Dead/dying platforms: Do you care about any of these?

[Ichinisan]

Flash
Silverlight
Windows Phone
Java (web plugin)

Media Center
WebOS

I thought WebOS didn't get the chance it deserved after 2.0 launched with the immediately-canceled HP TouchPad.

Media Center was great. Probably would have caught on if Microsoft had simplified the process of setting up a CableCARD tuner.

Good riddance to Flash and Silverlight. I be so happy when I can completely uninstall both of these from my mother's Mac. I don't use them myself.

Not sure how I feel about Windows Phone. Never really tried it. Seems strange that Microsoft will still have to support all that stuff anyway...just for Windows 8/10. That app store was a miserable experience since developers neglected it.

 

[lxskllr]

I think Winphone could still be something. The rest are either good riddance, or I'm not familiar.

 

[Kaido]

Heck, I hardly even miss traditional operating systems. I pretty much use my Chromebook exclusively, unless I want to do video editing (or play the rare PC game over holiday break).

 

[UnklSnappy]

Flash, dead and gone from all my computers
Silverlight, think I still have it, never caused me any probs.
Windows Phone, meh never had one
Java (web plugin), die die die, F Java
Media Center, had it but no big loss
WebOS, never used it

 

[IronWing]

We're attached to Java at work. We generally upgrade browsers two-three generations behind the times while we wait for Java and the Java based database plugins to catch up. Without Java, 99% of employees can not access essential databases. The sole reason I have Java enabled on one of my browsers at home is to work from home.

 

[sdifox]

Flash
Silverlight
Windows Phone
Java (web plugin)

Media Center
WebOS

I thought WebOS didn't get the chance it deserved after 2.0 launched with the immediately-canceled HP TouchPad.

Media Center was great. Probably would have caught on if Microsoft had simplified the process of setting up a CableCARD tuner.

Good riddance to Flash and Silverlight. I be so happy when I can completely uninstall both of these from my mother's Mac. I don't use them myself.

Not sure how I feel about Windows Phone. Never really tried it. Seems strange that Microsoft will still have to support all that stuff anyway...just for Windows 8/10. That app store was a miserable experience since developers neglected it.

WebOS is on TVs. Can't wait for end of flash. Posting from a windows phone :awe:

 

[Crono]

#3
I've been using Microsoft's mobile offerings from Windows Mobile through Zune/Zune HD, the Kin, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8, and now Windows 10 for Mobile.

I don't want to see their mobile OS go away and I don't think it's dead yet (despite what The Verge thinks), but it's not a rosy picture, either... but that's not surprising for even the casual follower of Microsoft news.

It's not going to be a personal tragedy if Microsoft does kill off Windows. Honestly, I'm well prepared for it. I've been using Android nearly as much as Windows Phone for a couple years now, with a few iOS devices mixed in. I'm not tied to a single ecosystem or device. Microsoft has shifted to become more of a services and cloud computing company, anyway, and I'll continue to use their other offerings on my desktop, Surface Book, and Microsoft Band 2.

I do hope the Surface Phone isn't a DOA product or killed off even before launch, like the Surface Mini and Courier, or numerous other products that never made out out of their labs. It could be a game changer or at least an innovative product, and I'm a big fan of the clean design of Metro/Modern and hope it see it live on and evolve on mobile.

It wouldn't surprise me at all, though, if Microsoft starts putting even more resources into app development for Android and iOS. Launchers and selfie apps are now part of their portfolio on the other platforms, not just Office and Skype.

 

[Charlie98]

Windows Media Center...

 

[William Gaatjes]

Flash
I am waiting for flash to end.
I do hope that the alternative (I assume is html 5) for flash is more safe when it comes to security, intrusive ads, spyware and trojans.
But the reality is that a lot of shops use flash to display their weekly discounts, flyers and promotions.
Flash will be present for a while.
I do find it strange that firefox has an allow flash button but already displays content that i assume is flash based...
But i could be wrong.

Silverlight
I used silverlight sometimes to watch some online tv.

java
Is html5 also designed to replace java ?
I always thought that java was supposed to be more secure but slower ?

Never used :
Windows Phone
Media Center
WebOS

 

[Denly]

Flash - Please die
Silverlight - never cuz issues
Windows Phone - Using one, not dead anytime soon
Java (web plugin) - plz die

Media Center - never use one
WebOS - Best O/S of the time, f u HP. MS should have pick it up.

 

[skyking]

media center is a bummer for me, as I do get unencrypted channels that are easily accessed with an HD homerun. It was simple to DVR things.

 

[Humpy]

Most of the sports streaming websites use flash so I need it for that.

Silverlight for Netflix.

Java needed for work.

WMC for OTA TV.

 

[MrPickins]

Windows Media Center...

media center is a bummer for me, as I do get unencrypted channels that are easily accessed with an HD homerun. It was simple to DVR things.

+1

My HTPC has been my OTA DVR for 8 or 10 years now (haven't had cable in that entire span). It will not be upgraded to Win10 any time soon.

 

[Markbnj]

We're attached to Java at work. We generally upgrade browsers two-three generations behind the times while we wait for Java and the Java based database plugins to catch up. Without Java, 99% of employees can not access essential databases. The sole reason I have Java enabled on one of my browsers at home is to work from home.

There are a lot of companies still in the same boat.

 

[IGemini]

Nope.

The only reason I really used Java was for Minecraft. Since they bundled their own standalone version it hasn't been necessary.

Still need Flash for some streaming but I won't shed a tear once those services drop it, which can't happen fast enough.

 

[brianmanahan]

my job has been java for 10+ years, but only on the app server side, never client side or web plugin. so not affected and don't care.

 

[NutBucket]

I started using Media Center about 5 years ago. Very happy with the way it handles OTA DVR duty and it was very easy to setup.

WebOS - wife and I were definitely early adopters as we had launch day Palm Pres. The hardware was a touch underpowered but the user experience was very impressive. I guess going against Google and Apple it really never had a chance. Too bad.

 

[Raduque]

I hate flash and I hate java, and I wish both would simply vanish.

I miss Media Center.

Never used Windows Mobile (modern one), WebOS or Silverlight, so I have no opinion on these.

 

[Captante]

Still forced to use Flash, Silverlight & Java.

Don't care about the rest.

 

[mikeymikec]

I sincerely hope that Windows Phone makes it in the long term, not because I'm a Windows Phone user, but because greater platform diversity is better. I think if it ended up being Android vs. iOS only, both platform makers would work themselves entirely up their own arses copying each other.

Of course that can happen with three participants, but I think the only way that MS can get a long-term foothold is by offering something distinguishable from the others, and I'm not talking about aesthetics. It might try for the business market for example.

 

[ctark]

Flash
Silverlight
Windows Phone
Java (web plugin)

Media Center
WebOS

I thought WebOS didn't get the chance it deserved after 2.0 launched with the immediately-canceled HP TouchPad.

Media Center was great. Probably would have caught on if Microsoft had simplified the process of setting up a CableCARD tuner.

Good riddance to Flash and Silverlight. I be so happy when I can completely uninstall both of these from my mother's Mac. I don't use them myself.

Not sure how I feel about Windows Phone. Never really tried it. Seems strange that Microsoft will still have to support all that stuff anyway...just for Windows 8/10. That app store was a miserable experience since developers neglected it.

You can add media center to windows 10 very easily. I know thats not the point but I'm just saying in case anybody was curious about it.

 

[Humpy]

You can add media center to windows 10 very easily. I know thats not the point but I'm just saying in case anybody was curious about it.

Huh, thanks.

Not that I was itching to move from 7 to 10, but I hadn't even looked into it because I believed I would have to find a replacement for WMC.

 

[eldorado99]

I certainly wish Flash would die a slow and painful, painful death.

 

[smackababy]

Not sure how I feel about Windows Phone. Never really tried it. Seems strange that Microsoft will still have to support all that stuff anyway...just for Windows 8/10. That app store was a miserable experience since developers neglected it.

Unfortunately, Windows Phone 7 and onward were actually good mobile OSes, but were so late to market nobody cared. They were a year too late so app developers didn't support them. At this point, they can't really make up any ground.

As far as the others, Silverlight can go along with Java web plug in. For the sake of my company, I would prefer if Flash stayed around (we do a lot of web players for big companies, but I'm sure we could transition to other stuff as we already do a lot more platforms).

 

[Staples]

I am currently learning ASP.NET Web Forms and unfortunately, it looks like is is dying off.

Other than you not being able to control the HTML it spits out and when you can, you need to know about advanced features, I think it is pretty OK. ASP.NET MVC is the successor but from everything I have read, the learning curve is way higher.