You, Me, Companies that don't really care, and Warez!?

[Tmair]

Ok I was involved in a thread about Garmin Mobile XT, in that thread 2010 maps came up, I asked about those maps and received a mild reprimand from a moderator (they where black market), I don’t have a problem with that, or the moderator!! But it did bring up a question, so you pay good money for a program, in this case about $100.00, expecting the company to stand behind that program and offer, for a price, updates to keep the software usable and current, then that company just drops it from their line up, no support, no updates (This is a program that we all know needs updates to stay current we all buy these programs expecting them to stay current) nothing from them except sorry dude your out of luck.
So do these companies deserve the respect that we would give a company that honors their product, and implied future of that product?
How far do they really need/deserve to be protected for their intellectual property? I know I can go buy another program to do basically the same thing, but $100.00!! for a program that was basically outdated when they released it what with the growth that was going on before the economy went south, then just drop it.
I know this is sour grapes on my part but it still begs the questions
Terry

[2 Bunny]

At this point in time, it really doesn't matter as much as it used to because Microsoft (of all people) has provided you with a good excuse: It doesn't make any difference anymore because Windows Mobile is being discontinued. People have already stopped making software long ago (Firefox Mobile, for example), and as the date of Windows Mobile's demise approaches, people will continue to cease development for it. Just like you stopped seeing people selling Palm OS apps shortly after Palm halted the Palm OS, you don't hear about Windows Mobile apps anymore, and 5+ years down the road (when the hardware is really outdated), people will quit Windows Mobile in droves. Sure, they can still sell the software after it is outdated, but people no longer buy it, so it'll be like the Palm OS is today - there, but not a big staple anymore. Depending on the obsolence of the product, you may wish to still support the developer, but if Garmin has moved on to "bigger and better" (at least their idea of "bigger and better", android, Apple, WebOS) then it is really up to you.

Or maybe I'm being too cruel? You decide.

- 2 Bunny

[milesius]

Correct me plz, but isn't WM actually just being replaced by Phone 7 ? so its not like Microsoft is getting out of the mobile game, right?

Originally Posted by 2 Bunny

At this point in time, it really doesn't matter as much as it used to because Microsoft (of all people) has provided you with a good excuse: It doesn't make any difference anymore because Windows Mobile is being discontinued. People have already stopped making software long ago (Firefox Mobile, for example), and as the date of Windows Mobile's demise approaches, people will continue to cease development for it. Just like you stopped seeing people selling Palm OS apps shortly after Palm halted the Palm OS, you don't hear about Windows Mobile apps anymore, and 5+ years down the road (when the hardware is really outdated), people will quit Windows Mobile in droves. Sure, they can still sell the software after it is outdated, but people no longer buy it, so it'll be like the Palm OS is today - there, but not a big staple anymore. Depending on the obsolence of the product, you may wish to still support the developer, but if Garmin has moved on to "bigger and better" (at least their idea of "bigger and better", android, Apple, WebOS) then it is really up to you.

Or maybe I'm being too cruel? You decide.

- 2 Bunny

[2 Bunny]

Originally Posted by milesius

Correct me plz, but isn't WM actually just being replaced by Phone 7 ? so its not like Microsoft is getting out of the mobile game, right?

Well, they are switching from the Smartphone to the Dumbphone market, so in a way they are, but just slapping real Windows Mobile customers in the face.

- 2 Bunny

[Tmair]

Originally Posted by 2 Bunny

Well, they are switching from the Smartphone to the Dumbphone market, so in a way they are, but just slapping real Windows Mobile customers in the face.

- 2 Bunny

And I am so tired of b eing slapped in the face my next phone is going to be an android, first it was Palm, now WM, I don't have a very good track record, lets see if me going with Android ruins those phones too!

[2 Bunny]

Originally Posted by Tmair

And I am so tired of b eing slapped in the face my next phone is going to be an android, first it was Palm, now WM, I don't have a very good track record, lets see if me going with Android ruins those phones too!

Android looks cool on the outside, but there's too much "toilet paper" in the UI for me. Its the next best thing though if something doesn't come up in the meantime.

- 2 Bunny

[eric3938]

Originally Posted by milesius

Correct me plz, but isn't WM actually just being replaced by Phone 7 ? so its not like Microsoft is getting out of the mobile game, right?

Yes WM is being replaced by Windows Phone 7. Correct, this does not mean Microsoft is getting out of the mobile business. However, WP is a completely new OS built from the ground up, not simply an upgrade to WM renamed to WP. This means that all of the apps written to run on WM phones will not be usable on a WP phone.

[Tmair]

Originally Posted by eric3938

Yes WM is being replaced by Windows Phone 7. Correct, this does not mean Microsoft is getting out of the mobile business. However, WP is a completely new OS built from the ground up, not simply an upgrade to WM renamed to WP. This means that all of the apps written to run on WM phones will not be usable on a WP phone.

I know, it seams like th only business phone developer that has pretty much stayed true to what works, and what made them popular is RIM and their black berrys.
I also can't believe how phone like the iPhone have completely taken over, I have an iPod touch, as a business device these things are clunky in my opinion, I cannot see myself trying to use one, atleast there are a few companies making Android phones with sliding keyboards, but calendar and contacts is still an issue, I am not sure if there are any affordable desktop programs that will work with Android calendar and contacts.
Terry

[2 Bunny]

Originally Posted by Tmair

I know, it seams like th only business phone developer that has pretty much stayed true to what works, and what made them popular is RIM and their black berrys.
I also can't believe how phone like the iPhone have completely taken over, I have an iPod touch, as a business device these things are clunky in my opinion, I cannot see myself trying to use one, atleast there are a few companies making Android phones with sliding keyboards, but calendar and contacts is still an issue, I am not sure if there are any affordable desktop programs that will work with Android calendar and contacts.
Terry

That's a good observation how something so ridiculous as the devices apple creates succeed. They've managed to undo years of progress in such a short time. Three years. We started out with QVGA screens and a pretty good interface. Now we have VGA, and now that larger resolution on the new Apple Phone 4, and it is wasted so badly. With less than a fifth the screen, we were able to do five times as much. And the sad part is that we let it influence culture and devices as we know it. Even our classy Windows Mobile 6 devices have toilet paper scrolling to some degree and inefficiency of the UI further developed. I can do almost anything a stylus can do with the edge of my thumb. This is why I like smaller buttons and normal scrolling.
Many of you still browse PPCGeeks on a desktop (I hope some do at least). Notice how the way to scroll a page taller than your monitor is to either use that little wheel on your mouse, or grab the slider on the side of the page (not that slider from WinMo...). There is very little (if any) toilet paper scrolling anywhere in Windows, and it is still a popular operating system. Apple completely took over the world as we knew it and dumbed down our devices to a pre 1980s level of stupidity with a 2010 level of processing power. Just makes you take a breath, step back, and say, "wow".

- 2 Bunny

[Tmair]

Problem is they stopped supporting WM before Microsoft stopped!
But I actualy ment this in a broader sence then just Garmin, and WM, I just used them as an example.
Terry