* Posts by coolcity

64 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Aug 2014

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Let's kick the tyres on Google's Android P... It's not an overheating wreck, but UX is tappy

coolcity

Manufacturers still don't get it and probably never will. They introduce change in order to allow them to push new features so that people will buy the latest thing. Google are a great example of this. They want people to buy the latest phone, even though 99% of it won't do anything their current phone doesn't do. So they add a few new tweaks here and their, mostly completely unnecessary that bring nothing useful to the table, but it will sell more phones because buyers want "the latest thing".

But where it fails is because most people don't like change. It doesn't surprise me that most people are running older versions of Android, though the numbers are a lot higher than I expected. But I think most people are now fed up of spending another wad of cash only to find that very little has actually changed since they signed up for the next big thing two years or so ago.

I discovered actually how little had changed when I left my phone at the office recently and had to pull and old HTC Hero out of the drawer. Guess what - it did almost everything my latest phone does, 9 years on. People are getting used to it now, that their old phone will do almost everything their next phone does. They don't need the latest OS.

Not only that but with even the world's largest organisations who they have entrusted their card details to and so on only to find that some dumb exec has left that info unencrypted in a suitcase on the train, or losing it on a flash drive in the park, or falling foul to some 7 year old hacker somewhere and so on, and Google grabbing more of their information than any hacker ever has done they're not falling for the security thing any more. Most people don't care about slo-mo 4K video, dual cameras, bokeh effects or a redesigned settings page. As the beverage advert goes, "I just want a coffee..."

MPs accuse Amazon and eBay of profiteering from VAT fraudsters

coolcity

Re: I avoided VAT just last month

katrinab, spot on.

That's the frustrating thing, a lot of people here are assuming that EVERY seller should be VAT registered but don't seem to be aware that it is not the case, and there are many that are well below the VAT threshold.

Also bear in mind that if they are not then they cannot reclaim the VAT on the items they pay. Many sellers are importing from outside the EU so are paying import taxes on their goods that cannot be reclaimed and many of them are probably paying more overall than they would be if they were VAT registered and able to reclaim the tax on their expenses.

coolcity

Re: VAT lost to HMRC and lost to the UK

There are many, many self employed sellers who deliberately trade well below the VAT limit, primarily because if you go over thr etc limit you then have to charge 20% extra on everything you sell. That effectively means that, for example, if you were just under the limit and choose to sell more you would have to sell an awful lot more just to get the same net profit.

So by not buying from those who do not provide a VAT number you are doing them a disservice. Please don't assume that everybody who doesn't have a VAT number is evading the taxman.

coolcity

Yes I think that's the reason a lot of people don't take it that seriously any more. It's not as if any of the extra money they might collect would go back into providing us with anything useful. They would probably just tart up a few more offices and buildings, sign up a few more managers and start up a few more quangos with the extra cash.

coolcity

Re: So let me get this straight

Yes I would agree with that. Although I'm below the VAT registered level it riles me that I pay my taxes via import duty, which is effectively the equivalent spent of paying VAT, yet these people are getting away with it by simply not registering. Ebay and Amazon are well aware of it and it's relatively easy to stop them - just don't allow them to list if their sales indicate that they are trading over the VAT limit and have not provided a valid VAT number.

Actually collecting the tax then sending it off to HMRC would be an even better idea.

Incidentally both sites were wrongly charging sellers VAT on their fees a few years ago but when this was eventually realised Ebay refused to refund any of it. Amazon did, but only if you knew how to apply for it. You won't find anything in their FAQs advising you how to, that's for sure.

Spring is all about new beginnings, but it could already be lights out for Windows' Fluent Design

coolcity

Re: Groove is dead.

Excellent point. Not sure why anybody would object to that by downvoting it. And this lot think Microsoft make some odd decisions!

coolcity

Re: re: The Microsoft View of the world

I wasn't aware that Fluent Design was on any drop list. I might have misinterpreted it but my take of the article was simply that The Register have assumed it's going to be so at some point in the near future.

For some reason, you lot love 'em. So here are the many ThinkPads of 2018

coolcity

Re: Yoga

I guess it depends how and where you use your machine, but for me the versatility of the 2 in 1 design is a Godsend. I couldn't imagine ever having to go back to a "normal" laptop now.

Apple, if you want to win in education, look at what sucks about iPads

coolcity

@ cambsukguy

I was wondering that from the very start. I'm no expert on IT or education so I thought it was just me, but it seems simple: If the iPad isn't suitable then don't use them.

My understanding is that Windows 10 S is partly designed for education purposes and while the Surface Laptop might be expensive, I get the impression that Microsoft introduced the format so that OEM manufacturers will follow with cheaper machines. If part of it is enabling the kids to be Tech act in the future then surely it makes most sense to use the most popular and widely used OS rather than what is primarily a mobile OS?

As for teaching kids how to sort out an issue with their PoS machines later down the line, you'll probably find that's a job for the tech repair team the store has outsourced the job to, not shop floor staff. There will probably be some job description or health and safety rule preventing them from doing so anyway.

Frankly though I would take the lot away and give them paper and pencil. Mist people have a computer or tablet at home now so it's not as if it's something they wouldn't be able to access if they didn't use then in schools. But I took (and passed) my O Level exams in the last year before calculators were allowed and did well enough. Around that time (when calculators were allowed in exams) seems to be when the rot started to set in. The result is that these days you walk into a shop and the kids on the counter can't work out how much change to give you if the till doesn't tell them.

Beware the looming Google Chrome HTTPS certificate apocalypse!

coolcity

Re: Two way street

I agree too. Regardless of the merits of the decision I'm amazed at just how many supposedly expert contributors on here appear to actually think it's fine for an organisation as corrupt as Google are to wield this much power.

coolcity

Re: PITA

Fear? Definitely. Respect? Never.

coolcity

Re: @John Lilburne Well done Google....

The point you people understand is that some middle aged lady who writes a baking blog or some kid blogging about cats won't have a clue what you just wrote means.

If this is what the industry (read Google) wants I can understand that but it's the way they are going about it that many of us object to. Why not insist that the hosts, those selling web space, include it a part of their product instead of forcing it on people who don't even have a clue what Google are asking them to do.

It's the fact that Google have this much control over the web that I find disturbing, I mean its not as if they're the most trustworthy organisation out there.

coolcity

Re: Well done Google....

Everybody has the option to look for a host that doesn't charge extra for a cert. We were lucky enough to already be with one.

I would expect this to be something that they all offer as part of the hosting package in the near future though as it becomes all but compulsory to have your site address begin with https.

coolcity

Re: Class Libel Suit anyone ?

No, if you have a cert it is quite possibly because you were forced to have one by Google, not that you necessarily needed to be "securing something".

We don't collect ANY customer data, there's nothing to order and no forms for anybody to fill in but we're now forced to have a certificate.

I'm not against the idea in principle but it's ironic that it's Google who ultimately decide whether your site is trustworthy or not - from probably THE most untrustworthy data harvesting organisation on the planet.

"The industry is about trust" - but it isn't. Here Google are telling you that you should not, or can't (I forget the exact wording of the warning) trust a site because they haven't obtained a certificate, NOT because they can't actually be trusted. A site might be entirely trustworthy but now they suddenly not because Google say they're not.

What does enforcing your rules on everybody have to do with trust?

Intel, Microsoft confess: Meltdown, Spectre may slow your servers

coolcity

I might be a bit of a simpleton, especially in terms of the technical aspects, but am I the only one who has a little sympathy with Intel et al? This is a design flaw that absolutely nobody in any organisation had spotted for over a decade yet everybody is now pointing the finger.

As flawed and imperfect a species we are, one of our major flaws in my opinion is that we HAVE to find someone to blame if something isn't totally perfect and without any flaw whatsoever.

Yes, we know these firms make megabucks from what they do, but we keep buying the stuff and creating the demand. Then it goes tits up and we all want compo. What happens if we all sue and they go under? Who replaces them to make the products we need? You see where this is going?

OK so we all take a performance hit, some more than others depending on the equipment owned but as somebody pointed out earlier most people have more power than they will ever need now anyway and probably won't notice any difference - I haven't noticed any difference at all so far on two patched Surface Pro 4 (i5 and i7) and an i7 Dell desktop in our office, all 6th gen. I haven't done the older machines yet but that appears to be an indication that we have more power then we need for most takes anyway. I suspect most people will get used to any difference in performance after a week or two, in fact most people probably won't even notice.

Servers are a different issue of course - is this going to be a double whammy, websites everywhere slowed down and then viewed on computers that themselves are also running slower?

Ultimately though I suspect that the only people who might gain anything from this are the litigation lawyers. We all get computers that are a little safer if a little slower and we move on, until the next big thing hits us anyway.

Uneasy rest the buttocks on the iron throne. Profits plunge 14% at Sky UK and Ireland

coolcity

Well I have to be honest, yes i can understand why some people see it as expensive but we have the lot with Sky Q multiroom and the Wi-Fi and Q boxes have been perfect.

We were with Virgin and had continuous problems so switched because of that 15 or so months ago and I haven't regretted it. We only have the cheapest Sky Mobile package but we both work from home so don't use that much data, so it's ideal and for us, very cheap.

coolcity

I pay £85 a month for everything, as well as my home phone line with free evening and weekend calls - not that we ever use it - and Unlimited fibre broadband so if anybody is paying more than that just for TV they really need to speak to Sky (best tell them you're moving to Virgin or BT)

We also get two sim-only unlimited call and text phone contracts for a tenner a month (for both of them), so a total of £95 a month for the lot. I don't think that's a bad deal overall to be honest.

coolcity

Re: It's worse than that

It's not an unreasonable point, bit the difference is with the BBC you don't have a choice. Even if you never watch anything on the BBC you're still paying for it.

I can't actually remember the last time I watched anything in BBC and I'll bet that hour by hour I'm actually paying more for BBC than I am for Sky.

coolcity

Re: Sports

Unfortunately the Channel 4 deal for F1 has either ended, or ends this next season.

Best thing to do us cancel Sky Sports. They will then come back with a cheaper offer if you resubscribe. I got 50% off for 3 years (no contract on that, I can cancel any time) AND a fiver off Sky Movies for a year, which I was already subscribed to, without having to push them at all just 3 weeks after I cancelled Sports.

Nokia 8: As pure as the driven Android - it's a classy return

coolcity

Re: Nokia 925 is still my favourite phone

None of those problems with my 950 either. In fact two years on it's the only phone I've ever had that I enjoy using as much now as I did when I bought it.

The only problem I have is self inflicted, the autofocus doesn't always work after I dropped it for the umpteenth time but I'm going to change the camera module, £25 fix and it should be good as new.

Does everything I need and is far more enjoyable to use than Android, don't care what anybody else thinks so don't bother...

iPhone X: Bargain! You've just bagged yourself a cheap AR device

coolcity

Re: Fools and their money...

@ 45 RPM

I think the point is, is ANY smartphone worth £1000, (or $1000) or whatever, and although value is obviously perceived, I think regardless of what you can afford the question would have to be exactly that, and I think the reality is most people don't think so simply becuase you can buy something that is just as good or better for considerably less. Yes, you could argue that the specs say it outperforms anything else but it doesn't make any difference in real world use.

I think cards are slightly different because they all very considerably in terms of quality and abilities, but for the most part you can do everything you need with a decent quality smartphone that costs under £300. You won't get twice as much (or more) by spending double or treble that.

coolcity

Re: So in essence

I don't think it's a case of most people thinking it's shite, it's the fact that Apple introduce most "features" after everybody else, give them a different name then charge considerably more for it all than everybody else does that annoys most people.

If customers want to spend that sort of money then fine, but they need to stop trying to tell everybody else that they're buying into a vastly superior product.

80-year-old cyclist killed in prang with Tesla Model S

coolcity

Unbelievable that lot of people are slating Tigra 07for making assumptions while making assumptions themselves. How does that make you people any better? "I betcha" doesn't actually mean that he was apportioning blame to anybody incidentally. You can bet on anything, it doesn't mean that bet will come in.

Bored 'drivers' pushed Google Waymo into ditching autopilot tech

coolcity

Re: Cruise control

Agreed. I don't think an auto box is detrimental either. I drive an auto for the same reason, bad knee, but if anything not having to change gear actually makes you safer.

It might not be the same for everyone but I find it improves concentration because you have more time to concentrate on the road because you're not having to think about changing gear.

coolcity

Seriously?

It beggars belief that anybody, not just Google, could imagine for a instant that a "driver" would be expected to take over from an automated system in a split second with no prior warning in an emergency.

It's literally impossible for a driver to react in time in every situation even now, it's just not humanly possible to concentrate on everything all of the time. This sort of thing was always my concern, people getting involved with the motor industry who don't have a clue what they are doing.

This could be our favorite gadget of 2017: A portable projector

coolcity

Fair comment, but I've never really considered a motorhome to be anything but vaguely related to camping.

Granted, camping isn't my field of expertise by any stretch of the imagination but it's really just a hotel suite on wheels isn't it?

coolcity

Agreed, in fact the Yoga Tab can be picked up for quite a bit less than that now and doesn't have the bugs. I bought the Yoga some time ago, with no interest whatsoever in the projector, but it's actually really good at least for indoor use (maybe not so much outdoors).

But as for the "Amazon Echo and Google Home – even iPads – producing really quite impressive sound" - seriously? I'm no audiophile (couldn't afford to be if I wanted to anyway) but my idea of quite impressive sound is a little more expensive than that. I don't rate the Google Home at all for sound quality, and even that's supposed to be better than the Echo.

First iPhone X fondlers struggle to admit that Face ID sort of sucks

coolcity

Re: @coolcity - Same as the Lumia 950

@ Kristian Walsh

Yes I agree, I wear glasses for reading and they do fool the system on the Lumia into not working most of the time. It's no doubt because the image is distorted by the glasses because it does work fine without or with my sunglasses which don't have prescription lens so are relatively flat lens.

From the comments I have read here though it certainly sounds as though it's better than iPhone's version, and actually seems to work better/faster in the dark using the infra red, maybe due to a lack of reflected light from elsewhere, I don't know. But as I've said I still prefer to use the PIN code.

coolcity

Re: Apple Pay?

@ Anonymous Coward

Maybe Face ID is getting too much focus overall, but in this case it does happen to be the subject of this thread.

coolcity

Re: Hehe

@ NeilHoskins

Works perfectly well on my 950, it's a matter of getting used to where you need to hold the phone but I have mentioned earlier in the thread that I still prefer to use a PIN.

coolcity

Re: Do you know what works better than Face ID and Touch ID?

@katrinab

No it doesn't. I was actually very impressed with it, although I still find it quicker and easier to use a PIN. It's easier on a static system but the same system on the Surface computers I have seen, and on my Dell desktop, is incredibly fast.

coolcity

@ Milton

That's the problem though isn't it? We're all blaming Apple but at the end of the day it's the people who are stupid enough to buy into these things, and the one thing Apple are extremely good at isn't manufacturing great products, it's marketing.

I mean, I get it, if you have the money to spend then spend it on what makes you feel good. But the iPhone never did anything so well that it was better than phones costing half the price. Many of us do it. I run my own business and I have a decent car, but is it really any better then the old runabout I had 10 years ago? Does it do anything that old car didn't do? Not really, and in my opinion it's the same with phones.

There is nothing new because they have reached a plateau. We have the optimum screen size and resolution, they are as powerful as they can be and in most cases probably ever need to be, the screens and cameras are as good as they need to be so the manufacturers have nowhere else to go. I have always thought Apple could be particularly vulnerable as most of their eggs are in the iPhone basket, and they are now reaching a limit of what can be improved or enhanced, and this is now what it has come down to

coolcity

Re: Same as the Lumia 950

@ Kristian Walsh

Sorry but the facial recognition system works very well ok my Lumia 950, in all types of light and with dark or with mirrored lens sunglasses on, which surprised me but I assume used the infra red light to do that.

You do have to hold it at a fairly precise close distance but once you're used to doing that it works for me every single time, except if I have my reading takes on. I can understand that because that changes what the camera sees slightly by during and magnifying it.

It's not instant though and can take a second or two. The thing with the Lumia is the PIN code option is right there on screen if you prefer to use that instead.

I just don't think it's right that Apple once again get the credit for introducing/inventing the system. I've read a number of reviews that mention the S8 but never mention the fact that Microsoft had face recognition two years ago

coolcity

Re: Do you know what works better than Face ID and Touch ID?

@ Anonymous Content

Yes I agree, Face Recognition, invented by Apple this year, works perfectly well on the Windows Phone I bought two years ago (not sure why anybody would mark that down). You did have to get used to holding it at a certain distance but it worked well for me in most lighting functions including sunlight and complete darkness but I still find it quicker and easier to use a PIN.

Kind of obvious it's always going to struggle to get a focus lock quickly when you're moving of course, but yes, it's a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Google's phone woes: The Pixel and the damage done

coolcity

Re: a decent android phone does everything an iPhone can

There's no need to pay £50 a month or more, but people do on contract. The wannabes won't buy a decent used phone when they can buy a sparkly new one, oh no...

coolcity

Re: Just like Apple

But many Android phones still have a removable battery.

coolcity

Re: Just like Apple

Absolutely correct. Those are the people who don't realise that it is costing them over £1200 for the duration of the contract, they see other people with them and think they should be entitled to one too. My wife worked in a Jobcentre a couple of years ago and reckons at least one in three people that came in looking for employment had an iPhone.

Few people pay cash for these. If they were not available on contract, or able to pay with a credit card, it would make a huge difference to Apple's bottom line.

coolcity

Re: Just like Apple

Um... a huge amount of iPhone users buy them because they want people to think they are the sort of person who can afford expensive kit. In the Western world they don't appear to be particularly expensive when you're only paying a tenner a month more than you would for a low-mid range phone. They don't think for a moment that it adds up over time and they think even less about the warranty and repair service when they do buy. What is uppermost in their minds is their mates have got one so they don't want to be seen dead with anything cheaper. It's not unusual to see people on Social Security payments toting an iPhone,

coolcity

Re: Other options

Seriously? The Nokia 6 is awful, there are considerably better phones around for less.

It was notable that the author couldn't resist the dig at Microsoft but the Lumia 950 is a far better phone overall then any of the Pixels, without the issues and for considerably less money.

Resellers on Surface: Yeah, go ahead and kill it. What do we care...

coolcity

Think about it, it's not the type of device that you will see people pull out of a backpack or suitcase on a train or in the park because of it's size, so is not the sort of thing you're likely to actually see in use everyday life as such, in the way that you're likely to see people with an iPad. Most people I've seen with iPad outdoors have the smaller versions. I was surprised they canned the Surface Mini for that reason.

Outage at EE wrecks voice calls across the UK

coolcity

That's shocking advice from EE. Actually replying to the text is part of the scam - the reply could cost you £10 or more to send.

Personally I blame Ofcom, this premium rate call/text stuff is mostly used by scammers anyway and should have been stopped years ago.

coolcity

Erm, I don't know which Sale of Goods Act you're reading but after the first 30 days you're not entitled to a refund by default, the retailer only had to repair or replace it. They also have 30 days at least to do so. You're only entitled to a refund it they fail to do that. You will also still have to return the item, at your expense (unless agreed otherwise in the T&Cs). That's why the carriers are able to get you to return for repair. Not sure why you would think the Sale of Goods Act doesn't cover contract sales just like any other sale.

Incidentally the Sale of Goods Act was actually scrapped a couple of years ago and replaced with the (similar) Consumer Rights Act, but please try to get your facts right before posting such things as you're misleading other people.

Microsoft's foray into phones was a bumbling, half-hearted fiasco, and Nadella always knew it

coolcity

Yes, absolutely correct. As a mobile phone retailer the ONE big thing that we found people shied away from the most was the unfamiliarity with the interface. nothing to do with the perceived lack of apps which was just something the media jumped on early days and was then copied by every writer for the next few years.

As a retailer who has seen just about every phone out there I also have no intention whatsoever of switching to either Android or iOS. Hopefully the new Windows LTE Gigabit devices will come along before I have to think about it.

coolcity

Re: They know how to shoot themselves on the foot.

I've read some nonsense in my time but yours is almost an alternate reality. First of all the masses didn't like Windows 8.1 which is how we got to Windows 10, which is considerably better all round. Where 8.1 was effectively two operating systems, with the choice of using the Windows 7-like desktop or the Metro interfaced, 10 has combined the two so it's usable for both touchscreen and non-touch users.

If people DON'T update to fix the bugs and holes then they are stupid and brainless. It's not usually the computers that have been updated that are hit with malware etc. Get with the program. They have backed off a little which is understandable, but the updates are for YOUR benefit. As for spyware etc, have you used anything Google lately? They have turned it into a fine art.

So Apple are great at marketing and telling people what they need. So like the rest of the sheep you think it's fantastic that they should dictate to you what you want to be buying, yet you don't think it's good that Microsoft are dictating to you that you should update for our own safety and security? You couldn't make it up!

As for being first in line to install Windows 10, I think there are around half a billion people ahead of you already. Why am I not surprised?

coolcity

Re: Their analysis is actually half right

Freedom? With IPhone? You mean the freedom to buy Airpods instead of having to use an old fashioned 3.5mm socket, or the freedom to use your collection of dongles and cables instead of the USB cables forced onto us by Android and Windows?

No wonder Apple are successful if that's the mentality of their customers.

coolcity

Seriously? Android is a buggy mess even now, and there isn't an iPhone that has been released yet that hasn't come with problems. No thanks.

coolcity

Re: Have I lost my bet ?

You can easily still buy them on Ebay, Amazon etc. CPW will have stopped selling them for the simple reason that they have sold out - no more are being produced so they can't restock.

The Microsoft online store still has the HP Elite X3 (£690 with dock), Alcatel Idol 4 Pro (£420) and Acer Liquid Jade Pro (£210) to buy on the site. The HP and Alcatel are absurdly expensive in the UK though. The HP is the equivalent of £454 in the US and the Alcatel is £150. The Acer is more expensive (£340) in the US but includes dock, keyboard, mouse and case.

I would buy either the HP or Alcatel if the prices were close to the US ones, but not at those prices. To be fair you can get them a lot cheaper elsewhere.

coolcity

Thanks for the entertainment...

I've been a mobile phone retailer for nigh on 16 years now and have a deliberately small (because I'm disabled and can only cope with so much) but successful business. I always have a good chuckle when another "expert" decided that he's figured out what Microsoft's problems are, followed by hundreds of other "I know where they went wrong" posts. It's always entertaining that so many people know what one of the world's most successful businesses is doing wrong, while it's clear that most of them know nothing about business and in many cases probably even less bout Windows phones, because they have never owned one.

I mean, "It would not be meaningfully different", and would be "woefully uncreative when trying to differentiate its product." Seriously? The one thing you CAN say with confidence about Windows phone is that it is different from the endless stream of me-too Android junk out there, the design of which obviously aped the iPhone, which itself aped the grid icon design that had been seen on feature phones 10 years ago and even now still; ironically a design mostly credited to Nokia.

If anything Windows Phone's problem was that it WAS different and people like familiarity. Forget the much-vaunted app situation. Hacks with nothing better to do picked up on it early on and it continued throughout the life of Windows phones. It was very easy to come away from a Windows phone review believing that there were virtually no apps. I've even seen so-called professional writers, i.e. writers employed as such for a salary, state that you could not watch a YouTube video or access Facebook on a Windows Phone. That's how bad it was. Those endless reviews, many of which simply copied a previous one, must have done untold damage to potential sales. People would often come into our shop believing that there were perhaps only a dozen apps or so on a Windows Phone and believe that they were like feature phones.

Likewise with the processor size. People buy into figures. They want more. Windows phones often had smaller processors because they were less power hungry than Android phones, but the writers didn't tell you that - we saw it again in this article - they simply told you they had less power. I owned a 1020 and never had any significant lag issues. I've seen many far more expensive Android phones that do, even now. But again people came away with the misconception that they were not powerful enough.

But the one big thing that scared people who saw the phones was the unfamiliar interface. They wanted icons because that's what they knew and understood. So many stuck with Android or iOS. I can honestly say though that those who DID switch to Windows were usually delighted and often stuck with them. They had most of the apps most of the people wanted but it's still a misconception that won't go away.

This of course, you're going to say is just my opinion, which is fair enough, but it's my take from my experience. The fact is you're all wrong about why Windows Mobile failed. Most of you would be anyway, because obviously a thousand different opinions can't be right, but the one simple fact is it didn't fail. It was reigned in by Microsoft, which is not the same thing. Oh I know it's not as glamourous to say it was, or will be, discontinued, it doesn't give you the same buzz as telling us all "See, I told you it would fail". But much as most of you hate to admit it, that wasn't the case as such.

There are a few things nobody has considered, and one of the main points is that Nadella wasn't interested. Had he been "up for it" Microsoft might well have done better had they continued. You can tell from everything he says, right from the fact that he didn't agree with the acquisition of Nokia in the first place which in many ways was essential. Nokia were struggling anyway and had Microsoft not stepped in they might have gone under, leaving Microsoft without a major vendor for their OS. There is no doubt in my mind from listening to what Nadella has had to say, that he couldn't wait to get rid of Windows Mobile. I think the guy has done fantastically well for the company, but mobile clearly isn't his thing.

Sales were on the increase in Europe in particular and just a couple of years ago they were outselling the iPhone in some European countries. There's no reason why that could not have continued if they had continued to release new phones and had Microsoft chosen a different CEO it might well have happened.

But what needs to be considered is the fact that most, if not all, low end phones don't make any money. In fact in most cases only the flagship models turn a profit, and even then only the most popular ones. Sony, LG and even Samsung have lost serious amounts of cash in recent years via their smartphone divisions. Those criticizing the Groove closure too also need to remember that even Sony, who are heavily into music and movies, couldn't make that work either.

I'm also not sure the Microsoft branding helped a lot, but get rid of that and you alienate the enterprise customers, and that's where the real money is. But throwing good money after bad is bad business and putting an end to that is the only sensible thing to do. Nadella recognised that, and that is to be admired, not derided.

Bing fling sting: Apple dumps Microsoft search engine for Google

coolcity

Quite obvious that there's a lot of irrelevant vitriol around Microsoft here, so any comment will be as meaningless on here as most of the other comments would be on an anti-Google site, but for what it's worth I much prefer Bing.

I find Google search to be very much like the Google app store - a few decent or relevant results amongst tens of thousands of crap ones.

Microsoft's cash-leaking Nokia phones rip off patents, face import ban

coolcity

Re: Study finance

People also forget, or are blissfully unaware, that the likes of Samsung, Sony, LG etc. also make huge losses from their smartphone divisions, and much more than Microsoft might have lost (if indeed they lost anything at all) on the writedown of Nokia.

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