Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Boys and girls,

In less than a year, I will be facing the dilemma of upgrading my phone... and I just can't make up my mind. I've been using WM of various flavors since '02. A lot of it for work / productivity - keeping project notes, simple spreadsheets, keeping track of spending, etc. A great feature of WM - for me at least - is the ability to seamlessly sync & access my files across several computers. Cloud services are great as long as your employers don't block them out - I can't use Dropbox, Sky Drive, or Evernote at work (but they do allow access to Google Docs, for now at least).

On the other hand, WM devices seem to be more expensive (for the features I need, anyway) than Android. My wife's Optimus S is a great little phone that was only $50 vs $200 for TP2. Also, I am not all that sure that MS & developers won't just turn their back on W7 the way they did on WM.

I played with Android on my TP2 (XDAndroid), it's sort of buggy but it does give me a good idea of overall performance etc. I could definitely use Android, however I may need to completely change the way I do some things. I have no idea about W7 - no access to phone. Just playing with a store demo unit won't tell me much.

So, why did YOU pick a windows phone over Android ? Sell me on the idea ! :headbang:

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

-well the MS ecosystem for one (SkyDrive,Zune,office,Xbox live)
-I love the fact that in mango I can do alot of the things that android and iOS can do without having to launch an app.
-html5 hardware accelerated web browsing without need for a 3rd party browser and no mobile site redirects at all.
-it just works and I don't have to restart it unless im switching batteries
-battery life trouches android and has better battery management settings.
- u can control what u want running in the background without consequence (like Android).
-live tiles really give an idea of whats going on without having to launch an app and it makes the homescreen look alive rather than just a grid of icons in an app launcher fashion (android and iOS).

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I'll start with cons.

The fact is lots of the aps that I would like to have are not on WP7 and I have no clue if they ever will. Apps like Qik, Logmein, pocket Irc and so on. I'm not saying that it will never happen but there is no timeline on when it should happen.

Now the reason why I chose WP7 even despite the application situation is speed and the fact that it just workes. I think of something and search it up and the browser works. If I want to take a picture I don't have to worry about the phone loading and the event passes before my phone is ready. If the phone rings, you don't have to worry about it freezing as you answer it. Daily resets are a thing of the past. If you do have a reason to reset, the phone doesn't take minutes to start. I think that the insanely good battery life I have is due to the Arrive as my cousin has a WP7 with the same h/w as the evo and complains about battery so I don't know. I have yet to enable the battery saving features in the mango 2 beta as I find it unnecessary for now.

I was planning on returning it if I hated it. I didn't care for android so I tried wp7.

Basically I gambled and ended up loving the phone. That makes me to believe that MS isn't doing a good job showing off the phone's positive points but that another topic.

That said, if you loved the customizability of 6.5 I honestly believe that android is for you.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

the smoothness of the os, coming from winmo giving this a try pretty much does everything i want it to do except for usb mass storage and downloading music files directly to the phone from the web browser, and a file manager everything else im satisfied with

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

in the latest mango beta u can download and play files from the web browser.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Thanks !

So, the Win Phone 7 is superior to WM but lacks customization. And the biggest advantage over Android is the main screen that gives better access to info and some actions ?

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

that and the fact u can basically do almost everything without having to launch an app. it also has greater task management control than android (u control what u want running in the background)

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

ummm op i suggest u go out and try both the android and wp7 devices and see which 1 is right for u i'm only saying this cause i own both the arrive and the evo and they both have their hit's and misses ..

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

you can use it as a mass storage :D

Use your Windows Phone 7 device as a portable USB drive | MobileTechWorld

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Just played with a Evo 3D and Arrive at a sprint store. Even with a dual core processor Android just feels laggy compared to WP7 on a single core. Mind you I'm not a big fan of Arrive (screen looks crap) but there is no denying the buttery smoothness of WP7 even before Mango.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I always encourage people to use a device and see if they like it before committing to it... that's why carriers give you 30 days to decide, afterall. However, after a year with the EVO, I can say I'm happy being back on a Microsoft platform.

I'm already running Mango on my Arrive, and I can say it's the fastest experience I've ever had with a smartphone. The screen animations are neat but not obnoxious and don't slow the phone down. They serve as a nice replacement for the "hour glass" wait state. Everything is extremely smooth too... no lag and no rapid-scroll issues. This is also the most stable experience I've had... I have yet to experience any crashes or random reboots. Also, I'm an Exchange and Windows Live user, so the integration I have to Windows Live services is fantastic. I save things to email or SkyDrive, and it's all accessible to me. However, it's not just Windows Live and Exchange that are well supported... even using ActiveSync support for Gmail makes it much simpler than what Android offers. Facebook integration in WP7 is the best end-user experience for FB on any device (including the PC). The Live Tiles, as others have mentioned, and notifications mechanism is much nicer than most devices (although I actually liked the Android notification system). In fact, the only criticism I have after a month of use is the same I had in the beginning... I want more device choices, because I want the HD7S (or similar style) on Sprint instead of the Arrive.

As for why I left Android, well, mostly the consistency and stability. I got tired of needing to root it to really feel like I had a functional experience. I got tired of "force close" messages all the time and having to manage my running tasks. I got tired of the fact that every Android phone is a completely different experience than other Android devices... even with the same OEM. As a system admin needing to support my users, it's very frustrating to have to take someone's device and fumble through it to fix an issue they're having. This is one area that WP7 and even the iPhone (it sickens me to praise it) beat Android hands-down... consistency. I liked Android, because it was very technical and flexible and could do anything... BUT, you have to be a technical person to enjoy it. I have users at work that like it, but don't even come close to really using half of what it offers, and they struggle with it until they get used to it. I also got tired of updates breaking more than they fixed... ie. Gingerbread on the EVO breaking notifications and the usability of SWYPE and Voice-to-Text recording.

WP7, in my opinion and experience, is perfect for people who just want an easy-to-use experience that works.

So before you decide... ask yourself... what do you use your device for? Does the platform you're looking at meet those requirements? What's the learning curve?

I chose android because it's very versatile. But windows is getting ready to release some new phones with the new mango update which looks very promising. I would not hesitate to give them a try especially if their phones can be unlocked like they said is going to able to.

Sent from my EVO 3D using PPCGEEKS Android App

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

so you're saying u can download a mp3, or a rar file and take the mp3s out of it and add it to your phones library without needing zune on the pc????

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

im not saying all of that but I was able to play songs from the browser. someone should upload some .mp3s into a zip so I can test that one out for u.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

EDIT: That isn't me in the audio clip
:angry7:

To see what he is talking about go here with your phone browser and in mango it will play with mango but not with other current wp7.

http://goo.gl/n3Upx
http://bit.ly/RO5RM

or Hit search and tap vision and scan the qr code below.

nice and big so you can scan from far.
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/img.php?s=12..._me_rollin.mp3

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

i thought u could always play songs in the browser even on pre nodo i know on my nodo trophy i can already do that but i cant save the mp3 to the device and add it to my zune library without having to sync it with my laptop

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

For those that say to try it, you have to remember that anything in the stores right now only have NoDo and not Mango. If you like NoDo though, you'll love Mango.

As someone else said, if you like the Microsoft ecosystem, then its the best because they integrate everything amazingly well. I use Hotmail (my EDU email address), and Facebook integration is really good. MSN Chat and Facebook Chat work really well and are integrated into your SMS screen.

There's no real good Google Talk client. IM+ is out there, but its pretty slow everytime you open the app.

XBox Live games are great so far and will only get better.

I love Zune. I just got a Zune Pass too, so I can stream music, use Smart DJ (in Mango), and use my 10 song credits from my phone then have them sync to the PC. The interface is nice and easy on the eyes.

Everything just looks nicer and more refined than both Android and the iPhone IMO.

I loved Android, but I'm liking WP7 even more. I would have to reset Android at least once a week, I would have apps that either don't work at all, or would Force Close a lot. Some of that is the developers though, and the fact that they have a lot of different Android flavors to support.

With WP7, everything just works. I haven't reset in weeks (since the last Mango refresh). I haven't had it freeze or hang on me. I do with there were more phone selections, but I'm hoping they're all just waiting for Mango to come out. I plan on upgrading to a Mango phone when they come out (maybe the Nokia Sea Ray if it has a front camera).

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Not true...there are a few that work really good... I use it all the time for free conference calls.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Which ones have you used? I would need one that does push notifications so it doesn't drain my battery.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I guess it all depends on what you need, I am only using it to save call time (AKA, friends and family number for my GV number, call out using a GV app, get free calls from carrier).

I've been using Freetalk, it does support push but, I have not tested that aspect yet.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

eww I dont really use google services anymore and I recently uninstalled everything with the name google in it from my PC and ironically it started to run smoother.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Freetalk didn't slow down my phone because I am not using push apps. I am only really using it to get free phone calls on my cell phone.

When I go through it, it calls me back and that's one of my favorite numbers, so it's free :) I only really use it for the long conference calls I have to be on, so they don't eat all my minutes. I do sometimes send some text or SMS from it but, nothing major.

I agree on the PC, some app installed chome (must of missed the check box when installing something), even after uninstall, it caused tons of problems (I had to manually remove google from the registry to fix it).

So, on the PC, I agree with you but, for WP7 and a nice app to make free calls, it works good.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

im waiting on the Skype app. now Bing maps has public transit directions (on the full site) hopefully they implement that in the mango final now I really dont have to use google anymore.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Some of the reasons I still can't quite give up Android for WP7 (correct me if WP7 can actually do this but I didn't know)

1) Widgets that have fast settings toggles and information. On one screen I can toggle 2G/3G, data/sync/brightness/airplane/wifi/bluetooth gps. Just tap and you're good, no need to navigate 4 menus to get there. On the same screen I see my battery percentage, ma drain, cpu temp, sound settings (control media/ringtones/alarm from one) and a really good visual equalizer. All of this is controlled with 1 to 2 taps from one screen that I can swipe to.

2) LWPs. I know it's not necessary and some of them are hoggs, but I still love some awesome ones and love the option.

3) Big ass clock widget, like an HTC style. With Fancy Widgets pro the clock/weather icons are endless and I love it on my home screen.

4) Choose different lock screens. (my fav is rotary revamped on CM7)

5) CM7 tmobile theme chooser.

6) More awesome free games.

7) Control my uverse DVR with an awesome app.

8 ) RSS News Widget on my home screen (they should have a live tile for this if they don't)

9) Can't find a podcast player/downloader as good as BeyondPod

If I can get this on Mango then I'd be super happy. It's to each his own. I just feel like I have more freedom with Android than WP7 which has pros and cons admittedly. I love Mango so far and cannot wait to flash 7720, but for me CM7 2.3.5 is still the best for my needs. Zero lag, zero issues, zero restarts, fast and smooth as WP7 even though I've got my cpu UC to 768mhz unless I'm gaming (then I jack it up to 1.2ghz).

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I'll answer a few of these and im sure that others can answer the rest.

1) you can pin settings to the start screen, that'll reduce the number of taps by half.
3) MS has talked down such widgets where a clock takes up most of the screen.
4) u can adjust the background of the existing lockscreen and its the most informative one I've seen thus far.
5) wp7 doesn't need any mods to provide a great user experience
7) AT&T does have an app for this but I think It was only for at&t branded phones
8) live tiles can display tons for information in mango than in NoDo and the RSS ability will come with that.
9) Zune by default can search for and download podcasts.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I just wish I could have more home screens maybe?

On #1 I don't want those tiles taking up my whole screen,

on #3 I love that clock, not sure why MS gives a damn, on

on #4 I'm talking about the actual locking mechanism, like the HC one or the Sense3 Tab.

on #5 is just a theme changing engine that is fast and fun, wouldn't you like to change some icons or skin some apps?

on #7 Same with Android, but it's been ripped to work on my tmobile phone, I wish we could do that with the WP7 xap version.

on #8 I can't wait for this, they could really do some amazing shit with live tiles.

on #9 I'll check it out again, didn't think I could search and subscribe and stream/download to my device.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

1- the tiles are the shit and are much more efficient than static icons.
3-takes away from the information aspect of the start screen, im pretty sure that there will eventually be clock apps that will have a live tile.
4- well those lockscreens can't show artist art and such.
5- I didn't really like doing that when I had WM and didn't bother to. I also didn't really like custom roms that drastically change the taskbar and other icons (look up my older posts and u'll see me express my discontent towards this.)
7- u can ask at$t to make the app for all uverse subscribers but it'll take away from them wanting u to get the whole bundle.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I guess for 3 you can use htc hub for the huge clock on the screen.

Pic isn't mine.
http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x...5957918164.jpg

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Well I do like Live Tiles a lot, but the big clock does have time/date/weather/alarm in an aesthetic way. HTC hub one is freaking amazing but I wish I could set that on my home screen and then scroll down for tiles.

On the ATT thing, they won't do it, we just need to hack the xap. Since my roms are always developer unlocked I can just manually install it.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

And of course the best thing ever in Android is the CRT screen on/off animations.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Why would you need to ? Windows Phone 7 does not slow down when running the quick animations like Android does.

Most Andriod users disable Animations becuase it causes perfomance issues, this just does not happen with WP7.

Not the crt animation.

Sent from my HTC HD2 on the PPCGeeks App

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Windows 7 seems to have some advantages
- Direct updates from Microsoft not carriers via OTA or Zune pc software
- consistent & different UI
- Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Outlook including editing
- 25GB Online storage, autosync, Find My Phone included free
- Xbox Live game integration
- Zune media integration
- Big Marketing budget

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I really like the live tiles as well. I also like the bigger HTC clock; however I don't miss it at all. The lockscreen clock is more than functional for me. I agree, I think the HTC hub is a pretty cool. It would be nice to be able for the user to use it at least on the lockscreen when you wake up the phone.

Back on topic, I just really enjoy the smoothness and speed of the OS even before Mango. Everything just works. Most things missing will be available w/the official update. I also love the Zune integration.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I installed XDAndoid to get familiar with the OS. I also installed MSKip's SPB MS based WM7 theme - by most accounts, it's somewhat close to some basic WM functionality, at least as far as live tiles are concerned.

I really like the WM7 interface. Much more than Android. Seems to be very useful in getting lots of info and access to most used function right on the home screen while being finger-friendly and decent looking (although with no customization, the Tiles look can get boring soon).

If I had to pick today, with all other things being equal, I'd get WP7 over Android. However, it also depends on what options Sprint has a year from now (if Sprint is still around a year from now :( ). If the $50 Optimus S was available when I got my $200 TP2, I'd get it instead - it still gives a typical smartphone experience at $150 less. So, I will wait and see... but at this point, WP surely looks good. Unfortunately, the memory consumption of W7 theme is so high, I am back to Titanium.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

@Amamba search for the todayxlive plugin, its another wp7 layout that consumes much less RAM. im using it on my tp2 with the kenio Spanish rom and I boot with 37% RAM used.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

Indeed. The first thing I do when I go into settings is to turn off animations. In Windows Phone 7, the animations serve as a nice replacement of the "hour glass" ... they're smooth but quick and simple.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I dont think the animations are a replacement for the hourglass, because I still get a line of 5 travelling dots when my phone is loading info from a program like facebook. I would assume the animations are more for eye candy during screen transitions.

Anyway, I was on the fence about WP7 and Android for the longest time and had actually felt stupid for ordering a Trophy before I had gotten it; my brother and my sister both bought Droids (visually superior phones) at the same time that I bought my Trophy. I went to play with the "floor model" that VZW had so I wasn't exactly happy with my only exposure to the OS. Long story short, this is easily the best phone I have owned. I even bought TPU cases in different colors to swap out when I change the theme I have on my phone (green, blue, purple, and red).

In my opinion, the phone is not very impressive until you have YOUR info on it; I have no idea how I managed to do anything on my TP2. I get things done so quickly that I catch myself looking at my screen thinking "O.K... what do I want to do now." Even the XBL functionality, which I thought was a gimmick at first, has become useful; when I get a message I just use my phone to reply instead of slowly typing a message on the console (no voice msgs tho).

The phone fits my lifestyle perfectly, could not be happier.

The "floor model" I mentioned earlier was actually ONE powered down device that the manager had on his person... It was NOT on display like the other devices were and the store reps had no idea how to use the phone. Without a doubt, WP7 would be selling better if the US carriers pushed them with as much vigor as they push Droids.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

I chose WP7 over the Droid because I did some reading up on the device and went to Sprint and other provider stores and tested the phones. I really did not like the OS's feel, because it reminded me of an I-phone and tended to be jerky. My WM6.1 phone was jerky like that and it irratated the crap out of me. My research into the phone gave me a red flag, because the fragmentation thing kept popping its head up. I got the feeling you don't know what your getting until you buy an Android. Those issues drove me to stick with MS.

Then I was buying my son a phone, so he can walk to school and he would have a way to contact us if he needed. I did not want to spend the $199 for the WP7 phone so I got a Android phone. What a piece of crap. Damn thing won't stream video unless you are on WIFI, jerky and that damn I-phone feel irrates me. The stupid phone can't tell that when streaming over a 3G connection it has to wait for the video to come through so it quits and says cannot play video. I have since tested some of my freinds Droid phones and they have the same problem with streaming. After doing a lot of investigating this seems to be a common problem with Android phones and no one has figured out how to solve it. It seems if you do not get a top of the line Android phone you are asking for trouble, confirming my thought that you do not know what you are getting in a Android until you buy it. Androids are now banned in my house. The wife said she was thinking about gettng an Android, I told her don't come to me to fix any of the problems you will have with that crap. I will not spend the time to try and fix it like I did our sons. Any problems you will have you are on your own.

Needless to say she's getting a WP7 phone.

Oh and I don't want to here any of you fandroids talking about its the phone I got, because an OS is an OS is an OS. Just because the phone may not have the processing power another one has, the only difference is that it should run slower. It should not fail to perform certain tasks.

Re: Why did you choose W7 over Android ?
 

wow never heard of that one before,I've heard of text messaging issues and such. but not streaming. I have problems streaming video over 3G on my arrive but I blame that on the network in my area rather than my phone.