
And the world's resonse.
To a phone does not even have Windows 3.1 features like Copy and Paste and Multitasking....
http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/forum114/extensions/InlineImages/image.php?AttachmentID=1109
UK mobile phone network operators will start selling Windows Phone 7 handsets tomorrow. Orange will be offering the HTC 7 Mozart and the Samsung Omnia 7 - the latter shared with T-Mobile and Three. Vodafone has the HTC 7 Trophy, and O2 the HTC 7 HD. O2's HTC 7 HD O2's HTC 7 HD Orange is trying to tempt buyers at its 155 …
I saw this in HMV at the weekend (not sure what 'arrives in UK shops' given that it was clearly on sale already - although I didn't enquire whether I could have walked out with one).
Whatever the underlying OS is or isn't capable of, it looks like something designed for 5 year olds. huge brightly coloured icons.. maybe suitable for a cheap payg phone but not something I'd want on a smartphone. I'd be embarrased to pull out something like that in a meeting.
It is actually an elegant and intuitive UI, the border on the right serves a purpose along with the small arrow at the top of it which tells the user there is something to be found by sliding the screen to the left, it makes a lot of sense and really doesn't detract from the appearance.
As for lacking certain features in the first release, lets face it thats how EVERY manufacturer does thing, doesn't matter what the features are, it's all about a trickle of updates, Apple is by far the worst culprit for this, things only just becoming commonplace that many people believed should have been there from the start, didn't hurt Apple much did it? It is purely prejudice that will hold back WindowsPhone7 some based on the admittedly dire WinMo6.1 and earlier OS's. But it is a worthy attempt and one that deserves to succeed.
Second only to WebOS in terms of usability in my opinion! Which incidentally is the ONLY mobile OS that has TRUE and USEFUL multitasking and has since release! The multitasking experience on my Android 2.1 phone is pretty much pathetic, and the same can be said of the iPhone so it is not something I feel I will miss in Windows Phone 7!
Err... fanboi alert! :)
"Second only to WebOS in terms of usability in my opinion! Which incidentally is the ONLY mobile OS that has TRUE and USEFUL multitasking and has since release!"
Obviously you haven't used (or probably even heard of?) Maemo. It's by a little company called Nokia.
It seems that we're finally at the stage where all new phones are being pushed as 'free' as long as you sign up to two year / 24 month contracts at £35 - 40 a month. It's been sneaking in for a while but all the WP7 phones I've seen so far are like this, hardly a good idea when it's such an unknown entity.
Spoke to Orange earlier about upgrading my handset, they offer a loyalty program which allows existing customers to get better deals than those advertised. One point he was clear on is that I would be able to have the handset for free without extending my contract for 24 months. He wasn't able to give me pricing but he reckoned because of the loyalty program and my usage I could get the phone and end up paying less than the £35 a month I currently pay.
Worth pointing out these things, I reckon other operators must offer similar loyalty programs which will allow the curious amongst you to pick up a WP7 handset for free without having to get a second contract. Afterall if you're staying with one operator with no plans to switch in the near future then it's effectively a free handset.
If we don't like it we just switch back to our previous phone, but at least it puts us in a position of being able to say "I've tried it, here's my valid opinion based on first-hand experience" ;)
iPhone has Mac fans and other hip types. And lots and lots of people who want an easy/shiny smartphone experience and the Apple brand.
Android has geeks and customisers, and lots and lots of people who also want easy/shiny smartphones, some of whom know about the google involvement.
Nokia has hoards of loyal Nokia customers who still have some sort of niggling idea in the back of their heads that Nokia means capable and reliable.
RIM has business in its pocket.
Where does windows fit into this market? Are they trying to poach the "oooh shiny and simple" customer base from iPhone and Android? Because they're not going to get many geeks and MS doesn't have the cool factor of Apple.
Actually, MS doesn't have the cool factor of an old pair of tweed slippers.
Agreed. Mac users buy iPhones because they're already happy with one Apple platform, everyone else buys iPhones for the reasons you cited and no-one from the 'everyone-else' crowd is going to buy a Windows Phone 7 device.
This leaves users of other Microsoft platforms and software who, unlock like the Mac crowd, are mostly dissatisfied with, in particular, Windows (as well as Office and the likes).
No stores anywhere around the 2 towns we visited today had any WinPho 7 devices. Seems that either the shops weren't bothered or the deliveries are all running late...
I wanted to at least try out a couple of devices before I judged, but since I couldn't find any I guess I'll wait a few weeks.