MWC: Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 7 Series - Page 6

Guys, Game changer proclamations or proclamations of Massive Fail on devices that will not be out yet for two months or 10 months are truly pathetic. What may be good on a demo unit might not be good when people start buying a production unit 2 months or ten months from now. Right now, everything about the Windows Phone 7 are smoke and mirrors, same with the iPad, iPhone 4G and iPhone OS4, same with the next Goggle Phone. To be a True game changer, have the damn product out in the wild and we can discuss all about on how awesome or failure the said device one year after they are realeased.

Apple is all about reducing the amount of clicks to do something

Maybe for the typical iPhone user, but for the rest of us, this amount of information is easily digested.

While some things bother me about their approach, the live home screen includes some new ideas that have real merit. I would hope that Apple can implement some of this, but as an option. (Who knows, perhaps its an option for this windows version too, can't say yet.)

Not so crazy about their typographic implementation. Ok, so baby boomers have tired eyes but too much real estate is being given to some of these headers ... Also, it is so freaky to have the type so large and index word so long that it goes off the screen, even if you can figure out the word, it's just not working for me. That was prominent on the Zune.

Microsoft has been upping its game in terms of UI and graphical niceties, and seems to be trying to not outright copy Apple, (unlike the Samsung example). Bing is may be too cluttered but it is pretty in its way, certainly playful and head and shoulders above anything I've seen from them ... ever.

Believe it or not, that actually makes a big difference when navigating the device. Its not something that translates well through the video (just like the iPad) - you have to experience it for yourself.

The problem with the iPhone is often you find yourself "tunneling" through your apps and your menus to get to the thing you want. The way I would describe it is walking through a door, and there are several doors behind it that you must open to see what's next. Each point seems like its a block that you have to push your way through.

Now, with the Zune HD interface, and now 7series, the way I would describe it is "flowing down a river." Each menu item is a fork in the river, where you easily and seamlessly travel through in any direction. You don't get the same "tunneling" feeling that you do on the iPhone, but instead feel like the OS is almost streaming the content you're looking for directly from the start. I actually like that, and it makes for a better media experience compared to the iPhone.

That said, phones are personal, and everyone makes their choice. I can compare the interface to the iPhone because I've owned one for a year and a half now, and despite its limitations, am still happy with it. I do like that Microsoft is taking a new approach to UI and saying "Hey, there are other ways to do this." This keeps Apple improving their own UI and adding features that make their own handsets more valuable. Its a win for everybody.

There is only one problem, Microsoft does not have a Steve Jobs or a Bill Gates leading the company. Say what you will about Steve Jobs and Apple. They may be arrogant as hell, over hype their products like nobody's business. But at the end of the day , their products always pass the ordinary user test in usability and reliability.

Heh... someone should have told the designer of the third-generation iPod shuffle that

I see alot of Apple users are using stale arguements though... discussing features (something WM6 and 6.5 had a ton of) and ignoring how the iPhone was a UI revolution and how the Zune HD and now WP7S is following in that direction.

Also Flash will come, its just not there yet (since you know Adobe has to code it, not Microsoft). Silverlight is in WP7S.

Multitasking... it all depends. Games and most apps don't need it. Other apps need notifications. Very few apps like Pandora will need to run in the background.

Are you confused by new things?

And we all know what digested matter becomes.

Really, though, how long will it take to reboot?

dash dash dash dot dot dash dot dash dot

I can do that on my Touch as well, well, I did it once and never used it again.

as long as an iPhone?

could they make that take any longer?

The live tiles seem innovative enough. Yet, why would anybody trust a company with as poor a track record as Microsoft? The first Zune has atrocious. Further, when you are competing to regain market share from proven innovators like Apple and Google, Microsoft is going to have to pull out bigger guns then updating tiles.

MS has certainly changed their philosophy recently. While they dont have a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, their teams are certainly coming up with exciting products that most people thought were just a fluke.

Microsoft, just like Apple, want to be your one and only. From computers to your pocket to your TV and car. Apple has always had the upper hand for simplicity and reliability but Microsoft is making a strong surge towards that as well.

We've been criticizing MS for not integrating their platforms for awhile, but it looks like they learned.

To be honest, Microsoft has been better off since Bill's departure as CEO. The reason Vista was such a mess and a disaster of broken promises and horrible UI changes was because Gates was just too pushy with it. Under a different direction, Windows 7 scaled back its goals to first fix the foundation that Vista created, before you can build new and innovative features on top of it.

Microsoft's too big to be handled by someone like Steve Jobs. They have so many different platforms and markets they're dabbling into that its proven to be impossible to control it all. The internal structure of the company is like that of a dysfunctional family. I think the only thing that will save Microsoft in the long-run is to split up into four key companies:

1) Desktops and Enterprise (Windows)
2) Mobile Phones
3) Media services and Games (Zune, Xbox)
4) Cloud Computing (Bing, Live)

LOL - I thought it was three tries and you are out. I guess in case of MS with so much money to burn they can keep on trying. I just wish they would actually come up with something original.

At least you have to give Bill Gates the credit for saying that MS is basically uninspiring and a copycat. The man certainly knows his limitations.

MS trumped Apple in one major respect: They broadcast the presentation live! Remember when Apple used to do that?

As for the presentation: It really needed some tightening up. Maybe Steve Jobs is really awesome at presentations, but I suspect he has people watch, review and critique them a lot. Steve has a habit of showing off a feature and saying "it's really great" or "terrific" or somesuch. The MS guy droned on and on about high-falutin' concepts while I was waiting for him to actually show me how the thing WORKED.

As for the product: I'm glad to see MS finally dictating some hardware standards. But they also hedged quite a bit so who knows how fractured the hardware space will be. Same on the software front. They made noises about standardizing, but then said partners would be able to innovate. And they didn't show any third-party software. Worst case scenario is that each carrier locks-down and mangles the UI to their own twisted purposes. That Pictures feature MS showed? Very nice, but we're replacing it with the "Orange Gallery" - and charging $4.95/mo. for it.

My opinion is that Apple keeps a lead here. The iPhone is Apple's phone. They deem to let a carrier have it on their network, but Apple maintains complete control of the hardware and software.

Otherwise, wow, this thread really descended into trolling and flaming pretty badly.

- Jasen.

Too bad "the rest of us" counts for a small minority of consumers.

Is cooking a ROM anything like frying fish?

LOL

Yeah, why doesn't Apple do live press conference streaming? It seems a given in this streaming media world.

That is true. Microsoft is now learning how to compete with the 21st Century Apple but unless they can truly bring out exciting products that work truly well in real life consistently . They will have an uphill battle in regards to mobile communications. But in the end, Microsoft being back will spur Apple, Google and the rest of tech industry to reach new heights in innovation, usability and reliability.

In my opinion though, Apple have a distinct advantage over Microsoft, being both a hardware and software company in both personal computers and mobile devices. They are willing to take risks that Microsoft and even Goggle will not take to improve or define their products.

I've rarely got much good to say about Microsoft but I have to say it looks reasonably well conceived. How that translates in real use is another story but still...is this a real demo'd device or is it like courier - just a render/photo-mockup?

Not difficult. Very little on the iPhone is that hard but that's not to say it couldn't be improved. When you hit home > search, or however you get to search you are confronted with a mostly black screen on which you could have options. It would be useful to be able to select where you want to search. Say you are in addressbook and hit the home button twice and search opens and you can select addressbook, web or iPhone as the target of your search (without first having to leave addressbook). The default option would be with the app from which you initiated search.

Yeah, I hate the way I can't be listening to music, have a call come in and have the music die down and take the call and when they hang up my music comes back all while I'm looking at google maps or the internet or my mail or my contacts...

Oh wait! Silly me! I can! If only my iPhone could multitask though...

Try using Pandora and do all that at the same time without jailbreaking and let me know how that goes.

Well, how about listening to Pandora while browsing the web?

I would like to get my hand on this first before I bash it, much like the iPad. It lookes unique and different, so is not a me too product like some one said in the first post. I like the ability to use word and outlook, which would make this phone a hit with business users. As far as a personal phone I still think iPhone is better, but integration with xbox live could be pretty cool. I'll judge it when it comes out and I can play with it but I can say I am at least interested.

It completely changes the user experience. This is the same argument Windows users used to make. If you used OS/2 during the early 90s, you'd know what it feels like to go back to using the iPhone after using the Android. It's just so darn frustrating. For me, now the iPhone is one giant inefficient application launcher.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2359245,00.asp

"The phones will be owned by OEMs, and you'll see different form factors and choices," Woodman said.

Which by default nullifies any real advantage this device (devices?) could have had.

Thanks for the laugh, that made my day

I hate to do this but for the sake of propriety that should be:

"Me too! Me too! Me too!"

I feel like I just woke up in the world of Idiocracy.

He's mocking the horrific parade of misspellings that are de rigueur on AI these days.

Not sure we'll see it from Microsoft.

Where are you trying to go with this? OEMs can make the device how they see fit as long as it falls within the parameters MS has set, and those parameters are very strict.

Apple is the one that programmed the iPhone to do the double-click thing. They're also the ones who programmed the iPhone to go to the search page when you hit the Home button while on the Home page. Come on, have we sunk to a new level of laziness that we can't even click a button twice?

It does change the user experience, but not necessarily for the better. The method employed by Android and WebOS are not intelligent or user friendly.

Not user friendly to you. For those that have actually spent time using Palm and Google's implementation, the comments have been quite favorable. In fact Palm's cards system is quite efficient.

That is very reasonable and fair to all parties concerned unless of course, something forces Microsoft's hand to repeat the debacle of Play For Sure . That is a genuine worry for the manufacturers as well as potential buyers of Window Phone 7 series.

Just because the Zune does not sell as many units as the iPod does not make it unsuccessful. If that is your rational then Apple is very unsuccessful to Microsoft since MS has 97% of the market.

Yeah like take English lessons. Wow.