[Engadget] Windows Phone 7 in-depth preview

[sciwizam]

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/19/windows-phone-7-in-depth-preview/

Microsoft still has a few months before it intends to get the first volley of Windows Phone 7-based products to the marketplace, but we've recently been provided with reference hardware -- a not-for-retail Samsung called "Taylor" that's closely modeled on the Symbian-based i8910HD -- to get a feel for where they're at as the clock ticks down. Is this shaping up to be a killer platform for the next generation of high-end smartphones? And more importantly, can it win customers? Read on for our first take.

Quite a long article, but should be worth your time.

 

[abaez]

This actually looks pretty good.

 

[zerocool84]

No multi-tasking is a big failure for this. Everyone knows that you have to have more features than the top phones out right now (iPhone, Droid X, etc) to be able to compete and this doesn't as it's missing more than just multi-tasking.

 

[aceO07]

I think a skype, firefox, opera said they're not going to develop for WP7 since it was too locked down. That makes me worried since the developers probably need more access to do cool stuff.

In the last pic of the phone, the background looks like it's the Public Garden in Boston.

 

[rockyct]

No multi-tasking is a big failure for this. Everyone knows that you have to have more features than the top phones out right now (iPhone, Droid X, etc) to be able to compete and this doesn't as it's missing more than just multi-tasking.

Well, it supports 1st party multi tasking so I doubt it will be more than six months before all apps support it.

For all the bad press Microsoft has received for its mobile OS division, WP7 is a bold leap at a very different UI system. If Microsoft releases WP7 in a unpolished form, it may forever doom the OS even though there is a lot of really interesting stuff in it. For instance, I like the idea of combining local pictures on the device, facebook photos, flickr photos, etc. into one dynamic "tile".

If Microsoft gets a highly polished UI (even with a few missing features) and a great marketing campaign, it could actually do quite well. It's different enough that people are going to want to at least take a look at it.

 

[Zebo]

That UI looks horrible, good luck on correcting this. MS can advertise Billions but if it looks like crap compared to Sense/iOS when people walk in to see what all the buzz is all about it will sit there regardless of merit.

 

[dwell]

The UI is ass. The Silverlight elements look totally out of place from the native ones. Nice job MS.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Usual suspects arrive to call it ass/horrible regardless. *yawn*

 

[tatteredpotato]

If Microsoft gets a highly polished UI (even with a few missing features) and a great marketing campaign, it could actually do quite well. It's different enough that people are going to want to at least take a look at it.

I think this is why Apple does so well. They opt for cutting features and getting the core very polished and stable before adding additional features. Of course Microsoft needs to play catch-up rather quickly here so they don't have the luxury that Apple had (time).

I don't think there's anything wrong with the look of the OS... you have to admit aside from the hardware form factor, there is very little that Microsoft took from the iPhone in a UI sense.

 

[WelshBloke]

Are they going to have something different for corporate users?

 

[tatteredpotato]

Are they going to have something different for corporate users?

Please don't encourage them to revert to the multi-version approach. AFAIK there's only one version though right now.

 

[WelshBloke]

Please don't encourage them to revert to the multi-version approach. AFAIK there's only one version though right now.

The corporate sector is probably winmo's strongest area, if this is their only version then I can see them losing that as well.

Whats the problem with having a business version and a home version?

 

[Fingolfin269]

The corporate sector is probably winmo's strongest area, if this is their only version then I can see them losing that as well.

Whats the problem with having a business version and a home version?

Because the next thing you know you have a home basic, home premium, home deluxe, home deluxe - baker's dozen edition, business cheap, business moderate, business enterprise, business warren buffett edition, etc. After all, this is MS we're talking about here.

I have a lot of hope for this OS and am looking forward to reading the article on my lunch break. I have a bad feeling though because, after using WebOS, I don't think I could survive without multitasking now.

 

[tatteredpotato]

As the iPhone has proven, multitasking isn't a must for most people, however a facility for BG audio would be a nice thing to have.

 

[notposting]

Boy Genius has a preview up as well. Interestingly, they criticize and praise opposite things. So either the whole thing sucks, or it's just about perfect with some copy & paste added.

 

[WelshBloke]

Because the next thing you know you have a home basic, home premium, home deluxe, home deluxe - baker's dozen edition, business cheap, business moderate, business enterprise, business warren buffett edition, etc. After all, this is MS we're talking about here.

I have a lot of hope for this OS and am looking forward to reading the article on my lunch break. I have a bad feeling though because, after using WebOS, I don't think I could survive without multitasking now.

You really think this version will fly with the business community?

 

[tatteredpotato]

You really think this version will fly with the business community?

UI look and feel aren't as important as the core feature set. As long as they provide top notch Exchange and Office support then businesses will buy them. What exactly about this OS would scare away a business?

 

[WelshBloke]

UI look and feel aren't as important as the core feature set. As long as they provide top notch Exchange and Office support then businesses will buy them. What exactly about this OS would scare away a business?

Having all your facebook contacts vomited into your contact list?

 

[tatteredpotato]

Having all your facebook contacts vomited into your contact list?

That's an incredibly obscure feature that is (at least on Android) easily disabled.

That's not exactly what I would call a "deal breaker" on the enterprise front.

 

[Anubis]

Having all your facebook contacts vomited into your contact list?

it takes less then 5 seconds to change that on android

 

[Raduque]

Having all your facebook contacts vomited into your contact list?

How rabout don't login to your Facebook account on your work device?

 

[DivideBYZero]

 

[WelshBloke]

That's an incredibly obscure feature that is (at least on Android) easily disabled.

That's not exactly what I would call a "deal breaker" on the enterprise front.

it takes less then 5 seconds to change that on android

This isnt an Android phone

Also

Windows Phone 7 doesn't have "contacts," per se -- it has a People app, and there's quite a difference. This is a thoroughly social platform, and it doesn't really seek to make any sort of differentiation between people you talk to / text / email, those you just casually observe, and those with whom you're "friends" in name only. If that kind of philosophy reeks of Motorola Blur or Palm Synergy, you're on the right track; as soon as you add a Windows Live, Exchange, or Facebook account, it pulls in every contact associated with that account and disperses associated content throughout your entire phone -- there's nothing you can do about it. That means, for example, that your Pictures app could have a bunch of shots of your ex's aunt's new boyfriend's dog in it (more on that in a bit), and there's not a whole lot you can do to stop that behavior without completely removing your Facebook account from the phone.

 

[tatteredpotato]

This isnt an Android phone

Also

Easy solution would be just don't add your FB account to your phone

 

[WelshBloke]

Easy solution would be just don't add your FB account to your phone

What about my live mail account?

The easy, and better, solution would be for Microsoft to give me the choice if I want these things to happen.