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Windows Phone 7. My god, it's full of tiles!

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Posts

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    syndalis wrote:
    It is odd to think Microsoft needs a "Halo" effect, ala what the iPod did for Apple... but in the mobile space, they are in desperate need of some growth, and letting people out there see what Microsoft is capable of in this space would go a long way.

    I think they need the image change. Like was said before, Microsoft has made some impressive jumps with Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7, but the general consensus on MS products is they are buggy, bloated, and prone to crashing. After Vista I was about to jump ship to the Mac ecosystem, but Win 7 drew me back and WP7 solidified me in this brand new and sorta exciting cross-platform awesomeness and freshness that MS has put out. They're promising to deliver tablets that aren't simply luxury products but laptop alternatives, which is going to either fail due to pricing or blow the current tablet market out of the water. I have a feeling that laptops are either going to wane in popularity or simply be drawn down to a more niche market if a company can deliver tablet computing similar to laptop computing. Power users will still opt for the laptop, however.

    Imagine being able to use a tablet for Photoshop and not having it be a huge struggle against system capabilities.

    I think the growth will come naturally once the preconceived notions of Microsoft being a stuffed-suit, doddering, old-man-run clusterfuck of a corporation are dispelled. The only way they'll be dispelled is if people see it.

    We've already got some pretty big tech bloggers like Robert X Cringley and John Gruber who are notorious iOS purists that are singing the praises (despite, they say, every bone in their body protesting) of Windows Phone 7. MS has something truly special in this whole movement and in Metro, and I'm firmly along for the ride.

    The fact that Microsoft doesn't have to contend with this issue in other regions might be leading to inertia.

    Basic example: in East Asia, particularly Sinophone countries, Malaysia, and Singapore, Microsoft isn't the buggy software company. The approx. 3,000 different versions of Linux/Red Hat that are in wide circulation thanks to their availability and very modest pricing are the buggy software platforms, along with pretty much every online MMO released last year, unfortunately. But these are countries where Apple, as a software company, has been falling on their faces for years, over and over (their other divisions do much better, particularly iPad).

    They're very comfortable with that, and their partnerships with Lenovo, HP, HTC, and ASUS basically keep them in domination. They could improve, but they don't need to as far as software is concerned.

    Synthesis on
  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    Well, that's interesting.

    Updated my HTC Titan this morning, and once if had finished updating I accidentally unplugged it without closing zune. Now, after a couple attempted restores, the messaging app will open, but If I try to send a message it will just not send - it'll disappear, but nothing actually happens, and I think I'm not receiving messages either. This isn't the same as the security hole that's been discovered - that crashes messaging on startup. Anyone have any ideas of things to try?

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    Well, that's interesting.

    Updated my HTC Titan this morning, and once if had finished updating I accidentally unplugged it without closing zune. Now, after a couple attempted restores, the messaging app will open, but If I try to send a message it will just not send - it'll disappear, but nothing actually happens, and I think I'm not receiving messages either. This isn't the same as the security hole that's been discovered - that crashes messaging on startup. Anyone have any ideas of things to try?

    No, that doesnt even allow the app to run and is fixed with a hard reset. But it hasn't been leaked to the public as far as I'm aware.

    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    ArcSyn wrote:
    Well, that's interesting.

    Updated my HTC Titan this morning, and once if had finished updating I accidentally unplugged it without closing zune. Now, after a couple attempted restores, the messaging app will open, but If I try to send a message it will just not send - it'll disappear, but nothing actually happens, and I think I'm not receiving messages either. This isn't the same as the security hole that's been discovered - that crashes messaging on startup. Anyone have any ideas of things to try?

    No, that doesnt even allow the app to run and is fixed with a hard reset. But it hasn't been leaked to the public as far as I'm aware.

    Ah ok. Yeah, that's what I meant about crashing on attempting to start the app, sorry.

    Also, it thinks it's 4AM, 13th of march, 1980. So something appears to have gone rather wrong here, no?

    Would a factory reset do anything better than attempting to restore from my computer would?

    EDIT: Running connection setup seems to have fixed it? Bizzare.

    SilkyNumNuts on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    ArcSyn wrote:
    Well, that's interesting.

    Updated my HTC Titan this morning, and once if had finished updating I accidentally unplugged it without closing zune. Now, after a couple attempted restores, the messaging app will open, but If I try to send a message it will just not send - it'll disappear, but nothing actually happens, and I think I'm not receiving messages either. This isn't the same as the security hole that's been discovered - that crashes messaging on startup. Anyone have any ideas of things to try?

    No, that doesnt even allow the app to run and is fixed with a hard reset. But it hasn't been leaked to the public as far as I'm aware.

    Ah ok. Yeah, that's what I meant about crashing on attempting to start the app, sorry.

    Also, it thinks it's 4AM, 13th of march, 1980. So something appears to have gone rather wrong here, no?

    Would a factory reset do anything better than attempting to restore from my computer would?

    EDIT: Running connection setup seems to have fixed it? Bizzare.

    Odd, but glad it's working.

    4dm3dwuxq302.png
  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    Yeah, not gonna question that too much, as long as it works.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    A friend of mine introduced me to Alchemy for WP7 (he has it on Android).

    Thankfully, there's a free version. The last thing I need is to spend another $4 on a cell phone game. It's getting ridiculous.

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    That is the one thing I miss from Android. Free app of the day from Amazon spoiled me and now WP7 games/apps are actually priced normally, if not a bit expensive compared to games on iOS/Android.

    On the other hand, the phone came with Office, Zune, and SMS/Email apps that are top-notch so I don't need to buy anything for those. So the built in stuff is well worth it, but I definitely use the trials to determine if I should spend money on them or not.

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  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    So, to gripe a bit:

    Wifi calling.

    Some providers, like T-Mobile, have been sitting on this stuff for a year or more. It's on their Android and Blackberry models (in the case of T-Mobile). The biggest obstacle, it would seem, is WP7 itself. With no word of 7.5 implementing it either, it looks like Microsoft just doesn't care for the whole idea.

    Bummer.

  • DaltonCarlDaltonCarl Registered User regular
    edited September 2013

    DaltonCarl on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    Yeah, while I LOVE WP7's design and capability and how it works, I do wish there was some expanded function available for it. Custom alerts for texts, alerts for new items on the "Me" tile (like Facebook comments, twitter mentions, etc), tethering (which Verizon would disable anyway, but hey, I'd still like it), and Wifi calling would be nice.

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  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    My Me tile gets those sort of notifications...

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    My Me tile gets those sort of notifications...

    I mean audible notifications. I'll turn my phone on and see 5 notifications on my Me tile, and won't have a clue that people have been commenting on a post I made for the past hour. While not being distracted every time that happens, sometimes I wish I would get the notification. Unless there's a way to set that?

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  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    If you pin certain people to the start menu you can see their latest update without checking your profile.

    I would love toast notifications for Facebook alerts and custom alerts. These are oft mentioned issues to the WP7 dev team (and they have a fairly large following on the WP7 "suggestion box" website) so I'm pretty sure that our guys at Microsoft are going to include it in a further update.

    Also, it seems to be as time passes by that the Tango update(s) are getting increasing amounts of features. At first the update was for out-of-American markets and cheap form factors/low end cell phones. Now I've heard NFC, LTE, Skype, and even higher resolutions. I was under the impression that Tango was going to be the 2nd iteration of NoDo, but considering the good possibility of the Nokia 900 and 719 making their way to the CES where MS is revealing the Tango update for the first time I'd like to think that it may be incorporating even more features that we don't know about.

    Maybe its the way Android and iOS copped so many features from Mango because we all knew about them beforehand that MS has decided to keep their mouths shut and just kick this thing out. Or maybe it's because it is NoDo part II. I dunno...

    And Apollo in mid-June is the latest rumor making the go around. If WP7 can continue this cycle (Less than 6 months between updates) I'll be a happy camper.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    DaltonCarl wrote:
    I have US Cellular, and no matter the phone you cant tether, nor make calls or anything of the sort soley through Wifi.

    No iPhone model supports it. The fact that it's been available for other T-Mobile phones for this long just pisses me off more.

  • StarfuckStarfuck Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2011
    I have a spare Surround for dev and so far I really like it, but a major piece missing for me is a decent ebook reader. The kindle app does it's thing perfectly, but I'm in need of a solid ePub reader. I tried Freda, but it jumbles up text and I don't like that it stores my DropBox pw in plain text in the app. Any suggestions? For the amount of reading I do in my vanpool, I'll pay for a good app.

    Starfuck on
    jackfaces
    "If you're going to play tiddly winks, play it with man hole covers."
    - John McCallum
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Can anyone suggest a video format converter besides Format Factory to convert video files? I love FF to death, but it insists on crashing when you open up the options menu for a certain type of MKV after its subtitles have been removed in MKVmerge (and FF won't let you turn off subtitles it can't detect, so that's not an option).

  • amnesiasoftamnesiasoft Thick Creamy Furry Registered User regular
    I usually use HandBrake for encoding DVDs, but it also supports plain video files as far as I can tell. Maybe give HandBrake a try?

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  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Because CES is an infuriating few weeks away, I think I'll go ahead and tease people with what people are thinking is the Lumia 900.
    14-Nokia-Lumia-900.jpg

    I mean, if someone went through the trouble of making a disproportionate render of the 800 and then photoshopped it to look like a spycam pic, then well whatevs. But if this is the 900 then it's exactly what me (and the wife) have been waiting for.

    Well, for different reasons. I want a 900 because I love the polycarbonate construction and WP is my daily phone. She hates Blackberry, Android, and iOS and wants a pink smartphone that she can pin groups of Facebook contacts to the main screen.

  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    Also, I think I saw on WPcentral that that phone might be titan big? There's another shot of something that looks like the 800 that looks like a titan compared to the hand holding it. That'd be pretty snazzy.

  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Not sure, but the rumors are a 4.3 inch screen.

  • SilkyNumNutsSilkyNumNuts Registered User regular
    I suppose that'd be big enough, but I'm spoilt now by the titan. Not that I'd be getting one anyway, so it's a moot point.

  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    edited December 2011
    Yeah. It's going to be tough for me to decide.

    If, and this is IF, Nokia puts out a 900 in the US and the reviews support it as a good decision, it's probably going to be my phone. Nokias with moving parts have never really been favorable to me, but solid-body construction is their strong point. I simply can't pass up a high-end Nokia WP7 possibly with Tango already in the guts.

    Though, if I were to pass one up, it'd probably be for a Titan or Focus S. I guess I'm fortunate enough to have to decide between three killer phones and not worry about software updates (I'm looking at you, Galaxy S).

    jungleroomx on
  • ArchsorcererArchsorcerer Registered User regular
    XBL - ArchSilversmith

    "We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    I'd love for there to be high-end WP7 device on tmo. I can understanding not wanting to put one out (WP7's strength is in its appeal to people who don't want a super-powerful phone), but I'd still like to have one.

  • Lucky CynicLucky Cynic Registered User regular
    There really isn't much support for Windows phone on Tmobile which is a shame.

    I still love my HTC HD7, mostly because it has yet to genuinely piss me off which seems like everyone's phones are doing.

  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    3 new LTE phones coming to ATT next year in the first half. One of em is Nokia, probably the 900.

  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    the problem with windows phone support is that every phone is essentially the same, so why have a million different options? I'd still like to see a tmo high-end model, along side the two low-end models that will be out by mid january

  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Why not have a million different options? Well, not a million, but brand recognition helps.

    Not everyone needs a FFC, not everyone wants a 4.7 inch screen (or 3.7), and as long as they keep pushing out budget-conscious models, midrange phones, and high-end ones, more potential people have more needs met.

    With Tango, hardware differentiation will be even larger between low-end phones produced in numbers and high-end beastphones.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    Welp, looks like AccuWeather for WP7's live tile function has decided to stop working. Again. Great. At least on my Venue Pro.

    Shame too--last time this happened was before the Mango update. Uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting the phone, none of it seems to help. Need to find a new weather app (or get used to knowing what the weather was 3 hours ago).

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    Synthesis wrote:
    Welp, looks like AccuWeather for WP7's live tile function has decided to stop working. Again. Great. At least on my Venue Pro.

    Shame too--last time this happened was before the Mango update. Uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting the phone, none of it seems to help. Need to find a new weather app (or get used to knowing what the weather was 3 hours ago).

    I've yet to find one where the Live tile is actually usefully recent.

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  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    Weatherbug seems to be fairly on-point, but of the weather apps just seem to lag when it comes to Live tiles.

    What I'd also like to see is an alert on my facebook icon for notifications. Dang it.

  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    ArcSyn wrote:
    Synthesis wrote:
    Welp, looks like AccuWeather for WP7's live tile function has decided to stop working. Again. Great. At least on my Venue Pro.

    Shame too--last time this happened was before the Mango update. Uninstalling and reinstalling, restarting the phone, none of it seems to help. Need to find a new weather app (or get used to knowing what the weather was 3 hours ago).

    I've yet to find one where the Live tile is actually usefully recent.

    Accuweather's is damn useful--when it works. Same for Weather Channel. And the 'Me' icon (not an App, granted) can be handy.

    Very few of the apps I've downloaded actually have Live tile support, in retrospect.

  • ArchsorcererArchsorcerer Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    The Ace is going to AT&T. I want a purple one.

    Archsorcerer on
    XBL - ArchSilversmith

    "We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    Ugh. How hard can it be to make a phone that works on different carriers! The Galaxy S and S2 did it. iPhone did it. Why don't they see they need a flagship phone released on all carriers? Microsoft, you're competing against Apple and Google, you need to bring out the big guns and make yourself a viable option on every carrier..

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  • AyulinAyulin Registered User regular
    I think it's more of whether or not the carriers themselves want the phone (or if the manufacturers can make a deal with carriers that would see them be non-exclusive). The carriers seem to have the upper hand, since Microsoft doesn't have the same muscle Apple or Google do in terms of the popularity of the platform; the carriers would be hard-pressed to refuse the next iPhone or Nexus-line phone, but probably don't feel the same way about a WP7 device.

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  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Venue Pro does. AT&T and T-Mobile.

    But yeah, I think Apple is the only company that has the upper hand here (which they used to fuck consumers into AT&T for years, apparently). Lots of models of Android phones, at least in my memory, are only available for one carrier. As with WP7, we're talking minuscule differences between a two HTC devices, but they are not interchangeable in any case.

    Synthesis on
  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    edited January 2012
    Synthesis wrote:
    Venue Pro does. AT&T and T-Mobile.

    But yeah, I think Apple is the only company that has the upper hand here (which they used to fuck consumers into AT&T for years, apparently). Lots of models of Android phones, at least in my memory, are only available for one carrier. As with WP7, we're talking minuscule differences between a two HTC devices, but they are not interchangeable in any case.

    Well I wouldn't expect an interchangeable device, but at least take the same design, toss a different antenna and radio chip in it, and release it on another carrier. It boggles my mind how little manufacturers do this. Maybe it's a carrier thing, but not like we'll ever really know.

    I would imagine it would save a lot on casing costs, design, and anything else as it could be essentially shared up to the radio/antenna.

    ArcSyn on
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  • jungleroomxjungleroomx It's never too many graves, it's always not enough shovels Registered User regular
    ArcSyn wrote:
    Ugh. How hard can it be to make a phone that works on different carriers! The Galaxy S and S2 did it. iPhone did it. Why don't they see they need a flagship phone released on all carriers? Microsoft, you're competing against Apple and Google, you need to bring out the big guns and make yourself a viable option on every carrier..

    Verizon turned down the Lumia 900 and Titan II.

  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    ArcSyn wrote:
    Ugh. How hard can it be to make a phone that works on different carriers! The Galaxy S and S2 did it. iPhone did it. Why don't they see they need a flagship phone released on all carriers? Microsoft, you're competing against Apple and Google, you need to bring out the big guns and make yourself a viable option on every carrier..

    Verizon turned down the Lumia 900 and Titan II.

    Ok, so Verizon is an idiotic company when it comes to phones, but what about T-mobile and Sprint?

    (And yes, I wish I could switch from Verizon at times, but considering I'm mooching off a family plan that isn't likely to happen anytime soon unless the whole family switches)

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