Official Slacker Forums

Well I tried the App from the Tmobile/ppcgeeks thread yesterday and streamed all day long on my Sprint TP2 (WM 6.5.1). It is AWESOME! After the first song I quickly uninstalled my Pandora, Groovefish, and Pocketscrobbler (last.fm) app...seriously! Slacker audio quality is light years ahead of Pandora. The user interface is very finger friendly and fits well with the HTC Manillia user interface.

Great Job Slacker folks!

Now comes the crushingly depressing part.....I was going to sign up for my premium membership today, but I tried it again this morning and get the "oops!" error. Come to find out after some research it appears Slacker has turned off the applications access - about 6:45 PM EST yesterday (2/11/2010).

Any chance we could bribe you guys to turn it back on? Please?!?

I eagerly await your reply.

I second that!!!!!! I absolutely NEED this back. What gives?

B-Real206 wrote:I second that!!!!!! I absolutely NEED this back. What gives?

The WinMo app was not ready. The version that was part of the leaked ROM was an early release, and had many bugs. While we are glad that you all did enjoy what you saw, the application simply wasn't ready to be released, and it wasn't supposed to be released. Unfortunately someone from the ROM LEAK community released that leaked ROM without any permissions and unfortunately the side affect is that you all got access to something that wasn't supposed to be out there.

Since we are still working to resolve any known issues with that build, as well as working with our partners on requirements, we were obligated to pull service for that build.

Once the application is officially released, we will support it, and provide more information at that time.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

Since it came from an HD2 rom, would be be safe at assuming that it will be ready when the HD2 releases in the states.....3/24/10?

B-Real206 wrote:Since it came from an HD2 rom, would be be safe at assuming that it will be ready when the HD2 releases in the states.....3/24/10?

We don't have a release date. It's possible that it'll be released along side a certain phone, or not. Generally CS doesn't get a release date until the last minute.

But we will announce once the date/release is known.

Thanks,
Rome E
Slacker Support

You obviously have something that is at least functional why not give us a beta? We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and all you keep saying is it's coming...well when? Now we know you have an app that is at least functional (maybe not 100% but isn't that what a beta is?) and you still won't even release a beta version? Why not? What possible harm could it do?

Zack wrote:You obviously have something that is at least functional why not give us a beta? We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and all you keep saying is it's coming...well when? Now we know you have an app that is at least functional (maybe not 100% but isn't that what a beta is?) and you still won't even release a beta version? Why not? What possible harm could it do?

We generally don't like to distribute something to the public that is a beta. While you might be smart enough to realize that it's beta, and therefore expected to have bugs and not work 100% right, the general population that would be downloading and installing it wouldn't know this.

Therefore they would try it out, run into a bug and think we suck and uninstall it and have a bad impression of Slacker. We really would like to put out something that we feel is a good first experience for the average user so that they like us, and want to keep using it. It's very difficult to get a customer back after a bad first experience.

In addition, we know there are bugs with it. And by releasing it, we wouldn't do a disservice to only you, but also our support staff that would then be getting tons of feedback/bug reports on things we are already aware of. This would then make it more difficult to assist users on other platforms and it would start to affect other applications/customers.

So, there are several reasons why this wasn't ready and is not available. There's probably other reasons that I don't know about in Customer Service. There could be some business reasons too (Such as things related to partnerships with other companies). So, for the time being it's not available.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

RomeE wrote:

Zack wrote:You obviously have something that is at least functional why not give us a beta? We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and all you keep saying is it's coming...well when? Now we know you have an app that is at least functional (maybe not 100% but isn't that what a beta is?) and you still won't even release a beta version? Why not? What possible harm could it do?

We generally don't like to distribute something to the public that is a beta. While you might be smart enough to realize that it's beta, and therefore expected to have bugs and not work 100% right, the general population that would be downloading and installing it wouldn't know this.

Therefore they would try it out, run into a bug and think we suck and uninstall it and have a bad impression of Slacker. We really would like to put out something that we feel is a good first experience for the average user so that they like us, and want to keep using it. It's very difficult to get a customer back after a bad first experience.

In addition, we know there are bugs with it. And by releasing it, we wouldn't do a disservice to only you, but also our support staff that would then be getting tons of feedback/bug reports on things we are already aware of. This would then make it more difficult to assist users on other platforms and it would start to affect other applications/customers.

So, there are several reasons why this wasn't ready and is not available. There's probably other reasons that I don't know about in Customer Service. There could be some business reasons too (Such as things related to partnerships with other companies). So, for the time being it's not available.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

I would accept that answer if it wasn't for two things. One (and this is the big one) you released a beta of the Android App. Second if beta's are really that bad why do so many software makers release them?

You claim it would look bad if you where to release a version with bugs because most people wouldn't realize it's a beta...possible, but you seem to think promising us an App by the end of the year and hear it is mid February and you still nothing makes you look good?

At what point does you failing to follow through with what you say make you look as bad as an app with a couple of glitches might? The reason I ask is because it seems like until you reach that point we are never going to see a Slacker App for Windows Mobile.

Zack wrote:I would accept that answer if it wasn't for two things. One (and this is the big one) you released a beta of the Android App. Second if beta's are really that bad why do so many software makers release them?

You claim it would look bad if you where to release a version with bugs because most people wouldn't realize it's a beta...possible, but you seem to think promising us an App by the end of the year and hear it is mid February and you still nothing makes you look good?

At what point does you failing to follow through with what you say make you look as bad as an app with a couple of glitches might? The reason I ask is because it seems like until you reach that point we are never going to see a Slacker App for Windows Mobile.

We released an application for Android that was pretty much a release candidate, but might have had some bugs. Our marketing team decided to use Beta originally, but the difference on where that application was, and this version of the winmo application were light years apart. So, yes, we might tag something beta, but we still expected it to give a good first impression. This application on winmo wouldn't have met our expectations, even for the level of "beta" we used before. This version of the application would have been more of an early alpha if we were to have labeled it anything at all.

We announced that we were working on the application, yes, and we did expect it to be out by the end of last year based on things that we knew then. Things changed after that, and it affected us, and we missed that deadline. Since then, we haven't announced a release date because, well, to be honest we didn't want to have another similar situation as we did with the last release date estimate that we gave.

I understand that you want the application. I understand that based on the feedback of you and others that there is a good percentage fo Winmo users that would like it right now. I guess we could continue to go back and forth like this, but the answer isn't going to change. When it's ready, and we have determined that it meets our standard for being released, then we will release it. I don't know how many other ways to say that. So,I'll just keep saying it. It'll be released when it's ready.

I do want to thank you for your interest, and I'm glad that you did like what you saw. We are excited that we'll be able to put out something that seems to be wanted and liked by the community. You just need to give us the needed time to finish it and release it in the proper way, not by having it released due to someone leaking out a ROM that shouldn't have been out there.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

Zack is the man. I almost 100 percent sure now that this will be release the day of or pretty close to the HD2 release.......I didn't come across many bugs and I used it for a couple of hours straight.

Things I came across

1)Could not customize stations
2)Could not favorite
3)info (now playing, artist, next) on top of each other unreadable (6.5.x)
4)upgrade button does nothing
5)the heart button does nothing
6)seems to hang at commercials

all pretty minor (to me) maybe not for general public
1,2,4,5 can be done on home pc and will transfer over when sign back in on phone.
3 is probably because I'm running 6.5.x so there are bigger softkeys at the bottom. It seems to work in 6.5 though.
6 I didn't hear any commercials...not that this is really bad but without subscribing how else will you get paid
Not sure what you guys really need to do. It seemed to work great, songs play all the way through and everything is just really slick.

They seem to have plenty of time to upgrade other devices yet no time with winmo......sad.

Well back to pandora (at least on my phone) till you guys get your **** together......I now understand why it's called SLACKER radio though!

sounds to me like slacker sold exclusive windows mobile app to the highest bidder and it will be released for the highest bidders benefit instead of those of us who now own a windows mobile device. pretty sad, to bad I subscribed to radio plus when i had my blackberry.

We all know that the real reason that Slacker hasn’t released a WinMo is not because of any deadline issues or because they don’t want anyone getting a bad impression of Slacker... it simple... it’s about $$$... not only are they getting our subscription money but they are also getting bought off by Blackberry and Android… they are the ones in control... @#$% the customer and the People that have supported Slacker since it was just a basic internet radio site... @#$% the people that told all their friends about how great this new Slacker Radio web site was and how user friendly it was and that it was different from Rhapsody and Pandora... no... now Slacker has joined the Ranks of the Mega-Internet Radio and they are in control and it’s all about the $$$... if they can get paid by forcing you to go buy a new phone just because you love Slacker that much... then that is exactly what they are going to do... Go Blackberry, go Android or do without Slacker Mobile...

jscionvoorhees wrote:We all know that the real reason that Slacker hasn’t released a WinMo is not because of any deadline issues or because they don’t want anyone getting a bad impression of Slacker... it simple... it’s about $$$... not only are they getting our subscription money but they are also getting bought off by Blackberry and Android… they are the ones in control... @#$% the customer and the People that have supported Slacker since it was just a basic internet radio site... @#$% the people that told all their friends about how great this new Slacker Radio web site was and how user friendly it was and that it was different from Rhapsody and Pandora... no... now Slacker has joined the Ranks of the Mega-Internet Radio and they are in control and it’s all about the $$$... if they can get paid by forcing you to go buy a new phone just because you love Slacker that much... then that is exactly what they are going to do... Go Blackberry, go Android or do without Slacker Mobile...

Wow, this is completely not true. While it was true that when we first came out with the BlackBerry application, RIM did have an exclusive for caching. But, that didn't stop us from making applications for other platforms. In fact, we had an iPhone application out, and then an Android application. Since then we have also added a WebOS application, and announced that cache mode will be supported in upcoming releases of the applications for both Android and iPhone.

Simply put, we have been working on a WinMo Application. We had gone down one path, thinking that we would be ahead of the curve. Then things changed, and this caused a severe delay in the Windows Mobile application. It was unfortunate, but that's what happened. We have had to go back and redo the application in a different way in order to accomodate some of these unforseen changes, and this caused a delay. That being said, as seen by this thread, we are still working on it. If we weren't working on it, then that would be one thing, but we are working on it, and we still plan to release it.

I think we have all seen delays from companies in the past, and unfortunately we are no different.

Once the application is ready, and released, I think you all will be pleased with it. I think the fact that we are working on it, and do plan to release it, proves that your post is not at all correct.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

Is there any way I can get notified when beta testing is available so I can sign up, or have the beta testers already been selected?

I miss my Slacker mobile...

RomeE wrote:

Zack wrote:You obviously have something that is at least functional why not give us a beta? We've been waiting and waiting and waiting and all you keep saying is it's coming...well when? Now we know you have an app that is at least functional (maybe not 100% but isn't that what a beta is?) and you still won't even release a beta version? Why not? What possible harm could it do?

We generally don't like to distribute something to the public that is a beta. While you might be smart enough to realize that it's beta, and therefore expected to have bugs and not work 100% right, the general population that would be downloading and installing it wouldn't know this.

Therefore they would try it out, run into a bug and think we suck and uninstall it and have a bad impression of Slacker. We really would like to put out something that we feel is a good first experience for the average user so that they like us, and want to keep using it. It's very difficult to get a customer back after a bad first experience.

In addition, we know there are bugs with it. And by releasing it, we wouldn't do a disservice to only you, but also our support staff that would then be getting tons of feedback/bug reports on things we are already aware of. This would then make it more difficult to assist users on other platforms and it would start to affect other applications/customers.

So, there are several reasons why this wasn't ready and is not available. There's probably other reasons that I don't know about in Customer Service. There could be some business reasons too (Such as things related to partnerships with other companies). So, for the time being it's not available.

Best regards,
Rome E
Slacker Support

All I can say to that is, I have been living with a G1 player that has appeared to be BETA the entire time I have owned it! LOL!

How can the Windows Mobile App be any worse? I believe ALL G1 owners will know exactly what to expect.

what a joke, you already admitted that slacker sold out to rim for caching, what makes you think that we are so ignorant. All I know is money talks, which windows mobile phone gets the exclusive rights to slacker for its debut? There is know way that you could take a beta that was working (with some errors) and have to completely redesign. And do you really think we beleive it should take this long? Give me a break, and my subscription money back.

Nick

I am just happy too see that there will be a Windows Mobile app! It appears that most developers have given up on the WinMo OS. IMHO it is still the best smartphone OS out there. There is simply no replacement for WinMo!

I am waiting with money in hand!

I too am glad to see progress being made for the WinMo app. It's been a long time coming. Just don't drop the ball, Slackers. ;^) I don't like Pandora as well, but they have a WinMo app that has been working for a few months.

And one more thing: I would LOVE it if you could find some way to make the Slacker web site less taxing on mobile browsers! I can't even get the Slacker site to load on my mobile Skyfire browser.

The HD2 will be released on March 24. I guess we will see if the WinMo app is part of it... It was not mentioned in the list of apps. Blockbuster and MobiTV were the two highlights.

I found a link to a website that has a functioning version of slacker on my win mo 6.5 phone. works flawless. I thought it was flashing your rom but it is an app. do a search on the xd-developers site

Nick