Microsoft blocks dirty dozen apps from mobile store Say what you like about Microsoft (as Apple fans do). At least you know where you stand on certain issues. When it comes to Microsoft's planned Marketplace for Mobile, you can forget about making or installing software that changes Microsoft's default browser, search client, or media player on a Windows mobile phone. Also out …
Just based on wording...aren't VOIP over wifi and VOIP over "the carrier's network" totally different things?
Blocking VOIP over the carrier's network "makes sense" from the vendor's position -- it's free minutes for the user. That's (sort of) like Burger King giving you free refills when you walk in off the street with a Wendy's cup.
I think its Phone's default browser, default search client... etc. and not Microsoft's IE or Microsoft's search or Microsoft's media player.
My sprint touch pro comes with Opera browser & google search. In desktop world, I really hate it when some random think I am trying to install tries to hijack default browsers, mail clients & search preferences. I am glad Microsoft is adding such checks in the platform. Aren't you?
@Author: Please Try to cross check your facts again and update the post. Or wait a minute, if your initial interpretation itself is wrong I think you can go ahead and delete the whole article as it doesn't make sense anymore.
You'll still be able to put stuff on the phone via other sources, you aren't locked into using the Microsoft Mobile Store. Most of the pressure is probably coming form the Telco's anyway (Particularly Verizon, the iron-fisted bastards)
Something you can't say about apple....
Flames / anon because of the flames I will receive from the fanboys.
Who wants a bloody simple phone without all this graphical crap? At the risk of being called a Luddite, given that I already have a very nice 15" laptop with GPRS, for internet on the go, I want my phone to bloody well call people, and that's *it*. My bread-lord had bestowed one of those glorified calculators on me for my use. Always fun to see which menu options I have selected with my ear. It's a crap phone and it's a crap computer. For actually making calls, I much *much* prefer my 20 quid Tesco pay-as-you-go jobbie.
Add to that Microsoft's dedication to making things not work, and I'm left with the question: Why bother?
The document doesn't say ANY of that. You cannot fiddle with the registry to make your app the default. THAT is what it says. FFS!
Yes, that's still a load of restrictive bollocks and means I won't be touching the marketplace with a barge pole but if you're going to slag someone off at least read the fucking thing first!
I could still download/install apps/hacks (voip, browser you name it) OTA with my mobile browser from any website, over ActiveSync, or hell, even code some up on the device itself and use that.
It's not like Microsoft is being the monopolistic pig like Apple. MS App Store will just be a convenience with its own *clear* set of rules, unlike itunes store.
"Applications that change the default browser, search client, or media player on the device."
While being a bit ambiguous, in no way does this say that you can't release a new browser, search client or media player in Microsoft's app store. I would say that this says that you simply can't change what the default is set to, although it could be saying that you can't release any software which makes modifications to these applications.
In any case, the main point is that Windows Mobile won't force you to only use the Microsoft app store - you'd still be free to install whatever software you want, downloaded or bought from wherever you want. The app store is simply the place that the phone will point you towards, I guess to make it easier for normal users to find applications for their phone.
This is completely different to Apple's strategy, which gives you absolutely none of this freedom (I actually have an iPhone, because it seems to be the default mobile platform that 3rd parties develop for).
You can load any app onto a Windows Mobile device, and that isn't changing, so they can run open source or commercial apps that do anything you want.
However, they or the operators do have a switch to change that. I doubt Microsoft will, because it'll bring on court cases - individual operators can (and I think have, believe T-Mobile locked their phones down). But with so much of Windows Mobile market share in enterprises, they need to support the loading of arbitrary enterprise apps or drive this away.
does that mean you _are_ still allowed to have a browser, it just can't make itself default? and can the _user_ make other browsers the default?
If "yes" to both, then meh, it's a perfectly reasonable thing ("no apps that randomly stomp on the user's preferences"). If "yes" to the first only, it's still somewhat understandable. If "no" to both, that's totally stupid
though at least with windows mobile you can still manually install stuff if you want
@AC: No one is bashing the company. They are bashing the policies for their new app and phone software.
The company has already been proven a monopoly, and these are the same tactics. So it's 100% reasonable to expect more lawsuits over these decisions. The company itself is not the issue.
Standard rules are there to protect the monopoly. Perhaps a new standard is needed.
Finally, don't get upset when someone complains about a company's policy. You don't need to defend them. Just wait and see if they change their policies or do not. Crying about it, and belittling this website as a technical source won't help anyone.
You need to read his comment instead of just copypasting a standard rebuttal (the "proven monopoly" line was a giveaway :P )
that AC was proceeding on one interpretation of the rules. I don't see how the interpretation he's using (that the rule is "no program may alter the user's preference over what the default browser is", NOT "you may not write a browser") embodies monopolistic tactics, and I'm genuinely curious if you can explain that.
of coure, the wording is a little wooly, and it's possible the correct interpretation is indeed the braindead one. In which case it's not only monopolistic, it's damned stupid.
The problem is that this article is completely focussed on a negative interpretation of this list, and just assumes that it is a monopolisitc move by Microsoft.
For example, does this phrase used in the article:
"While Apple has unhelpfully not provided any public guidance to developers, a strategy that has backfired (here and here), the company does at least let you change browsers and run VoIP over WiFi."
sound, considering the implication of this statement, like a fair interpretation of these points in the PDF file:
"Applications that change the default browser, search client, or media player on the device."
"Applications that enable VoIP (Voice over IP) services over a mobile operator network."
And also, this statement from the article:
"Old habits die hard, it seems, and Microsoft is trying to play that old-world, big-vendor game of claiming market share by prescribing the software people can use on devices."
completely overlooks the fact that Windows Mobile doesn't restrict you to applications only from the official app store - you can install whatever the hell you like, and make changes to the phone at root level without modification.
These comments are aren't about defending Microsoft's policy - they're about providing some balance to a fairly one-sided article.
This is simply free-market competition at work. Apple did something; Microsoft is competing. That's how the system works.
Apple puts silly restrictions on what you can do with their phones; Microsoft competes by being *more* silly and *more* restrictive. Microsoft is a heavy-handed monopoly; Apple competes by being *more* heavy-handed. Isn't that how it's supposed to work?
Mine's the one with the Palm Pre in the pocket. They're #3; they try even harder!
This sort of story reminds me that Microsoft are actually running a Marketplace.
I'm still trying to decide what I disagree with the most, the rulings on what MS are going to allow in their shop or the fact that MS bothered to set one up in the first place. I've been using HTC phones since their first offering and I've never used MS Marketplace, I don't see the point when Handango are doing a better job with a wider choice and been doing it a lot longer.
This is something Apple need to do, open up the marketplace and stop restricting people to only buying apps through iTunes, once they do this they'll find their userbase will grow even more.
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