http://www.zdnet.com.au/google-launches-nexus-7-tablet-aussies-first-in-339340477.htm
As previously reported, the device was built by Asus, and comes with a 7-inch 1280x800 HD display. According to Google, it's running the Tegra 3 processor and has a front-facing camera for video chatting. Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as Bluetooth and near-field communication (NFC) support are also included in the device. Hmmm, Microsoft, can you say "bridesmaid" ? :) On Thu, Jun 28, 2012 at 12:07 PM, Bill McCarthy < bill.mccarthy.li...@live.com.au> wrote: > Ian & Chris, > > I hadn't responded to the second part of Chris's post yet as I wanted to > first establish that the ACCC warning telcos to provide warranty the same > as > the devices contracts is not "bullhonky", but is a fact. The only one that > doesn't still is Telstra with iPhone, at least judging from this article. > But as they note they'd be had pressed if it was legally challenged: > > http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/iphone/the-wisdom-of-warranty-20120328 > -1vx3y.html > > Regarding the updates, the Windows Phone update process is complex across > all regions/telcos. This applies equally to the 7.8 update that's being > rolled out. Also note Nokia is also provided a firmware update as well. > The new devices do not need to have secure boot, just like laptops & > tablets > do not require secure boot to run windows 8. The issue about losing all > your apps and data is a real one, the same issue that applies when you have > to reset your device. > > I wouldn't expect updates to be provided to all phones, but the most > current > ones, especially the ones that Microsoft and the handset makers have been > promoting heavily. Eg HTC Titan, Lumias etc. If they find it too costly > then perhaps they should offer a pro-rata discount off updating when they > release their WP8 phone. Because Microsoft built a complex ecosystem with > multiple device manufactures and multiple telcos, doesn't mean the consumer > should have to pay every time MS feels they need to adjust direction. > > > > |-----Original Message----- > |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- > |boun...@ozdotnet.com] On Behalf Of Ian Thomas > |Sent: Thursday, 28 June 2012 11:44 AM > |To: 'ozDotNet' > |Subject: RE: Windows Phone 8 announced > | > |Chris > | > |That is the most informative response I have seen - I (for one) appreciate > it. You > |have described what I suspected were the technical problems behind the > |decisions on WP8's new start in the smartphone business. > | > |Bill McCarthy obviously (imo) has some valid arguments about the evolution > of > |WP since mid-2011 Mango timeframe, and compares Apple's / Google's upgrade > |planning. What happens will happen. I'd like to WP8 succeed. > | > |A few weeks ago I inferred that I thought the Lumia 900 was an advance on > the > |800, but still underpowered and had less than optimum screen resolution > (or, at > |least I think I did; I haven't looked for the evidence). Bill McC who owns > a Lumia > |800 mildly chastised me, rightly pointing out that it was better than the > desktop > |screens (RGB, etc) that we had a few years back. But I hate these small > screens > |with inadequate resolution for my eyesight. > | > |And the trivial "apps" - lumping phone + tablet together here. If I want > info from > |IMDB on a movie or its participants, I don't want a summary of this week's > box > |office successes, and other superficial fast food approaches to data or > opinion. > |Admittedly I've seen less than a hundred iPad apps, but enough for me to > be > |unimpressed by the median quality of the other 250K that are available. > | > |Actually - and hindsight is a great convenience if not a wonderful thing - > I've had > |the lingering discomfort that all of the WP hardware used by the > manufacturers > |of Windows Phones has been lagging or lacking. But that depends on what > you > |want in a smartphone, of course. > | > |I don't really know what I want in one - I use my non-smart mobile phone > for > |voice and SMS only (and not for data), and really dislike my Sony Ericsson > W508a > |(freed from Telstra but with its highly-modified menus and links to > useless > stuff. > |And it PC to phone software is the worst I have encountered. > | > |But when a decent Windows Phone catches my imagination, I might buy and > use > |it. Maybe I want a tablet/slate instead? I'm attracted to the Windows > Surface as > |a tablet<--> PC, add Skype, and maybe I would dump my mobile account > entirely. > | > |________________________________ > |Ian Thomas > |Victoria Park, Western Australia > | > |-----Original Message----- > |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- > |boun...@ozdotnet.com] > |On Behalf Of Chris Walsh > |Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2012 7:22 AM > |To: ozDotNet > |Subject: RE: Windows Phone 8 announced > | > |Bill, > | > |"I'm pretty sure the ACCC told telcos they had to warranty devices for the > length > |of the contracts" > | > |Complete bullhonky there mate. Telco's can have whatever length of > contract > |they like, the Hardware warranty isn't anything they can control. You can > pay > |extra to the telco and NOT get a 24month play, you get the luck of the > draw > |getting a phone on contract. The ACCC tried to enforce it, but the ACCC > didn't > |have a leg to stand on. > | > |As for the commentary on whether 1st & 2nd gen handsets would get the > update, > |let's have a discussion about this. > | > |Take a step back and look at your Lumia 800/900 "new" device for a minute. > |The silicon running that device is 2+ years old, single core, no > expandable > |memory, 16GB of flash, with 512MB of RAM. > | > |As for the reason why existing devices couldn't be upgraded, you only need > to > |look at the "Shared Core" features to realise that WP8 Core has been > "re-written" > |from the ground up. Basically putting existing gen 1 & gen 2 device > |manufacturers & Microsoft in a position, where they need to create new > |bootloaders to support "Secure Boot" & bitlocker encryption, even if they > could > |magically do that, they've then got to repartition the NAND which stores > the OS, > |RIL firmware, and even the separate update partition. Try bundling that > up > into > |an update and pushing it out to existing devices. > |Short answer is you can't. To repartition the NAND you need to supply a > |complete device image (FFU), inside the FFU the partition maps are picked > up by > |"updatewp" aka Zune and your device is repartitioned ready for the update. > One > |little tidbit, you've just lost your ENTIRE OS image, data, SMS messages > and the > |Plants vs Zombie saved games you were hanging onto because you'd gotten > past > |the first level. And we all know that you can't backup anything with WP7+ > devices > |:) > | > |Now that you've got a device image, you have one, there are 15+ devices > out > |there, each device has the possibility of having a DIFFERENT image for > each > |Mobile Operator, with 300+ MO's out there, you are looking at creating > 4500+ > |complete device images. Do you have any idea how long it takes to create > |complete device images? Even once you've created one, the MO needs to > TEST > |the image, they find an issue, it's sent back to the handset maker to fix, > if it's > |Microsoft issue, then it goes back up the chain to fix a core issue, then > another > |image is created, and you repeat the process, over & over & over again. > | > |Miraculously the MO's have tested and approved the update, you have to > cross > |your fingers, legs, toes & basically anything else when the END USERS are > |performing a COMPLETE device re-flash. If there was one little stuff up, > the user > |failed to download the update correctly, user was updating his/her device > with a > |shitty 3rd party microUSB cable, they've now got a brick, a brick that > can't be > |recovered. The only possibility of a recover is if they didn't stuff up > the > |bootloader flash, which is generally the first thing that gets flashed, > which if > |something was to go wrong, is the first thing to break. Even having the > ability to > |JTAG a device, it won't recover it (if you are lucky to have a device that > it's JTAG > |isn't locked). > | > |Now, you've got a bricked device, that's out of warranty, but bricked > because > |Microsoft & the Handset manufacturers decided to push down an update, even > |though you ticked a million boxes saying updating it was your fault, the > end user > |still has a whinge, complains to 10+ people about shitty company X & Y > because > |they bricked their phone, they'll also complain to the MO and most likely > move to > |another carrier. If the update was somehow successful, how many people > was > |that end user tell and phrase Microsoft to? > |Your answer is 1-2. But you are still going to whinge about losing your > Plants vs > |Zombie game saves! > | > |Now you've got a commercial issue which is really a cluster f**k of a > decision and > |I've got no idea on how they make those. > | > |Make sense? > | > | > |-----Original Message----- > |From: ozdotnet-boun...@ozdotnet.com [mailto:ozdotnet- > |boun...@ozdotnet.com] > |On Behalf Of Bill McCarthy > |Sent: Wednesday, 27 June 2012 9:13 PM > |To: 'ozDotNet' > |Subject: RE: Windows Phone 8 announced > | > |Hi Stephen, > | > |Yes phones will be out of date, the question is whether it is months or > years. In > |Australia, typical contracts are 24 months, and I'm pretty sure the ACCC > told > |telcos they had to warranty devices for the length of the contracts. So > two > years > |is fair to expect to be a current lifetime; obviously there will be > hardware > |improvements in that time, but the software and apps available you'd > reasonably > |expect to be current. Apple deal with that by controlling the release > dates > of > |devices to a new device a year and OS support roughly of +1: hence you can > be > |sure to get two years of being current. Android has been all over the > place, but > |the big players such as Samsung are also moving to give that period of > currency > |by providing OS updates (eg Galaxy II). For Windows Phone there isn't > that. > | > |Personally the thing about this I dislike the most is not the fate of my > own phone > |(I do like my lumia), but that I can no longer recommend to people they > currently > |buy a windows phone. This is the real shame. It'd be a lot better if > people > could > |upgrade: would probably still be worth waiting for the newer devices for > NFC. > |The sooner they get the new devices out the better. > > > -- Meski http://courteous.ly/aAOZcv "Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. Sure, you'll get it, but it's going to be rough" - Adam Hills
