Paul Thurrott Windows Phone 8 requiring dual or more cores is totally wrong assumption.
Most of Windows Phone lovers who go around tech blogs know Paul Thurrott and his WindowsITPro, WinSuperSite sites. He is one of the early adopters of Windows Phone and spreading word about Windows Phone and its developments on his sites Supersite for Windows and Windows IT Pro. On 20th April he blogged that his Microsoft insiders said that there would be no roll out of Windows Phone 8 aka Apollo for the Generation 2 and Generation 1 Windows Phones. He made few points why Microsoft wouldn’t release the upgrade for existing Windows Phones including the Generation 2/higher end Windows Phones such as HTC Titan, HTC Titan II, Samsung Focus S, Nokia Lumia 900 etc. 
He says “Allow me to set the record straight. No. It won’t happen. Not for the Lumia 900, and not for any other existing phone. It won’t happen partially, through an update that will deliver just some features, and it won’t happen for those who wish to pay for such an update. It simply isn’t happening. Sorry. But please don’t email me about this; I’m just the messenger". Ok, I am not shooting the messenger, but he and his insiders were proven so many times regarding the Verizon’s Trophy launch, Mango launch, and other. He is a great resource for all of Windows Phone lovers, but he had been proven wrong many times and his tipsters probably misled him this time too.
One of his point is “Second, the experience would be terrible; Windows Phone 8 is based on Windows 8, not Windows Phone 7.x, and requires headier, higher-end hardware with two or more core processors.” This is totally moot in many regards. Since Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 share same kernel, he also agrees to that, and Microsoft showed Windows 8 running on Single Core ARM Processor at Mobile World Congress 2012 Barcelona, that experience statement is totally moot. Ok, I understand that is a “Consumer Preview”. Few of us including David, Jim and I are running that Windows 8 CP on older single core processors without hitch. David and I use ExoPC powered by Intel Atom Oak processor, and Jim uses his 8 year old Fujitsu Lifebook. My point is when a beta of Full OS is capable of running on single core ARM without hitch, then why a stripped version of it running on Single core is an issue.
This is one of the stupid things I have ever heard, i.e a mobile OS needing dual cores or multiple cores. Well there could be some games or apps that might need dual core processor or higher, but for majority of the apps and games, I don’t think so. If that is the case of needing higher end hardware such as dual core or more for a mobile OS, why would Microsoft just released a Tango update, and making the lower end phones can enjoy competing with other platforms’ lower end phones in emerging markets? This allowed Nokia and other Microsoft ODM/OEM partners and carriers to sell cheaper phones in emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil, Russia etc. If Microsoft is that stupid, they might deserve a failure in Mobile market considering Paul and his Tipsters are right this time. I own Microsoft stocks and I hate see Microsoft losing the mobile market.
And also there are rumors contradicting this that WP8 running on Nokia 610 tweeted by MS_Nerd few days ago and a Chinese forum saying Nokia 800 running Apollo (WP8) and its translation you could see at Insideris.
The only tech reason I see is a clean install might be needed due to different kernel and that may make user to lose her/his stuff. But I bet that that can be fixed with some sync app to SkyDrive and this can be easily done by Microsoft.
And if Microsoft is not doing it means there must be a business decision that is overriding technology is a request/order from their partners including OEMs/ODMs, Carriers, Board, but not tech issues. And why is Microsoft so quite on these for a long time and let the rumors happen is out of my knowledge. I hope Microsoft will end these rumors pretty soon.
And I hope Paul Thurrott is totally wrong this time too.
Source: Windows IT Pro, MS_Nerd Tweet, Insideris, wpxap,
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About The Author
saiweb
Mobile Gadget Geek. My mobility started with HP Jornada Handheld PC LX320. I currently own and use various Windows Phones, iOS devices, Android devices and HP Touchpad.
Nice anecdote, I’m sure you and Jim are happenin’ wild and crazy guys on your old hardware running this bleeding edge fresh software, but if you don’t want to take Thurrott’s word for it and are interested in some of his points, start with his first because it’s kinda good, like the point you’d lead with in a super important argument, which this clearly is:
“First, there’s no economic imperative; Microsoft’s partners have sold very few Windows Phones, and supporting a new platform on legacy hardware would be expensive.”
And here’s my point on the veracity his first point. The man knows how to use a semicolon properly. He’s no dummy.
So when you come along, waltzing in with all those Us in your last name that spell swagger, and say something Paully T wrote is the stupidest thing you ever heard, that your inside information about the software’s probable hardware demands with your little experiment outweighing his inside information coupled by his experience with a very sharp eye on Microsoft and the tech industry over the past decades, let’s just say it gives me pause Rama; it gives me pause.
Simmons, well I agree what you are saying. But at the same time I don’t say Paul or his insider tipsters are clueless. All I am saying is putting the issue of not upgrading at least higher end phones because of multiple cores requirement is wrong. Microsoft has shown full OS Win8 at MWC 2012 on a single core ARM Processor, why can’t a subset of Win8 for mobile devices aka Appollo can’t run on single core, what is the issue? I would say the same to Microsoft if they just push the blame on the hardware after showing that it could run on single core processor at Barcelona this year. The real issue is not hardware. And if MSFT is not pushing upgrade to prior generation and current Windows Phone 7 hardware then it is not due to hardware limitation, it is due to some other ghost decision that is overriding this, it could be pressure from OEMs, carriers, Board or Bill G himself. We will never know that if this not upgrading thing happens in reality.
What people forget about “oh no, different Kernel” is that it’s only a software and software can be overwritten.
I really hope they bring Apollo to at least the second gen devices, it would save people the trouble of buying a new phone, just to get the Windows experiencce. It would also save the hassle of transfering files, seeing as how we don’t have a decent backup system. And for those who bought the Lumia 900, it would save them some money.
The thing is, all those who bought all Windows Phone combined can be described as relatively very few in numbers, the project thus far a failure. So if there’s any value to giving yourself a clean slate in pursing mobile platform success, might as well.
Get your Windows Experience on your Lumia. It will be quite good and that’s not going to change (unless you drop it in the toilet, but even then you might get lucky if you fish it out quickly and don’t hesitate because it’s so gross).
Well, I can see Simmons is as big a douche as he ever was. Even his avatar makes him look like one.
As for Paul Thurrott, the dude has been wrong so many times it’s not even funny. His inside sources aren’t even close to being what Simmons would have you believe in his post. Here’s just a few of Thurrott’s misfires.
– In late 2010 or early 2011, he announced that Verizon’s Trophy was coming in January 2011. It became available in June!
– In spring 2011, he predicted Mango won’t come until 2012. Mango beta became widely available just a month or two after that! And we all know it became RTM in the fall.
– After constantly whining about lack of special access to MS, he explicitly advised readers NOT to buy Windows Phone in early 2011. No, I’m not kidding. It was as if he was pissed off by MS’s treatment of him and wanted to retaliate. This was during time last year when he whined and bitched about MS in just about every podcast. He probably does still? I don’t know because I stopped following him closely since then.
Thurrott doesn’t have special access to Microsoft, nor does he have secret information that many other blogs don’t have. He is a blogger and a follower of Microsoft. He has a special knowledge of how Microsoft’s software works. But he has no secret inside knowledge about Windows Phone 8 or what’s coming down the pipe. He’s guessing on this particular issue.
The notion that a mobile OS would need such insane minimum system requirement is downright stupid. If Microsoft did that, they will have effectively killed any chance Windows Phone ever has of growing. They also will have cut their OEMs, especially Nokia, off at the knees. Nokia has some of it’s most important markets in emerging territories. The whole point of the Tango update was to target cheaper phones for emerging markets. Ram is absolutely right that there would be no point in even releasing Tango if Microsoft no longer supported the low end. They would have also destroyed any chance they have at competing in this market. You can also bet that Nokia would ditch them so fast that their head would spin. Nokia is really the only company that has moved the needle for Windows Phone.
Hell, I’ve got on old single core PC that can run Windows 7, not bad at all I might add. It’s doing it right now. You’re going to tell me that Microsoft is ditching Nokia and the low end? Please! How stupid do you think we are.