On 1/6/2014 11:14 AM, E.S. Rosenberg wrote:
Depends on the OS and it's support but yes... (my n900 still has great
support and if it wasn't falling apart as a result of severe abuse
would still be using it, but that's also a much more open system,
we'll see what happens with the Jolla now)
Software age is IMHO far more relevant than you might think. For
example, my 2000 vintage Motorola Timeport phone, with a new battery
from eBay, still does what it was designed to do, which is be a
telephone. But a smartphone is not designed to be a telephone, it is
designed to be a handheld computer first, a cellular data terminal
second and almost as an afterthought a telephone.
It used to be that the leading edge of hardware and software development
was fueled by gamers. They wanted more power, more facilities, and more
efficiency, and were willing to pay for it to play their ever evolving
games.
These days, the leading edge (although currently it is a smaller blade)
of software and hardware development is apps. People want more and
better apps and they want them on more and better devices.
Don't think just because they failed miserably to provide the same apps
on phones and desktops that we have heard the last of Microsoft or their
concept. Maybe they will figure out how to do it right, or someone else
will. Eventually they will all merge and until they do, the need to
constantly improve your hardware and software will keep pushing the
leading edge farther and farther away.
Bear in mind that users in the US, which is currently the largest
smartphone market, do not actually buy cellphones. They buy a year or
two year service contract which includes the hardware. When the contract
is done, they move on to a new phone. So in order to attract customers
to upgrade, the phones have to upgrade their apps and capabilities.
Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson 4X1GM/N3OWJ
Jerusalem Israel.
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