Windows 10 Controller

That's not what Project Centennial is. You probably mean Islandwood (or the cancelled Astoria) see the link in my post above.

Actually, this is exactly what Centennial is, to convert win32 apps to UWP. I also know that Islandwood is used to convert an IOS app (and Astoria for Android) but Centennial is easy peasy in this situation.

That's not what Project Centennial is. You probably mean Islandwood (or the cancelled Astoria) see the link in my post above.

I've bought a pair of sonos play 5 a few months ago.. I also have a windows Phone and installed the paid version phonos as controller from the windows store on it. There is now a free version Phonos Universal Preview available that works fine windows mobile 10.

Care to explain how Sonos could build an alternative Windows controller "available to the entire MS Windows platform" -- which implies a desktop Win32 application -- that somehow just works on a Windows Phone at nil cost? Sonos have -- wisely IMHO -- decided not to proceed with WP/UWP development. WP's days are surely numbered; its market share is tiny.

Just to update my post from a few months ago, I have now trailed the Denon HEOS solution which is similar, if not better, on sound quality, cheaper and offers more function such as aux in and bluetooth. I contacted their support to ask about UWP controllers, and whilst there isn't one yet, it is in development. I'm therefore moving over to them. Look out for my bridges, :1 and :3 on eBay UK all.

It's a shame, Sonos, I like your products but the market is moving on and versatility is a must.

I'll repeat, even a UX refresh on the desktop app with universal search would be enough for me, but you just aren't interested and there seems no other way to proceed.

Horses for courses. If that particular nag suits your course then go for it. I'm not sure Denon's track record would fill me with oodles of confidence but at least you'll be au-fait with selling audio gear on flea bay.

There is only one type of computers where sales are not going down at the moment... 2in1 machines like the yoga's from lenovo, 360x's from hp and the surface line form MS. This is the PC's that I would like a better controler for. Not my phone, but all my touch friendly PC's 🙂 (and yes it will work on the phone as well but that's an afterthought)

I`d like to publicly thank SONOS for abandoning Windows as a supported platform going forward. This decision has forced me to look again at my needs and at alternatives and because of this I have realised how slow, clunky and inflexible Sonos is for my needs compared to the alternatives. I have now resurrected my Sequeezebox system, and it is far superior both in function and in sound quality. For me at least, Sonos was a very poor choice.

Gee, that's swell!

UWP would allow all windows based devices, would mean Xbox one support too!

I will get a SONOS Play:1 in a few days and it would be awesome if there was a Windows 10 App. My girlfriend and I are both using Windows 10 Mobile and our tablet runs Windows 10, too.

EDIT: Just read the answer, what a shame. I will consider to sell my SONOS (it's a present from a contract extension).

Emigrating,

You make some good points and I appreciate that people will continue to vent their feelings here.

Even though I started many years ago myself, with BBC Basic, Dos 5 and Dr Dos, Comodore 64, etc. I too went through all versions of Windows from Windows 3.0, 3.11, 95, 98, NT, 2000, Millennium XP etc ... right the way up to more recent times of Windows 8.0, 8.1 and now Windows 10.1

Likewise I and my family have had many mobile phones over the years with different operating systems, from Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Androd and more recently, for me, Apple iOS. Likewise I have used Android and iOS tablets.

Now despite all those past experiences I am considering changing my home PC's (Windows 10) to MAC's. My son in law, has just done this very thing, in fact.

The reason is I try to change and adapt with the things I need at the time and yes I know it's expensive and I know not everyone can afford to keep changing things and there is nothing more annoying when an announcement comes from a big company like Sonos, that throws a spanner in the works.

You can see, that even though this decision to not develop the Windows mobile controller, or create a new Windows app is unlikely to affect me in the long term, I still chose to come to this thread and express a view that I believed a universal web-browser-based app, was perhaps a way forward. I don't know if that is technically possible, although I would think it possibly is, but I'm sure the company would have looked at its own capabilities, the time, the costs etc and all those things that go into a very important company decision.

Now to reach such a decision can take time and a lot of careful thought.. and whether we agree with it, or not, the decision has been made.

The Sonos company have chosen their way forward and it's like I say, people either have to adapt or compromise, or move on.

The other posts that followed my original one, were mainly all about saying to Windows users that were affected by this decision, to consider the options now available to them, but for goodness sake don't immediately give up great Sonos speakers, PlayBars and other products just because of this one decision, as there are plenty of other options still open to the Windows user... I think the saying is 'Don't cut off your nose to spite your face' ... Actually I don't like that saying, as it always sounds a little harsh when I say it... But I think you get my drift.

I have previously listed what I thought some of the other options might be... But the truth is I still think there is plenty of scope and a variety of available options, going forward, that would allow many affected customers to still keep their much loved and admired Sonos hardware.

There is still very little out there on the market, to compete with a wireless, multi-room, multi-speaker synced audio system that has the option to create standalone speakers or stereo pairs or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and which allows 'on the fly' room grouping or playing same/different audio across the entire home.

If you want to give up all that first class hardware and architecture, on the basis you can't control it from a phone you bought sometime ago, then to me that is really 'cutting off your nose to spite your face' ... A phrase I really do hate, but have now said twice in one post !!.. I hope you understand the point I was trying to say here.

I too, would be a little 'miffed', if I was a Windows Mobile user
I'm not miffed because I'm a Win10M user, I have several other avenues of control (including the good old CR200's - although they've been severely crippled lately as well...).

I'm miffed because they [Sonos] are acting like arrogant snobs, yet again, by not being willing to develop a UWP app that would run on ALL Windows 10 systems. I would love to have the same Sonos app running on my phone as on my Xbox One's or Surface Pro's, especially if they added Cortana support as well so I could say "Hey Cortana, queue up the Prince collection for me in the kitchen".

Sure, there's already a Windows app available, but it's a legacy application that more and more people are refusing to install on their computers or tablets. Not only because it's touch unfriendly (and that's putting it nicely) but also because you have to manually install it whereas Windows Store apps can automatically restore on new devices, settings roam between devices, they're sandboxed (not such a huge deal with official software, but it's not unheard of for official apps from large companies to include virii or other malware unwittingly).

Deciding not to cater for, basically, all Windows users going forward is shortsighted and had this been a publically traded company there would be huge questions from stockholders.

SONOS announce a true Windows APP available on smartphones and tabs...

The Sonos controller does run on Mac (PC), Android, Windows (PC) and iOS ... Just not on Windows Mobile... The advert you show is not technically misleading the customer.

Some would argue they are being economical with the truth, but that's not uncommon for tech companies. I think were asking a little too much to have it pointed out this is only Legacy win32 support. I`m impressed we even got a proper response from Sonos - asking for anything else is fantasy IMO given what the company is trying to do to stay relevant in a changing marketplace.

When windows 10 is the dominant desktop OS, perhaps things could change, but were talking years rather than months and Sonos might not even be around in a couple of years if their efforts to re-invent Sonos don't work.