Tyler Rowe Archive

15

Zune: Standing the Test of Time

By
Tyler Rowe
– January 15, 2012

Zune HDThe Zune HD has seen many names. In the past it was known as the iPod killer, but now, it is commonly described as dead. While it may be dead to its creator, it is not dead to many people and most likely wont die for a long time. For many of us, we have grown out of the mp3 players of old and have moved on to using our cell phones to hold our favorite music. While this is a great idea, many smart phones tend to be a bit heavy and cumbersome when you are trying to exercise or perform tasks while listening to music. Often, I will put my Windows Phone 7 into my pocket and my earphones in my ears and head out for a little bit of a jog, but I find that about half way through I remember how my Zune HD did the same thing without taking up so much space in my pockets. So yes, the Zune still lives on in the heart of every windows phone, but its physical death is not yet nigh.

Phones with broken or “spider-webbed” screens are unmistakable and seem to be very common. As we move away from buttons that have some structure capable of protecting a phone from its user and toward glass screens that are very exposed, breakage is not only common but almost inevitable. The Zune HD stands out in the breakage department, because of its impeccable design. Stories of the iTouch surviving a fall from any significant distance or going two rounds with the washer and dryer to be found the victor are few and far between. The Zune, on the other hand, has its fair share of battle scars and war stories, but very few purple hearts. Having a smaller surface area, less mass, and that sexy and structurally sound brushed metal backing all contribute to the little devices resiliency. Zune HD boards have tales of Zunes being dropped in the driveway to ward off icy conditions. Upon discovery, what seemed to be an icy grave for the little device turned out to be nothing more than a week long coma after which a full recovery was indicated. Very recently, I myself sent my Zune into the whirling pit of electronic doom (The washer and dryer). Many circuits have been shorted and washed out in this machine, and with only a few layers of polyester fibers separating the device from the dizzying vortex of cleanliness, there was no doubting that the Zune would be bathing in soapy water. Upon its discovery, I left the poor little creature out to dry, and after two weeks of waiting and a USB plug in, the Zune was charging and ready to go to work being music to my ears.

So the Zune’s spirit is not dead, the Zunes of old are not yet gone either. This little device, despite anything we can put it through, will remain beautiful, efficient, and alive for much longer than we ever expected.

22

Windows Phone 7 officially gains market recognition

By
Tyler Rowe
– August 2, 2011

Have you ever shared some slightly alarming news to a friend, to which they respond with words of confidence or little worry, but you can tell on their face that deep down inside, they are, truly worried. Just as Internet Explorer and Firefox show another term of declining market share to the likes of Google Chrome and Safari (and both IE and FF will tell you, they aren’t worried, but they are), we get word that Windows Phone 7 officially has 1% (one per cent) of the Mobile OS Market. While this isn’t enough to begin throwing parties, it does show that the Windows OS in general is no longer on declining terms as it was very recently and might make other OS companies like Apple and Android keep their eyes open as Windows Phone 7 begins its climb in the market. It is true that this jump in market share could be the product of the fact that smartphones across the board are experiencing massive increases in users. Android is sitting pretty at a whopping 48% market share and Apple is also sitting quite nicely at 19%. Of course, the Android OS is shared between HTC and Samsung where apple keeps all of its revenues. In the US, there are currently 60 million smartphone users, which means that of those users about 600,000 prefer Windows 7. While this isn’t much, it does mean that your chances of seeing a Windows Phone 7 users is much greater than seeing a Zune user.

A few days ago Zunited reported that the Xbox 360 generated a little more than $8.1 billion. What is important to note is that this is a figure that is given out of the whole of their Devices and Entertainment division which reported an overall $8.7 billion. The remaining $600 million is believed to be split between the Zune, Windows Phone 7, and a bunch of other wildly unsuccessful devices (think mediaroom). It is hard to believe that the Zune is making any money at all, so its safe to assume that Windows Phone 7 brought home somewhere between $500 and $600 million. Only time will tell whether or not Windows Phone 7 will be a real player in the market. The reason this small revenue and 1% should be celebrated is because it is a device sill in its infancy.

What do you think the future of Windows Phone 7 is? Let us know with a comment below!

21

Consumers are first casualty of the iPad Generation

By
Tyler Rowe
– July 25, 2011

Razr sharp, not Razr smart

Remember the good ole days when our smart phones weren’t so smart? Not so long ago, wanting your phone to run multiple applications at once was a laughable request, but nowadays this is approaching the norm. With the passing of time, more and more of our phones and other handheld devices are capable of keeping multiple web pages open and running simultaneous apps with ease.

When apple released their iPad, a frenzy that dwarfs shark week begun among tech savvy consumers everywhere. The iPad was a pioneer in an untapped market, and since its release, many other manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon and producing very similar products called slates. You may know the iPad to be a tablet, but it really isn’t; anything that is an iPad or resembling an iPad is a slate, not a tablet. This constant misnaming of these devices is having a detrimental effect on the consumer electronics market, but we’ll get into that a little more in a little bit. So, just like we wanted multitasking on our smart phones, being the smart people we are, pressured slate makers to follow suit and make their devices capable of doing more than one thing a time. Many developers were more than happy to oblige, while others remain seated very tightly over their hands. But for these slates specifically, multi-tasking is not a new thing at all. In fact a very close relative to the Slate has been playing the multi-tasking game for many years, and to this day still much more efficient in doing so.

Keyboard Included

Hewlett Packard has a tablet laptop called the HP Touchsmart tx2. The difference between a tablet laptop like the touchsmart and a slate like the iPad is that the tablet opens up like a normal laptop (having keyboard and trackpad) and then the screen rotates a full 180 degrees and folds over the keyboard making it a slate on command, whereas the iPad is permanently a slate, where the primary keyboard is an on screen virtual keyboard and a computer mouse is out of the question. The beauty of using the touchsmart to perform the same tasks as the iPad is that the touchsmart is an actual computer. Its ability to multitask is based of its Random Access Memory (RAM), technology that was first used in early computers developed in the late 1960′s. You can actually open two windows, lets say a blank Microsoft Word Document and a Google Chrome browser page and using the Windows 7 Snap feature, you can literally view both applications simultaneously. With this combo, you can read information from a webpage and record your opinion of it while having both apps viewable on your screen at the same time. Your iPad? Well, it can open a word processing application and the internet too, but you can’t view both items at the same time like your RAM toting tablet can. Multitasking slates and other handheld devices today are only capable of running an application, hiding it in the background, and then opening another. Running a program in the background is not profound, inconvenient, and often hard to utilize for a specific purpose like writing a research paper (keep in mind, we aren’t even considering the ergonomic nightmare that comes from that ugly virtual keyboard).

So what I’m saying here is very obvious: computers are better than slates. We all want our devices to do more than one thing at a time, and when it comes to portable, touchscreen devices, you can’t go wrong when you are running a true computer operating system (like Windows 7) that uses tried and proven computer components like RAM. Colleges around the country are slowly beginning to require these tablet computers like the touchsmart for everyday use in class. Their ability to provide exceptionally portability with providing an easy way to send and receive drawings through email by eliminating the need for paper (a green solution) and also the need for a scanner (a time and money saving solution). Because of this, these devices provide a double edged positive and again outperform the iPad because it can’t take hand written notes or precision drawings because there are no stylus products that can provide the accuracy needed for these tasks. When you compare a device that resembles an over sized mp3 player to a full fledged computer, the computer is going to win 100% of the time.

Coming soon to pay-per-view

Even though we know that one device is much better than the other, pricing and exceptional advertising is what made the public swarm to the iPad over true tablet devices. Since Apple blew the doors off of the slate market, any technology company that you can name either has a slate on the market or is moving to put one there. As a technology writer, it has been my goal to inform consumers that the slate is not a suitable replacement for an actual computer, and if you really want a large touchscreen device, money is well spent on a tablet laptop instead. Unfortunately, this fad has gone just a little too far; a market that is still essentially in its infancy is starting to ruin a market that has been around for almost 10 years. The HP touchsmart computer is a great device that I have encouraged fellows of mine to purchase instead of a large mp3 player. The problem now is that consumers are spending so much money on slates, that many previous tablet companies are replacing their stock of tablets with slates. If you go to the HP website, you can’t find the touchsmart tablet because it no longer exists; it has been replaced by a new product called the HP touchpad, which is, as you probably already guessed, a slate device.

exaggerated use of the word downgrade

This is absolutely a huge problem for our future. HP has completely downgraded their amazing tablet laptop devices in lieu of these new significantly downgraded slate devices. Replacing RAM with multitasking, and keyboards for virtual keyboards, and any port you love your current computer (such as ethernet, video out, USB) with nothing. Companies like best buy have confirmed that computers sales are down while slate sales are performing exponentially better. Computer Engineers and Computer Scientists are working on new computing technologies that make computers more powerful and more capable. It seems that this new growing trend are replacing computer technology that is providing a rampant downgrade of personal computing technology. It is not hard to realize the repercussions of this widespread downgrade and the negative effects that will result. There are great alternatives that satisfy the current consumer lust for touchscreen devices while maintaining all of the raw power of current computer technologies. We as consumers need to quit casting our dollar vote on these slate devices and shift our attention to the workhorses that drive american educations and businesses.

What is your opinion? Are slate devices good for the future of computing? Leave a comment below and let us know!

22

In the throes of death, Zune HD shows life

By
Tyler Rowe
– July 3, 2011

As talks of the Zune’s demise went from whispers to nothing short of shouting, Zune users everywhere held their collective breaths as we anticipated a very impromptu funeral for our beloved device. The talks of its death or rebranding subsided after the Mango announcement where the Zune logo was shown in all of its glory. It wasn’t long until the wind fell from our sails as Microsoft confirmed that the Zune software will remain, and they beat around the bush on the device’s future. By this time, Zune nation was no longer holding its breath, instead we were willing to lay down, and take this passing of our friend without cowardice and without reservation. The Zune was able to be differentiable from the Windows Phone only by its amazing original games and useful apps (I guess they are only useful depending on who you are). That one little piece of the Zune that made it shimmer just enough to be noticed and still loved disappeared when the news broke that there are plans to port the Zune apps to the Windows phone. At that moment, for many of us, it was all over. The Zune became what it originally was: an mp3 player with video capabilities. Nothing more.

Then, earlier this week, the sun rose again over the Zune’s seemingly lifeless identity, and it came bearing the good news that someone still cares about the Zune HD. A new gambit of apps were added to the app store, not for WP7, but for the Zune HD. All of these apps remain frugal at the low low price of $0.00 and were very diverse in their use. Just like we expected, the games are nothing short of outstanding and are perfect for when we have to wait like at an airport or for an oil change. They do their job well by helping the time pass and you get a fairly enjoyable (and sometimes frustratingly so) experience. Also, a new level app fills the useful category. Had this app been released upon shipment, it would have made it much more desirable because on its release, the Zune HD had an accelerometer that was ahead of its time. Sadly, many years into the future, it is simply comparable to any current device.

I don’t believe that it could be said any louder or clearer: The Zune HD is alive, if only a bit retarded. I mean retarded in the musical sense of course (as in the case of ritardando), in that its innovation and updates flow in a manner that is slower and less upbeat than we are used to seeing with similar devices. I do not believe that this recent release of apps is a final breath of air before it submerges never to arise again. I do believe that we should expect more updates, of any magnitude larger or smaller than the most recent, in the future. Hang in there Zune Nation, and keep showing your support!

6

Our top 6 most anticipated Mango features

By
Michael Collado
– June 30, 2011

Windows Phone Mango, the latest version to the mobile operating system, has been gaining good press and traction ever since its announcement almost a month ago. The media has summed up Mango as an update worthy of making Windows Phone feel complete, even if it’s not due for about a year since its debut. Here at Zunited, we welcome Mango with open arms since the update brings a couple of features we’ve been longing for… and ones we’re pleasantly surprised about.

We decided to name our own most anticipated features, respectively per writer, here at Zunited. The result is the following list with Zunited’s most anticipated features coming in Mango, in alphabetical order by writer (and make sure to tell us yours after you’re done):

 

Better SkyDrive integration
Michael Collado

One of the best features I outlined in our review of Windows Phone when the operating system first came out was the SkyDrive Camera Roll. No longer did anyone have to worry about accidentally deleting that one-in-million shot; you could trick your friends into thinking you deleted that embarrassing picture of them. You always had a backed up copy in the cloud, and it all happened without you even thinking about. (The best part, perhaps, is that if you wanted to transfer pictures to your computer, you could just download them from online.) SkyDrive integration gets even deeper with Mango.

Now you can save and work on documents in SkyDrive on your Windows Phone device. And in combination with Office 356, there’s no need to worry about where that document is saved and if you have a copy with you. It’s brilliant. Pictures also get a bit of an enhancement, since now you can send pictures to people from SkyDrive via instant message, email, or text. And even better is that you can finally send, share, and whatever else videos as you can images.

Microsoft has stated you can search through SkyDrive folders, but they have yet to say if it officially works with music. When, or if at all, it does, SkyDrive (and Windows Phone) will be unstoppable.


Multitasking
Javier Guajardo

After months of waiting, Multitasking has finally arrived to Windows Phone. Now with the Mango update, third party developers will be able to add functionality for downloading something when an app is closed or update an app at a set time so that when you open it, it’s already updated. The potential is huge. But with Windows Phone there’s even better ways to multitask; compared to others like iOS, third party developers will now be able to make live tiles, showing live updated information, which is huge for the glance and go philosophy. And last but not least, the implementations is awesome, the cards view is useful and very well designed, making app switching super fast in Windows Phone Mango.

 

Internet Explorer 9
Austin Madgwick

Internet Explorer 9 on Windows Phone will be bringing much more to the table than just better speeds: it’s also bringing HTML5. Microsoft has claimed that it will be much faster than before, it will make way for you to view the web pages better with more animations, and just simply get more out of your browser. Perhaps the best part about HTML5 in Internet Explorer 9 in Mango is it negates the requirement to have an audio player or video player. That means you can now stream music and watch videos from your WP7 browser, not having to leave to open an application.

 

Threads (or integrated chat)
The Pes

If there is one thing that Microsoft wants you to understand about Mango it’s this: Social Integration. One way or another, Microsoft has embedded some form of social group based integration into the fold of WP7.5. Whether that’s accessing your Twitter and LinkedIn accounts from the people hub, or allowing a much more integrated experience of Facebook throughout the phone experience.

This goes for messaging as well, and this is one of the reasons Mango has me excited about the platform. The movement towards a unified messaging system is welcomed by yours truly. With Mango, the ability to receive messages from IM, SMS, and Facebook chat will bring a level of cohesiveness not found on any other smartphone right out of the box. It’s simplicity and convenience at its best. Having one messaging thread that spans through different social group mediums and keep it nice and tight is wonderful. No more rummaging through different apps to keep a single conversation stream. It’s all unified, and all a click away. It’s what the Kin (rest in peace) wanted to be, but it’s what will set WP7.5 apart from the competition.

 

Games Hub enhancements
Tyler Rowe

Most of us who game on our Xbox also participate in the online gaming network known as Xbox Live. For many people, Xbox Live is one of the main reasons that they even purchased an Xbox. Mango is offering a Myriad of new features designed to not only get you in your game faster and easier, but to make staying connected with all of your gaming friends much more natural as well.

Besides a revamped, cleaner look at your games list and an updated 3D avatar, the entire Xbox Live communication system has been revamped to promote more Xbox to Windows Phone interaction. All of the features that were once a part of the Xbox Live extras app are now fullly integrated into the game hub. You may now send and receive messages from other Xbox or Windows Phone users, view which friends are online at any given moment while being able to tell what game they are playing too, you may accept, reject, or initiate any friend request as well, all with side-by-side game achievement comparisons with your friends right in the palm of your hand.

Lastly, you can respond to multiplayer game requests right on your phone. Since accepting a hardcore game, like Call of Duty, request isn’t possible currently, we can assume that these request notifications go deeper within the Windows Phone Windows Phone interaction category. With this little hint, I don’t think it is wrong to assume a completely revamped multiplayer option will be coming with the Mango update.

 

Smart DJ
Jon Young

You want to know what I am most looking for from this whole Mango update? Smart DJ. The reason is simple, Pandora is not making a WP7 app as of this article. I have used Slacker and Last.fm, but there is always a pro feature to buy and do I really want to pay more to enjoy the music I already pay for with Zune Pass? Slacker’s Premium subscription is $9.99 a month which includes all “Pro” features and the feature to play songs on demand) while its Pro subscription is $3.99 a month with No-Ads and the ability to skip songs. Last.fm has similar options but none of them really hit me like Smart DJ away from my house; Last.fm offers a $3 a month model that allows: no ads, gives you server priority, and more of the same.

Now, with Smart DJ you are your own personal Internet Radio Station. The Zune HD has had Smart DJ for a while but now coupled with an unlimited data plan, you can rock whenever you please.

3

Nextbox Vs. Wii U

By
Tyler Rowe
– June 13, 2011

Nintendo seemed to capture most of the spotlight at E3 this year with the introduction of their Wii U system. Nintendo kicked off the beginning of the next generation of gaming with their new console, much earlier before any leaks or revealing of any data on the future of Playstation and Xbox. Nintendo took a surprising approach by seemingly eliminating any innovation on their revolutionary one-handed motion controller. The replaced it, instead, with a six axis iPad-esque controller. Boasting a 6.2 inch touchscreen will full tilt motion control and all of the standard buttons, the way that one would control their future system has new-age elements that cannot be describe as “lacking innovation.”

In my humble opinion, however, with what we have seen so far, the Wii U is a revolutionary yawn when juxtaposed to the original Wii. The Wii’s incredibly intuitive and fun one handed motion controller was very popular with families and casual gamers alike, and eventually made enough waves to force both Microsoft and Sony wanting a slice of the motion controlled games market. While using a touchscreen to play a game is new to the console gaming industry, it is not as incredible as far as upping the ante for next generation. The current state of society is one that is saturated with this touch screen technology, so we the people who have been bombarded with advertisement after advertisement for these slate devices see this new technology from the Wii U and can’t quite call it groundbreaking. Nintendo has a very supportive fan base and they always release software that keeps this fan base hungry for more with the usual Mario’s and Zelda’s. The Wii U may also pick up a lot of the stray Playstation fans who have been displaced because of the Playstation Network’s ability to be unplayable. Because of this, the Wii U, despite the fact that it doesn’t seem to represent the next big thing gaming, will be wildly successful both because of its loyal fanbase and its preemptive strike in the console wars.

The Xbox released the Kinect presumably in response to the Wii’s off the couch and moving around approach to gaming that seemed to catch the attention of the family and casual gaming market. With Nintendo taking the first shot and taking it so early, we can expect that very similar touchscreen technology is currently being discussed by the other hardware giants. I believe that in order for the Xbox to find similar success as it has today, it will require fewer steps that previously believed by more classical schools of thought. Nintendo was expected to not show off a groundbreaking new device, but an earthshattering new device. When comparing innovation to geological events, the Wii U is seeming to be just a tremor.

Just a Case Mod

Microsoft and Sony will have to pull out there marketing geniuses in order to maintain a healthy waiting lot of people eager to jump on the next generation train while watching the Nintendo train board an leave. It will be quite a challenge for both of these giants to gain composure after arriving fashionably late to the next gen party, but because the Nintendo presentation at E3 was less than stellar, Microsoft and Sony should have little trouble keeping up in what is looking to shape up to be a very competitive next generation market. Now that Microsoft owns the brand name fusion, many speculators are looking forward to a next generation console that has a build in Kinect. With more than half of all Xbox Live users owning a Kinect, this seems a bit redundant since the integration would require current xbox owners to purchase a new Kinect and system. While it is hard to look so far into the future, the best way to find out what is going to happen is to let it happen. What is surely to be present with the next generation of Xbox is bigger, better, more amazingly beautiful graphics that will mostly likely put the Wii U in its place.

 

Write us a comment and let us know what “Nextbox” features you would like to see.

4

Internet Explorer: Finding life in declining market share

By
Tyler Rowe
– June 2, 2011

In 1995, the mass media and popular culture were catching on to this new technology called the internet. What many people took for granted was the fact that there was a lot going on behind the scenes once they double clicked on their internet icon. At that time, 80% of people clicked on Netscape Navigator for their internet. The alternative was a program with the name of Mosaic, which was widely used among business and laboratories. These companies would go directly to Mosaic and licence a custom version of the internet to fit their needs. There were actually many internet browsers at that time, but the rest of these made up less than 1% of the browsing market. One of the companies who came knocking on Mosaic’s door was Microsoft, and licensed version of their browser and called it Internet Explorer. And with its birth, Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator began duking it out on the main stage, with everyone’s personal computing decisions on the line. Internet Explorer 4 turned the tides of war when it was bundled with Windows for free, and many IT professionals claimed that using another browser was disadvantageous because it was simply already present. People listened to their computer professionals, and the masses clicked cancel on their Netscape Download screens.

Netscape was still winning, but their lead was slowly decaying. Microsoft claimed that 90% of all computers nation wide sported their OS, and most of this 90% was first time computer owners who were not well versed in or had extensive practice with Internet Browsing. Since most people had not even seen Netscape or knew that there were sound alternatives to that “e” icon on their desktop, they felt that there was no need to tamper with the preloaded software in their new and expensive piece of computing equipment. All of the anti-trust lawsuits associated with the Internet Explorer and Windows bundling aside, Netscape eventually declared defeat and and was eventually acquired by AOL who eventually became a competitor with Internet Explorer themselves. In 2002, Internet Explorer had peaked with 96% (larger than Netscape ever was) of all internet users turning to IE for their browsing experience. After its peak in 2002, IE had no major competitors, and then Microsoft did the unthinkable: nothing. Until 2006, Internet Explorer had no updates or new releases, only very minor additional features that mostly went unnoticed. During this dormant period, many people took to finding security holes and new ways to compromise another person’s computer with these faults in their browser.

While Microsoft was sitting on their hands, Netscape had a secret child and was preparing to emerge on the scene for one last attempt to avenge its father’s removal from the throne. When Netscape had failed, it had quietly open sourced its browser code to the non-profit Mozilla Foundation. Their new project had become a community-driven project to form a more perfect browser for the advancing on the Netscape bloodline. In 2004, on the wake of people finding out that their systems had been compromised because Microsoft had not made an attempt to patch security holes in their internet browser, Mozilla Firefox was released to the public, complete with tabbed browsing and embedded search bars. After seeing the lack of interest in advancing IE, many people had no qualms about disobeying their IT professionals of old and opening a new door for access to the internet.

In response to Firefox’s viability in the market, Microsoft released a new version of their internet explorer in IE 7. This came complete with tabbed browsing and an integrated search bar and came with every computer running Windows XP. People who had previous versions of windows were not willing to pay to upgrade their browser software, and were willing to upgrade with a free version of Firefox. Again, IE late to the party, responded later by making their software free to download. In 2008, Microsoft had made a new version of Internet Explorer that met all of the newly held standards that the people believed were necessary to maintain an adequate browsing experience, but the damage had already been done. Microsoft’s carelessness cost them their dominance over the internet browsing market, and still today they are feeling the heat from Firefox only a few percentage points behind them. With the addition of Google Chrome, which is gaining massive popularity, and Safari, which is dominantly used for mobile browsing on iPhone and iPad, the market for Internet Browsing is certainly approaching an equilibrium that will not be dominated by IE, but rather shared between the major players who are using their own competition to stay true and release better products in the future.

Internet Explorer 9 has been recently released and has had very promising reviews. While it has no really innovative features, it has taken variations on the best themes from its colleagues Firefox and Chrome. It has adopted a very minimalist style which actually utilizes less space than the very skinny Google Chrome and outperformed both Chrome and Firefox in the majority of benchmark tests. Internet Explorer is not on the path to its permanent death, nor will its share of the market slow in its decline. Recently, IE’s use on a new computer has been a tool to download a browser to serve as its replacement. In the next couple of years, perhaps within the next two releases of a new version of Windows, Internet Explorer will have a place on our desktops. This place will not be because of its assumed dominance due to lack of competition, but because it is a solid internet browsing tool that is differentiated because of its innovation.

Which browser is your favorite? Would you consider using IE9? Let us know with a comment below!

2

Is Microsoft’s slate strategy wrong?

By
Tyler Rowe
– June 1, 2011

Reports from CNET Suggest that Microsoft is planning on revealing their new slate based OS very soon. So far, we’ve been referring to this new OS as Windows 8, which follows the logical order of things because 8 comes after 7. However, Microsoft has yet to confirm that anything called “Windows 8″ is in the works, but for now, I have no problems with referring to it as Windows 8. Juxtaposed with Apple, Microsoft isn’t well known for limiting their hardware developer’s tools, but so far, that is one reason for a sluggish release of any sort of Windows Slate. One company that we know is currently developing a new line of Slates to run a future Windows Slate OS (Windows 8, for example) is Acer. The CEO of Acer, J. T. Wong complained that Microsoft is controlling the entire process. It seems that so far, his qualms are well justified. Microsoft is allowing 5 chip makers to develop processing units for their new slate brand: Intel, Qualcomm, Advanced Micro Devices, Nvidia, and Texas Instruments. To make this a problem, they also decided that only one of each of these chip manufacturers may work alongside two hardware developers. That means that if Dell and HP are putting Intel chips in their devices, Intel is not allowed to give their products to any other developer. Acer’s Wong is right in his position, this limiting of developers is only going to slow production, but maybe even force some wanting brands to leave the Microsoft Slate franchise.

Microsoft’s giving the task of developing slate systems to contend with the Xoom and iPad to their constituent PC and Windows Phone developers is completely wrong to begin with. Microsoft has been in the tablet business for more than 5 years now, and the fact that they are wanting so badly to downgrade their operating system to work on a device that lacks all the features of any tablet that is already produced with Windows 7 OS is completely ridiculous. HP, Dell, Lenovo, Panasonic, Fujitsu and Toshiba all make Tablets that run actual Windows PC operating systems, not a dumbed down version of it. Windows has been very successful when it comes to large computing devices, such as PC’s and gaming consoles, but, in the past, small devices seem to be their weakness. A tablet PC can be marketed against these slates flooding the market and be differentiated as a grown up, actual computer version of these over sized mp3 players. The last thing that Microsoft needs is four or five companies spitting out these slates that are collectively as popular as the Zune.

13

How Xbox can win in a Wii 2 market

By
Tyler Rowe
– May 31, 2011

The next Nintendo Wii is expected to be released sometime next year, and we are looking forward to a much anticipated premiere at E3 this year. But if we look ahead to when the other console giants, Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox, they aren’t due until two years after the new Wii launches. Advancements in computer graphics and processing ability have come a very long way since the Xbox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3 have come out, so we can expect nothing less than astonishing upon their updated release in the near future. But with the Wii releasing itself so far ahead of its competition, it will be very hard for the other giants to step up.

Let’s first discuss how the Wii 2 will impact the video gaming market upon its release. Nintendo has always been a company which strives to provide the most fun and entertaining gaming experience for children and families with children. It is hard to look back and find a solid not-for-children game for the Nintendo Wii. The closest thing that I can think of is the awesome Resident Evil 4, but when you compare that to the Halos and the Call of Dutys and the Gears of Wars and the Kill Zones, it is really hard for the Wii to appeal to older, hardcore gamers. This fact, however, in the past, has never really put a damper on the Wii’s overall ability to be fun and playable and sell out.

Once commercials for the video capabilities of the Wii start airing on primetime television where families are usually gathered around, they will notice that things have changed quite a bit. The graphics and shading are expected to be nothing less than outstanding, and the quality and innovation to be groundbreaking, and if this is true, these families will look at their old Wii with shameful eyes. By the Christmas after the release, just about every household with children playing the original Wii console will instead be playing the new and improved Wii 2. By the time we see another Xbox or Playstation, the parents of these wanting children will turn them down because they had just spent $400 – 250 on a brand new console. Because of this, Nintendo should count this market as money in the bank.

Because it seems like Nintendo’s momentary monopoly will sweep households across the nation, this is the perfect time for them to pounce on the hardcore gaming market. Of course the Wii 2 specs will blow the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 out of the water, and this fact alone won’t turn any of the committed Sony and Microsoft gaming junkies over to Nintendo, but it will catch their attention. After the launch would be the perfect time for the Wii to show off their new breakout shooter game that has amazing online multiplayer options with a very creative interface that will distinguish this new title from the Halos and Call of Dutys of the past. It must be prolific enough to be worth the cost of both the Wii 2 and the game together (bundle anyone?). Another key factor to consider is that once the new consoles for Xbox and Playstation begin rearing their heads, the latest and greatest Wii platform will be ready for a price cut. For the hardcore gamers of the college student variety who were on the fence about the Wii 2 can’t help but notice that the newest Wii is sitting right next to the newest gaming consoles with big names on them, the only difference is that the two price tags have a $200 – 300 difference. The Wii is putting itself in the perfect position to win this next console war with a powerful pre-emptive strike. So the question remains, how do you win in this type of environment?

The Xbox 360 is a hardcore gamers dream of a console. It has all of the biggest titles and developers are constantly raising the bar with even more fast paced and multi player savvy games. For Microsoft, the heartbreak that will ensue from watching the Wii erect its flags of victory over Xbox homes across america for 2 years will be devastating. For the two years that these dedicated Xbox gamers will be waiting, they will be expecting 2 years worth of extreme innovations and massive overhauls of the old system. They will be looking for a good reason to wipe the dust off of their Kinects and start creating dust on their old console. The expectations will be huge, and if the newest system doesn’t deliver, there won’t be any hesitation to pay less for a better product. I believe that Nintendo’s short dominance will create a “rally around the flag” effect for the hardware developers and the R&D department. This will cause a massive amount of brain power to be used for revolution and invention. If Microsoft releases a product that is similar to their current product, they will lose out in the battle for supply and demand. Considering the way that microsoft has been opening its wallet lately for other companies such as Skype and Nokia (and attempt at Yahoo), there is no margin for error or massive losses. Microsoft will have no choice but to do better than their best to dethrone the Nintendo.

4

Six things to improve Xbox Live on Windows Phone

By
Tyler Rowe
– May 25, 2011

When Windows Phone 7 was announced in 2010, the news was welcomed with aplomb by gamers invested in the Xbox platform. Finally, a way to carry our Xbox Live account in our pockets and gain gamerpoints on the go. The allusion of a connected, cloud based, mobile device that could play Xbox branded games was a dream come true, but the ugly truth started to creep in shortly there after. Lack of multiplayer, no device specific killer app, lack of key features found on the 360, and high prices started to dull the promise of such a a platform.

However, Xbox as a mobile platform is still in its infancy. The promise still holds true if given the proper time and care to fully make Xbox on WP7 something that truly every gamer should want to own. That being said, here are 6 things that would make the platform stand out in the mobile scene.

1. Expand Exclusive Titles

Currently, the collection of games that are available from the marketplace are ports from iOS and Android. Meaning, there is a good chance that you’ve played these games at one time or another, with the biggest one coming shortly from Rovio in July (we know which fowl that is).

So as a gaming platform, WP7 doesn’t bring something unique to the table and thus gamers might not switch over from other platforms, or be drawn to the plethora of titles available elsewhere. Sure, we have some exclusives like Ilomilo and Fable Coin Golf, but those are hardly exclusive or unique as Ilomilo can be found on Xbox360 and Fable Coin Golf is part of an entire franchise. No, what WP7 needs is a Halo. Or rather, it needs an exclusive title that defines the platform much like Halo: Combat Evolved did for Xbox. Microsoft has to find a title that gives meaning to WP7 as a gaming platform, and it needs it now.
It can also follow its Xbox business model and acquire timed exclusives on independent and third party studios. Just like they did for Mass Effect and other games on Xbox360, Microsoft should flex its wallet and purchase six-month exclusivity contracts on games from well known mobile developers. Imagine if the next Angry Birds, Infinity Blade and SquareEnix titles could only be initially found on WP7?

And if you feel that Microsoft has time on its hands, the market is becoming increasingly diverse and crowded with Sony throwing its hat into the mix with its own platform and device. The time is now for Microsoft to be unique and find its mojo if…

2. Create Game Specific Devices

…can create a game specific phone of its own. Nothing will make it a true contender than a gaming phone. Aside from exclusive titles, a device can stand out amongst the throng of competitors. Apple knows this, and it dominates the market in device specific sales. Microsoft wont do this as it has a bevy of third party OEMs to give choice to consumers. However, the gaming slice of the mobile gaming pie is a huge untapped resource that, even with Android’s and Apple’s lead in the market, it’s still up for grabs.

But it’s window for opportunity diminishes each quarter that Microsoft languishes and stands on the sidelines. With the likes of Sony entering the market this summer with the Xperia Play, everyone will be able to see the outcome of such a move.

The surprising thing is how similar the specs are to WP7. It isn’t too far fetched to see Microsoft develop something for gamers out there, and luckily Nokia is on hand to create some magnificent hardware. This only happens if Microsoft is convinced that a game specific device can succeed in such a drastic environment that is the mobile phone world, but having Nokia as a partner and having the gaming pedigree that MS has been able to pull of in recent years, it would be a shame for Microsoft to not push the limits.

3. Lower Prices on XBLA Titles

This is one key sticking point that has been plaguing us folks who’ve adopted early and have wanted to enjoy mobile gaming goodness. Some of the price points on these games have been ridiculous. It seems the regular base price for Xbox Live titles has been set at $2.99 and up. It can be said that the small install base isn’t sufficient enough to lower the price to that sweet spot of 0.99 cents, but at the same time who would want to jump ship from their current carrier and device to WP7 if Microsoft isn’t showing anything enticing? Given the fact that most of these games are rehashes of the same game on other platforms and it just compounds the problem. Why would anyone want to buy the same game again for more money?

Achievements alone will not suffice a re-purchase, and the fact that some of these “new” titles are just Game Room ports of 30-year-old Atari games set at a ridiculous $2.99 and what you have is just a hobbled Marketplace that doesn’t justify it’s value. Get your act together Microsoft, and charge at competitive prices that match (or at least come close to) iOS and Android prices on the same games.

4. Include More Indie Developers Into XBLA

One great aspect of having Microsoft involved in the mobile market is that it has the backing of some of the biggest game developers out there. Having EA, Namco-Bandai, and other small developers practiced in the mobile scene helps establish your marketplace. In return Microsoft promotes their games at every turn and makes sure you have plenty of visibility on the Marketplace screen.

However, don’t forget the little guys.

The smaller unknowns, the studios with miniscule staff and resources just might surprise you with their offerings. Having the backing of the Xbox Live brand for a small studio works wonders for your reputation, not to mention your finances. Right now, however, those small studios are on their own, with little to no help from Microsoft. They don’t promote or even give a chance for these small studios to acquire Xbox Live certification. It’s practically reserved for the bigger firms to receive such an important distinction that separates them from everything else. It sets up an ugly precedent of the have’s and have not’s. The Eloi and Morlocks of the Marketplace only this time the Elois rule the land.

However, if Microsoft can extend a hand to these small developers, they may gain enough traction with their products that they just might turn out the next best game or app that gives Microsoft an edge in the mobile landscape. For WP7 to succeed, Microsoft needs developer support, this includes the independent game developers as well.

5. WiFi or Blue Tooth device to device connectivity

This is an opportunity that already can exist, but so far, no dice. What’s the big hold up? Ask Microsoft. The terrible lack of multiplayer (which you’ll read shortly) is also included in the face-to-face interaction. All WP7 phones have the capability to interact with each other (it should…it’s a phone…unless it’s a Dell Venue Pro) and Microsoft should let the genie out of the bottle and let gaming happen over Blue Tooth or wireless connections. It’s puzzling to have this be missing from the get go. Android and iOS already have this going and it isn’t new at all. Nintendo’s DS has been doing it for a while now, and how old is that thing?

The terrible hold up is grating. How long before multiplayer is finally introduced on an wide-ranging level to WP7 consumers is a mystery, but it definitely keeps WP7 a step down from the competition. Are they going to reveal something amazing at E3 this year? Kinect connectivity? Xbox Live multiplayer goodness? Who knows, but it would be in their best interest to have something down the line that can break the non-multiplayer spell locking down the platform. The sooner the better.

6. Actual Multiplayer

Which the above point would be moot if there was an actual multiplayer element to Xbox Live games to begin with. It’s puzzling that Microsoft hasn’t come out of the gates swinging in this department, after all, this is an Xbox Live enabled world we plunged into, right? Emphasis on the LIVE! Well it’s not, and it’s unacceptable. They might as well call it Xbox-soon-to-be-LIVE. The annoying thing is that indie game developers already have multiplayer gaming going outside of Xbox Live branded titles. Microsoft only has one (Game Chest: Logic Games).

Titles like AlphaJax, Broiled Earth, and Wordament have turn-based or live multiplayer running. Why can’t Xbox Live backed games have this? Don’t know, but it needs to change, and soon, otherwise Xbox Live on WP7 will be second rate to everything else.

Remember, gaming is Microsoft trump card when it comes to potential, and as of right now, they are batting bellow average and the count is 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with nobody on base. What Microsoft should be doing is swinging for the fences and knocking a homerun. We should have full multiplayer games running on wi-fi or blue-tooth in person games. The potential is there, but Microsoft has not capitalized on it.

In the end, as much as I’d like to admit it, I like what we have as a starting point, but the progress is slow and uninteresting at the moment. We will be receiving the Must Have Games of Summer pretty soon, but alas, none of those will break the habit of what has been plaguing Xbox on WP7. We can only hope that Microsoft pulls something interesting from it’s hat, and E3 might be the best chance of that.

Only time will tell.

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