My friend is an avid iPhone user and doesn't even bother looking at other devices really, but took a look at my omnia 7 and stated that while the interface looks far better, the home screen contains LESS information than the static icons with numbers next to them...
How do other users feel, do the vast amount of icons with numbered notifications, i.e. 20 icons on page 1, feel like more useful data than having about 6 tiles which can potentially hold more data overall and have the data be dynamic, more than just that there is a change in the app.
So simply, large amounts of static data or smaller amounts of dynamic data?
Michael_W_L said:
My friend is an avid iPhone user and doesn't even bother looking at other devices really, but took a look at my omnia 7 and stated that while the interface looks far better, the home screen contains LESS information than the static icons with numbers next to them...
How do other users feel, do the vast amount of icons with numbered notifications, i.e. 20 icons on page 1, feel like more useful data than having about 6 tiles which can potentially hold more data overall and have the data be dynamic, more than just that there is a change in the app.
So simply, large amounts of static data or smaller amounts of dynamic data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you open up a can of worms
it's personal taste I believe. I personally prefer the tile UI. I have relatives who currently own an iPhone and are very impressed with the WP7. The OS is only a year old and can only grow in user experience and performance. iOS seems to be an outdated OS IMHO. Very often it's what you got used to that works best for you and it's difficult to change to something new. iOS dominated the smartphone market for a long time. Give it 2-3 years and WP7 or WP8 will look outdated....
A poll in a Forum topic dedicated to WP7 that asks which UI is preferred will not provide any insight because most of us here decided to use WP7 for the very reason.
derausgewanderte said:
you open up a can of worms
it's personal taste I believe. I personally prefer the tile UI. I have relatives who currently own an iPhone and are very impressed with the WP7. The OS is only a year old and can only grow in user experience and performance. iOS seems to be an outdated OS IMHO. Very often it's what you got used to that works best for you and it's difficult to change to something new. iOS dominated the smartphone market for a long time. Give it 2-3 years and WP7 or WP8 will look outdated....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I like both, though, if the double sided tiles are used properly, tiles will win in my eyes. Having only a number as a notification got bland quickly to me, I liked that I knew exactly what had updates, but to do anything, I had to open an app. Tiles allow for you to see something, see if you want to reply now, or just leave it.
Smaller tiles woildn't work though, tiles will always have less items on the main display than icons.
I guess that it depends on how quickly you want to access your apps! I mean there are only about 5 notifications I can think of that are important tbh. App updates(that can rather be on the lower segment, news possibly weather possibly, messages, IM app email phone.
I was attracted to wp7 because of c#, and the panoramic UI, the tiles were a non-sequitor. At least it was fast, unlike the home screen of the 5800 I usd, which gives me nightmares still!
Michael_W_L said:
My friend is an avid iPhone user and doesn't even bother looking at other devices really, but took a look at my omnia 7 and stated that while the interface looks far better, the home screen contains LESS information than the static icons with numbers next to them...
How do other users feel, do the vast amount of icons with numbered notifications, i.e. 20 icons on page 1, feel like more useful data than having about 6 tiles which can potentially hold more data overall and have the data be dynamic, more than just that there is a change in the app.
So simply, large amounts of static data or smaller amounts of dynamic data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The iPhone home screen isn't static icons. When you get notifications in, there's a ticker by the application icon similar to the stars that appear by icons on a Blackberry. Android skins like TouchWiz 4.0 and Sense 3.0/3.5 use similar tickers.
It really depends on how you look at it, TBQH.
Tiles are big so you cannot see as many application icons/tiles on one screen in WP7 as you can icon on an iPhones, so if they have all their most-used applications on their home pane, they may very well see more information on their home screen than you do.
*Most* WP7 "Live Tiles" are nothing more than a number that appears on the icon.
iOS5 will have a completely revamped Notification System, though, so things get interesting when you look forward. Heres to hoping Microsoft gives us a useful notification system cause Tile Counters/Live Tiles and Toasts aren't nearly enough. Apple seems to have found that out, so hopefully Microsoft will - eventually.
Not voting in the poll cause the options are ignorant.
N8ter said:
The iPhone home screen isn't static icons. When you get notifications in, there's a ticker by the application icon similar to the stars that appear by icons on a Blackberry. Android skins like TouchWiz 4.0 and Sense 3.0/3.5 use similar tickers.
It really depends on how you look at it, TBQH.
Tiles are big so you cannot see as many application icons/tiles on one screen in WP7 as you can icon on an iPhones, so if they have all their most-used applications on their home pane, they may very well see more information on their home screen than you do.
*Most* WP7 "Live Tiles" are nothing more than a number that appears on the icon.
iOS5 will have a completely revamped Notification System, though, so things get interesting when you look forward. Heres to hoping Microsoft gives us a useful notification system cause Tile Counters/Live Tiles and Toasts aren't nearly enough. Apple seems to have found that out, so hopefully Microsoft will - eventually.
Not voting in the poll cause the options are ignorant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see icons with tickers as static data. I see tiles with just numbers in the same way. Sadly alot of tiles are just oversized icons with tickers. Double sided tiles should make for more active tiles, but I completely agree that most are just basically icons with tickers.
The poll isn't wp7 vs iPhone, the poll is static data vs dynamic. The static data type gives consistent data which can be viewed in only one way. This is a nice general type, combine that with the ios notification system, or bada's current one and you have glanceble data with the possibility of seeign it all quickly.
Dynamic data on the otherhand would be like pinning a person and seeing their latest updates OR their latest pictures. Multiple possible data types which contain more information immediately. But it uses far more real estate as well.
Next version of apple's os will steal android's notification system so its a moot point imo. Tiles are cute, but as the cornerstone of the wp7 notification system its pretty terrible. I'm still in awe that they did nothing to improve notifications in mangos. I just cannot believe it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Its personal taste (as someone else said). For me the best notifiactions system came with WebOS, I also like the android system and the WP7 system. I don't like the current ios notifications (on my ipad) but I guess when ios 5 comes (with android style notifications) that will be OK too. For me, the main plus point of WP7 over the other UI's is the simple uncluttered view. I am forever "losing my place" on my ipad screens, it was the same with my Android Desire too.
How can you lose your place when you have dots that tell you what pane you're on?
N8ter said:
How can you lose your place when you have dots that tell you what pane you're on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could never remember which pane I had pinned an app on, my eyesight is not brilliant and the small app icons (even on the ipad) are difficult for me to pick out sometimes - like I said though, it is a personal thing.
One thing remind me.
Windows Phone 7 + Apple's Store apps = WIN.
Apps is one of the main reason people choose iPhone.
Strike_Eagle said:
Apps is one of the main reason people choose iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And, unfortunately, one thing that is starting to come out more and more in customer surveys is that most people who own iPhones are reluctant to switch to another platform because of their investment in their apps. Not only have they paid for them, they spent the time to learn how to use them (and let's face it, most apps behave differently on WP7 than they do on iOS, because of the differences in the OS itself).
Yep and developers give ios versions preferential treatment on top of that. Faster feature updates, bug fixes, etc.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
EDIT: And this is a big issue since developers do not allow you to transfer licenses you've already bought on one platform to another. With some apps costing $9.99 or more in some cases (really once you get to $4.99 people start feeling locked in if they have to repurchase), this becomes an issue quite quickly.
Bought 10 apps over the span of 2 years on another platform that you use a lot. When you move to another one, you have to repurchase them immediately. You don't get 2 more years to do it, unless you want to cripple your usage patterns for inordinate amounts of time. That can be anywhere from 10 to 100 bucks, more in some cases, right off the bat.
One thing that isn't true with mango anymore, and I love it, is the one to one mapping from app to tile/icon.
Now I only map the content that I care about from apps to my main screen. Even multiple things from one App. Instead of having just huge app Icons.
So for the first time, Tiles start to be really different to being just big App-Icons. They start to be Content-Tiles. It's a huge difference, and something the iPhone right now does not provide.
RoboDad said:
And, unfortunately, one thing that is starting to come out more and more in customer surveys is that most people who own iPhones are reluctant to switch to another platform because of their investment in their apps. Not only have they paid for them, they spent the time to learn how to use them (and let's face it, most apps behave differently on WP7 than they do on iOS, because of the differences in the OS itself).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, i still remember the version of Angry Bird on Android and iOS are free. and we have to pay for it.
N8ter said:
Bought 10 apps over the span of 2 years on another platform that you use a lot. When you move to another one, you have to repurchase them immediately. You don't get 2 more years to do it, unless you want to cripple your usage patterns for inordinate amounts of time. That can be anywhere from 10 to 100 bucks, more in some cases, right off the bat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's unbelievable how cheap people can get to see this as a problem.
vangrieg said:
It's unbelievable how cheap people can get to see this as a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most people (as in, the overwhelmingly vast majority) don't have unlimited disposable income. They get their phones on contract, so they can get heavily subsidized prices. Further, most people aren't thrilled at the prospect of paying a second fee for their apps, just to move from one phone platform to another. Purchasing a second license to add a second device would be a different matter, but that is not what we are discussing here. It would be paying an additional fee simply to maintain what they already have. When faced with that choice, most people will stay where they are. It is basic human nature.
So if purchased apps keep someone glued to a platform Microsoft must be betting on getting the lion's share of users coming from a 'non' smartphone; like me.
Unlimited income? We're talking $10-100 here, and since you mention subsidized handsets, "first world" countries. I understand that people don't like paying (twice) but this isn't money we're talking about, it's pocket change.
What a world.
That's the thing, iOS notification on the home screen isn't changing. It will still be static little bubbles. Live tiles could change how they work, what they do and show, they already are animated and double sided and get push notification. And I have mango and some changes on how they work is great to see.
I have my tiles set up like this: phone and alarm tiles on top, messaging and people hub, my personal linked email accounts and then my work, xbox hub with 7 more tiles of the games I am playing, Zune and resco radio, calendar, ie9 and maps, arkwords, weather apps with live tile, and so on. 40 tiles in total, and all of the info I need on one screen that scrolls smoothly. I love it ^_^
All I have to say is that I have purchased Fruit Ninja on ios,iPad ios,windows phone,android,android tablet tegra version. People need to stop being cheap. Plus it's not like if you don't use it, you lose it lol
Related
So, unfortunately, it looks as if live tiles for 3rd party apps are too difficult and expensive
http://www.theunwired.net/?item=tho...ons-and-live-tiles-anywhere-in-the-cloud&5669
It's a pity, this was the one of the things that have made me consider a WP7 - I guess I'll just have to go to Android...
That isn't good for either the customer or 3rd party developers.
Hopefully M$ will change how the live tiles work as otherwise they will loose a big selling feature.
I'm not repeating myself... so look here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8768892&postcount=31
I think the statement in quoted from iridium21 link is not exactly correct. There is scheduled notifications type, that can update Live Tiles from local resources without the requirement of web service. It is a matter of dev implementation, not a WP7 flaw.
Edit: After some investigation I've discovered that actually Microsoft does not allow using local resource for changing the Tile through a tile schedule. So it’s true: no live tiles without web service.
To confirm , even official apps don't have live tiles. http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/...&utm_campaign=Feed:+pocketnow+(pocketnow.com)
Without the live tiles, the whole point of WM7 is lost, in my opinion.
I was considering a Dell Venue Pro, but I think it's going to be a HTC Desire HD now...
I believe that this will come in a future update.
Hopefully I'm right.
I don't get it. Push notifications require server infrastructure. It was known from the moment Apple introduced them. The server has to know where to push what. This is also not news. It doesn't need to know any more details about you than needed to notify Microsoft servers to push it to your device, which is nothing personal, just your PN channel ID (token, or whatever it's called). If you want to get personalized data about, say, weather, you do have to store your preferences on the server. This is not a "security issue" in any way. Most importantly, this is not news. Why everybody is so upset about it now is beyond me.
iridium21 said:
So, unfortunately, it looks as if live tiles for 3rd party apps are too difficult and expensive
http://www.theunwired.net/?item=tho...ons-and-live-tiles-anywhere-in-the-cloud&5669
It's a pity, this was the one of the things that have made me consider a WP7 - I guess I'll just have to go to Android...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's too funny when a member previously posted it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=815463 he was called a troll, and android fan boy
iridium21 said:
So, unfortunately, it looks as if live tiles for 3rd party apps are too difficult and expensive
http://www.theunwired.net/?item=tho...ons-and-live-tiles-anywhere-in-the-cloud&5669
It's a pity, this was the one of the things that have made me consider a WP7 - I guess I'll just have to go to Android...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they are not difficult, but need server infrastructure. But just step back and think about it. The services from which you need notifications are cloud based services. They already have the foundations for infrastructure. Now they need to add support for push notifications. They will do it. but will take time. it will be difficult for simple stand alone apps.. but which simple stand alone app you think needs notifications?
Android is already on its way to become an OS that needs regular resets to kill services that pile up in the background. (Remember Windows Mobile) Android does not kill an app until its RAM is full. All new phones have 512 MB RAM. it takes quite a few programs to reach a point when Android starts killing services. Till then, it takes a huge toll on battery.
arkavat said:
Android is already on its way to become an OS that needs regular resets to kill services that pile up in the background. (Remember Windows Mobile) Android does not kill an app until its RAM is full. All new phones have 512 MB RAM. it takes quite a few programs to reach a point when Android starts killing services. Till then, it takes a huge toll on battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No truth to any of that. But lets stay on topic though.
Push notifications are a better way for interacting with web services in terms of preserving battery than having a bunch of services that continuously poll servers in background. I think it's hard to argue otherwise. However, push notifications aren't a substitute for multitasking in general, or even local notifications. They are a substitute for one specific use case - alerting users when certain events happen outside the phone.
My question remains, however - why is everybody anxious about it now? What exactly happened between MIX, when all of this became public knowledge, and now?
arkavat said:
they are not difficult, but need server infrastructure. But just step back and think about it. The services from which you need notifications are cloud based services. They already have the foundations for infrastructure. Now they need to add support for push notifications. They will do it. but will take time. it will be difficult for simple stand alone apps.. but which simple stand alone app you think needs notifications?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the whole point is that standalone apps don't need push notifications but have to rely on them simply to update homescreen tiles, which is an obvious overkill. I have a couple of apps that use badge notifications on the iPhone currently. One is a Google RSS reader, another is the Read It Later app. They both connect to web services, it's very useful that they show information about unread items on the home screen, but none of them really needs their own server infrastructure. Well, they could use it, but don't have to.
I hear bad things about the battery life of WP7 phones... apparently the lack of multitaskung doesn't help at all... Android still provides better battery life, despite that lots of apps can poll and update widgets in the background.
Don't trust the marketing blabla. WP7 will only be a static grid of icons, just like iOS. The only OS that REALLY is "live" is Android.
crow26 said:
WP7 will only be a static grid of icons, just like iOS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's simply wrong. WP7 still supports live tiles updatable through push notification, iOS - not. Still, Android would remain most feature rich platform with all advantages and disadvantages that comes with that.
The phone can also poll for updates on a scheduled basis (every hour, day, week, or month). They don't have to be push. This will work well for things like weather updates where you don't need instaneous info anyways.
martoto said:
That's simply wrong. WP7 still supports live tiles updatable through push notification, iOS - not. Still, Android would remain most feature rich platform with all advantages and disadvantages that comes with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would ignore him. Mods already closed his other thread bashing WP7 and talking about how amazing Android is. It's clear he has an agenda and nothing of actual importance to say.
Live tile from weatherbug
http://www.wpcentral.com/weatherbug...feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wmexperts+(wpcentral)
Don't know if its Live like MS tiles though.
Push notifications equals bubbles like the iPhone.
iridium21 said:
So, unfortunately, it looks as if live tiles for 3rd party apps are too difficult and expensive
http://www.theunwired.net/?item=tho...ons-and-live-tiles-anywhere-in-the-cloud&5669
It's a pity, this was the one of the things that have made me consider a WP7 - I guess I'll just have to go to Android...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Microsoft need to make a web service available (perhaps through their Bing domain) that will allow developers to send their notifications to it, and then it could push those notifications onto the phone. Most developers will not have the budget to run their own webservices for notifications.
martoto said:
That's simply wrong. WP7 still supports live tiles updatable through push notification, iOS - not. Still, Android would remain most feature rich platform with all advantages and disadvantages that comes with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
READ the first post cause you didn't understand anything.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6NMH4ry-4&feature=player_embedded#at=148
i would just love wp7 to look like that, lets hope that after mango rtm release, hackers and modders will start to make such a great things
it looks a lot like bada
I saw this some time ago. Great design.
That is a big negative for me. Don't mess Windows phone up with Android style.
Just let the Metro UI be itself. The only thing i want in Metro Ui, is the ability to change the background (not the lockscreen) and the icon has a glassy style, in order to view the background through the list of apps.
That is all i want, Microsoft WP teams are doing their best to give a top performance for Windows Phone user, i perfer that way to a OS that everyone can touch and then the OS is given the worst feedback from User because they use a bad-coded custom ROM.
Just take Android for an example. Android itself , or Google Build, never hear any complaination, or less than all other Carrier/Factory Custom Build.
About making a good custom ROM, i will give HTC a go, they usually make the best custom ROM from Windows Mobile 6.5 to Android.
Looks ugly. The current UI is much better, simpler and better looking. Shiny buttons and gradients are way overused.
sure it's different, but not using the space wisely. one widget can display time, date, news, weather, and a favorite rss feed or two.
ok, TILE, one tile can. widget, tile, whatever.
i was too slow on the screenshots to get teh time changing, and video, well, video screen casts are just annoying to edit, so here's a couple of stills. much less space used, and the information is still there.
ugh, leave metro alone, i left android for a reason, and a bad UI is one of them. :\
...oh no...please don't......
If I wanted an overload of ugly widgets, I would have bought an Android device. Metro is simple, clean and beautiful just the way it is.
noone said that metro looks bad, i just think that with mods, wp7 scene can make it better, i love wp7 but for now i have to scroll whole page to get to bottom tiles,
Some informations should be visible right after screen unlock, and limiting them to 8 tiles (that are visible without scroll) is not enough.
And honestly its xda developers for god sake, so dont tell me you wouldnt like some mods.. : O
Do it yourself
ok, thanks for useless suggestion useless guy
behh said:
noone said that metro looks bad, i just think that with mods, wp7 scene can make it better, i love wp7 but for now i have to scroll whole page to get to bottom tiles,
Some informations should be visible right after screen unlock, and limiting them to 8 tiles (that are visible without scroll) is not enough.
And honestly its xda developers for god sake, so dont tell me you wouldnt like some mods.. : O
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there's been other concepts which i feel were better in the design department to get more information on the initial start screen such as these:
http://www.wpcentral.com/fan-concept-ii-what-if-windows-phone-had-folders
http://www.wpcentral.com/fan-concept-what-if-windows-phone-had-smaller-tiles
those keep in line with the metro design better imo.
i'm all for mods, but i'd rather them take longer and put some thought into the UI as to not ruin it
Screw the mods. MS got it right the first time lol. I have an Android and want a WP7 sooooo bad because of the simplicity and those sexy tiles.
And the cool menu pages, sliding right to left and vice versa. Sweet as candy.
I think WP7 should stay the way it is, because its just right. Maybe android can look like that, lets all remember android is the one os that embraces customization. WP7 don't.
I don’t think MS will or should allow to change the UI, WP7 identity is the UI... beside the smooth OS....
ppl have to chose what they what tile or widgets...
Yeah if they change the ui at all, I'm sticking to Android. Mine as well have all of the customization if I can only have "some". It is beyond perfect the way it is lol.
behh said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6NMH4ry-4&feature=player_embedded#at=148
i would just love wp7 to look like that, lets hope that after mango rtm release, hackers and modders will start to make such a great things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FUGLY. I still hate widgets on my Omnia 2. Brrr
Metro is just fine.
I recently jumped the ship from iOS to Android, and being dissapointed by the "Android-Experience" (Overall esthetics, User-friendliness, etc etc..), I was considering changing to WP7. Would it be possible for someone to list the major pros & cons of WP7, 'cos I haven't been able to try it out yet.
Thanks in advance.
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
For me its about the user interface and the stability. To give you an idea - I have an iPad and was an iPhone user from the first until the 3GS. I then used a Nexus One for 18 months.
Windows phone offers a better interface than iOS in that it puts emphasis on the information rather than pointless Chrome and interface elements like buttons etc. Its the only mobile OS thats actually innovative in its approach to displaying info.
In terms of stability it knocks the socks off of android because the thing actually does what it says it will all of the time. With Android i always feel like its hit and miss.
However what i will say is that the quality and the reach of the apps needs to improve. now Ms has sorted out the multi tasking and notifications service with Mango it will take some decent competitive apps to keep me here as i have been flirting with Android again recently. ( for example the Twitter app has no notifications, birdsong aint bad but only polls every 5 minutes).
Hope this help!
Jay
I dont want to spam, but i am a Android Xperia Neo (2.3) and a WP7 Mango (with the HTC Trophy user) and i recomend you to see this video I made up youtube.com/watch?v=NNo13-LUlHo (if it inst allowed than i will remove the link). Well i prefer WP7 because of its estability and interface and smoothness. Sorry for my bad english
Jay_uk1185 said:
For me its about the user interface and the stability. To give you an idea - I have an iPad and was an iPhone user from the first until the 3GS. I then used a Nexus One for 18 months.
Windows phone offers a better interface than iOS in that it puts emphasis on the information rather than pointless Chrome and interface elements like buttons etc. Its the only mobile OS thats actually innovative in its approach to displaying info.
In terms of stability it knocks the socks off of android because the thing actually does what it says it will all of the time. With Android i always feel like its hit and miss.
However what i will say is that the quality and the reach of the apps needs to improve. now Ms has sorted out the multi tasking and notifications service with Mango it will take some decent competitive apps to keep me here as i have been flirting with Android again recently. ( for example the Twitter app has no notifications, birdsong aint bad but only polls every 5 minutes).
Hope this help!
Jay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Notifications aren't a problem, I don't really use them. What really interested me was how all the "essential" stuff seemed accessible really easily, and that the whole GUI is clean/optimised.
Kim
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
omnomnomkimiiee said:
Notifications aren't a problem, I don't really use them. What really interested me was how all the "essential" stuff seemed accessible really easily, and that the whole GUI is clean/optimised.
Kim
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will be on to a winner with WP7 to be honest. It certainly presents the information in a far better and more innovative way than any of the competition and certainly works far more reliably.
The only caveat is that up until you have Mango - the live tile updates are terribly unreliable. (These are the widget-type tiles on the start screen)
Jay
WP7 is pleasure to use but is at an earlier stage in its life than ios or android, it has the potential to be a leading smart phones but I'd wait a few weeks to see if mango manages to push us to the forefront ?
Yeah, I was gonna wait a month or two to see how Android fares with me, and then eventually jump ship ... again
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
yup can't go wrong with wp7 everything is much faster and cleaner while android and iOS are just offering specs and graphics, wp7 is offering real usability and features.
Pro:
The performance is superb. No Android phone (even with dual-core) can match Windows Phone's. Apps rarely crash and rarely lags.
The whole WP OS UI carries a unified theme and even 3rd party apps seem to use the same theme.
The OS itself is very integrated. Many features that come build in to the WP OS are separate apps on other platform.
Con:
Lack of customization. You don't like how the WP OS looks? Too bad.
day2die said:
Pro:
The performance is superb. No Android phone (even with dual-core) can match Windows Phone's. Apps rarely crash and rarely lags.
The whole WP OS UI carries a unified theme and even 3rd party apps seem to use the same theme.
The OS itself is very integrated. Many features that come build in to the WP OS are separate apps on other platform.
Con:
Lack of customization. You don't like how the WP OS looks? Too bad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OS's look is the first reason I'd move to wp. The integration astounded me, we're only seeing it appear in iOS 5 (I'm a beta tester), and as for Android ...
I'd heard of the hardware stability, that'd be a definite plus+. Can't wait to try it out !
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
I look at WP7 as having the best of both iOS and Android.
On one hand you have the Android approach of different handset makers and a choice in hardware. Like Apple, Microsoft is showing tight control over the OS. So between two WP7 handsets you aren't going to see a huge difference in terms of how the OS performs. The biggest problem I have had with Android in the past is how the user experience is vastly different between two phones, especially when hardware manufacturers start skinning the OS.
You honestly can't go wrong with WP7, especially with the Mango update around the corner.
omnomnomkimiiee said:
Would it be possible for someone to list the major pros & cons of WP7, 'cos I haven't been able to try it out yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What type of user: "consumer" or business or both?
Your level of computer skills: basic or proficient?
CSMR said:
What type of user: "consumer" or business or both?
Your level of computer skills: basic or proficient?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
User: both, private/business 30%/70%
Computer skills are rather mediocre in the ms/linux world, I'm more of an os x guy.
Sent via my magical HTC Wildfire S.
Pros:
WP7 is fast & stable
Does what it does very well
You can get in & get out fast
Integration
No "real" need for flashing custom ROM's
The UI is clean & easy to read
Cons:
If you're like me & like "hacking" your device, Mango killed Homebrew (Hopefully we'll find ways around this)
Customization (If you like the UI exactly as is, not an issue for you)
Lack of choices in certain functionality
3rd party apps are a bit immature
In the end I suggest going to your local carrier's store & playing with a display model or if a friend has one play with it. The best thing about WP7 is it's performance. Someone said that touching the screen is like touching the pixels. This is a very good analogy, because what ever you do (in most cases), the device reacts to your inputs almost instantaneously. You can't really see any lag except in maybe some 3rd party apps & especially homebrew, but with homebrew, that's performance issues of the hacks currently being used. The last couple days I've been playing with my ex's Android & it feels so slow. Granted it's a cheap no name $50 Metro PCS one, but still. When I try to scroll throw the apps list, it takes a few seconds for my touch inputs to actually be displayed. The screen has a delay of input of scroll to it actually scroll. Everything I try to do takes so long to do.
Than again, I don't understand why she even has an Android device or smartphone in general. She never setup a Google account, which i had to do to access the market for an app for her. She wants to record a couple voicemails. So, I installed a call recorder app for her. She never setup her home screen. It has 5 "tabs" or what ever their called on Android & she only has the stock icons on the main tab & a music player on another. Nothing else setup.
As for 3rd party apps on WP7, yes they're a bit lacking, but I hardly ever use any. I have a few games & 3rd party apps installed, but most of what I do is handled by the core WP7 functionality.
EDIT: Just a little correction to the person who mentioned Chrome. WP7 does indeed have the "Chrome" element of the UI. The Status Bar at the top that auto hides is Chrome & so is the Menu Bar. It just auto hides & in some apps, isn't there at all (aka fullscreen mode).
drkfngthdragnlrd said:
Pros:
WP7 is fast & stable
Does what it does very well
You can get in & get out fast
Integration
No "real" need for flashing custom ROM's
The UI is clean & easy to read
Cons:
If you're like me & like "hacking" your device, Mango killed Homebrew (Hopefully we'll find ways around this)
Customization (If you like the UI exactly as is, not an issue for you)
Lack of choices in certain functionality
3rd party apps are a bit immature
In the end I suggest going to your local carrier's store & playing with a display model or if a friend has one play with it. The best thing about WP7 is it's performance. Someone said that touching the screen is like touching the pixels. This is a very good analogy, because what ever you do (in most cases), the device reacts to your inputs almost instantaneously. You can't really see any lag except in maybe some 3rd party apps & especially homebrew, but with homebrew, that's performance issues of the hacks currently being used. The last couple days I've been playing with my ex's Android & it feels so slow. Granted it's a cheap no name $50 Metro PCS one, but still. When I try to scroll throw the apps list, it takes a few seconds for my touch inputs to actually be displayed. The screen has a delay of input of scroll to it actually scroll. Everything I try to do takes so long to do.
Than again, I don't understand why she even has an Android device or smartphone in general. She never setup a Google account, which i had to do to access the market for an app for her. She wants to record a couple voicemails. So, I installed a call recorder app for her. She never setup her home screen. It has 5 "tabs" or what ever their called on Android & she only has the stock icons on the main tab & a music player on another. Nothing else setup.
As for 3rd party apps on WP7, yes they're a bit lacking, but I hardly ever use any. I have a few games & 3rd party apps installed, but most of what I do is handled by the core WP7 functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u earned a thanks from me. I do believe that th apps will get better once the mango ones hit the marketplace. I rarely use them tho as like yourself almost everything I do can be done in the OS on its own
I am on mango, here is my list:
Pros:
Smoothness
The live tiles (I know it sounds like the windows phone catchphase but mango upped the info and style of them and made them a powerful tool)
Social network intergation (having the people and messaging hubs allow you to do 80% of the stuff that you do on it I.E. Facebook and having the cache locally instead of waiting for an app to pull it live from the site.
Search and bing vision, audio, local scout (having it all at your fingertip)
Tellme! The voice command is awesome and I sometimes use it to show off =)
Metro UI, simple and clean and easy to look at
IE it is the smoothest browser around, no checkering
Cons:
Customization
Playing app catchup (mango should fix it and see a lot of ports from iOS and android very soon)
Video scrubbing
No way to bring back toast notications
The biggest thing is once you start use wp7, it grows on you and you find ways to do what you want and most of the time it is a better way than on any other device.
hardcoreplur said:
The biggest thing is once you start use wp7, it grows on you and you find ways to do what you want and most of the time it is a better way than on any other device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is probably one of the best descriptions I've heard about WP7 & couldn't be more true. While WP7 is not perfect. It does indeed grow on your & 99% of what you need to to you can figure out how to do in some ingenious ways. It is a beautiful thought out OS.
omnomnomkimiiee said:
Notifications aren't a problem, I don't really use them. What really interested me was how all the "essential" stuff seemed accessible really easily, and that the whole GUI is clean/optimised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GUI and the essential smart-phone stuff (email, calendar, contacts, social media integration) work really well. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Bad things you'll discovered compared to iOS is lack or apps, and lack of google maps and other google services. Remember WP7 uses Bing, which is very USA-centric, and Microsoft keep regions very cut off from each other. So if you do live in France as your avatar suggests, you may find several features (such as maps and local scout) don't work, and the French app store may be pretty sparse (and no you won't be allowed to access the UK or US one).
I 2nd that. WP7 as far as services go is a worse experience outside the US, & something you should look into before making a decision.
Many people complains about the need for Zune Sync instead USB Mass Storage. I am the opposite one - I like this better. Why?
You are sure, that the phone will play the music or movie (converting 1.5 hours long movie took 3 minutes on my PC).
Also, when you are watching movie on phone, then close it somewhere during the movie, sync the phone to PC and open the movie in PC (through Zune), it will continue where you left off - that is something that without Zune Sync can't be done.
I use Zune for listening to music anyway. Just drag & drop the music on icon of your phone and once you connect it, it synces all the changes and adds music and what not.
And major PRO for WP7 is the UI. Best UI around. UI designed for phone from beginning, that is not just rows and columns of icons.
So I'm working on a post for my site. It's going to be a list about things a developer does with an application that frustrates us as users. The goal is to highlight common complains from the community about practices devs use in their apps and to hopefully encourage them with feedback to improve.
This is the list I've got so far. Please feel free to chime in if you agree or disagree and ADD any things that bug you as a USER.
--Lack of a live tile: One of the biggest differences on our platforms and others is the inclusion of live tiles. If it makes sense for the application, a live tile is a must. I'm hard pressed to find a large category of apps where a live tile wouldn't make sense at some basic level.
--No fast app switching: No explanation needed, devs get with it.
--Not playing nice with Metro: You make an app for iOS or Android and now you want to port it Windows Phone as fast as possible...so fast you don't think about the design. Great apps on Windows Phone are those that capitalize on the principles of the design language.
--Have both a paid and free version of an app: Do a search for an app in the Market or App Store and you'll get two versions for a lot of popular apps: the free and paid version. There is NO reason why you would need to do that with Windows Phone. Devs have the ability to implement a 'trial' state of an application where they can do everything and more a 'free' version of an app could. Stop cluttering the Marketplace.
--Redirecting to a website: I once downloaded a sports app that had potential. I opened the app and played around. There was a pivot page that had a section for news. Clicked it...and bam. IE is opening up. Nope, no thank you. I want to use your app now your website.
These are some of the big themes that I've encountered more than I should when playing around with apps. This is not a major problem, but it's there and it really shouldn't be.
Also I'm not trying to put developers down, I know it's hard work and I myself am trying to learn as well. But we should strive for something better.
Alright, sound off with some feedback guys. Any other 'sins against users' I've missed that you encounter? I'd like to see what you think before I write the post on my site.
ALSOOOO.... How about you list some apps that contain these 'sins against users'. That way we can politely invite the developer to hear our thoughts and implement changes that benefit everyone. Happy users = $, $= happy dev.
All these are minor.. My biggest complaint is when push notification is either delayed or doesnt come at all. I've missed some important whatsapp messages cause it was delayed 10 mins.
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
samsabri said:
[...]
--Have both a paid and free version of an app: Do a search for an app in the Market or App Store and you'll get two versions for a lot of popular apps: the free and paid version. There is NO reason why you would need to do that with Windows Phone. Devs have the ability to implement a 'trial' state of an application where they can do everything and more a 'free' version of an app could. Stop cluttering the Marketplace.
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
Marvin_S said:
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Some devs don't mention what the trial offers(time-limited or function-limited) and hence I stay away from such paid apps. Sometimes the trial is fully functional with ads. Agreed that the devs were lazy to not include it in the description, but some users are lazy too. That would be the reason for two versions of the app.
it not being available at all.
or how about it's free on android or ios, but $3 on wp7... wtf?
Marvin_S said:
As I agree with what you are posting, I think you missed the point on this one.
It's true that this is cluttering the marketplace, but people like to hand out a "FREE" version from a marketing persepective. There is a seperate column with "free" apps, hence it will be easier to stand out with both a free and paid app...
Also if you have a fully functional free trial (with only an add) it is still being noted as paid app, so you miss everybody who has no credit card, they will automatically overlook a paid app, even if it has a free unlimited trial (well there are always exceptions of course, but those account mostly for "high profile" apps/games).
This is the main reason, that without uploading 2 apps, there is an unfair disadvantage for the dev.
But I agree it is annoying but from a developer perspective it makes a lot of sense why people do this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I understand the marketing angle. I guess I live in some fantasy land in my head where the world is clean and organized. Hopefully with the Windows 8 Marketplace offering devs simliliar options in how they can implement trials we'll see less "free" apps because users may come expect every paid app to come with a trial.
svtfmook said:
it not being available at all.
or how about it's free on android or ios, but $3 on wp7... wtf?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is something I missed, I how they determine the price difference between platforms?
Off the top of your head, do any apps come to mind where there is a big price difference in platforms? Exclude Xbox Live enabled games for a moment, the reason being I can see the inclusion of achievements, leaderboards, etc to be the cause of the price bump.
I'm in need of a map/location/gps app, that supports offline map caching . while I found couple of them on marketplace, ones that had nice design an functionality, all of them where online only and ones that had offline map caching had terrible design an absolutely no functionality. thats sad
design and functionality should be put first IMO
Inconsistent Resuming and Lack of Tombstoning
Once an app leaves the foreground you have two methods of returning to it: use the app switcher or hitting the tile on your Start screen. Going from the app switcher resumes as expected, but going from the Start screen restarts the app, even if it's already sitting in the background. Now this is probably something Microsoft has to fix, but I feel that if more apps tombstoned, then it could make things more consistent.
samsabri said:
That is something I missed, I how they determine the price difference between platforms?
Off the top of your head, do any apps come to mind where there is a big price difference in platforms? Exclude Xbox Live enabled games for a moment, the reason being I can see the inclusion of achievements, leaderboards, etc to be the cause of the price bump.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes if they would note next to the price tag of each app wheter it contains a Trial version, it is less needed for devs to release a seperate "Lite" version. However the problem is now you have to click the app first than wait until the buttons show up in order to find out wheter an app has a free trial.
This should be there on the big scroll list so a user will see at first glance wheter he/she can try the app for free. At the moment I can't blame dev's for introducing their own workarounds.
But what is more annoying to me is that if devs follow metro design and don't use the margins correctly. Hence the app looks odd in comparison to the native apps, i.e. a lot of chat apps mimick the messaging app but don't pay attention to the margins, the bubble sizes and the bubble alignments, which will make them look very unprofessional. This is sad because they did take the effort to stylize the app like Metro, but they ruined the experience because of not "understanding" the fundamentals of the design language. Which is not just typography but also clever and precise use of margins, shapes and spacings. And since there is not much chrome, every tiny offset or error stands out to a trained eye instantly.
Marvin_S said:
Yes if they would note next to the price tag of each app wheter it contains a Trial version, it is less needed for devs to release a seperate "Lite" version. However the problem is now you have to click the app first than wait until the buttons show up in order to find out wheter an app has a free trial.
This should be there on the big scroll list so a user will see at first glance wheter he/she can try the app for free. At the moment I can't blame dev's for introducing their own workarounds.
But what is more annoying to me is that if devs follow metro design and don't use the margins correctly. Hence the app looks odd in comparison to the native apps, i.e. a lot of chat apps mimick the messaging app but don't pay attention to the margins, the bubble sizes and the bubble alignments, which will make them look very unprofessional. This is sad because they did take the effort to stylize the app like Metro, but they ruined the experience because of not "understanding" the fundamentals of the design language. Which is not just typography but also clever and precise use of margins, shapes and spacings. And since there is not much chrome, every tiny offset or error stands out to a trained eye instantly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think going forward an ideal scenario would be a user expects to have a trial mode for any app that a dev is asking money for. It's a win-win for both consumers and developers. Check out this post from Paul Laberge explaining some of the benefits of a trial mode.
Seems like your second paragraph is echoing the statement to follow metro design language/principles and aim for higher quality control in regards to the design.
It's interesting, I feel like 5 years ago software was all about being functional with no regard to design. Now we not only demand, but expect applications to function well and look beautiful. Exciting times
karan1203 said:
All these are minor.. My biggest complaint is when push notification is either delayed or doesnt come at all. I've missed some important whatsapp messages cause it was delayed 10 mins.
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are those faults of the developer or the platform itself? I ask because I don't know a lot of the technical workings behind the push notification system. My limited knowledge tells me it might be a mix of both parties to blame.
Can anyone clarify?
apps?
For sure about Notifications part.
Push Notification can be useful "ONLY" when you have the phone right in front of your face. Because right after that, they are gone forever.
Second, Push Notification usually have a delay , about a half to 2 mins, from the actual event.
Like my friend can post a thing on my Facebook Wall, and the phone took about 2 mins to update it to the ME title. Same with all other Applications.
I used to try hacking the ROM and Registry of the Phone to reduce the delay of the Title Update. But failed so hard because Microsoft really locked it up hard.
I think most of the annoyances are captured already in the initial post but I'll also add
-That some apps are still being released without mango capability.
-Some apps are just the mobile site (for example the tagged app wtf?)
prohibido_por_la_ley said:
I think most of the annoyances are captured already in the initial post but I'll also add
-That some apps are still being released without mango capability.
-Some apps are just the mobile site (for example the tagged app wtf?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was hoping I'd cover the most obvious complaints, but wanted to reach out and see if anything was missing. Also venting is good for us
And regarding Tagged...? Wow... I just looked at it on the web Marketplace and I won't let something that hideous touch my phone. It's just lazy and doesn't add any value to users or devs. Users get nothing out of it and as a dev what have you accomplished?
Apps like that should not pass certification. It seems draconian, but it's ok for us to demand and expect quality work.
wixostrix said:
...but going from the Start screen restarts the app, even if it's already sitting in the background.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is (or was pre-Mango) a requirement to have your app certified. The rules say/said that a user returning to a task via the Back button is trying to complete an interupted task; a user launching the app from Start is starting a new task and shouldn't be presented with abandoned work from earlier.
I have a calculator app that maintains full state across invocations. I was worried that MS would reject the app because it preserved state even upon restarting. They did accept it, though.
Worst thing for me is wasted screen space.
A good example is the official WP7 Facebook app. Go to the "wall" screen, and you have "FACEBOOK" then "Most Recent" then "What's on your mind?" all permanently stuck at the top. Space is also wasted at both sides, meaning that only 50-60% of the screen is actually available to display your friends wall posts.
I thought the idea of Metro is to "put information first", so this is ridiculous. I have a phone with a 3.7" screen, yet the facebook app is more readable on my friends 3" non-widescreen Blackberry.
Aphasaic2002 said:
Worst thing for me is wasted screen space.
A good example is the official WP7 Facebook app. Go to the "wall" screen, and you have "FACEBOOK" then "Most Recent" then "What's on your mind?" all permanently stuck at the top. Space is also wasted at both sides, meaning that only 50-60% of the screen is actually available to display your friends wall posts.
I thought the idea of Metro is to "put information first", so this is ridiculous. I have a phone with a 3.7" screen, yet the facebook app is more readable on my friends 3" non-widescreen Blackberry.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear you on that Facebook app. Thankfully the integration with Windows Phone makes it so that I haven't opened it in months. I check FB once a day on the browser at home before bed, but that's about it.
But I'll chalk this complaint under the 'design abuse' category.
Anyone have any other apps that violate some of our sins in the original post in this thread?
I'd like to see improvements with the sound handeling. Most games have a 'music volume' and a 'FX volume' it seems the volume % is boolean, 0% is silent, 10%-100% is full volume. I'd like to listen to my music while gaming without the Pew Pew causing my ears to bleed
http://wmpoweruser.com/iphone-theme-gives-a-taste-of-windows-8-on-a-smartphone/
Apple fanboys so excited for windows 8 they have a full theme on iphone first... but aren't they supposed to be supporting Apple products? LOL
Besides, the whole theme is wrong. I asssume Apollo will look exactly like WP7 metro interface, only with background colors and whatever just as long as its not horizontally positioned.
Tap that!
Looks nice! You gotta give iOS users, hackers, and developer props for being able to do amazing stuff with Apple's OS. All fanboyism aside, this Win8 iPhone theme truly showcases iOS' power and capability.
KimWinter said:
Looks nice! You gotta give iOS users, hackers, and developer props for being able to do amazing stuff with Apple's OS. All fanboyism aside, this Win8 iPhone theme truly showcases iOS' power and capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's too bad we can't do that with WP.
man those ios guys are quick !
not a bad looking or responding theme either.
sinister1 said:
It's too bad we can't do that with WP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course we can. We just need Windows Phone to become as popular as iPhone. Hackers seem to be able to get into anything man made nowadays.
From what I saw I did not see the tiles being live. Yes, I saw labels on the tiles but that does not make them live. Give me live tiles!
I don't know about live tiles - that Win8 theme was a Dreamboard theme, which takes a lot of memory from the phone. If you try to play iOS games that are memory intensive e.g. Infinity Blade 2 or Dungeon Defender, the game will crash (if Dreamboard is enabled). So if you try to add live tiles to your Dreamboard theme, your iPhone might explode.
KimWinter said:
I don't know about live tiles - that Win8 theme was a Dreamboard theme, which takes a lot of memory from the phone. If you try to play iOS games that are memory intensive e.g. Infinity Blade 2 or Dungeon Defender, the game will crash (if Dreamboard is enabled). So if you try to add live tiles to your Dreamboard theme, your iPhone might explode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that also means that the iPhone needs to be Jailbroke.
I got kind of excited, because i would love the larger tiles/icons on my iPhone, but am not going to jailbreak a work issued iPhone.
There are other Windows Phone 7 themes for it as well, but the same issue. Phone must be jail broke.
sinister1 said:
http://wmpoweruser.com/iphone-theme-gives-a-taste-of-windows-8-on-a-smartphone/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably because OSX Lion is a remake of Windows Millenium.
Apple has been doing themselves such a disservice sticking with such a static, boring UI. it makes me wonder why.
nicksti said:
Apple has been doing themselves such a disservice sticking with such a static, boring UI. it makes me wonder why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
ohgood said:
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Apple doesn't really have to worry about making a theming app or whatnot because hackers and other developers are more than happy to do all those (customization, tweaks, hacks, etc) for FREE. I mean look at redsn0w, greenpoison, ultrasn0w, and other jailbreaking tools for iPhone - they're FREE!!
Still, it makes you kinda wonder why with all the power of iOS and WP7 as a stable and working mobile OS, they chose to limit it's customizability - even the most basic functions (like custom themes or background wallpapers or the ability to change icons).
ohgood said:
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Complacency is one way to end up bankrupt (general statement). And Apple did see the need for a notification center and a camera from lockscreen.
Every iOS that has that UI is another year that opens the door for Android and WP to gain more customers.
nicksti said:
Complacency is one way to end up bankrupt (general statement). And Apple did see the need for a notification center and a camera from lockscreen.
Every iOS that has that UI is another year that opens the door for Android and WP to gain more customers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
complacency= yes, look what that did with wm6.x.
The ios ui , I don't know... maybe it's great, or maybe people don't care and it isn't. Either way, it has developer mindshare, I haven't heard of devs falling away in droves to android or wp.
If/when you see that mass exidous, something is up.
ohgood said:
complacency= yes, look what that did with wm6.x.
The ios ui , I don't know... maybe it's great, or maybe people don't care and it isn't. Either way, it has developer mindshare, I haven't heard of devs falling away in droves to android or wp.
If/when you see that mass exidous, something is up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think with the iPhone, alot of people have invested alot of money in other hardware that works very well with the iPhone.
docking stations, car mounts, chargers, cases, etc.
It's one reason why people stay iPhone customers, once they are iPhone customers.
I even considered buying a new car stereo, because I could not get A2DP Bluetooth audio to play from my iPhone into my Pioneer DEH7000BT car stereo.
I have since found info on how to do it. I made a YouTube video illustrating how. There were a couple not obvious steps. It still isn't perfect. AVRCP does not work (can't control the iPhone - next / prev from the deck) and I need to manually go through a process on the stereo and the phone every time I want to use it.
In the end, the fact that there is app to accomplish almost anything is still the big seller.
We use PGI at work for creating teleconferences. I never can remember my host code or participant codes for others or even the number to dial. Sure enough, on the iPhone, there's an app for that. It starts the conference and calls you either on the iPhone, or a number you enter at the time. It even lets you invite others to the call. And you can store participant codes for others and join with it. It is difficult to join a teleconference on the road without this, because you need to memorize the participant code. Now it is a 1 button deal.
There's an app for webex that streams the video.
The other day, I bought ForumRunner, so that I can post on xda when away. It works great.
When companies make apps, they almost always target the iPhone first.
I really hope that attitude changes with Apollo.
I personally think alot of the restrictions that will remain in place until Apollo has contributed to developer reluctance. Devs know how to dev for iPhone. It has not changed in a long time. They know how to dev for Android. Same thing. Windows Phone 7 prevented devs from doing things the way they knew how to do them. So, it was either relearn alot to get your app to a small percent of the smart phone market. Or just dev for iPhone and Android and see if Windows Phone gains enough market share to care.
I love Windows Phone 7 with Mango. I never would have tried an iPhone if work had not forced me too. And now, I also love using my iPhone. There's a few things that are annoying (AVRCP and dismissing every email). But it does a good job.
Really hoping that when the Apollo SDK is released, we see a surge in quality app development.
But which would you guys choose:
1. iPhone with a grid of boring icons from screen to screen
2. iPhone with a more dynamic UI like Android or Windows Phone
The iPhone sells inspite of the UI, not because. I remember all the rumours floating around that iOS 5 would come out with this dazzling new UI. That was a letdown to me.
I think if a blank slate customer saw 3 phones on display, the iPhone would not grab that customer like the rest. However, there are no blank slate customers.
nicksti said:
But which would you guys choose:
1. iPhone with a grid of boring icons from screen to screen
2. iPhone with a more dynamic UI like Android or Windows Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
ohgood said:
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with much of this. Turn on the phone do what you want. Move on. I don't turn on my phone to stare at animations because they are cool, just like I don't buy a car because its shiny and red. Anything distracting should not be just to be flashy. It should serve a purpose as well.
But there is something to having the ability to display some information with current data on the icon / tile / widget.
Apple's response is the curtain, which solves most of the problem, but differently.
Constantly seeing 73 degrees and sunny could eaily be replaced with an icon that accurately reflects the current weather conditons for a default or current area. This is one reason people used HTC Sence with the home screen weather. A double wide icon for this would be great.
It would be nice to have the clock icon display the next alarm time, not 10:15:00 or the very least have that on the curtain. A double wide icon for this would be cool too.
An icon for music that reflects the Album art would be nice, but doen't really help you do anything. A contact pic on the email pic for the last unread email would be really cool.
Microsoft solves those problems with Live Tiles and Hubs, but does not solve the problem of seeing all missed notifications in one place. For me, there never has been a time when I missed any notification that was important.
Apple doesn't have any double wide icons. And other than the Calendar, the only thing that can be modified on an icon is a number
I think both Apple and Microsoft have areas to improve on both of these aspects.
ohgood said:
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
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To each his own, but I rather look at a home screen and see information instead of having to launch something. And widgets and tiles deliver useable information without having to press.
After all, that is the point of Siri right?
nicksti said:
To each his own, but I rather look at a home screen and see information instead of having to launch something. And widgets and tiles deliver useable information without having to press.
After all, that is the point of Siri right?
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Useful information is great.
I think most people agee that Siri is more of a cool bell and whistle to get people to buy the iPhone. It's good at somethings, but bad at others. In the end people play with it for a while, and then go about normal phone usage.
Some go so far as thinking each icon on the phone needs to be exciting or unique, but many are really just to launch an app.
I will never want an animated background.
But, useful info on the icons on my iPhone, would be very welcomed.