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created over 2 years ago | Tagged: |
Afordrunning
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Joe Belfiore, Microsoft’s man in charge of mobile, has a favorite word when he talks about Windows Phone 7: “holistic.” The company’s mobile infrastructure underwent a sea change to make an operating system based on what users want, which required retooling its entire phone manufacturing and design strategy.
Belfiore explained that years ago with Windows Mobile, the process was such that a mobile carrier and manufacturer would determine the features they wanted on a phone, and then they’d issue a list of specific instructions to OS makers such as Microsoft. This M.O. led to the creation of Windows Mobile, which has been knocked by critics (and even some of Microsoft’s own designers) for being overloaded with features and unfriendly to users. “It was trying to put too much functionality in front of the user at one time as it could, and it resulted in an experience that was a little cluttered and overwhelming for taste for a lot of people today,” said Bill Flora, a design director at Microsoft. “It felt computerey.”
