Ina Fried

Recent Posts by Ina Fried

Microsoft’s First Windows Phone 7 Update Encounters Several Glitches

Microsoft said on Friday that it thinks that it has solved most of the issues related to its first Windows Phone update, but the process has clearly been far from smooth sailing.

Last week, the company had to suspend the update after it was found that the process rendered some Samsung phones inoperable. Then, after resuming updates to Samsung phones this week, some Windows Phones were still unable to install the update.

What’s more is that this update isn’t even the one that adds features like copy and paste, performance improvements and support for CDMA carriers like Sprint and Verizon. This update is just the one to prepare for that update, which is due later this month.

In a blog post late on Friday, Microsoft said that it believes only about 100 people globally were affected by the second issue and that now more than 90 percent of customers are able to update their phones successfully. Most of those that are having problems at this point are either encountering Internet connectivity issues or don’t have enough space on their computer’s hard drive. (The update is available only via a PC or Mac, not as a direct, over-the-air update to phones.)

For those that are still having problems getting the update to install, Microsoft has posted a workaround, though it is an involved process that requires users to delete music and videos and, in some cases apps, from their device and then reinstall them.

It’s not the most encouraging sign for a company that is counting on two important software updates this year to help close the gap between its software and that of its rivals such as Google’s Android and Apple’s iPhone. Beyond the imminent copy-and-paste update, Microsoft has said it plans a more significant upgrade later this year that will add broader multitasking, improved Web browsing and integrated Twitter support, among other features.

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Just as the atom bomb was the weapon that was supposed to render war obsolete, the Internet seems like capitalism’s ultimate feat of self-destructive genius, an economic doomsday device rendering it impossible for anyone to ever make a profit off anything again. It’s especially hopeless for those whose work is easily digitized and accessed free of charge.

— Author Tim Kreider on not getting paid for one’s work