Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Okay I used to have a true ppc. I moved on last year to a palm pre. Now we all know the story behind palm and there woes so lets not get into that. I used to have a touch pro, and i must admit i do miss flashing. However times change and the os landscape is much different now. Now im in love with webos but hate the hardware. Basically i want to know from those that have actually used microsoft's new mobile os: Is it really worth dropping wm/webos/android/ios or blackberry os? If so then why? If not please explain.I've seen the commercials,read reviews and listened/read ALOT of opinions. I just can't get that "i've gotta have it" feeling when i see it. Something about how simple/bland the whole tile concept looks and operates. I'm looking for honest opinions from my peers. No flame war or anything of that nature. Please don't try to sell your favorite os here. I'm not interested in leaving webos and if you stuck with wm and waited until wp7 then you understand where im coming from.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

i used a htc surround for 2days and it was cool but not ready yet imo to replace my tp2. i wont own one till very late 2011 and only then if os gets updates. and if your on sprint there offering is not even in the game.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Yeah you're right. Cdma carriers aren't supposed to get wp7 devices until sometime in the first quarter of next year correct? Im sure they will be announced at CES and even then they'll probably be cdma variations of their gsm counterparts. That's no good for me because its expected for palm (HP) to introduce their next device(s). Once that happens I might as well stay put.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

ya sprints pro7 will be here in jan. if your lucky but i think its the worst wp7 cdma offering. if i really wanted a wp7 device in 2011 i would switch carriers but im ok to wait to see whats out late 2011 early 2012.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Because it isn't out for CDMA i haven't met anyone who is running it. The look, alone, is enough to deter many. I am hopeful that once it comes to CDMA, it won't be long before someone figures out how to get custom roms on it. I switched to a Droid X a few months ago. I had a TP2 and flashed every other day it seemed like. Not being able to flash had me in culture shock! The word on the street was, because of efuse, the droid x and droid 2 were unhackable - meaning, "no rom for you! EVER!" After many people SWORE it couldn't be done, sure enough, a few months later we had a custom bootloader, lots of new roms coming out and now I'm disecting the crap out of the interface about to create a theme.

I am sure the same thing will eventually happen to WP7. I was sooo excited about WP7 until i found out that the HIDEOUS interface was not just experimental - it was actually their IDEA of a new, innovative experience! MS still hasn't gotten the hint either. Agreeing with the OP, how on earth can you say to yourself, "I've gotta have that!" when you want to throw up every time you look at it? I am a professional designer (my actual job) and our crew would litterally, get fired if we tried to put out crap like that. It is by far the absolute worse looking mobile interface to date.

As petty as it sounds, the crappy, bland, hubby-chubby garbage will keep me away for a while (and many others according to some posts). Once we are able to strip it down and customize it, i'll eagerly dive in. I'd be curious to see it perform though and to see what xbox features (gaming features) it might have.

Still can't get over how MS went ALL IN on the new mobile os, but didn't seem to get feedback on the look? I have not met one person who said, "ooo! i really like that!" It is usually the opposite. It really is a strange phenomenon considering that MS has been doing a lot right lately (the new Office is great, Windows 7, etc.).

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I actually like the interface, but I am somewhat of a minimalist. I love the fact that you can pin whatever you want to the Start Screen, webpages, contacts, programs, documents, etc. that way the things I use most are right there.

I also prefer speed over superfluous graphics. Call me crazy, but WP7 is the only thing on my radar right now.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I agree. It's the first interface I've seen that allows multiple things to be done and realized without having to be a techie. I don't think techies will migrate to this OS in great numbers even if the system is jailbroke and ROM's appear. This one M$ targets the masses; hopefully the masses realize that and embrace it in large numbers.:sign1:

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

it sux though that the tiles reload every friggin time you leave/comeback to home screen, its not a great idea and some of you will see what im talking about soon and agree and then starting a thread on"my battery life sux"

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I think the only other things I can think of that don't sound good is no Smart Dial and that there is no unified Email Inbox. I'm used to to going to Mail and swiping left or right to get to my other inboxes, but it sounds like this is not possible with WP7.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

There doesnt seem to be much marketing hype around it. I have only seen a few commercials and that was before it launched. You would think MS would be marketing the heck out of it in order to regain that lost market share.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

At T-Mobile I played around with the HD7, (Venue Pro wasn't around.) I have read the reviews, saw the youtube videos. What impressed me was how fluid the system UI worked moving around in the limited time I played with it. I didn't get the feeling of falling in love with it, but with updates and more options from different carriers I would have bit on it. More complete, finished product in the first quarter will dictate to me will be the swing vote on grabbing one. I don't think its nessarry to have one unless your contract is up or you have the capitol(in this economy) to get one asap.

Wirelessly posted (htc Pocket PC: Opera/9.5 (Microsoft Windows; PPC; Opera Mobi/15954; U; en))

I'm watching fox football now and I have seen 3 commercials for it and the game is still in the first half. Looks like they are spending some money. :)

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

lol i noticed that too today ...

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I don't really consider how fluid/fast/smooth a device/os is when I experience it inside of a store. It lacks day to day use. The environment is controlled. No apps installed/running, texts coming in and out. No push email. What i want to know is whether or not wp7 has what it takes to make people defend its capabilities. Tell us what wp7 has that no other os has. I'm talking something we can't give up. Like a blackberry with bbm or the ecosystem of the iphone.

So it's been a week. What's the verdict so far?
 

Windows Phone 7 has been out a week today (Monday), and it seems that a few of you have purchased one.

What do you think? What has a week of real world use been like? How many resets have you had to go through? How would you compare it to your previous phone?

Curious minds want to know!

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Yeah, you got it right. "Bland" is the best description I've heard yet. Nothing exciting about it for me anyway.
Very in-line with their advertisting theme of "Really?". Getting you in and back out quick so your time isn't spent playing with the device. Who'd want to play with a "bland" device? :dontknow: .....In n' out quick, yup, that fits a bland device.

Re: So it's been a week. What's the verdict so far?
 

worth it...even with the issues

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I have yet to see one out in the wild... but nothing I've seen about it yet has compelled me to check it out.

I dunno, I know it's supposed to be this great leap over WM6... but for me the hype is totally not there... heck I'm barely even interested.

Now, android for me is a whole different story even using the hamstring'd xandroid builds on my TP2 it blows me away!

Re: So it's been a week. What's the verdict so far?
 

What are the issues?

nnb

Re: So it's been a week. What's the verdict so far?
 

I can't wait.
Comeonnnnnnnnn Sprint.
p.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

merged two topics started today about wp7 verdict ;)

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I can't wait, come on Verizon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!1

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

well now it seems its getting interesting, looks like its almost jailbreak/rooted.
Windows Phone 7 Jailbreak, Download WP7 Free

look on xda too, there almost there too.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I don't know what site you're linking to, but there is a story about this on the front page of PPCGeeks.com
PPCGeeks.com » Windows Phone 7 Rooted – Jailbreak Coming Soon!

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Actually the tiles are updated via "push notifications" from a cloud server, so the phone isn't polling a server every 2 minutes for new data. It only updates when the cloud tells it to. MS set it up this way mostly for the conservation of battery life.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Agreed. I like the looks much better over apple, and googles. Google is just a copy of apples look. Just rows of icons, with some widgets occaisonally thrown in. Very bland.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Uh... "google" looks nothing like IOS. If you're talking about SAMSUNG's interface thats one thing but vanilla android nor sense look anything similar. WP7 took more "notes" from the way Apple does things with this new OS... they just dont LOOK alike.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

LOL This proves the point i made in another thread. Most people don't realize what the real android interface looks like.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Yep, Android is just a few "homescreens" where you can put shortcuts to apps, and a couple widgets. iOS only differs in the inability to add widgets, and all your apps are on your "homescreens" all the time.

I honestly never saw the "innovation" in iOS. I was using a Treo 700p when the iPhone came out and I thought "change the background to a solid black and this is iOS."

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I still want to see someone who uses a WP7 phone on a daily use for a business or something else. Day to day with push mail (with more than 1 account would be nice), texts, e-mail attachments (excel/word docs, etc).

Someone must be a hardcore user here who can give the real performace in the real working world...????? Also battery life with active tiles going all the time.

I'll admit, my TP2 is not the worse in this, I have push mail on 2 accounts (hotmail and exchange) and use it all the time, I just hate the speed of the device and over clocking helps but, it tends to lock up a little more than normal..

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

my 2 cents.... to answer the OP original question: is WP7 worth dropping WinMo 6.5 or android (or other OS)? i would answer no if you like to customize your device, your WP7 phone is your only phone and a simple interface doesn't cut it for you. if you want more on my experience please read below.

from my post at xda developers

used the Surround as a daily driver for 7 days and here are my personal, unscientific observations:

the good....
- responsive
- simple, straight-forward OS
- nice, clear, easy to read screen
- outlook integration; simple email setup with Outlook 03 or 07
- good calendar app for my needs
- good call quality and volume
- loud ringtones
- great keyboard!
- 16 GB of onboard space

the not-so-good or, things i've gotten accustomed to with other phones that i'd miss with WP7
- no conversation view in email, no integrated inbox
- no contact lookup via phone dialpad
- limited customization (e.g., cannot use your own ringtones)
- no text reflow; zoom in/out increases the font size but you have to move the screen to read text in web pages and email (a biggie for me)
- small fonts in txt msg app
- no shuffle for play lists; it's only available when playing "all music/songs"
- surround is heavy relative to my HTC Desire
- 5 minutes max on screen timeout and screen lock
- no tethering app
- external speaker is wasted space; give me a keyboard or reduce the size of device
- no copy & paste
- *sigh* battery life; for me it was not good. i had 3.25 hours in calls one day 2 and it simply killed my battery.

i've been majorly spoiled by my HTC Desire, Nexus One, Android and the wealth of options that are available with that platform. so, in summary, kudos to MS for delivering a good foundation OS. at this point, i'm not ready for WP7

[end of xda post]

despite all the not-so-good stuff, and my initial belief that i'm not ready for WP7, i've changed my mind and i'm jumping back onto the WP7 band wagon with the Telstra HTC Mozart (has the 850 3G at&t band). my decision was made easy due to an extremely generous return on a weekend sports investment (Cowboys vs. Giants and Iowa vs. Northwestern). don't know where this journey will take me, but if i find that WP7 isn't for me, i'll sell it on ebay.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

So... a bunch of cluttery tiles on one screen is some sort of innovation?:scratch:

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I'm not saying that either. I was commenting on Android and iOS being nothing but shortcuts to apps, much like the old Palm OS. I think WP7's interface is nicer than the other two's (personal preference, I know), but at the same time is offering very little in the way of innovation.

Wirelessly posted (Sprint Touch pro 2: Opera/9.80 (J2ME/MIDP; Opera Mini/4.2.13337/21.549; U; en) Presto/2.5.25 Version/10.54)

ok fellow sprint customers who are stuck in the major delema of using their upgrade for wp7 or android, do not fear! sprints 30 day free trial garauntee is here! and no restocking fee! on any plan! i recently tried the evo! now that i know how it is i will def compare when trying out wp7 for day to day stability.... they reimburse you for the plan too! so enjoy a free trial on the house!!

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

too funny, and thats not my biggest gripe. that clutter free innovation updates all the time and just kills the battery even if your not using the phone.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

Im still trying to figure out who the hell at microsoft approved the way text is displayed through the os. Why in the world isn't/doesn't the text automatically adjust to the size of the screen? Who doesnt hate scrolling to the left/right when trying to view/read pages on the internet? Now just to operate my phone i have to spend all day scrolling just to figure out where im at in the os? No wonder there's a grid (just as the iphone) of tiles a.k.a. widgets on the homescreen.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

I think I posted this a couple pages back, but the tiles do not poll the internet for data, thus they are not constantly draining your battery. Any updates to the tiles, are done via "push notiifcations" from the cloud. So basically every WP7 phone registers onto the cloud when it's activated. Then devs setup their servers to send various data notifications to their app users. The cloud then "pushes" the notification to the user, which updates the tile. So the only data transfer is done ONLY when there is actually something new. Pretty smart actually, as it doesn't kill the battery constantly polling for data.

Now I don't know how the rest of the battery life is, but short battery life shouldn't be caused by the tiles.

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

The "push" notifications was one of the biggest reasons I ditched my iphone in lieu of Android.. I hated em. Especially when you're in an area where AT&T has crappy coverage (which around here is a plenty). That and the fact that i had to sync through itunes to do pretty much EVERYTHING.. no real file system etc. pretty much the same reasons I couldnt seriously consider wp7 at this point. I think the tile thing looks nice though but I cant do it.

so far I am loving my hd7. The interface really is nice and easy to navigate. It seems to take less presses to get where you are going. I have had zero freeze UPS and only deserted the phone once due to marketplace not opening.
The only time I have missed multitasking is with twitter, clicking on links then going back to twitter it doesn't save where you are in the timeline.
Overall I think it is a very good 1.0 os that will only get better with time. The games and music hubs alone put winno to shame.

Sent from my HD7 using Board Express

Re: Now that it's released, is WP7 worth it?
 

This is what makes the world go around. I used android for over a year and all the flexability of the OS is what drove me away. I'm looking forward to the "bland" interface of WP7. I want to use email, contacts, calendar and surf; seems easier to do on WP7 than what I remember about Android. My 2cents.