Apple’s iphone-4 is again in the news and that too for wrong reasons, with Kevin Turner, Microsoft Chief Operating officer, mocking it during a keynote speech at Microsoft’s world partner conference, in Washington DC. Sarcastically and quite cheekily he compared the flawed phone to their own problem and criticism infested product- Vista.
His comparison of Apples iphone4 to Microsoft’s own problem child Vista Operating system is quite appropriate in the light of the criticism faced by both of them from industry insiders and customers alike. Vista was the successor to the popular Windows XP; it was launched early in 2007, but was met with a lukewarm response. That was so mainly because the users found it extremely complicated to work with, unlike the friendly Windows XP. Even the company’s senior executives were not much fond of it. In the course of class-action lawsuits the emails were made public, and the world knew about it. Vistawas thereafter informally tagged as Microsoft’s worst Operating System.
Similar is the case of Apple’s iphone, the phone has got some serious signal reception issues. It has been by now established, and a proven fact that holding the phone in a certain manner, causes the phone to loose its signal reception. Not only that ,the death grip ,as the gesture has come to be known, causes a dropped call in weak signal areas. This problem became known within hours of its release in retail market. Apple emerged red faced, admitting that holding iphone-4, in way that its internal antenna comes in the contact with skin can lead to dropped call. Later on, it came up with a hi-fi software problem theory, stating that the signal formula is flawed, and will be updated soon. The formula error is claimed to have been showing wrong no. of signal bars, say 4 in place of 2.
The prestigious Consumers Reports Magazine, which has earlier tagged all of Apple’s phones as ‘recommended’ advised buyers not to go for the latest apple iphone4.
The reason behind this stern and uncharacteristic stance would be the fact that Apple has been acting in a most unprofessional way regarding their glitch. In place of pacifying the customers by some sort of indemnification or free repairing, it has coldly advised them to hold the phone in a right manner, or to buy one of the many available cases. Such behavior outrages Mike Gekas, the magazines senior electronic editor who in no uncertain words advices Apple to fix the problem itself, not to pass the buck to the consumers.
Turner wisely chose the moment to mock Apple’s debate and said “One of the things I want to make sure you know today is that you’re going to be able to use a Windows Phone 7 and not have to worry about how you’re holding it to make a phone call,” Turner said, hinting to the latest Microsoft mobile operating system set to debut on smartphones this fall.He also took the opportunity to praise Windows phone 7, which is soon to reach the U.S IN THIS November on a number of popular smart phone models.
