As the worlds of smartphones, tablets, and desktop PCs merge together, we’re bound to see some interesting, if not unintended consequences. One example might be earlier this week when we learned about a Windows RT jailbreak for desktop apps, which let developers re-compile popular open source PC projects, with just a few small tweaks, to run on tablets like the Surface. Windows RT isn’t Microsoft’s only operating system with desktop roots, and one of the big changes that arrived with Windows Phone 8 was a move from Windows CE to Windows NT architecture. When things work well, you wouldn’t even notice your phone’s running what started as desktop code. When things don’t go as planned, on the other hand, hilarity can ensue.

A couple Windows Phone 8 users have managed to capture images of their phones failing to start up properly, and the error handler is falling right back to language written with desktop PCs in mind. At least, we don’t recall our Windows Phone 8 handsets arriving with any Windows installation discs (nor would it be clear how to use one, if they did), and we’re not quite sure who our phone’s system administrator would be.

Source: Mikko Hypponen (Twitter), PocketPC.ch
Via: WMPoweruser