[bornhuetter]

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

[venomsnake]

They are moving in that direction since the W8 store was revealed and they are doubling down right now.

All parts of the company will share and contribute to the success of core offerings, like Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Surface, Office 365 and our EA offer, Bing, Skype, Dynamics, Azure and our servers. All parts of the company will contribute to activating high-value experiences for our customers.

High value experience is euphemism for gatekeeper from what I have seen.

[bornhuetter]

I agree with you that Microsoft is becoming more closed, and that that is a bad thing. However, when you say "full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg" it is so over the top that I can't take your comment seriously. Similarly to how I pretty much write off any comment that uses the terms M$ or "Cupertino idiot tax" unless used ironically.

[criley2]

If people want Microsoft to be "less closed", then they should stop avoiding Microsoft for platforms like Google and Apple, who are whooping Microsoft's ass by being far more closed.

Between the anti-open Google+/Play/Hangouts universe and the anti-open iOS iGarden, I'm surprised that it has taken Microsoft this long to catch up to their anti-open competitors.

[venomsnake]

Openness has nothing to do with abandonment of microsoft. It has all to do with the fact that they could not deliver good mobile device. And still can't.

They made errors on every step of the game - allowed carrirs to have saying on the devices, abandoned all lessons learned from PCs and building ecosystems and threw an inferior iOS me too (the UI was better though, the ideology the same)

[criley2]

I trialed a Nokia Lumia 920 with WP8 for a month before settling on a Note II, and I must say that I strongly disagree with your analysis of WP8. It seems very biased and it seems to be ignorant -- as in I don't believe you've actually used the platform as a daily driver for any period of time.

No offense, but calling it a "me too" iOS competitor is about as nuanced as calling Android a "me too" iOS competitor -- technically, Android is a "me too" product, just more mature, but it don't serve any useful end to point that out.

[venomsnake]

I was talking about the totally botched launch of WP7 mostly (and I have used wp7 device). While WP8 may be amazing it was just too late.

Android have the "dominant market share" thing going on about it.

MS had very short window to make a dent in the smartphone war but because of "reasons" never really got together to create a product that could be the smartphone win 3.11/98

[ladzoppelin]

I absolutely love my Nokia 928 and think WP8 mobile is amazing. Don't really understand what you are talking about here..

[city41]

WP8 is the best phone OS out there. I absolutely love my Nokia Lumia after owning several iPhones. The mobile device is not the problem, the app store on the device is.

[bryanlarsen]

I don't think the OP was arguing that Windows is currently a walled garden, but is arguing that Windows is moving in that direction.

[bornhuetter]

If OP had said criticized Microsoft for moving toward being more closed, I would have completely agreed with him (to the extent that it is relevant to the link, which it isn't really). But he said "full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg", and so his comment loses all credibility.

[venomsnake]

Number of time desktop/workstation is used in the memo - 0, number of times PC - 4 , 3 of them about the past. Number of times devices is used 20+, experience - 10+ - microsoft from today officialy desires to be looked as a device/experience company when dealing with end users.

That is full steam ahead to appleland for me. And it will be closed and walled future. WP8 and W8 demonstrated the MS attitude good enough.

The borg came from the one goal, one vision, one direction etc.

[bornhuetter]

I'm not disagreeing with your general point, I'm just saying that if you cut out the hyperbole and bring your criticism down to a more rational level it would carry a lot more force. "Microsoft is becoming more closed, and that is a bad thing for x,y,z reasons" carries a lot more weight to me than "Microsoft are the worst company in the world, and are literally the Borg".

This is not just directed at you, it seems to be a common thing with criticism of Microsoft - so over the top that rational discussion of what they are doing right and wrong gets thrown out the window.

[marcosdumay]

"full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth."

Ok, English is not my first language, and that "to" seems a bit ambiguous to me... But in context that was pretty clearly a move toward a walled garden, not a move done by a walled garden.

[sbierwagen]

He's talking more about Windows Phone, the Windows 8 apps, and Xbox.

[bornhuetter]

Is Windows Phone more of a walled garden than than iOS? Is the Xbox more of a walled garden than the Wii U? The argument is still complete hyperbole.

[AndrewDucker]

Windows Phone is more of a walled garden than Android.

[bornhuetter]

"bigger walled garden than Android" I would agree with.

[ams6110]

Most phone users want walled gardens: it's hard to get lost in one.

[jabits]

Um, what was the question?

[iaskwhy]

Together they are.

[bornhuetter]

I'm not sure I understand your point - can you please elaborate?

[iaskwhy]

Together Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox are the "biggest walled garden on earth".

[gtirloni]

When you add "Windows" there it completely dillutes the argument because Windows on the desktop is far from a walled garden as a proprietary platform can be.

[podperson]

Those may be walled gardens, but they're not very big.

[venomsnake]

XBOX commands sizable chunk of a very lucrative market. If we have luck the console industry will implode soon because the current model is unsustainable, but at the moment XBOX is not not very big.

[hdra]

because its cool to hate Microsoft. 'nuff said.