Technology Windows Phone 7

[Casey]

The thing is....that with a modern smartphone OS, everything NEEDS to be tied to your prominent email in order for true synergy. This is why Google have succeeded with Android....the synergy between web services that people already use. Gmail is EASILY the best web mail service. Google Maps is the best Maps service. YouTube is the best for online video. Google Search is the best search...etc...etc...etc.

Apple fail at this because their web services suck so there's no synergy except with their existing overpriced hardware. For example, an iOS device is gonna benefit you more if you use Macs, have Apple TV, etc.

Microsoft are trying this approach, but what? Are they expecting people to use Windows Live Mail? Fuck that, it sucks. Are they expecting people to use Bing? Again - it sucks. SkyDrive sucks compared to Gdocs and Dropbox.

The only people that might benefit from a Microsoft synergy are people who play a lot of Xbox Live maybe. Or people with Zunes who use that ZunePass or whatever it's called.

 

[Casey]

None of the 10 WP7 handsets announced today are anything impressive.

As predicted, the HTC ones are the best of the bunch though.

 

[Flipmo]

I like Windows Live Mail, then again - I've been with it for eons. 'Bing' on the other hand, is the biggest pile of shit on the internet.

 

[THEV1LL4N]

the thing is a lot of people i know, now just do bing searches instead of google searches because its already implemented with IE7 onwards.

 

[dilla]

Well, the buzz around it is very high. Much higher than the Kin was.

I don't see how integrating it with Xbox Live is gonna help anything. The buzz is high, but I'm not jumping ship until it provides what Android does. And even then, I've been forced to use my GMail for the past year, alongside like..three other Google services. I don't think I'm down to start all over again.

 

[Flipmo]

If you're really looking into getting this... I suggest wait a good month to see what reviewers and word of mouth is saying.

 

[dilla]

Something I'm following to see other's reactions.

So, Windows Phone 7 has been shown off. Spectators are saying that the days of Android are numbered. Are they? : Android

 

[Casey]

So, the first few WP7 devices go on sale tomorrow (and already have in New Zealand).

There's some exhausting reviews out there like these:

Windows Phone 7 review -- Engadget

Review: Windows Phone 7)

Windows Phone 7 Review: Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have Ourselves a Race)


But here's what it boils down to:

In our original preview, we said that Windows Phone 7 didn't quite feel like a complete smartphone OS yet. We'd like to come back and report that it finally has the fit and finish of a fully realized product, but that isn't exactly the case. Don't get us wrong: there's a lot to like or even love in WP7. Microsoft has done an outstanding job with lots of aspects of this UI, particularly when it comes to navigation and ease of use -- but there are holes here as well. It still feels like the company is a good year behind market leaders right now, and though it's clear the folks in Redmond are doing everything they can to get this platform up to snuff, it's also clear that they're not there yet.

Don’t get me wrong: what it does, it does pretty dang well. The things that it doesn’t do, however, keep me from whole-heartedly recommending it. You see, here’s the problem: the things that Windows Phone 7 lacks are things that people were complaining about other platforms lacking years ago. Is it fair to compare a brand new product to things that have had years on the market to build up their feature sets? Absolutely. It’s not nice, sure — but the fact that it’s new really doesn’t matter to the person who’s dropping $200-300 on a handset they’re locked into for the next 2 years.

Might I recommend buying a Windows Phone 7 handset? Yes — but not right now. Between iOS and the myriad Android phones available, there are simply way too many good options out there that have fewer or none of these shortcomings. If Microsoft can quickly crack away at these gaps whilst managing to not slip behind in other ways, I could quite easily see myself toting a Windows Phone in the future — but for now, at the end of the day, all WP7 really has to offer over the competition is a pretty face.

Windows Phone 7 is really great. A lot of that greatness is potential. But if anybody can follow through on their platform it is Microsoft. Should you buy this instead of an iPhone or Android phone though? In six months, after the ecosystem has filled out, the answer will be more clear.

So, the agreed overall conclusion is - wait and see what happens with this.

My thoughts are that's just not good enough. Technology wise, this is years behind both Android and iOS. Even HP have a more attractive mobile OS right now with WebOS 2.0 that they got from their acquisition of Palm. I think this is interesting, and I'm still somewhat interested in trying this out (which I will probably do tomorrow, since I'm right by stores of all major US carriers right now)......but overall it just seems like they fell short of the mark.

That said - if you're already locked into the Microsoft ecosystem - Windows 7, Xbox Live, Zune, Hotmail/Windows Live/Whatever the fuck it's called, Bing........ then this might be attractive to you.

 

[Pittsey]

I just can't see it being a success. Look at microsofts success record from the last 10 years. Have they really succeeded being the best at anything?

 

[ARon]

I think it's pretty impressive. It lacks in a lot of areas and it shines in some. I really like the look and ease of use it seems to have. While I prefer Android and the "I can do anything I want to this" mentality, it's still nice to see Microsoft pushing things a little further. Given 6 months and some updates and polish here and there I can see WP7 eating a big chunk of the market. With most tech people's attitude towards Microsoft maybe it won't happen, but I do like it, just not as much as Android.

One thing I just sort of thought of is this is more of threat to Apple and iOS more so than Android. On the reals

 

[Pittsey]

I haven't read up much on tehe WP7 phones. Why is it a threat to apple?

I would have thought that to be a threat to the majority of the iphone users, you'd need to make a phone fashionable, not practical.

 

[masta247]

Because it's a closed system too. Not appealing to most Android users because switching from Android to Windows 7 phone anyone would feel seriously limited.
However moving from iOS to Windows 7 Phone wouldn't be so rough as iOS is closed and limited too, just by a different company. However Apple has their experience and tried to adapt to the market while Microsoft releases a system that has totally no place in it at the moment. They'll either adapt too or fail.
They are releasing a system that doesn't have other systems' basic functionality which is a fail in itself.

You can see enormous amounts of money invested in this system so you can expect very heavy marketing and most probably very heavy word of mouth marketing which did the job with xbox360 and Windows 7. They'll probably try to woo review sites too for first reviews.
Heavy marketing really works for some products that are far from perfect. We can see harsh facts and say that flaws are very severe but it's not that hard to change someone's perception and make people ignore the flaws, make them think that it's just the way it is, not how some things aren't the way they should be. And they want to give it a try, after all it's not that Windows 7 phone is flawed because they failed to implement some features - they're not there because that's what Microsoft would prefer.
They're starting aggressively with what they want and if it doesn't work out they'll either make sacrifices and try to adapt or fail.

Don't forget that it's Microsoft's last stand in the mobile phone market in which they were very strong a few years back.

 

[masta247]

Also, it turns out that first Windows 7 phones are quite expensive for what they offer:
First Windows Phone 7 mobiles on sale: 7 Trophy, 7 Mozart, Omnia 7 - GSMArena.com news

670$ for the cheapest phone - HTC 7 Trophy (which is technically an equivalent of the old Desire if not even slightly inferior). HTC Desire costs less than 500$ on pay as you go if I'm not mistaken.

To be honest I expected Microsoft to force lower prices on first Win Phone 7 devices.

 

[Casey]

Masta was right about big marketing money, peep this

Today is D-Day for Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 mobile operating system. The desktop software giants [A1] are launching their highly-anticipated and revamped mobile OS through various carriers across most of Europe, and boy do they mean business. Remember that $1 billion WP7 and Kinect marketing blitz we told you about? Well, Microsoft is giving away all sorts of freebies, in an effort to drum up sales. Earlier today, the Redmond outfit was spotted giving away Microsoft-branded Skull Candy headphones to customers at the Orange outlet on Oxford Street in London. Spain’s Movistar and Austria’s A1 carriers are reportedly giving away free XBox 360s to early adopters of Windows Phone 7 (subject to signing a 2-year mobile contract). Windows Phone 7 launches in the U.S. on November 8, will all the marketing hype pay-off?

If I was in Spain or Austra right now? Shit I'd go get a WP7 and Xbox....then sell the phone on eBay

 

[Pittsey]

Because it's a closed system too. Not appealing to most Android users because switching from Android to Windows 7 phone anyone would feel seriously limited.
However moving from iOS to Windows 7 Phone wouldn't be so rough as iOS is closed and limited too, just by a different company. However Apple has their experience and tried to adapt to the market while Microsoft releases a system that has totally no place in it at the moment. They'll either adapt too or fail.
They are releasing a system that doesn't have other systems' basic functionality which is a fail in itself.

You can see enormous amounts of money invested in this system so you can expect very heavy marketing and most probably very heavy word of mouth marketing which did the job with xbox360 and Windows 7. They'll probably try to woo review sites too for first reviews.
Heavy marketing really works for some products that are far from perfect. We can see harsh facts and say that flaws are very severe but it's not that hard to change someone's perception and make people ignore the flaws, make them think that it's just the way it is, not how some things aren't the way they should be. And they want to give it a try, after all it's not that Windows 7 phone is flawed because they failed to implement some features - they're not there because that's what Microsoft would prefer.
They're starting aggressively with what they want and if it doesn't work out they'll either make sacrifices and try to adapt or fail.

Don't forget that it's Microsoft's last stand in the mobile phone market in which they were very strong a few years back.

You don't rate Win7 or the 360?


I prefer my 360 over my PS3. And I find Win7 the best PC operating system.

 

[ARon]

360 over ps3 is blasphemy. Win7 is great though

 

[Pittsey]

360 over ps3 is blasphemy. Win7 is great though

It doesn't have the games. When GT5 comes out, I may change my mind.

 

[Casey]

I also prefer the 360 over PS3. Although I'm only basing that on having played them at other peoples places. I don't own either.

And Windows 7 is very good indeed. Although I prefer to use Ubuntu 10.10 on my laptop.

 

[masta247]

You don't rate Win7 or the 360?


I prefer my 360 over my PS3. And I find Win7 the best PC operating system.

I really like them. I think that Xbox360 is a very good console and Windows 7 would be my favorite OS to date.
I'm just pointing out that heavy marketing was involved as opposed to the first Xbox or Windows Mobile.
And I think that the first Xbox was a very good console too but way less successful because of less marketing spendings. It was technically superior to PS2 while selling for a similar price yet it was by far less successful.
Also word of mouth marketing seemed to work great for Windows 7 and Xbox360. Since then Microsoft has been spending really a lot of money on marketing.
Kinect's marketing alone - 500 million dollars. It's more than Windows Vista a few years ago.

Also I found this:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2010...arketing-are-key-to-windows-phone-7s-success/

 

[dilla]

The definitive BGR guide to Windows Phone 7 hardware « Boy Genius Report)