Introduced a number of new products, united under the name "Surface", according to the portal The verge... The new family includes tablets, laptops, wireless headphones and even a smartphone that folds in half.
But one of the main surprises of the event was the phrase general director Satya Nadella's Microsoft:
"The operating system is no longer the most important product for us."
According to Nadella, his company will now focus on services and applications, relegating Windows to the second or even third plan. Considering that Windows is an iconic product for Microsoft, this decision, although rather daring, raises a number of questions.
The head of Microsoft does not say that Windows is no longer part of the company's business, but hints that the most popular desktop operating system no longer fits into its future. Microsoft's focus is now on the Microsoft Graph, a dedicated developer platform that brings together multiple devices and services, including, for example, Windows, Office 365, and Azure.
“Right now, the most important thing for us is the application model and the user experience. How people build apps for Duo and Neo [new Surface products] will matter much more than just writing a Windows app or Android app, because it will have to do with the Microsoft Graph, ”Satya Nadella said in a sequel. of his speech.
Moreover, it seems that Microsoft had to abandon Windows in favor of Android, created by a competitor in the face. This is also supported by the fact that the previously presented Surface Duo smartphone runs on Android base... At the same time, the head of the company's production department does not hide that the choice in favor of Android was obvious - after all, a huge number of applications run on this OS.
Given Microsoft's failed experience with the operating system Windows Phone, the company definitely doesn't need another smartphone without apps.
Now she will have a whole Play Store at her disposal. Microsoft also hinted that it will cooperate with Google in the field of program interfaces.
At the same time, Panay denies that Windows is losing its relevance - according to him, for Android smartphones more convenient, that's all. However, if you look into the future, you cannot fail to notice that more and more computer operations are gradually going into mobile devices and the CEO of Microsoft understands that.
Despite the fact that Windows is still considered the number one for the desktop, cross-platform is becoming a technological fashion, which implies a focus on web technologies, not on the features of the "native" operating system... Microsoft is trying to follow this trend - this is confirmed and new phone based on Android, and, for example, Office, available for iOS devices.
“Microsoft recently unveiled new devices, including phones, tablets, tablets and laptops. However, this is not the main focus of the company, as is the operating Windows system, which earned billions of dollars for the company, - tells Gazeta.Ru the director of the analytical department at Freedom Finance Investment Company. “Devices account for less than 5% of revenue, and Windows, which accounted for 30% of revenue in 2010, now accounts for only 16%. The company has noticed this and is ready to develop new directions - services and cloud business. "
According to Merkulov, a development environment is currently underway that will help unify and integrate different operating systems, which leads to a decline in the importance of Windows. The company will continue to focus on OS integration and develop a cloud-based business that could open up new horizons for business.
“It is difficult to judge further how the company will be able to develop this, but the trend of going to the cloud will prevail in the next five years ... Compared to, the companies are somewhat similar, only business Microsoft more is focused on the business sphere, while Apple is focused on consumers and freelance designers, ”the expert concluded.
It turns out that at the moment there is no need to worry about the near future for Windows, but it is obvious that Microsoft will concentrate all efforts on ensuring that its applications and services work on all platforms, regardless of operating system. The time of death of Windows will not be announced soon, but this OS is gradually losing its leading position in the list of priorities of the company.
Support for Windows Phone 8.1 ended two and a half years ago on July 11, 2017. Although the system no longer receives updates and improvements, users can continue to use their devices as long as they are satisfied with them and as long as they work. required applications... In terms of applications, Microsoft has important message for a handful of the latter Windows users Phone 8.1.
Microsoft has updated the official documentation for Windows Phone 8.1, in which the company noted that the store Windows applications Phone 8.1 will stop working on December 16, 2019. Already installed applications will continue to work without problems, but users will have to take into account the following restrictions:
- After December 16, 2019, users will not be able to download apps from the store or update installed programs... This means that you need to download everything. required programs until December 16 and remove them from your device as you will no longer be able to officially download free and purchased paid apps.
- Since updates are no longer rolling out to Windows Phone 8.1 apps, apps may lose certain features or stop working altogether. For more information, users can contact the developers of individual applications.
- Reinstallation of applications will not be possible after December 16, 2019. If the user deletes the application from the smartphone, he will not be able to restore the program back. This also includes resetting the smartphone and restoring from using Windows Device Recovery Tool. Users should consider this point before resetting their device after December 16, 2019.
The change also affects the upgrade process to Windows 10 Mobile. Certain Lumia smartphones can still upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile using the appropriate app from the store. If you own one of the below mentioned smartphones, please download the Upgrade Advisor app before December 16, 2019, otherwise you will lose the ability to upgrade from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile over the air. In this case, the only way to update is to use the utility for updating over the wire.
The following devices are supported: Microsoft Lumia 430, Microsoft Lumia 435, Microsoft Lumia 532, Microsoft Lumia 535, Microsoft Lumia 540, Nokia Lumia 635 1 GB, Nokia Lumia 636, Nokia Lumia 638, Microsoft Lumia 640, Microsoft Lumia 640 XL, Nokia Lumia 730, Nokia Lumia 735, Nokia Lumia 830, Nokia Lumia 929, Nokia Lumia Icon, Nokia Lumia 930, Nokia Lumia 1520.
If you upgrade your device to Windows 10 Mobile, the store will continue to work. You will be able to download all applications (including those developed for Windows Phone 8.1), update them and make full use of your device. At the same time, you need to remember that in December ends Windows support 10 Mobile, which means you will not receive any more system updates, and the phone functions will gradually fall off.
09.10.2017, Mon, 13:22, Moscow time , Text: Valeria Shmyrova
A Microsoft VP said on Twitter that Windows 10 Mobile will no longer receive any updates other than security. Since the number of platform users is small, and the developers are indifferent to it, it was decided to stop further development of Windows Phone.
Belfiore's statement
Microsoft has officially admitted that it has stopped developing mobile Windows platforms Phone. This was announced on Twitter by the company's vice president for operating systems. Joe Belfiore(Joe Belfiore). According to him, Windows 10 Mobile, latest version platforms will not receive more updates, except for those related to security.
Belfiore admitted that he himself switched to Android, like the head of the company Bill Gates(Bill Gates). Microsoft intends to support those Windows 10 users who also want to use Android and iOS on their smartphones, he said. Now the company is working to make it easier for users to transfer data from a PC to Windows control 10 to mobile devices.
Lack of applications
One of the reasons Microsoft made this decision was the lack of interest in Windows Phone from developers. “We tried very hard to encourage developers. They paid money ... wrote applications for them ... but the number of users is too small for most companies to invest, ”Belfiore said.
The Windows Phone app store has never been particularly profitable when compared to Apple and Google stores, The Verge writes. The developers did not refuse to create versions of their applications for it, but over time they stopped updating and maintaining them. As a result, applications of American Airlines, Chase Bank and Bank of America, NBC TV company, social service Pinterest, game developer Kabam and many others were removed from the store. Some companies did not hide that the reason was the insufficient number of Windows Phone users.
Microsoft has officially admitted to stopping the development of Windows Phone
Microsoft itself has also removed a number of its own applications from the Windows Phone store, including some related to the MSN service, as well as the Photosynth panoramic application and several camera applications. Lumia smartphones running Windows.
The fate of mobile Windows
In July 2017, Microsoft Internet users were indifferent to the fate of Windows Phone. The reason for their indignation was that in Windows assembly 10 numbered 16251 Microsoft added new function- it became possible to "bind" the smartphone to the PC. Possibilities of "binding" were not very great: a user could send a link to a computer to a web page, which he viewed on a mobile device. At the same time, the "binding" was designed only for the iOS and Android platforms. That is, the innovation did not apply to the company's own mobile operating systems - Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile.
The first version of Windows Phone was released in 2010. In February 2015, the last of the existing versions of the platform, called Windows 10 Mobile, was released. Its distinctive features are the ability to synchronize content with a PC, connect the device to big screen or use it as a PC, with a mouse and keyboard, and support for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps.
The total share of Windows smartphones in the market is small - 99.6% of new devices install Android or iOS. Currently, about 80% of all smartphones that run Windows use Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8, or Windows Phone 8.1, and only 20% have Windows 10 Mobile installed.
In August 2017, unofficial information that Windows 10 Mobile is already isolated in its development from other systems of the Windows 10 family, however, it will receive support from Microsoft for another year and a half. The universal Andromeda OS will be installed on new Microsoft mobile devices. Existing Windows smartphones will not be able to update to it.
The other day from Microsoft Store disappeared latest smartphone on Windows. Formally, the demise of this system dates back to last fall, but the decay was smooth and humiliating: the rest of the phones were sold at discounts of up to 60%, but they were still bought extremely slowly and reluctantly - who needs devices with a dead OS?
For some reason, it is believed that Microsoft was making a weak and unpromising platform. This legend was invented by those who have not even touched WP smartphones and judged them only by the meager sales statistics. Indeed, gadgets have totally failed in the market, but the main reason for the failure is definitely not in quality.
It's much more complicated.
Unique OS
Photo © AP Photo / Richard Drew
The death of Windows Phone is worth saddening, if only because its creators were striving for simplicity and originality at the same time. Moreover, they partially managed to realize their ideas. The interface of all versions of WP was so convenient and understandable that even Apple is still inspired by it: for example, cards with large fonts in new version Music is a clear hello from the Windows world.
Another plus of the deceased OS is optimization. Just four years ago, every communication store had a stand with gadgets on WP - and so, even for six to seven thousand you could buy a conventional Lumia 520, which would not slow down at all, held a charge for a couple of days and took pictures with tolerance. Is it worth recalling what unbearable slag was then offered by Android manufacturers for the same money?
The third plus of the sunken platform is the ecosystem. Microsoft has made Windows tablets, smartphones, and computers syncing as well as Apple's iOS and mac OS. Numerous Android vendors are still far from this goal - they try, but to no avail.
Another thing is that the above advantages did not help Microsoft - the system died anyway.
Why is Windows Phone bent?
When creating Windows Phone, Redmond initially relied on two factors: brand influence and primitive management, which is obvious to both children and retirees.
With the first point, a disaster immediately came out - by the time WP was released, most users were already hooked on iOS and Android, so the phrase Windows Phone did not excite them in the least. Moreover, the terrible Windows Mobile, sharpened for stylus and very patient people, has not yet disappeared from the memory (everything slowed down there).
The calculation for the primitive also did not come true. Yes, the phones weren't buggy, but when it came time to somehow develop the system and take it out of the usual "tiles", it turned out that it couldn't be done gracefully. Either the bosses of Microsoft themselves did not want to overload the interface, or the developers screwed up the task, but the fact remains: everything that was announced worked fine in WP, only the list of functions itself looked frankly ridiculous against the background of the same iOS and Android.
This is largely why smartphones on Windows Phone were purchased either by Microsoft fans (there are such ones too), or as a gift to an undemanding user: a schoolboy, an old man, a person far from technology - not the point.
Photo © AP Photo Ted S. Warren
What is Microsoft's biggest tragedy?
Now it is clear that this plan should have immediately been flushed down the drain and from the very first Windows versions Phone is intensively looking for those who will release programs and phones for it.
What is the bottom line? With applications, everything was so dreary that even Instagram (!) Did not come out for a long time at first, and then it did appear, but it was updated once a year - for example, there was no video recording option there.
In fact, because of laziness and greed, Microsoft deliberately cut off a giant audience that needs a full-fledged, not castrated "Instagram". And the same gloom reigned with everything else: with games, with popular programs, with some important utilities. Bye App Store and Play Market bursting with content, the Microsoft store was overgrown with dust. And the company did nothing about it - attempts to stimulate developers were rare, modest and, as a rule, unsuccessful.
Phone release is another great topic. Back in the day, Microsoft bought Nokia to make it great again. From a technical point of view, the Lumia models were not to dig into: they got excellent cases, high-quality assembly, chic cameras and sane hardware. But why the word Nokia was removed from the names, no one understands: as the current experience of the revived company shows, the brand is still strong and magnetizes customers. And Lumia - no: no one has heard of the Lumia 3310, Lumia N-Gage or Lumia N70.
However, no one bothered Microsoft, in parallel with the presentation of new "lumii", to agree with other top manufacturers, purely to distribute the OS around the world. But the list of partners only causes laughter: HTC, HP, Alcatel - only they fit into the adventure with WP.
The rest did not need it, and Microsoft did not insist - it is always easier to give up.
Photo © AP Photo / Santi Palacios
Why is the disappearance of an unpopular OS bad?
Microsoft still doesn't seem to realize just how important a segment they missed when they gave up on smartphones and admitted defeat in the iOS and Android race. The boss of the company, Satya Nadella, periodically promises to return to the market with some kind of enchanting device (it even has a codename - Surface Phone), but so far these ideas are far from being realized.
There are concepts, blueprints and patents, but the gadget is not even in its infancy. The Surface Phone is rumored to be a foldable smartphone, but Apple, Samsung and other giants are already actively exploring the potential of this form factor. This means that Microsoft will again have a hard time: the chances of releasing a hit phone from scratch are critically small, and even more so with powerful competitors.
For ordinary users the death of Windows Phone is pretty sad too. Microsoft is one of the few IT companies in the world that could challenge iOS and Android. It is a pity that Redmond capitulated so ineptly: with the third system, especially if it did gain popularity, the market would be much more vigorous and progressive.
The digital application market is the main source from which the smartphone owner can install the necessary utilities and updates for them on the device. Failures in its operation can cause significant inconvenience in the functioning of the device itself. However, if the App Store does not work on Windows Phone, this problem can be fixed rather quickly.
Possible causes of the failure
Before proceeding with the troubleshooting, you need to find out why is the store not working on Windows Phone... There may be several reasons for this:
- - system error;
- - reset;
- -Filled cache memory of the Market.
The choice of a tool for correcting a malfunction depends on the factor that led to its occurrence.
What to do if the Store crash is caused by a system error
Often does not work Windows store Phone 10, and other versions of the operating system due to a software failure. In this case, it is him who needs to be eliminated.
If problems with the Market are caused by system error, then a fault code should appear on the screen when you try to enter it. Thanks to him, you can find out what the problem means and how to solve it.
There are many error codes. Each of them speaks of a different kind of malfunction and has its own instructions for eliminating.
Store not working due to factory reset
Quite often, the user cannot establish a connection to the Digital Application Market after performing a reset to the original factory settings. The thing is that when performing this operation, a password and login may be reset. account Microsoft.
To solve this kind of problem, you need to log in from your smartphone to your account. If this fails, you can use a computer to recover the password for the account.
Also, if you cannot log into your account via a PC, you need to create a new Microsoft account and log in from the device under its data. Moreover, all the information about earlier installed applications on this unit will be lost.
How to clear the Market cache
The full memory of the Store can also lead to the impossibility of accessing it. In order to clean it, you will also need to use a computer.
Under your account data, you need to open the Store from your PC. In the search bar, you need to type the word "Run." Then, from the results obtained, select the one that has the appropriate name. A separate field for input will appear. In it, you must write the command "wsreset.exe". After confirming the action, the cache memory will be cleared.
The above methods are effective troubleshooting methods for the digital Store. But if they do not help, and the connection still fails, you should wait a while (at least a day) and try again. It is likely that the failure of the Market in this case was caused by the server, and not by the device itself.
