Posts by WP7Mango 70 publicly visible posts • joined 5 Sep 2012
@Tom 38
"Unbiased truths here from the guy named after the OS running on his phone."
Nope - my Nokia Lumia 925 runs Windows Phone 8, not Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango)
They are in fact totally different. Windows Phone 7.5 was based on the Windows CE Kernel. Windows Phone 8 is based on the NT Kernel.
Windows Phone doesn't crash. It's faster and more reliable than Android and iOS. It also doesn't slow down over time, contrary to your claim. The reason why it doesn't behave like you expect it to is because apart from the name, it bears no resemblance to previous versions of Windows.
So, yes your assessment is false. I accept that it won't change your mind, but at least you can drop your false assessment.
I have a Nokia Lumia 925 and it's pretty awesome actually, especially the camera. I've got rid of my point-and-shoot camera now because it's no longer needed.
I do like the Windows Phone 8 operating system. It's a big improvement over WP7.5 or WP7.8 which I had on my Nokia Lumia 800. I have all the apps I need and thoroughly enjoy using the phone. Most of my family have Nokia Lumias too.
The real benefit of the Windows 8 UI is when you are using it on a hybrid device or a tablet. Most traditional desktop users won't understand these benefits. But as soon as you use one of these new hybrid devices, that's when you really see the benefits of Windows 8.
See, Apple deliberately seperate the tablet from the desktop - there is no crossover. But that means that quite often, Apple users need to carry two devices - an iPad and a Macbook. It also means that an OSX application can't be run on the iPad and an iPad app can't be run on the Macbook.
The benefit of Windows 8 is that it allows you to carry a single device, which can be used as a tablet or as a laptop, or even as a desktop base unit, and you can run both tablet apps and full desktop apps on the same device, as and when you need. It allows you, the user, to opt for the device which best meets your usage scenarios by choosing a suitable hybrid. Some people want a tablet which can be used as a desktop, some want mainly a laptop which can also be used occasionally as a tablet, some want mainly a tablet which can occasionally be used as a laptop, etc etc. Windows 8 is what facilitates this wide choice of devices for different users.
Interesting analogy about buying a vehicle and choosing the engine...
However, that's EXACTLY how the coach industry works. You can choose your body manufacturer and decide what chassis / engine it will run on. The reason you do that is because each engine / chassis manufacturer has pros and cons and so the client purchases the combination that best meets their requirements.
The point is this - many people DO care which operating system they have because they don't all support the applications you might need for your work, or because one operating system is more battery efficient than the other, or because of some other reason, etc etc.
Windows 8 vs Windows 7 is a good example. Windows 8 will give you better performance and more battery life on a laptop than Windows 7. But Windows 8 really needs a touch-screen for optimal usage, so the hardware costs a bit more. It's all about best meeting your requirements and budget.
Yeah, I noticed that too. That's why I don't find this news particularly suprising. It's clearly nothing to do with sales, and even the phrase "modest sales" is incorrect because that was simply an interpretation error in the French interview, which has now been corrected by most online articles (obviously The Register hasn't corrected theirs yet).
Commenters WERE allowed to touch it. Do a search and you'll see several hands-on comparisons (eg The Verge) between the Lumia 920 and competing phones. The Lumia 920 beat all of them by miles, including the iPhone 4S and Samsung Galaxy S3.
As it happens, Microsoft and Nokia have announced that they will be adding more features to WP7.8, including some of the extra stuff coming to WP8. So WP7.5 isn't so dead-end afterall.
I agree! It's not more dangerous.
In a few years time I can see voice calls disappearing completely and being replaced by VOIP. Then contract plans will simply be based on data usage, rather than Calls + Texts + Data (as it is currently). The bandwidth used by Voice and Text can then be freed up for other purposes.
It therefore makes sense to integrate VOIP apps such as Skype seemlessly into WP8, ready for the future!
No, what he's suggesting is that WP8 integrates Skype directly into the People Hub (WP8 Contacts centre), so that Skype can be used in the same way as normal phone calling/receiving would be done.
WP7 and WP8 are not app centric - they are task centric. The idea is that you don't need to worry about what app to use in order to do something, because the task you are doing will use the relevant services that the app exposes for that purpose.
Facebook integration was an excellent example in WP7 where Facebook events were linked to the WP7 Calendar app, Facebook images were automatically pulled and organised into the Pictures Hub along with all your other albumbs, and Facebook communications such as Chat, Likes, Comments etc were incorporated into the People Hub.
In the same way, Skype will integrate seemlessly into the WP8 operating system in a way that it support task-centric activity, as will any other 3rd party app which takes advantage of the WP8 API for this purpose.
That's the point - WP8 does indeed deliver all those things that people now expect, and a whole lot more! That's why WP8 supports Bluetooth and NFC - with one of the data sharing options being Tap and Share for the NFC function.
BTW, custom ring-tones are simple on WP7 - but it requires the media to be saved as a type called Ring Tone in Zune before you can use it as a ring-tone. Apps exist that simplify this whole process. I would expect WP8 simplifies this too.
WP8 is such a huge leap from WP7 that there is virtually no comparison, other than some of the core fundamental concepts such as Live Tiles and Hubs.
I disagree! WP7.5 has certainly given WP8 a spring board. There are several reason why -
1. WP8 now starts with an app store of over 100,000 apps. WP7 started with only 300. And all of those WP7 apps will run on WP8. That's a decent spring board, and the remaing missing big name apps have already confirmed that they will be coming to WP8.
2. Nokia has increased mind-share. It has created phones which are now instantly recognisable - Lumia 800 / 900 / 920. And they stand out from all the competion, whether it's WP or non-WP.
3. All the reviews of the Nokia Lumia 920 show that WP8 combined with innovative hardware and design does make it a game changer. The operating system alone may not be the sole game changer, but the fact that it's no longer limiting what the OEMs can do in terms of hardware design means that they can now innovate on a platform that is safe from litigation, and has already proven to be stable, innovative, and fast. Perhaps most important of all, WP7.5 has a very high satisfaction rating and the same is expected of WP8 based on existing reviews.
The hands-on tests showed that it clearly does work and blows away all the other phones. But this is mostly aimed at low light conditions and for situations where you don't want to (or can't) concentrate to take a still picture. In bright light conditions, I suspect the difference won't be as big.
The floating lens clearly works for video too, and it's probably the floating lens which makes the biggest difference here.
But the point about PureView is that it's the combination of all the new technologies that delivers the quality of the pictures - the floating lens, the F2.0 aperture, the BSI sensor, and the processing algorithms. It's a solid foundation on which to build further improved image technologies in future handsets.
If you read the details, you would know that the dual core processor is 30% more efficient than the quad core. Since battery life is a key factor in smartphones, and Windows phone is known to be highly optimised for performance anyway, then it makes sense to opt for dual core and get better battery life, especially since not having quad core won't compromise the performance of this phone.
@anonymous coward
WP8 actually supports up to 64 cores. Your claims that WP8 is not advanced are just plain laughable, because if you do your research you will see huge advances in this operating system. Many of the features have been revealed weeks ago, but there are many more still to be announced. Let's put it this way - even based on the current known features of WP8, it has already caught up and surpassed the competition.
As for the camera, I guess you have no clue about image quality. The Nokia 920 features a floating lens, which gives real optical image stabilisation. It has an F2.0 aperture - that's best in class and allows 5-10x more light to enter than any other competing smartphone camera. The BSI sensor is the same type as used in the iPhone 4S. Early hands on reviews have already shown just how awesome this camera is. And it's just the beginning!
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