Saturday, November 6, 2010

Is Windows Phone 7 for Me or You This Christmas Season?

Microsoft is trying to get into the smartphone business just like Google's popular Droid phones run on Android.  The only thing is that Windows Phone 7 has nothing to do with Windows.  It is not run on Windows.  And it is the first generation of phone released by Microsoft on the new platform.  It is by most measures release 1.0.  We must quickly say that Microsoft is tinkering with the app phone software in that this release is a new creation, a new design for the company.
If you are used to the features found on Android and iPhone, it will be hard for you to settle for those offered by Windows Phone 7.  You will be surprised to find out that WP7 does not offer the following features:  You can not add new ringtones.  You can not organize your apps in folders.  You can not copy and paste.  You can not send videos as MMS messages.  Forget about video chat. WP7's browser does not allow you to play flash videos.  As far as the HTML5, the new kid on the block, WP7 will not play it either.  It can not even play videos in its own Microsoft's Silverlight format.  Forget about Online news videos, Hulu, youtube and more.

Now what are some of the good features of WP7?
Windows Phone 7 comes equipped with Word, Excel and Powerpoint.  This way, just any Microsoft products, it allows you to be productive.  It is fast or as fast as its competitors.  By paying $15 a month, you can play your music on Zune through the phone.  Based on all of this, I would say this is a Me-too gadget.  The only good thing is the new rethinking of the app software.

Good luck with your new WP7 if you receive it in your Christmas bag!

Here is a summary of the phone's main features:  The Good vs. The Bad

What better place to start than the beginning?
Good

* Responsible for user interface
* Crisp text and graphics (almost like e-Ink)
* Seamless integration of Facebook
* Quick Start from the camera to capture fleeting moments
* Interface clear
* Attractive aesthetic design that calls for a high concept magazine
* Easy Google, Facebook, installing Windows Live
* Think about the elegant, new, eye-candy user interface

The Bad

* Not compatible with external storage
* The lack of cut-paste functionality / (coming in early 2011)
* Does not have WiFi hotspot
* The lack of integration of Twitter (coming soon)
* Finnicky Google integration
* No unified inbox and e-mail thread
Applications * not persist in the background
* Most of the operating system is optimized for vertical view (horizontal orientation is not as ubiquitous as we would like)

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