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Ok, I managed to get my hands on a phone running a beta of Windows Phone 7.
If you have any questions, please ask them here on gdgt and I'll do my best to answer them! Please keep the questions software-related, the handset I have is just test hardware, it's not something that WP7 will actually be shipping on.
Further thinking about WP7 made me want to double check something I had just assumed would work seamlessly.
"How Does WP7 work with Exchange?"
I doubt you would bother with all the effort that Exchange entails to have been able to test the answers to these questions. But on the off chance you have here are some of my more in depth queries
Does WP7 sync OTA to Exchange?
Does WP7 miss any of the regular exchange client features? (eg Server address books, meeting weirdness etc)
Does WP7 support the remote wipe features?*
Does WP7 allow access to public folders?
What happens to your syncing if your AD password is changed?**
*What happens when you activate that? If you do have exchange please only test that if you are *sure* you want to :). The reason I ask is I've had several different reactions from different devices.. the most impressive being a nokia e series device that instant rebooted as a blank phone, and the least being a HTC Hero (android 1.6) that just stopped checking email.
**Some devices keep attempting to sync with the wrong password, and eventually lock the AD account out of the network with too many invalid password attempts.
"How Does WP7 work with Exchange?"
I doubt you would bother with all the effort that Exchange entails to have been able to test the answers to these questions. But on the off chance you have here are some of my more in depth queries
Does WP7 sync OTA to Exchange?
Does WP7 miss any of the regular exchange client features? (eg Server address books, meeting weirdness etc)
Does WP7 support the remote wipe features?*
Does WP7 allow access to public folders?
What happens to your syncing if your AD password is changed?**
*What happens when you activate that? If you do have exchange please only test that if you are *sure* you want to :). The reason I ask is I've had several different reactions from different devices.. the most impressive being a nokia e series device that instant rebooted as a blank phone, and the least being a HTC Hero (android 1.6) that just stopped checking email.
**Some devices keep attempting to sync with the wrong password, and eventually lock the AD account out of the network with too many invalid password attempts.
im not too sure if this falls into what youve already talked about (syncing - or rather un syncing)...If you remote wipe using EMC/ Shell what risks are involved - willa cloud back valuable information up, if you decide what is valuable?
im not too sure if this falls into what youve already talked about (syncing - or rather un syncing)...If you remote wipe using EMC/ Shell what risks are involved - willa cloud back valuable information up, if you decide what is valuable?
Peter, based on what you have do you like OS overall? Is it enough to make you switch, or is the actual phone hardware going to decide it for you? Have you found no multi tasking or copy and paste to be frustrating when coming off an Android or iOS device? I have to say I'm excited for WP7, but I also hope the Hardware follows suit. I want something as nice looking as the iPhone4/Evo/Droid Incredible and X. Hopefully well built with mini HDMI out at least a 5MP camera with 720p recording. What would be even cooler is if it could act as a Mobile Hotspot. Oh to dream...
I'm tired of iOS and my iphone but I find myself not wanting to leave due to the app store. Applications like Air Video, Air Mouse, and Homepipe allow me through servers do awesome things on my iPhone. Games I could care less about but programs like Mint, 1password, Pandora/Last.FM, Ifitness I cannot live without. The Droid X is tempting and so is android, but I like how "easy" it is to sync the iphone not only with my contacts, but my calendar in outlook, tasks in outlook, as well as my music within itunes. I just think android doesn't have that integration and I HATE running 4 different programs to run 4 different things. (That being said I hate Itunes but it works).
So onto my question, how does this phone sync with windows? Will it automatically update contacts via outlook, or even better via skydrive? Again what about my calendar in Outlook? I can make an appointment in my Iphone and have it sync to outlook and vice-versa, I assume WP7 can do the same? Even better can it pull data from Google services or will I have to run google calendar sync to get my calendar from outlook onto google calendar? How is the media player WP7, how does it sync? Will wi-fi sync be available?
So onto my question, how does this phone sync with windows? Will it automatically update contacts via outlook, or even better via skydrive? Again what about my calendar in Outlook? I can make an appointment in my Iphone and have it sync to outlook and vice-versa, I assume WP7 can do the same? Even better can it pull data from Google services or will I have to run google calendar sync to get my calendar from outlook onto google calendar? How is the media player WP7, how does it sync? Will wi-fi sync be available?
For your questions:
Yes, it syncs with Windows, both with your contacts and calendar. This is one thing Microsoft does very very well.
It can sync with Google services, including contacts, mail, and calendar.
Media player is basically Zune with a some changes/enhancements. You use Zune client for media sync.
WiFi sync is available.
Yes, it syncs with Windows, both with your contacts and calendar. This is one thing Microsoft does very very well.
It can sync with Google services, including contacts, mail, and calendar.
Media player is basically Zune with a some changes/enhancements. You use Zune client for media sync.
WiFi sync is available.
Since it can WiFi sync, can it do it while you're charging the phone? I remember this was an issue if you have the Zune docked to base or just connected to a USB charger, you can't sync wirelessly.
Thanks peter. I remembered hearing that Zune software was used to sync media but I was unsure. I actually don't mind Zune that much compared to iTunes. I'm excited for this new interface, but I'm not sure if it's worth the wait. Maybe the next generation? I think no multi-tasking could be an issue though, Like I don't mind not having it on my iPhone 3G, but ALL of the new phones with modern OS's can do some sort of multi-tasking and while that may not be a problem for the general public, they will all wonder why the iPhone and "Droid" can run Pandora in the background and Windows Phone 7 cannot.
You might need to use the Zune software for a while, but in my experience it is far superior to iTunes.
How much storage do you have on the test unit? If your Zune collection is larger than the device, but you have it set to sync all media then how does the software handle this? Does it warn you and let you choose what to sync, or does it put as much as it can and then stop?
Since Zune version 4.2 (I think), the software uses whatever folders you've set for your Music, Photo, and Video libraries in Windows 7. In earlier versions, you'll have to manually specify which folders to keep track of.
The last Zune update also enables a podcasts library in Windows 7 too. Very nice.
Sorry if this is kind of a dense question haha...
When you take pics/videos on the phone how do you get them off? Does synching put them on your computer? Does it allow for some sort of drag n drop? Or is cloud/web services the only way?
I suppose on a related note how is the camera interface/app?
When you take pics/videos on the phone how do you get them off? Does synching put them on your computer? Does it allow for some sort of drag n drop? Or is cloud/web services the only way?
I suppose on a related note how is the camera interface/app?
When you sync with the Zune client your pics and videos will appear there.
The camera app seems ok, not as responsive as iPhone 4, but definitely better than a lot of others I've seen. Lots of settings you can tweak, including AF mode, white balance, different image effects (sepia, negative, etc), contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, wide dynamic range, resolution, etc.
The camera app seems ok, not as responsive as iPhone 4, but definitely better than a lot of others I've seen. Lots of settings you can tweak, including AF mode, white balance, different image effects (sepia, negative, etc), contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, wide dynamic range, resolution, etc.
Oh yeah, will the camera have a standard interface or will this be at the discretion of the manufacturer, kind of like how Samsung is very different than HTC functions?
Is the photo handled like Zune or like a storage device like in Android?
Is the photo handled like Zune or like a storage device like in Android?
depends on if your phone is a 3 year old sanyo or a brand new Droid or iPhone. phones like the older sanyos are incapable of getting pics off of the device without sending them in a mms, whilst device that are new or smartphones can copy information to your computer, like pictures. some devices use software built for them, like the iPhone, while others you can plug in and go to my computer( finder in mac os), open the picture folder in the device on your pc and copy them to your pc, but there is most liokely already SOME form of media software on your pc that will open and try to move the pics for you. Hope i answered your question :)
How is multi-tasking or switching apps on this phone? How about handling phone calls when you're using other app and some calls?
I want to ask if it has a death grip but that's a hardware/manufacturer question.... And there's no use asking about its specs cuz that changes with the manufacturer too...
I want to ask if it has a death grip but that's a hardware/manufacturer question.... And there's no use asking about its specs cuz that changes with the manufacturer too...
Well, multitasking is limited to stuff like the music player, which can run in the background. You don't have anything like the multitasking in Android. Switching apps is pretty easy, and so far everything I've tried has loaded quickly. I wish you could hold down the Windows key and pull up a list of recent apps like you can in Android when you hold down the Home key, hopefully they'll add that at some point.
Will try out calling and using an app, I so rarely make calls that I just haven't done that yet.
Will try out calling and using an app, I so rarely make calls that I just haven't done that yet.
I honestly just multi-task when I'm using the browser, music, email, contacts, and phone functions. Whenever I am done with the other apps, I shut it down (android OS with task manager app.) I'd like to be able to text/email someone and use the browser just to spell check or verify what I'm about to say.
One thing I didn't like about the vibrant was that there was no dedicated button to answer a call and I accidentally press the back button. It somehow seemed to lose all function to answer the ringing incoming call. Does this device have any dedicated button for picking up calls or ending a call or will you have to rely completely on the touch screen (hopefully not do what I did)?
One thing I didn't like about the vibrant was that there was no dedicated button to answer a call and I accidentally press the back button. It somehow seemed to lose all function to answer the ringing incoming call. Does this device have any dedicated button for picking up calls or ending a call or will you have to rely completely on the touch screen (hopefully not do what I did)?
A couple of questions if you get a minute...
Zune software integration: Both the synching and the zune player on the device, done well? No hitches? I remember you use(d) a zuneHD so does it compare favorably as a media device?
Also I hear the OS is a lot of long lists (once again zune HDish). Have you noticed needing to scroll too far one way or another yet? Do you forsee once you get access to a larger app environment that this could be an issue?
Thanks!
Zune software integration: Both the synching and the zune player on the device, done well? No hitches? I remember you use(d) a zuneHD so does it compare favorably as a media device?
Also I hear the OS is a lot of long lists (once again zune HDish). Have you noticed needing to scroll too far one way or another yet? Do you forsee once you get access to a larger app environment that this could be an issue?
Thanks!
They gave me a beta of Zune 4.7 to install, synced the phone with that. Absolutely no issues at all, Win 7 detected the phone and installed drivers in seconds. (Oh, and this is all in Parallels, too!) Syncing music, pics, and video was as easy as it is with a regular Zune. You can also do wireless sync over WiFi, but I haven't tested that yet.
The media app itself is similar to the Zune HD, but not exactly the same. You can't click a hardware button to bring up music player controls like you can with the Zune HD, you have to toggle the volume up or down first and then the controls come up. The buttons that pop up are also a bit small and I found them hard to press accurately.
Navigating menus in the music player takes a little longer, if you want to see your list of music you have to backup to to the top level and then swipe over to the main menu, then drill down into Music. I wish it were more like the Zune HD, which has a column on the left with your currently playing track, history, pinned items, and new items and the column on the right with Music, Videos, Pictures, Radio, etc. But maybe it's something I just need to get used to. I will say that the nav is beautiful!
The media app itself is similar to the Zune HD, but not exactly the same. You can't click a hardware button to bring up music player controls like you can with the Zune HD, you have to toggle the volume up or down first and then the controls come up. The buttons that pop up are also a bit small and I found them hard to press accurately.
Navigating menus in the music player takes a little longer, if you want to see your list of music you have to backup to to the top level and then swipe over to the main menu, then drill down into Music. I wish it were more like the Zune HD, which has a column on the left with your currently playing track, history, pinned items, and new items and the column on the right with Music, Videos, Pictures, Radio, etc. But maybe it's something I just need to get used to. I will say that the nav is beautiful!
It supports all the same codecs as Zune: support.microsoft.com/kb/928192
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Hey Peter, hope you had a safe trip back to NYC!
I got to see the Win Phone 7 at the Seattle event and was pretty impressed with what I saw. It looked very responsive in the reps hands, but it felt like there was a lot of "drilliing down" going on in order to do some of the things she was showing, like placing a contact on the home screen. Are you having this experience navigating through the UI?
I got to see the Win Phone 7 at the Seattle event and was pretty impressed with what I saw. It looked very responsive in the reps hands, but it felt like there was a lot of "drilliing down" going on in order to do some of the things she was showing, like placing a contact on the home screen. Are you having this experience navigating through the UI?
I think in general they wanted to try and present as little info at a time on each page, which does require a bit more drilling down, but it feels like most of the time what you need is presented at the highest level possible. Will need a couple of weeks of use to really get a feel for this though.
