to move SQL CE at this time and recommend devleoping for WM6.5 instead" aren't elements of the OS, they are simply features that haven't been added YET. Surely, too many people are comparing to android, but now is a good time to remind people about the HUGE number of complaints made about the original Android API before the G1 was released (and shortly afterwards). These features will come, if for no other reason than common sense.

On the subject of comparing WP7 to Android, that's silly since WP7 is clearly focused on taking on iPhone first, not Android...

It also gets me that a lot of the comments that are coming aren't from people who've had any more exposure than a couple things they've read or a few videos. As it is, even the people using the developer API and emulator image aren't seeing the final release. I may be mistaken, but hasn't there already been at least one refresh of the SDK and image already? The whole thing is still in development, and the stuff we've seen so far is limited to what they have decided to show us. If anybody recalls (how quickly people forget), iPhone developers were complaining about missing tons of things in the beginning...and less than a year later it was Déjà vu for Android...now it's just the "Same Old Love Song" for WP7.

As to the suggestion that we shouldn't judge a system based on hacked potential, and to the counter argument...you're all wrong. Platforms need to be judged by both perspectives. Estimates are that 20% of iPhones and iPod Touches are jailbroken. Assuming the max of 70 million-ish devices on that platform, there's 14 million jailbroken devices and 56 million stock. At numbers like that, shouldn't we agree that both sides are important? More would be jailbroken if users had the skills...but less would be if the platform wasn't so closed off. If we're arguing about what to develop for, then yes, it's clearly advantageous to target the whole audience (probably should have admitted that to begin with...yes?). Let's also acknowledge that the hackability of a device often lends a lot of support to it's success. Game Consoles through the years have seen that the winners are frequently the systems that have a couple of sweet loopholes and extra power to be exploited.

I completely agree with this part, and even point everybody's attention to the point in time when WinMo 6.5 wasn't yet released but we seemed to have a weekly build showing up for everybody who wanted to cook roms. Doesn't anybody remember how changes to 6.5's interface and even many bug fixes seemed to almost instantly respond to the criticisms people posted on here? Seriously, we should criticize, question, and voice our disapproval...IT HELPS!!!! But at the same time, stop making declarations of "no multi-tasking, screw that, I'm buying an Android!". Do people really believe that version 1.0 is going to be perfect and complete? Apple didn't even have an app store the first year or multitasking and COPY AND PASTE for a long time after (wtf, they should be ashamed). Android's is still suffering from division of efforts and lacking features, much like any linux distro has for the last 2 decades. Stop trying to stir up panic and wait to see what v1 ends up being before declaring it hopeless.

And finally, on the subject of hopeless...WP7 does

appear

to be headed down the same tightly controlled road as iPhone. But, let's not forget, that's not how MS has ever operated. Sure, they can be proprietary, pushy, controlling, and they will even ignore the users wishes time and time again in favor of their own agendas...But they also know that they have to play nice. Why would they even let other companies do the hardware if they didn't plan to let them make out-of-the-door modifications eventually? MS doesn't license the XBox OS to other hardware manufacturers, so why do it with the phone? MS will remain more open than Apple, that much is going to prove itself. I suspect the reason they limit so much now is to give the Metro UI a chance to plant it's flag and see the response it gets. I wouldn't have faith that it'll open up, but it makes sense and shouldn't be ruled out by panic. Again, remember that we're only being given the smallest glimpse of WP7's present, not even a hint of it's future. The real truth will come 6-12 months after it's been on the market to see the real path (just like we all had to do with Android and iPhone).

@shaundalglish: Apple can't disable iTunes and appStore access from jailbroken devices because they clearly advertise those as features of the iPhone/iPod Touch. If they disabled them intentionally on people's devices, they'd have the mother of all class-action suits on their hands (I'd love to see that news item though:D). Besides, appStore developers would lose their bats if they suddenly lost 20% of their market (even if many of those people are pirating)...But that's wildly off topic and a very messy and larger conversation than we should dig into. Besides, doesn't Apple already have enough ill-will towards them? :rolleyes:

@vangrieg: I shouldn't even recognize the fact that you spoke because you seem to enjoy stirring the pot too much, but some of your statements on wildly insulting to developers, ie. "If you're in for the money, you can make fart apps or whatever". Don't diminish developers just because they need to make an income or at least get some return for the hours of work and the years+money we put into our educations. Only rejected apps and poor developers are selling anything on Cydia...the money is still in developing for the 100% of devices out there.