Windows Phone 7 has begun it’s adventure into the US and so far some users aren’t too happy while others are. After seeing a few opinions on the internet, with the best one so far found right here at PPCGeeks, we decided to share this one with you. PPCGeeks member Noir, a well respected VIP on this site, has shared his thoughts and it’s a very interesting story he has to tell. If you are curious about other users WP7 experiences so far, read this!
Noirs WP7 Experience
I-port builds of android to the HTC Touch HD2 and compared to the stock experience given on some devices, the HD2 experience gives an equal experience of android just like the nexus one or the HTC desire; especially with MIUI.
That said I have made the switch to wp7 after using android exclusively for a few weeks almost a month and a half straight. I was fully anticipating wp7 even waking up extremely early in downtown Chicago cold to get it. There was 10 of us in line at the T-mobile store and we were all HD2 users that run android (go figure). We were all excited and I got my device. I synced up my Hotmail account and I didn’t have my computer so Zune syncing had to wait untill I got home. So I had a nice 45 minute trip with the HD7 and I supremely was testing it because of the Operating System itself, not the software. I prefer the dell venue pro and that’s what I really want.
After toying with the device for 15 minutes texting a friend of mine and my mom, I realized I hated it. I expected a paradise that the hd2 was – I was so excited for the hd2 and I will never forget that excitement. I will never forget flashing to duty on DAY ONE and being impressed with the superb battery life and ability to run psx games on it, the ability to change things at a fly. The HD2 for windows mobile is the nexus one to android. It is a developer phone; it is a power user phone. I couldn’t even find the fricking haptic feedback for keyboard on windows phone 7! I was very dismayed as I walked home. And the battery blew as I rode the train home. I immediately asked my friends what did I buy?
Spending some time with the HD7 at home, however, changed my negative stance as the day drew on. I first synced my phone with Zune; I synced 3 movies (each about 700 mb each) were encoded and converted in about an hour and ten minutes. I was amazed at the speed because it was much worse on the first zune (I got that in 07). Loading games was initially a chore for some reason because my wifi would drop (and quite a bit), but even I got the general hang of it. My initial hatred for the wp7 OS began to calm very fast as I continued to text and generally try the device. I think in my testing there is a lot I want to say about wp7.
For one thing, it is a consumer device. I think that’s been said on many blogs but it really has to be reiterated. It is not a developer OS like windows mobile or the android OS. It is much like apple in many ways. It can be angering and sobering if I walk into it like I walked into all windows mobile devices for years. Same form, same OS, so I can manipulate it how I please and relatively fast. If there are issues, I will flash a custom ROM. I can’t do that with this device. It is not a hackable device yet. It is restricted on the user level unlike the open freedom windows mobile and android has.
That is not to say that the OS sucks at all. In fact, the closed aspect may be a HUGE positive because unlike the other mobile OSes, there lacks fragmentation. The gaming experience on windows phone 7 is the best of any OS; the multimedia experience is the best on any mobile OS. The base OS is fast, fluid and simple. Something that we have all tried to get with custom ROMS for ages! Even on MIUI with the different kernels, I try for the most fluid experience. And it is difficult to get a very fluid experience on the HD2 because of the software limitations of windows and android sadly brought about by fragmentation.
What is there to say about windows phone? It has a lot of potential in the mobile wars. Is it the right OS for you? That remains to be seen. For me, it has grown on me. But it involved me “dumbing” myself and my expectations down drastically. It is not the same as any mobile platform worldwide. Comparing it to any mobile OS actually does wp7 an injustice. You have to test it for yourself essentially.
There are gripes with windows phone 7 sadly. I want a better balance of work and play on my OS. Play came in from windows phone when I could pop in a sony psx ISO and just play. However, even that had its limitations. The Xbox backing is a fantastic option for play. Developers and hackers alike should also develop so we can get a better experience that adds some functions Microsoft removed. For instance I want a haptic keyboard or a good hardware keyboard. That is where the dell venue pro comes in. I also want an AMOLED display because of its efficient battery saving over TFT of the HD7 and SLCD of other HTC devices.
Windows phone 7 is a far cry from any OS that I have ever used in the almost 8 years I have used smartphones and portable media devices starting with a dell pocket pc my sister won in a raffle running windows 2003 and the battery was so awful. Dancing from several platforms and still being left current, windows phone 7 has me feeling hopeful that users have an OS for the future. And Microsoft should feel very proud of releasing this product; save from its nagging issues like multitasking, file explorer and a haptic on screen keyboard. The major negative on the third party platform is lag but even that could be negligible to microsd or nand. Whatever the case is I am very hopeful about this OS. For the first time, I feel like a mobile OS is truly next generation.
Is it my daily driver? It can be easily. Will I miss the widgets of android? No. I use android because the sms is so fast. Will I miss the flexibility of windows mobile? Hell yes! But that doesn’t mean windows phone 7 doesn’t bring user flexibility on a level where you don’t have to be a developer or a build/rom chef. It’s the beginning but such a fantastic start!
He also adds some points to consider:
1. I am using 64 bit windows 7 and 64 bit Zune software for wp7. I’m syncing just fine here. Also quickly tested on vista. It works well.
2. You can connect to hidden networks
3. I don’t have a htc surround so I can’t comment
4. No way to reduce the text size in email? You can maximize the text size which is just as good. I don’t think you should minimize it at all or you wouldn’t be able to read it!
5. I can read 5 emails without scrolling =)
[The end]
Were you one of these users who purchased the HD7? Did you purchase a different WP7 device? Do you have your own experience you would like to share? If so, let us know and we will be glad to help! We are on the lookout for any type of experience, good or bad. We know everyone has their own opinions so this is just a start of user experience shares with you all here on PPCGeeks.com.
Be sure to check out this thread here to find several other PPCGeek members sharing their own experiences with WP7.
For another user experience found on the internet check this one out from mobilitydigest by clicking here.
Source: PPCGeeks Member Noir & Mobility Digest