Windows Phone 7

[Richard]

So Microsoft seems to have slipped that WP7 will be released in the EU one month prior to the US launch. I'm still trying to acertain whether it's April around here.

Anyway, I still haven't decided whether to go WP7 or Android. I'm doing some developer work with the emus on both platforms and I vastly prefer WP7 thus far. OTOH I suspect WP7 will be more expensive because it's a new platform and I don't want to pay as much for a smartphone as I can for a PC.

Anyone else waiting for the WP7 reviews?

 

[RobertR1]

I'm hoping they're on the right path with it. I read an interview with the department head (he previously ran the Exchange server team which is an awesome product) where he stated that this is a 5year goal for them. I hope they end up with a good product that continues to evolve. When my current iphone contract expires in 2 years, I'd love to see have some good options.

 

[Ike Turner]

WP7 rocks so far...been developing some stuff for it (never coded in my life before) and things look fairly straightforward. The Samsung Taylor developer handset is fast as hell too (the latest builds are top notch). WP7 will normally launch around october 7th in EU.

 

[warmi]

Does WP7 allow for native coding now or is it still some sort of managed env ?

 

[Richard]

For now it's all managed.

 

[Grall]

It's rather worrying that all the new, rapidly growing aspects of computing are completely fenced-in and controlled by large corporate entities, enforced by rigid DRM to suppress freedom and free speech on these devices.

 

[Albuquerque]

My current and prior smartphones are both WM devices, and I've just about had it with WM. I'll keep an eye on WP7, but I'm not expecting miracles...

 

[metafor]

It's rather worrying that all the new, rapidly growing aspects of computing are completely fenced-in and controlled by large corporate entities, enforced by rigid DRM to suppress freedom and free speech on these devices.

These aren't computers, they're appliances. Appliances have always out-sold computers.

I think we'll be going back to the days where development focused on a robust computing platform will be moved into the mainframe/server and HPC sectors. Consumers no longer care.

 

[Arwin]

WP7 rocks so far...been developing some stuff for it (never coded in my life before) and things look fairly straightforward. The Samsung Taylor developer handset is fast as hell too (the latest builds are top notch). WP7 will normally launch around october 7th in EU.

EU is kind of used as a 'loose' term though. Will there be any other language than English? I know that Dutch isn't coming until April 2011 at the earliest.

 

[Ike Turner]

EU is kind of used as a 'loose' term though. Will there be any other language than English? I know that Dutch isn't coming until April 2011 at the earliest.

English, French, Italian, German and Spanish at launch for the OS (Browser and Bing support any language thought).

 

[eastmen]

wish it was sooner. I'm using the samsung moment and god andriod sucks . I hope win 7 is good.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

What is wrong with android? I went from WM6.1 to Android I think its pretty damn good.

 

[Grall]

These aren't computers, they're appliances.

They're NOT appliances, not when they have half a gig of RAM, 1GHz main processors, graphics accelerators that rival features of desktop graphics of only a few years back, not to mention applications that mimick those run on stationary computers and branch out into virtually every genre, from entertainment to creativity to productivity.

Portable computing were appliances when all they did was take notes, set up appointments, keep track of phone numbers and addresses and so on. Now we've entered a new era, far, far beyond the early Palm (and similar) shit we had years ago.

I think we'll be going back to the days where development focused on a robust computing platform will be moved into the mainframe/server and HPC sectors. Consumers no longer care.

I sure hope you're wrong about that.

 

[Lazy8s]

The average person makes up the majority, and what they've always wanted most from their devices is the consumption of media, not so much the creation side. Apple realized that better than their competitors and are making devices shaped around delivering that.

A device starting with the right focus can then be branched out to offer user-friendly utility for creators/programmers/designers, like iWork for iPad and iMovie for iPhone.

 

[Squilliam]

I've always wondered how good Windows Mobile 7 could be. At the moment I've tried iOS with my iPad and thats pretty awesome by itself, I haven't tried Android and RIM/Palm just aren't available in my country with any real support.

Does anyone know if Microsoft are pulling a Google and offering the OS as free or V.cheap? This could be as important as anything else in determining how expensive the phone is, especially as competition heats up and the margins for these products start to shrink.

 

[Ike Turner]

I've always wondered how good Windows Mobile 7 could be. At the moment I've tried iOS with my iPad and thats pretty awesome by itself, I haven't tried Android and RIM/Palm just aren't available in my country with any real support.

Does anyone know if Microsoft are pulling a Google and offering the OS as free or V.cheap? This could be as important as anything else in determining how expensive the phone is, especially as competition heats up and the margins for these products start to shrink.

Nope OEMs still have to pay for each WP7 license (no one really knows how much but it's rumored to be around $15/license). But don't get confused by Google supposedly free OS. OEMs still have to license Google's services (like Google Maps, Google Locations etc as they are not part of the Android OS which is indeed free) they also pay to add third-party apps like QuickOffice and spend loads in R&D to develop UIs (epsecially HTC with Sense), etc. HTC is also now paying Microsoft for the use of Android ( sounds crazy..but it's true: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/apr10/04-27MSHTCPR.mspx). When you think about it it isn't as clear cut as : Android is free and WP7 isn't. And now with WP7, OEMs are paying for a total package; everyhing is natively included in the OS: Zune Services, Bing Maps, Xbox Live, Exchange, Office, drivers, etc and no longer have/can change the UI.

 

[Squilliam]

Nope OEMs still have to pay for each WP7 license (no one really knows how much but it's rumored to be around $15/license). But don't get confused by Google supposedly free OS. OEMs still have to license Google's services (like Google Maps, Google Locations etc as they are not part of the Android OS which is indeed free) they also pay to add third-party apps like QuickOffice and spend loads in R&D to develop UIs (epsecially HTC with Sense), etc. HTC is also now paying Microsoft for the use of Android ( sounds crazy..but it's true: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/apr10/04-27MSHTCPR.mspx). When you think about it it isn't as clear cut as : Android is free and WP7 isn't. And now with WP7, OEMs are paying for a total package; everyhing is natively included in the OS: Zune Services, Bing Maps, Xbox Live, Exchange, Office, drivers, etc and no longer have/can change the UI.

Ahh so it sounds like Microsoft has a pretty compelling offering so long as they can get it to work right. Thanks for the perspective. It seems like Microsoft really has started to get their act together in the phone space.

 

[eastmen]

Ahh so it sounds like Microsoft has a pretty compelling offering so long as they can get it to work right. Thanks for the perspective. It seems like Microsoft really has started to get their act together in the phone space.

I also believe google either locks out or gives a really small percentage of thier app store purchases to carrier. I dunno how ms will handle that .

What is wrong with android? I went from WM6.1 to Android I think its pretty damn good.

It seems very disjonted to me . Programs don't flow into each other and its very clunkly. Its a step up from win 6.1 that I was using but I don't see what the hype is about. I'm using 2.1 as my phone won get 2.2 but it certianly isn't an os I want to use. Isurance replaced my touch pro with the samsung moment so I wont be on this for long. I will upgrade in nov.

 

[Grall]

Ahh so it sounds like Microsoft has a pretty compelling offering so long as they can get it to work right.

The software of Win7 phones looks good/great, I'm a lot more concerned with the hardware. iPhone 4 is the smartest-looking mobile phone I've ever seen, and the user interface is as clean and simple as always. No logos, tons of buttons or other crap on the front side of the phone, just the stuff that's absolutely neccessary. Hardly any buttons elsewhere either for that matter.

Win7 phones have logos and brands and more buttons and other shit on the front, less strict form and design, using crappier materials and components; plastic casings instead of stainless steel, no gorilla glass, no IPS LCD panels and so on. I'm interested in Win7 - very much so - but unless MS + partners can come up with a competitive hardware design to the iPhone 4, they lose by default. It won't matter if the OS itself is great if it's packaged in low-quality or ugly or meh hardware.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

IMHO there are plenty of phones already that are much better build quality than what apple makes. Certainly better than than the 3g(s). The 4g is actually a step back in design I think. Well, certainly I think my HTC Legend looks a million times better. I wouldnt worry about it. It seems those aluminium/steel unibody phones are becoming the standard for the high end phones. The legend already has it, the samsung galaxy S too I believe and rumors are that HTC is working on a new high end model that will also have a unibody design.

As for buttons and all, well you can't get around those. I believe Win7, just like android, has a couple of buttons that are mandatory but with good design that doesn't have to be a problem. On the Legen the buttons are right under the screen in black and you hardly notice them.

Also, atleast in my country the branding of smarthphones is only done in software, not on the phone itself.

Personally I think the iphone is highly overrated. Same with the iphone4. Suddenly everybody acts like its all that great. It's not. For example it took apple forever to finally support HSDPA. Or the new screen. Great. For years people said 640x480 on my Touch Diamond was useless and now suddenly the new apple screen is totally awsome and you can't live without... or how about tethering?

I will never buy apple. Totally overpriced, apple tracks everything you do and decides for YOU what you are allowed to do with your overpriced phone. No thanks. Maybe the OS is great, but my friend told me last week that with ios4 now he finally can see if he is sending or or two text messages so I have my doubts over that too.