What do you think of Windows Phone 7?

[w7excursion]

I have no idea. Seems to function well but is not all that purty.

[DAD-PC]

Looks fairly easy to use, which, considering I work in phone retail, its a huge plus. At least where I'm from, more people out there have no idea how to use or customize their phone than there are people who do (in fact, most people simply don't care, they want to make calls, send texts, or use the web with as little effort as possible).

I believe this preview shows a step in the right direction for Microsoft to target those people.

As for phone enthusiast that are upset, well, you account for a much smaller portion of profit for microsoft, and also the most trouble. You get around their edits with hacks, and lower profit margins for both microsoft and the carriers (look how many people here are getting around the Phone as Modem restriction, costing the Carriers varying amounts of money and reducing their prospective profit (note, I'm one of those people )).

Once we get more info on the platform, I'll make an opinion of it in regards to myself. Personally, I think the WebOS is the best OS I've come across, but I really like my TP2 form factor, and am ok with WinMO, but its just not as slick as WebOS.

[mizofizo]

Originally Posted by gTen

Our complaint is not with the OS, microsoft can release whatever OS they want..but why did they have to name in WM7 meaning next version of windows mobile? That is our complaint, they SHOULD have just gave that OS a new name like palm did and dual track continuing windows mobile and this OS under a different brand. But putting this OS as 7 does not look good.

How would you feel if windows 8 comes out and your OS is one used on a 20$ barby computer? That is what makes most people bitter. The brand "Windows" in general should be associated with a PC, not a dumbphone.

And some people claim there will be media edition and business edition but I find that hard to believe as that would make a lot of confusion, more then people would like.

It's similar to what Apple did with OS9 and OSX. Clearly they wanted to release a whole new mobile vision which couldn't be accomplished with WM so they started with the same base (CE) and created a whole new modern UI. So it really is still Windows just a different UI like Windows 3.1 vs 7.

I don't get what you're saying if Windows 8 ran on a barbie computer. I'd be glad that the install base is expanding to include more people.

There isn't going to be two versions, just this one new one. Enterprise customers are going to be targeted with 6.5.x. Though it's entirely possible that they're going to release enhanced policies through exchange that will allow corporate customers to disable the media parts of the phone.

[p-slim]

Originally Posted by zim2323

From what I originally read, there currently is no Exchange functionality in the product, but I may have missed that. I have only watched one video. I never intended to imply that there would be a different UI. Any more then there was in Windows Mobile Standard to Windows Mobile Professional. However, I could see them adding multitasking and other missing functionality for the business user back in for a Business/Pro version of the OS.

Personally I think 2 editions is dumb. Put everything in one and call it a day. Do something like SPB does and offer a specific UI based on how you want to use the phone, business vs personal. Lots of people here are complaining about what they "think" Mobile7 doesn't have based one what they've seen so far (too much speculation). All I'm saying is that there is a LOT more going on behind the scenes then what people give credit for. Whether everyone likes the direction Microsoft is taking not, you can't please everyone. I personally can't see Microsoft completely shutting down customization. And until I see the final product with everything removed, I refuse to believe that they will.

Here's hoping it's everything we thought it could be, and much more! Personally I love the UI. I've played with a ZuneHD and love the way they've done the interface. I would still like to see traditional access to a file explorer and other basic system level components.

I agree, microsoft can't please everyone or it would have the perfect product. they are losing too much $ to iphone and android (especially iphone), and this is there median. Like many people have said this is great for M$ because they will make alot of $ from the zune media store but they will lose a lot of ppcgeeks, which has the bigger revenue for them? Not to mention many ppcgeeks will not leave because they will always and forever have the best exchange program and many companies will not use exchange on other platforms. Also they will still have microsoft office. Now they want the iphone users so they added the xbox live subscribers and social networking all through out the whole phone. Personally i have a nexus one and love it but i will give wp7 a try but to be honest, i will more then likely stick with android as I don't need exchange, google does everything for me.

[champ052005]

Originally Posted by p-slim

what they showed us has exchange and every other business function included into what we saw demonstrated. the only thing that a business edition my have would be less hubs (ie the xbox live hub) or an additional looking business hub for all business products in one place but the overall look and ui isn't going to change at all and the functionality of the phone isn't going to change. So the only thing left to ask is what you mean by business customer? They didn't show how mobile office or excel works because there isn't anything new with that. the ui is new and that is what was shown off, but if you mean business where you think you can unlock and run custom ui's, or run custom roms, or decide where apps are loaded from, there isn't going to be any difference from business customer or regular consumer. At most there is going to be a business hub.

You said you can't decide where to load apps in, and how you can't unlock the phone or run custom roms, but you are basing these as facts when they are just rumors.

I think people are getting too ahead of themselves after the presentation. I agree, the Microsoft's unveiling has raised many questions and no answers. But that is where we are, questions with zero answers. We can assume it can't multi-task or we can assume we can't unlock it, we can assume there isn't anything new with excel or office. But the bottom line is: these are all assumptions. We are all judging a book by its cover. We haven't seen the whole OS, we haven't seen the guts yet. Simply the aesthetics of the OS so far.

We need to wait it out until MIX so we can see more of the OS as a whole. We only saw a glimpse of the new features.

IMO, the unveiling was a brilliant move in marketing strategy. I think Microsoft has finally learned that marketing is everything in the mobile world and they just pulled off the first step. They unveiled the product, and they now have everyone talking about it. They have everyone scratching their heads and wanting to see and know more! BRILLIANT! This strategy is going to keep the OS alive until the launch. If they showed off everything, the OS will be dead in the public's eyes before the launch date.

[champ052005]

And as far as the app development and backwards compatibility, is a fresh start such a bad thing?

I would be annoyed to lose my current apps, but sometimes a clean slate is needed for things to evolve and grow. I'm sure the app development will be strong.

[gTen]

Originally Posted by champ052005

IMO, the unveiling was a brilliant move in marketing strategy. I think Microsoft has finally learned that marketing is everything in the mobile world and they just pulled off the first step. They unveiled the product, and they now have everyone talking about it. They have everyone scratching their heads and wanting to see and know more! BRILLIANT! This strategy is going to keep the OS alive until the launch. If they showed off everything, the OS will be dead in the public's eyes before the launch date.

Except in the business world most decisions are made on now with consideration towards the future. A demo with no business in mind and a release date of end of 2010 makes people who are hoping for a decent business oriented OS to look at Android and other platforms.

On a note above, Exchange is nice but at this point there are alternatives just as good.

[p-slim]

Originally Posted by champ052005

You said you can't decide where to load apps in, and how you can't unlock the phone or run custom roms, but you are basing these as facts when they are just rumors.

I think people are getting too ahead of themselves after the presentation. I agree, the Microsoft's unveiling has raised many questions and no answers. But that is where we are, questions with zero answers. We can assume it can't multi-task or we can assume we can't unlock it, we can assume there isn't anything new with excel or office. But the bottom line is: these are all assumptions. We are all judging a book by its cover. We haven't seen the whole OS, we haven't seen the guts yet. Simply the aesthetics of the OS so far.

We need to wait it out until MIX so we can see more of the OS as a whole. We only saw a glimpse of the new features.

IMO, the unveiling was a brilliant move in marketing strategy. I think Microsoft has finally learned that marketing is everything in the mobile world and they just pulled off the first step. They unveiled the product, and they now have everyone talking about it. They have everyone scratching their heads and wanting to see and know more! BRILLIANT! This strategy is going to keep the OS alive until the launch. If they showed off everything, the OS will be dead in the public's eyes before the launch date.

they've showed off what they really needed to. they've said that custom ui's will not be available. As for custom roms, I don't care for them, the reason we run custom roms is to make our phones more functional, if the phone works right out of the box what do we need custom roms for, backrounds, colors, wallpapers, and so forth will be customizable. Multi tasking, people are putting too much on it, the program doesn't actually close, it pauses or freezes. in the video i posted, the operator opened a program, went to the home screen, then went back into an app and it was at the same place, it didnt load all over again. Of course they probably still have some features that they haven't shown, but they have shown off everything that was a neccessity to see how it was going to function. Of course it will be able to be unlocked eventually, just like the iphone or android, but what is that really going to do for functionality? just like with android, rooting your phone only allows you to install certain apps and overclocking processor, but the os' doesn't change. We will probably be able to unlock and install whatever programs you want as well, but without unlocking it or jailbreaking it, right out of the box it makes the most sense to only allow apps from the windows marketplace, so i'm banking on that rumor being true.

[champ052005]

Originally Posted by gTen

Except in the business world most decisions are made on now with consideration towards the future. A demo with no business in mind and a release date of end of 2010 makes people who are hoping for a decent business oriented OS to look at Android and other platforms.

On a note above, Exchange is nice but at this point there are alternatives just as good.

I agree that people want to know now so they can decide which phone to get. But at the same time, it seems like Microsoft is building up the hype.

We saw a very quick glimpse of the business aspects of the phone with the office suite but no details of how it all comes together.

Microsoft is aiming to regain their lost market share, so they are trying to release an OS that pleases the average consumer. But I would assume that they would not completely cut ties with the business aspects of Windows Mobile, which is what IMO kept WM afloat.

Again, I think it will all get straightened out when Microsoft releases more conferences covering these topics. It seems like Microsoft wants to keep the guessing game alive to generate hype.

[brownhornet]

On Another note... check this out

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/16/htc-legend-hands-on/