[Thoughts] WP7S on something else than a Phone? - Windows Phone 7 Development and Hacking

Allright, when I first saw the MS Keynote @MWC and all the Horizontal hubs, I couldn't help but thinking " Damn this would look pretty AWESOME on a Tablet "
I confess, before the anouncement of the iPad, I was pretty curious to see what Apple could offer in the Tablet segment, and as everyone, I was pretty much dissapointed. Then I saw an Android Tablet, but I dunno, it feels kinda ... empty.
And then came WP7S, and while it does look awesome on a phone, I wouldn't mind having that UI on a tablet...
Any thoughts on this?

I can say that the Zune software looks absolutely awesome fullscreen on my desktop AND tablet.
Since WP7 looks a lot like Zune: Yes, would be a good slate interface.
(By the way: Only devices with inking support, i.e. a digitizer, are tablets. Devices with touchscreen only are slates.)

zune looks great on a tablet - but aint finger friendly
At the moment Zune is aweful to use with your fingers - they didn't seem to bother linking the Windows 7 gestures into the Zune 4 software.
agreed that the sliding hubs would be great to flick though on my tablet. There isn't a huge number of interfaces availalbe for Tablet PC's - and a WP7 overlay would be very neat.

something else than a phone ... yes a bmw, microsoft must have run out of names.

Related

What Do You Like About Window Phone 7?

I'm not gonna lie, I disliked many things that MS did to their mobile platform at first, but I can't deny the things I love about it.
The 'Core' of the OS looks better
Gone are the days of ugly, clunky, and cumbersome menus. I hated how the menus looked in Windows Mobile, they were dreadful. And the Panoramic interface bring something new to the table.
Updates For Everyone
MS is now making the Update system unified and easy. No more waiting for your carrier to make an update or quick fix, and that's if they even have the interest in doing so. Being a Treo Pro and BlackJack II/i617 owner, I've been left in the dust twice by my carriers and vendors.
No More Low-End Common Denominators
There are some very powerful devices that have released with Windows Mobile like the TG01 and the HD2. But that power isn't going to any use because apps haven't been optimized for the hardware. Dev's haven't and have no reason to strive to bring vibrant application UI to the platform, this is why most apps look dated. Other OSs gave the Dev's motivation strive for something nicer.
Strict Hardware Requirements
Another thing I love about WP7. The minimal specs are high-end. The problem with WinMo and Android is that there wasn't many regulations. The OEM buys the license and then they were allowed to bring their crappy hardware to the market. This also created way to many problems they may seem like flexibility and choice but are ultimately weighing the platform down.
Integrations With MS Services and Social Networking
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm own or am signed up for every proprietary service MS has in plan for WP7. I've been a Zune user since the beginning, and I'm loving the unlimited music downloads and streaming. I'm also an avid Achievement hunter and XBL for mobile is perfect for me. But the social networking is what really has me smiling. Instead of having to open a app to check updates and post to my different services I can just go to pics hub or my contacts.
Finally Dev Attention and Vibrant UI for APPS
This is one of the main things I love about this revision. I was sick of how apps looked. They had no visual substance whatsoever! You know what I'm talking about. And a LOT of dev's don't show WinMo any love. MS has brought this to the attention, because this is a buying point for many people. Finally apps that look decent like the few I've collected below:
The integration of everything needed for communication into the OS itself. I hated the iPhone because of the fact that you had to launch an app every time you wanted to do something.
I also like the strict hardware requirements because that means we no longer have to rely on HTC to make proper drivers for our devices. Wish they had opted for a larger resolution than 800x480 as their max.
That's really the only two things I like about it. So until someone jailbreaks it I won't be going with a WP 7 device.
Toss3 said:
The integration of everything needed for communication into the OS itself. I hated the iPhone because of the fact that you had to launch an app every time you wanted to do something.
I also like the strict hardware requirements because that means we no longer have to rely on HTC to make proper drivers for our devices. Wish they had opted for a larger resolution than 800x480 as their max.
That's really the only two things I like about it. So until someone jailbreaks it I won't be going with a WP 7 device.
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800x400 is wayy better than anything out there.....u know what I mean...giggle.
We are excited about Silverlight and graphics.
Finally .NET is a native platform for mobile devices.
UI development is fun now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5kATjU9Voo
Zune access on my mobile. Finally down to one device in my pocket.
I like that its Microsoft, so I won't have to play with Linux partitions that Windows won't even acknowledge.
the beautiful integration of the zune software. i love my zune hd and i'd love to see my htc hd2 with the zune player, it's awsome. =D
While I'm not sure if I'll end up using wp7, one of the things that I like about it is that it seems like it appeals to the general consumer. It looks like they're focusing on it being easy to use and easy to maintain, so it looks like will really catch the eye of some people not really happy with their iphone but intimated or turned off by android.
so to put more simply, I like that it's in direct competition with the iphone for the general consumer. I also like that MS has entered the advanced feature phone market with the kins for the same reason. People disenchanted with the iphone or having tougher financial times, can fallback on the kin but still have some social features.
If you couldn't tell, I'm not really an apple fan, so any fair competition that can chip into their profits is good to me .
Uhm....it's different?
I really don't know....it seems for people like me who never use Facebook, Twitter or any other of the so-called social networking sites, WP7 offers very little.
All I see is an application launcher which uses colored rectangles instead of icons, and a general interface design using large, ugly (sans-serif) fonts atop seemingly random background images....
I just don't get it, kids these days... *waves cane angrily*

just dreaming... slate with wp7?

why they don't do it? ipad as iphone os... many slate are coming with android... why not a wp7 slate? i think it should be awesome, don't you?
I'm sure it will happen. By MS? I wouldn't bet on it, but there's nothing stopping MS's official partners from making a device. C-Motech made a Windows Mobile 6.5 tablet last year. If it does happen it will probably be anywhere between 5-8 inches since the highest resolution possible is only 800x480
Blue Ice K4 said:
why they don't do it? ipad as iphone os... many slate are coming with android... why not a wp7 slate? i think it should be awesome, don't you?
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Maybe HP Slate will comes with WebOS from Palm, I guess you already know that HP bought PALM
4 main OS's
Out of the 4 main OS's of choice Android,iPhone,WebOS & WP7 I personally think WebOS & WP7 would be the best tablet experience to have on a device with w 7"+ screen size.
I really don't understand what everyone's hang up is with having a phone OS on a tablet.
It's bd enough that we have to endure the closed phone OS ecosystem on phones, why would you want to move that to the tablet realm?
What happened to all the people maligning the iPad because it ran a phone OS?
Spike15 said:
I really don't understand what everyone's hang up is with having a phone OS on a tablet.
It's bd enough that we have to endure the closed phone OS ecosystem on phones, why would you want to move that to the tablet realm?
What happened to all the people maligning the iPad because it ran a phone OS?
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more people are buying into the "what it does, it does really well" talking point. I don't know how many times I've read that, and heard it by ipad owners. Real tablets need another year or 2 to get the right hardware to use a real OS well at acceptable battery life, weight, and performance.
The HP Touchsmart is a step in the right direction. We're at like 1st & Goal for a real tablet envisioned like 10 years ago.
gom99 said:
more people are buying into the "what it does, it does really well" talking point.
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Which is kind of ridiculous because the point of the evolution of the computer is that it enables you to do more and more with one device.
This single-minded design ethos just restricts the customer further and further, and the fragmentation of operating systems is going to ensure that development is spread between all of them, rather than focussed on one of them (alternatively you're just going to see one rise to dominance and all the others will fade away).
Having a desktop OS on a tablet allows you to leverage the design and development work that's already gone into that operating system.
I see a lot of people/sites talking about how HP -- in their supposed killing of the Windows 7 Slate -- wants to own both the hardware and the software. I think these companies really need to take a more in-depth look at that business model -- the only company it's worked for is Apple, and it's arguable whether or not that's because Apple actually makes it work, or because Apple has their reality distortion field at full power.
Besides, if you've ever used an HP OEM PC that hasn't been formatted, you know just what a terrible idea it is having HP responsible for any kind of software development...
Spike15 said:
Besides, if you've ever used an HP OEM PC that hasn't been formatted, you know just what a terrible idea it is having HP responsible for any kind of software development...
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That's actually true about every OEM out there.
vangrieg said:
That's actually true about every OEM out there.
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I know, I was just citing HP as a specific example because they're rumoured to be killing off the Windows 7 Slate in favour of using an in house OS (WebOS).
The fact that companies are looking to own the OS and the hardware just sooms like a quality-sacrificing money-grab to me.
HP is a hardware company, and they make really good hardware. Microsoft is a software company, and they make really good software. There's a reason that they keep out of each others' markets, and that's because they would compromise the quality of the finished product. Great HP hardware running crappy HP software wouldn't amount to anything...
Spike15 said:
The fact that companies are looking to own the OS and the hardware just sooms like a quality-sacrificing money-grab to me.
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They have tons of ambitions usually, and within big corporations like HP it's impossible to say that something they make sucks. So at the end of the day even if they may know they're bad at software they'll never acknowledge it, which sooner or later leads to bad decisions. They have reality distortion fields of their own.
Anyway, HP isn't a company that knows how to focus on anything. So I would expect to see different tablets from them, their acquisition of Palm doesn't mean much in this respect.
gom99 said:
Real tablets need another year or 2 to get the right hardware to use a real OS well at acceptable battery life, weight, and performance.
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Everyone seems to forget that tablet laptops with tablet versions of Windows XP/Vista/7 have been available for years. And yes they have acceptable battery life, weight, and performance.
Anyone who ever mentions "Laptop Replacement" and iPad in the same sentence should be required to look up the Lenovo Thinkpad X200 multi-touch tablet. Heavier and more expensive? Sure. But you only need one! No need lug that useless laptop around with you for every occasion that you might want to type something a bit longer than a web address or a text message, or every time your iPad fails at some trivial task that any 10 year old computer could easily perform.
But of course the iPad is not about features is it, it is about ease of use, and "doing what it does really well".
So what are these things that the iPad does "really well", compared to a laptop or desktop computer? Is Mobile Safari on the iPad really any easier to use than any desktop web browser? What about watching movies and listening to music (was this ever difficult)? Well it's optimized for touch input you say! But really, with 1024x768 and above screens, the difference between a finger and a mouse pointer is pretty close to being insignificant.
And lets not forget that Windows 7 came with multi-touch friendly features built in well before the iPad was even announced.
But of course no one knows this.
Anyway, I had a point, before I got sidetracked ranting about the iPad (I really need to work on this). My point was, tablet computers running the Windows operating system already exist, are available for a price no more than an average laptop, are optimized for multi-touch, and are easy to use, fast, and extremely powerful.
Pick one up, or at least check one out, and you'll forget that you ever thought you wanted to own an over-sized phone.
and you'll forget that you ever thought you wanted to own an over-sized phone.
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It's not even an oversized phone, cause it can't make phone calls. It's just an oversized music player.
MooGoo said:
And lets not forget that Windows 7 came with multi-touch friendly features built in well before the iPad was even announced.
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I saw this when Windows 7 was released and was totally psyched for Windows 7 multi-touch tablets.
I had the fortune of grabbing a tablet that my Uncle was trying out for work back in the early 2000s, one of the old school HP or Compaq ones that only worked with the stylus and ran XP Tablet Edition. I was reading an eBook version of Angels and Demons, and it was love at first sight.
Ever since I've wanted a modern tablet, but there really hasn't been anything.
MooGoo said:
My point was, tablet computers running the Windows operating system already exist, are available for a price no more than an average laptop, are optimized for multi-touch, and are easy to use, fast, and extremely powerful.
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I've been thinking of picking up a convertible ultra-portable (most likely the HP EliteBook 2730p if I go that route) and I'm just mostly concerned about the increased weight. I want a tablet to fill a very specific niche (replacing and enhancing the functionality of a book) and I don't need 3.3 pounds worth of keyboard et cetera to do that...
i think that we are already ready at hardware specs to make a slate with real os onboard... 5 hours aren't so bad...
but did you think wath can mean using windows 7, also with multitouch pack, ONLY with fingers and... on a 9" screen? don't forget that if os has touch optimization... the apps don't, if they weren't already designed... try to think about web surfing with firefox without touch optimization like form management and with menus not finger and friendly... now think all the others apps... i think we'll go crazy after few minutes
i think that mobile os are not better, but they are build to be finger friendly (unless winmo6 hehehe) and the experience with that is completely different and awesome respect a real os only with finger gesture, unless somebody develop an entire ui for win7 and sw start to have a finger friendly design and gestures...
different are the tablet pc, with keyboard and touchpad, in that case you can switch and having always the best input device method available.
bye!
Blue Ice K4 said:
but did you think wath can mean using windows 7, also with multitouch pack, ONLY with fingers and... on a 9" screen? don't forget that if os has touch optimization... the apps don't, if they weren't already designed... try to think about web surfing with firefox without touch optimization like form management and with menus not finger and friendly... now think all the others apps... i think we'll go crazy after few minutes
i think that mobile os are not better, but they are build to be finger friendly (unless winmo6 hehehe) and the experience with that is completely different and awesome respect a real os only with finger gesture, unless somebody develop an entire ui for win7 and sw start to have a finger friendly design and gestures...
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I'm so tired of people preaching "finger friendliness". It seems in order to be "finger friendly" to these people, the entire screen needs to be occupied with just one giant button.
Do you all have Parkinson's?
dont worry, i haven't parkinson...
i just want a device where i dont want to touch twice the button because the first time i didn't aimed well the touch.
i just want a device where the apps doesn't require a keyboard.
i just want a device where there are apps...
what do you want to do with a slate? a device without keyboard and 9" screen...
internet, mail, youtube, movies, gps, mp3, chat, skype, videocall, games and others "mobile apps"... at this moment all these thing can be made with a mobile os with a best experience; with win7 they could be made, but there aren't all (games for example) and the experience it's surely poor respect to a mobile os...
Spike15 said:
I'm so tired of people preaching "finger friendliness". It seems in order to be "finger friendly" to these people, the entire screen needs to be occupied with just one giant button.
Do you all have Parkinson's?
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OMG YOU READ MY MIIIIIIIIIIIIIND.
Finger friendliness does not require super sized UI elements. An operating system that has a finger controlled touchscreen as one of its input devices, can be programed so that, on detection of finger input, the areas of activation for common control elements such as buttons, check boxes, scrollbars, links etc, would be expanded, and thus not require precise placement as would be the case with a mouse pointer. You can already see this kind of finger adaptation on decent mobile web browsers such as the one built into Android which can accurately detect clicks on links even on a completely zoomed out web page (Opera Mobile 10 on the other hand could barely detect a click if the entire screen was a link...sigh)
This same finger awareness could be used to detect presses within scrollable areas to enable finger drag scrolling, just as TouchFlo originally did for WinMo.
And on the off chance you are presented with some nightmare of overlapping buttons, then the ability to zoom in the entire screen (Magnifier in Windows 7) can be used to compensate.
In short, no UI redesign should be necessary for finger control of most computer applications. Of course there will be exceptions, games in particular, many of which will get patched, some needing significant redesign.
That is the one thing the iPad offers that thus far is unique. It is the only significant platform for large format touch screen applications. Apple's trick this time around was to outsource their trademark innovation almost entirely to 3rd party developers. So far seems to be working.
Blue Ice K4 said:
i just want a device where i dont want to touch twice the button because the first time i didn't aimed well the touch.
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Then learn to not suck so much at touchscreens.
That's like saying you want a keyboard that you don't have to learn to type on. Every interface paradigm is going to have somewhat of a learning curve.
Blue Ice K4 said:
i just want a device where the apps doesn't require a keyboard.
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What are you talking about? Until they take speech recognition (or something else esoteric) to the next level, all apps that require any kind of input of text are going to require a keyboard, which onscreen or hardware.
Blue Ice K4 said:
i just want a device where there are apps...
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And there are no "apps" for Windows 7?
You're just coming off as stupid. Your beyond-atrocious grammar doesn't help matters.
Blue Ice K4 said:
what do you want to do with a slate? a device without keyboard and 9" screen...
internet, mail, youtube, movies, gps, mp3, chat, skype, videocall, games
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What are you talking about?
The only thing in that list that I can't see myself doing easily on Windows 7 is GPS. There's probably some kind of GPS software for Windows, but I can't name any off the top-of-my-head, so I'll have to acquiensce that point.
As for the rest:
Internet: I love how people just throw "internet" around. What exactly are you referring to? "Internet" refers to "inter-network" and is therefore any situation wherein hosts on separate networks communicate.
The HP Slate has 3G and WiFi, so I think this qualifies.
Perhaps you were referring to "web browsing", which would be using a browser to view pages on the internet via HTTP. What's wrong with doing that in Windows 7? Does everyone not know that Windows 7 has built in multi-touch capability? You can get an HP Slate with Windows 7 and fire up IE and browse by touching links, pinch to zoom...it even has more robust multi-touch support that iPhone OS, being that it supports right-click and rotate multi-touch gestures.
Click here and scroll down to "Gestures" to see just how robust multi-touch support in Windows 7 really is...for clarity's sake, all those gestures emulate calls that already exist in Windows, so an application doesn't need to be multi-touch aware for you to be able to use multi-touch to zoom in it.
Mail: Why not? I think this point actually exemplifies what Windows 7-based tablets have over other operating systems. Look at all the crying that Android users do because Android doesn't have native support for Exchange.
Get a Windows 7 tablet, throw Outlook 2007/2010 on there, how much money says I have the best Exchange support available, plus support for all the connectors etc. and built-in POP3/IMAP4 support Outlook has.
If you're going for a touchscreen device, and you want to do mail, you'd have to be stupid not to go with Windows.
YouTube: Flash support (HP actually released a video that was devoted to nothing more than Adobe discussing AIR and Flash on the Slate) and Internet Explorer? How could that get any better?
Movies: I keep coming back to this whole "it is Windows" argument, and you're going to see that be a recurring theme. This is what really makes a Windows 7-based tablet special -- the fact that you can just run Windows software on it. This is why fragmenting the mobile OS market is bad, because your support isn't all consolidated on one platform.
You want to watch movies? I'm pretty sure Windows 7 ships with WMP12, and that, that has built-in DivX support. If that's not good enough for you, I'm sure you can use the WiFi/3G connection (or plug in a thumbdrive!) and install VLC media player.
Plus the Slate has graphics acceleration support for viewing 1080p movies!
Again: What more do you want?
GPS: I already acquiesced on this one.
MP3: Gee doesn't WMP come with Windows 7? Pretty sure that's been playing MP3s since...
...since...
...it came out in 1998?
And again, it is Windows! Don't like the built-in media player, get VLC or WinAmp or...
Chat: I'm pretty sure all the major IM clients are available for Windows. If you want to use a lot of IM protocols at once, I'm pretty sure things like Trillian and Pidgin are available for Windows!
Skype: See "Chat".
Videocall: See "Chat".
Games:
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Dear God!
Blue Ice K4 said:
"mobile apps"... at this moment all these thing can be made with a mobile os with a best experience
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For the record, "mobile apps" are people reinventing the wheel. They have a Facebook website, they have a Mobile Facebook website, so instead of leveraging that, and the fact that HTML/CSS/JavaScript is a relative standard, they make an app that's specific to each platform.
With Windows 7-based tablets, existing Windows development can be leveraged upon. Rather than redeveloping the entire application they can just build in the multi-touch features that are built into Windows. There's no hacking, to third-party garbage, this is a Windows-based device leveraging built-in Windows functionality.
Blue Ice K4 said:
the experience it's surely poor respect to a mobile os...
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All these myraid "mobile os[es] [sic]" do is fragment the market to the point where developers cannot have their application on every platform. When you buy a tablet buying some funky OS, like WebOS (for example) or some funky custom distro of Linux, do you really think some developer is going to get you an app before Windows 7.
No, because by targeting the Windows 7 tablet, the developer can simultaneously target the desktop audience.
Which is far bigger than the mobile audience, and will be most likely indefinitely.
i have a prototype tablet my company has been developing and all i can say is windows7 on it is amazing plus all the features you have in your cell phone can be implemented in these tablets with windows 7. i think apple did another FU customer with the ipad. tablets are not toys but products to be used in an educational or work manner then in between play. i think everyone wants an ipad like tablet as over the years there has been a degradation of intelligence. if you want eye candy use your phone. if you want functionality use your tablet.
HackMimic said:
if you want eye candy use your phone. if you want functionality use your tablet.
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Or you could just use a phone with WinMo or Android.

GSMARENA is a ..beeeb.. . Pigs!

Hey!!! Just see new GSMARENA review about Windows Phone 7 that published Today:
http://www.gsmarena.com/windows_phone_7-review-521.php
i think a noob kid write this review:
Main disadvantages:
No system-wide file manager
No videocalling
Limited third-party apps
No Bluetooth file transfers
No USB mass storage mode
No memory card support
No multitasking
No copy paste
Too dependent on Zune software for computer file management and syncing
No music player equalisers
No Flash or Silverlight support in the web browser
No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far
No DivX/XviD video support
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from today, nobody will trust gsmarena
lol talk about being a noob, why not take the time to refute his points instead of slobering all over the keyboard?
just a thought
They also said a lot of good things about WP7. Don't forget that.
There's nothing to refute about these points. Absolutely awesome, amazing review! GSMArena know their business.
Final Words
Windows Phone 7 is a great OS. Windows Mobile tried to squeeze a desktop-like OS in your pocket but that never quite worked. The seventh iteration of Microsoft’s mobile operating system takes a different approach – instead of loads of features through a complicated (and not very well thought out) user interface, it puts simplicity and usability first and then tries to add as much functionality as possible without making a mess out of the whole thing.
And it has worked – Windows Phone 7 looks like nothing we’ve ever used before, yet we never felt lost or confused. The most obvious thing works 80% of the time and the few tips sprinkled here and there taught us nice but not so obvious tricks without getting in the way.
Speaking of looks, Windows Phone 7 has unique aesthetics. Parts of it are absolutely gorgeous. It stays away from the faux 3D look for interface elements and instead keeps things flat but visually appealing. It’s the kind of look you’d find in a magazine or a well designed minimalist web site.
Sure there were some of us that didn’t like it. All the superfluous animations, UI elemnts flying in or out, they seemed too much at times. Not to mention those big headings that never did fit on a single screen.
Well, for those of you that feel attracted by the new Windows Phone looks, we’ll just say you’d be glad that it not only looks good but it’s also really simple to use. All the UI elements are designed so that the essential things draw your eye in while less important bits and pieces are smaller to avoid distraction.
But this level of simplicity is also limiting. Sure, you can do most things alright but some things are just out of reach. Copy and paste for one, even the limited number of colors for highlighting in Word, the inability to manage files that the phone doesn’t support and so on.
It’s not just the UI limitations though – the OS has limits too. We couldn’t even connect the phone in mass storage mode and the lack of Flash or Silverlight in the web browser was disappointing. To get rid of multitasking after all these years is a questionable move too, but not necessarily a deal breaker. It didn’t get in the iPhone’s way to success, did it?
Hubs are a great idea that will reduce the dependence on multitasking – a hub will aggregate related content from different apps, so there’s no need to switch between them. However, we’re a little worried that they might go the way of the Live folders in Android. They were another great UI idea, but most vendors and app makers tend to keep their content to their own apps.
The same thing might happen to Windows Phone 7 and its hubs – there are plenty of reasons for app makers to want you to use their app rather than have it share a hub with multiple others apps (brand recognition, ads, you name it).
If Microsoft was to put Windows Phone 7 on phones of the Kin kind, they would have been a hot sale. Great interface with seamless Facebook integration sprinkled with a few other handy services like the Zune Marketplace and SkyDrive.
However, the imposed minimum hardware requirements for a phone to qualify for WP7, practically guarantee that each and every one of them will be an expensive high-end phone.
And if you’re paying big, you’d expect high-end functionality. But Windows Phone 7 falls short of expectations on several occasions – Android 2.x and iOS 4.x will wipe the floor with it as far as power users are concerned.
For Facebook, web browsing and music though it’s the cream of the crop. There are no WP7 phones officially unveiled yet so we can’t be certain of pricing, but carrier subsidies will probably be a must.
And while 1GHz CPU and a high-res screen command a high price right now, Microsoft has its eye on the future. In a couple of years those minimum requirements will move to the mid range and Windows Phone 7 will have had time to make its name as a guarantee for a solid user experience.
So, in the short term WP7 won’t overshadow Android or iOS, but it will be big in the future. Some market analysts even predict that it will push Microsoft’s mobile OS market share to iOS levels by 2014 (with 2010 all but gone, that’s just 3-4 years in the future).
Now we just have to sit tight and wait for the official WP7 unveiling event this upcoming Monday, on 11 October, 02:00PM, London time. You can bet we’ll be covering it for you.
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anhyeuemmaimai said:
lol talk about being a noob, why not take the time to refute his points instead of slobering all over the keyboard?
just a thought
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The OS will ship with thousands of apps and it's only dependent on the zune software when it comes to media.
Maybe it was just me but I thought there review was excellent... I mean it was 7 pages long and picked every little thing about the OS apart. Whenever I want a review that is almost completely unbiased and very well done, I always go to gsm arena. If you look at most of their cons, they are pretty valid points. You don't have to agree with them that they're big enough to make you want to not buy the phone, but they are valid cons.
crow26 said:
There's nothing to refute about these points. Absolutely awesome, amazing review! GSMArena know their business.
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dear. 95% of gsmarena's readers are not professional...
noob users just see first page and say: wow! windows phone dont have copy and paste! wow . windows phone 7 don't have multi tasking. i hate it
this is xda and alls are professional... but...
i am moderator in bigest irani forum about mobile.(mobilestan . net) .. after this review all noob users say: "hmmm i hate windows phone because it dont have copy paste and multi tasking and video calling and .... ! so we migrate to android.... "
who say that windows phone dont have copy paste and multi tasking and ... ?
these are lie
well... whats wrong with the review.. it is the obvious truth.. isnt that what a review is all about. Tell all good and bad... and let ppl decide.. good on ya GSM..
I thought it was a great review. I'd also love to see the platform hit 25% user base, that'd be a nice load of apps.
I'll tell you what, if you told me a year ago that I'd be an avid Bing user, migrating most of my Gmail actions to Hotmail, and being absolutely pumped about the idea of a Microsoft phone, I'd have slapped you and called you crazy. I dig Microsoft's direction lately.
Honestly, it's one of the best reviews ever.
Great and correct review.

What's Unique about Windows Phone?

Hi all!
I've been using Mango 7740 on my Titan for about a month. I totally love it. I have falled head over heels for WP! I switched from Android. This felt so much more professional and in many ways a complete approach to fresh smartphone UI. I know the UI is unmatched by anything in the market and so is social network integration. I was showing off my phone to few friends who loved it while they played with it. Obviously lack of few big apps was noticed very soon and they do understand the fact that it's a new OS and apps take time to come to new OS. But one of the friends asked me: "So what's unique about this OS apart from the new and sexy UI?"
To be honest I did want to tell him the list of things, but then in my head most other OSes can do things I know of. Can someone help me to figure out the uniqueness of this OS? I know this sounds very silly knowing I have a Titan in my hand to explore and know.
I've looked through two major comparison threads for WP vs iPhone vs Android and I think without rooting/jailbreaking all of these OSes have similar or same functionality limitations and app dependencies. Some platforms fulfil that via apps whereas WP will eventually fulfil it via apps.
Please try to not add the spice of trolling and fanboy teaming up here, I just want to get involvement from Windows Phone users in terms of what they found to be unique in this OS compared to their previous phone(s).
I don't think you'll find anything unique, as in something that sets things apart, until the next iteration. Frankly, with the exception of Apple in very specific respects, I don't think you'll see things that are unique to mobile platforms just because of the nature of competition among Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
Things have evolved to a point now where it's not so much about features, but more of the overall ecosystem and how in tune that is to your lifestyle.
the only really unique thing it has is the fact that you have to use the worst software in history of PC software to put music and movies on it... Zune is horrible
EDIT: I just realized that iPhone users are forced to itunes, so I take my statement back. Second worst software in the history of PC sotware
Zune is actually cool. They should kill all the other media players on the PC, and make just one.
Unique: battery life. That's it.
For me, it's the integration of social networking, the intuitive metro UI and the stability.
The OS simply works. It's quick, clean and easy.
It does everything I want it to do so I have no need to look elsewhere.
^ uniqueness minus UI.
All smart phones generally do the same thing, it isn't really about what they do for me, it's about HOW they do it. Windows Phone centralizes all information, in the most fluid, involving way I have ever experienced. You feel like you're in the phone, and as though everything is catered to you and the information you want. It lacks in a few areas, all phones do, but when you understand the gap covered in one year, you'll see this OS evolve quickly, and amazingly.
Android does voice search, yeah, but WinPhone and iPhone do it differently, better. The UI as an argument for WinPhone IS the main argument, because the UI is more than how the tiles are curved, or the widgets align, its how the information is displayed, carried through, and experienced.
That's just me. All phones play music, all phones have a camera, all phones have sms, email, a phone, apps, a market, but none of them deliver it in the same consistent way that Microsoft has here.
FiyaFleye said:
All smart phones generally do the same thing, it isn't really about what they do for me, it's about HOW they do it. Windows Phone centralizes all information, in the most fluid, involving way I have ever experienced. You feel like you're in the phone, and as though everything is catered to you and the information you want. It lacks in a few areas, all phones do, but when you understand the gap covered in one year, you'll see this OS evolve quickly, and amazingly.
Android does voice search, yeah, but WinPhone and iPhone do it differently, better. The UI as an argument for WinPhone IS the main argument, because the UI is more than how the tiles are curved, or the widgets align, its how the information is displayed, carried through, and experienced.
That's just me. All phones play music, all phones have a camera, all phones have sms, email, a phone, apps, a market, but none of them deliver it in the same consistent way that Microsoft has here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe this basically sums it up for me. However you said it far more eloquently than I did
After getting my lumia, i can say its the fastest os out there.
The biggest unique features imo are the live tiles and the way information is presented.
The hubs are also unique and amazingly well thought out.
But underneath the ui all os perform the same task just in a slightly different way.
Btw all people i showed the os on the lumia loved the blazing speed of it and the feel. So ms is doin something right
Sent from my Lumia 800 using Board Express
now i can just sit on my bed and command my TV to play my favorite movies off my Desktop HDD with HTC Connected Media , or control my XBOX 360 without touching the controller and all that's kinds of stuffs. Almost all electronic in my house are the part of the ecosystem.
All TV has one HDMI hook up to one desktop (not all ATI Radeon or something like that , just Intel GMA HD) . All benifit from Windows 7 - Zune Cilent - XBOX 360 - Windows Phone 7.
Not everyone realize that is what Microsoft are trying to head us: " Make our life easier with Ecosystem"
vetvito said:
Zune is actually cool. They should kill all the other media players on the PC, and make just one.
Unique: battery life. That's it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is the battery life unique?
But what makes Android unique vs iOS? As crazy as this sounds, there will come a point in time when they all are so similar in capabilities that we will be bickering about minute differences (oh I get 30fps playing crysis 5 mobile edition and you get 28!). The answer right now is the how and not the what. the user experience is quite different in Android vs iOS vs Windows Phone. UI, stability, battery life, features, apps, everything. But that will change.
I think that is the reason for all the litigation. Which is sad, because the car companies seem to differentiate themselves quite fine without having to litigate like crazy.
Great info about windows phone...thanks for sharing
Guys, thank you so much for all the input.. There are few points I din't realise that put this OS as much unique concept. I am a little more educated now. If anyone else has more uniqueness about this OS please do share with me and the others as it does seem to bring out different point of views from real Windows Phone users.
This might be more UI related anyway, but some points do make the OS look much unique against iOS.
JVH3 said:
Things I miss the most.
Not seeing calendar events or weather on the home screen.
The People hub. And no way to directly go to a contact. Must launch Phone first.
No easy way to immediately close an app when done with it, like the Back button in Windows Phone 7. I seem to end up with about 10 apps running all the time and need to close each 1 individually.
I liked the large Tiles of Windows 7 because I can easily hit them with my thumb using it 1 handed. They might be bigger than they need to be. Maybe 3 columns of Tiles would be better, and to not waste the space to the right of the Tiles. iPhone is much more difficult for 1 handed use with big thumbs.
A seperate indicator for work email and my combined email and no easy way to dismiss the indicator. This should be easy enough for Apple to do. An indicator for default in one corner and combined in another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xbox achievements.
I think the overall usage flow of Wp7 is the best. Also the obvious superior design of the UI I would say is a huge differentiator. Zune is great for one reason "send to phone" any file, no more maintaining playlists.
Sent from my HTC Titan using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
clfosk said:
Xbox achievements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"250 texts sent!" ;-)
Madmanden said:
"250 texts sent!" ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha what does that mean?
Can you actually send your achievements via texts? I din't know that!
I should get bragging about my achievements using all the unlimited texts in that case
Integration, the Metro UI and the stability !
Calendar + email: Outlook -> Windows Live -> Windows Phone (and vise versa)
Here's my take:
Since I have many appointments during the week, I need an easy way to manage them. The best software, IMHO, for doing this, is Outlook.
The best integration of Outlook with an online calendar is with the Windows Live calendar.
The best integration of Window live calendar with a smart phone is with the Windows phone.
So while talking on the phone at work, I add an appointment to my calendar from Outlook. On the road, I get a reminder from my Windows phone. When I go to the other guys office, I set up a new appointment using my phone. When I get home, I see it in Outlook and make a few changes.
It all just works.
(The same can be said about email, but for me, the calendar integration is a killer feature, and I did look at other calender options. However, I would like to see improvements to the calendar software on the phone, such as a built in week view).

Apollo and beyond......

Welcome all, just wanting to discuss some future plans after Apollo. As we know Apollo will definitely bring us up to speed with our competitors.
After Apollo is where MS must prevail bringing new intuitive hardware and software to Windows Phone. MS is going to have to be trend setters in the future to pursue the competition. It will be no more keeping up with the competition but exceeding the competition.
In what ways can MS push Windows Phone past the competition with intuitive hardware and software?
I will compile a list of everbodys ideas in this first post
My ideas
*Kinect gestures and speech as what they are bringing to the laptops.
*Wireless charging (beleivie Nokia is already working on this)
*Solar charging
Nicksti:
#1 More handset choices. For example, rumours are the SGS3 and the iPhone will be waterproof. Fujitsu makes a waterproof WP but it is not available globally. More choices like FFC, keyboards, bigger storage capacities, colours.
#2 More apps especially games.
#3 Improved notifications. Just throwing something out there, but maybe in style of the Windows Phone "get in get out" they should build a notification center which operates on the lock screen? I find it a little tedious to unlock my phone in order to interact with the notification center.
Sent from my Venue Pro using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
*a feature that will attract hot Latinas with the press of a button or tile*
prohibido_por_la_ley said:
*a feature that will attract hot Latinas with the press of a button or tile*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My ball and chain would kill me if I voted for this
#1 More handset choices. For example, rumours are the SGS3 and the iPhone will be waterproof. Fujitsu makes a waterproof WP but it is not available globally. More choices like FFC, keyboards, bigger storage capacities, colours.
#2 More apps especially games.
#3 Improved notifications. Just throwing something out there, but maybe in style of the Windows Phone "get in get out" they should build a notification center which operates on the lock screen? I find it a little tedious to unlock my phone in order to interact with the notification center.
some of the stuff you state I beleive will be coming, but what would be groundbreaking hardware/software that will catapult WP to the head of the game? Anroid made FFC and multi core a popular thing and peple look for that. What can WP implement to do the same?
937dytboi said:
some of the stuff you state I beleive will be coming, but what would be groundbreaking hardware/software that will catapult WP to the head of the game? Anroid made FFC and multi core a popular thing and peple look for that. What can WP implement to do the same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ecosystem and Integration is WP's thing. Speed, reliability and 'it just works' - on the side.
i wish a docking screen for my windows phone.
as we know, windows 8 will have tiles, and a desktop (win7 like) app.
so i have my mobile phone with wp8, dual core and 1gb ram. at home i connect my smartphone on a dockingstation/multimediastation, which turns my phone into a laptop or desktop pc.
similar like the motorola atrix:
http://techfokus.de/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/motorola-atrix-2-lapdock-100.jpg
in short:
* docking my smartphone to a fully windows laptop*
Surprized no one mentioned Landscape startscreen when phone is turned.
nicksti said:
My ball and chain would kill me if I voted for this
#1 More handset choices. For example, rumours are the SGS3 and the iPhone will be waterproof. Fujitsu makes a waterproof WP but it is not available globally. More choices like FFC, keyboards, bigger storage capacities, colours.
#2 More apps especially games.
#3 Improved notifications. Just throwing something out there, but maybe in style of the Windows Phone "get in get out" they should build a notification center which operates on the lock screen? I find it a little tedious to unlock my phone in order to interact with the notification center.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aside from #3, all of those things have/are being done and as far as hardware is concerned are beyond the controll of MS aside from them making their own handsets. I find it funny that while it is rumored that an iPhone is gonna be doing XXX, MS/Partners are already quietly doing it, and when feature XXX releases on an iPhone the reaction will be 'OMG is so NEW and REVOLUTIONARY!"
ROCOAFZ said:
Surprized no one mentioned Landscape startscreen when phone is turned.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this will be supported in Apollo. Should have been implemented from jump
Sent from my Venue Pro using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
voluptuary said:
Aside from #3, all of those things have/are being done and as far as hardware is concerned are beyond the controll of MS aside from them making their own handsets. I find it funny that while it is rumored that an iPhone is gonna be doing XXX, MS/Partners are already quietly doing it, and when feature XXX releases on an iPhone the reaction will be 'OMG is so NEW and REVOLUTIONARY!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trust me, I laugh about that constantly. Or in the iCamp it can take a worse turn. A feature seems unnecessary until the iPhone gets it. Adobe Flash is not necessary, neither is removeable memory, or a radio. Megapixels did not matter until the iPhone got with it. Neither did a FFC.
937dytboi said:
this will be supported in Apollo. Should have been implemented from jump
Sent from my Venue Pro using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you see an article for this? just interested as i didn't see this in any lists and would like to read it.
ROCOAFZ said:
Where did you see an article for this? just interested as i didn't see this in any lists and would like to read it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually saw the support for start screen landscape in the leaked video of wp8 Apollo. Not sure if the video is still up. I haven't seen it in any articles, just the video.
Sent from my Venue Pro using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

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