[richardat]

Since somebody posted about the WP commercial, here's something else that's kind of interesting and novel.....though actually, I think it's a bad move by MS:

SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft has launched an app for Google's Android mobile operating system that tries to lure users to Windows Phone.

The app, subtly named "Switch to Windows Phone", claims to make it easy to switch from an Android phone to a Windows Phone handset.

So, if for example you decide to ditch your HTC One in favour of the Nokia Lumia 920, Microsoft's new app supposedly will make it easy. The app scans the installed apps on an Android smartphone, finds the Windows Phone equivalents, and downloads them straight to your new Windows Phone device.

Microsoft said, "Are you thinking about switching to Windows Phone and want a convenient way to migrate your app experiences over? Look no further, Windows Phone has an app for that!"

"Use Switch to Windows Phone to see how many of your Android apps are available on Windows Phone. Just run Switch to Windows Phone on your Android, and this app will check to see if your installed apps are available in the Windows Phone Store. It's that easy."........(cont)

Full text:
Microsoft looks to woo Android users with Switch to Windows Phone app- The Inquirer

[Dapper37]

How does this have anything to do with BlackBerry. I think your in the wrong place.

Posted via CB10

[richardat]

How does this have anything to do with BlackBerry. I think your in the wrong place.

Posted via CB10

Yes, as I noted, it seems like a direct follow-up to the thread regarding a WP commercial posted yesterday (part of same promotion).

In any case, if the thread isn't appropriate here, I'm happy to have it moved. Sometimes though, people post threads about things happening to direct competitors of BB. For example:

google cries fowl as patents start to hurt. (posted in news/rumors)

apples siri is just beta "bloomberg" (posted in news and rumors)

Is Nokia's biggest worry, Samsung? (posted in general BB discussion)

FaceBook to buy Whatsapp? (posted in general BB discussion)

Those threads were started by Dapper37 so you might want to have a word with him for all those repeat offenses!

[Tre Lawrence]

Since somebody posted about the WP commercial, here's something else that's kind of interesting and novel.....though actually, I think it's a bad move by MS:

SOFTWARE GIANT Microsoft has launched an app for Google's Android mobile operating system that tries to lure users to Windows Phone.

The app, subtly named "Switch to Windows Phone", claims to make it easy to switch from an Android phone to a Windows Phone handset.

So, if for example you decide to ditch your HTC One in favour of the Nokia Lumia 920, Microsoft's new app supposedly will make it easy. The app scans the installed apps on an Android smartphone, finds the Windows Phone equivalents, and downloads them straight to your new Windows Phone device.

Microsoft said, "Are you thinking about switching to Windows Phone and want a convenient way to migrate your app experiences over? Look no further, Windows Phone has an app for that!"

"Use Switch to Windows Phone to see how many of your Android apps are available on Windows Phone. Just run Switch to Windows Phone on your Android, and this app will check to see if your installed apps are available in the Windows Phone Store. It's that easy."........(cont)

Full text:
Microsoft looks to woo Android users with Switch to Windows Phone app- The Inquirer

I saw that. Interesting idea; not sure it will work, but can't knock MS for trying, I guess.

[imz]

That is pretty smart.

[richardat]

That is pretty smart.

I don't know.....I think it would be smart if you really can match the offerings....if you can't - which they can't, then why emphasize the disparity! If somebody is considering switching does it help if the app says: hey, you can get half these apps on Winphone! Seems to me it could easily have the opposite effect. What about 70%? 75? 90? I don't know what number is "OK" for most people, but, anything less than 100% represents loss!

If I wanted somebody to switch to my cable TV service from another service, I'm not sure I'd want a big selling emphasis to be: some, perhaps many, of your favorite channels are on our service....but NOT ALL!

It is novel though....like Tre Lawrence suggests, maybe they deserve credit for the attempt anyways.

[anon(5624621)]

I agree that it seems like MS is highlighting a weakness here.

Posted via CB10

[imz]

I don't know.....I think it would be smart if you really can match the offerings....if you can't - which they can't, then why emphasize the disparity! If somebody is considering switching does it help if the app says: hey, you can get half these apps on Winphone! Seems to me it could easily have the opposite effect. What about 70%? 75? 90? I don't know what number is "OK" for most people, but, anything less than 100% represents loss!

If I wanted somebody to switch to my cable TV service from another service, I'm not sure I'd want a big selling emphasis to be: some, perhaps many, of your favorite channels are on our service....but NOT ALL!

It is novel though....like Tre Lawrence suggests, maybe they deserve credit for the attempt anyways.

Depends how you look at it, it would sure help those coming from Android who are getting hit with surprises and creating threads about having:

No skype
No netflex
No instagram

etc etc

Some might see it as a weakness, I see it as transparency:

Microsoft = We've got apps, but not all of them, so you know what to expect before you buy, NO surprises.
Blackberry = We got Android runtime (but we cant run all your android apps but sssh), we got over 70,000 apps, but not the top apps but sshh, you can find that out AFTER you've bought the Z10, then create a forum thread on Crackberry and complain about it cause by then we've got your cash.

I'd like to see more transparency from Blackberry, none of this crap about "exceeded sales" but never ever giving any numbers, none of this crap about this and that coming soon, but never actually providing dates because they don't trust themselves to deliver, none of this crap about mobile computing when they can't even release apis for developers (gamepad) or offer USB OTG which is years old and available already on other platforms.

Cut the vagueness, and tell it how it is, even if its an app that does it for you.

[Rule9]

One of Android, Apple, Blackberry's biggest strengths - their website communities and how they treat members - is in the case of Windows Phone -

a liability.