Thoughts Of Windows Phone 7 So Far By: Doug Smith

August 8, 2010 | By WenWP

After I posted my thoughts towards the hardware we know of so far for Windows Phone 7, I asked for some thoughts from others. Here is one from one of my personal friends whose name is Doug S, and he is the owner of MobilityDigest.com. He sent in his email giving us quite a bit of information about his background with Windows Mobile and what he thinks of Windows Phone 7 so far.

Anyways, here is what he had to say:

No one stays more disappointed with Microsoft Windows Mobile Phone than Microsoft Windows Phone owners. I do not think that Android and iPhone have all the hardware advances. Case in point, my beloved Telstra HD2. It has a 1GHz processor, a awesome 4.3 WVGA Screen, 5 megapixel camera, and tons of memory with a storage card increase. The Incredible has a 8 megapixel camera, and the iPhone has 720 HD video recording, a smaller but better screen. So I would argue that any one of these are “better” than the other with any margin of victory. The difference is MARKETING. iPhone wins by a country mile hands down. Android has done very well, Windows Mobile is an EPIC FAIL! The WP7 does not need to have earth shattering hardware advances, the iPhone NEVER did over Windows Mobile devices. What it did was:

Worked very well

Easy to use

Better Internet Browser (skyfire might have been more powerful, and Opera comparable, but generally speaking they SUCK on Edge)

Tons of apps to keep people coming back for more and SPENDING money.

Superior Marketing

Company strategy that placed it’s Brand in an elite status (Microsoft Windows appeal is low cost to the masses)

Major Carrier investment (AT&T)

I have been in Tons of Apple Stores and AT&T Stores and NEVER did I hear a iPhone customer ask if it’s faster than Windows Mobile or even COMPARE it to Windows Mobile. The people that buy Windows Mobile already knew about it and what they wanted. RARELY do I ever see a WinMo Owner that bought it because it looked better. They are too friggin expensive for impulse buying. So let’s look at that point. Cost. Apple and Windows Mobile generally have a higher price point. Most often really similar in basic cost at about 200 dollars with 2 year contract. Tommy, Suzi, Ricky, and Beatrice all have the iPhone. No one I know has a WinMo phone, what are they going to buy? Exactly, the iPhone to keep up with the Jones. Look how many kids have iPhones with no Smartphone knowledge. It is just that ALL their friends have one and it is the “cool” phone to have.

Windows Phone 7 better, and I damn well emphasis this, BETTER be cool, appeal to the masses, and most of all WORK!! So here is the first problem out of the gate. Internet Explorer. EPIC FAIL! Why Microsoft has not fully beefed the application up is beyond me. This is one of the first things WP7 are going to look for when using the device and it is going to be an EPIC FAIL for them. Now I will say the UI, the Zune and XBox integration are going to be a home run. In my opinion, that is what is going to save this Device from utter disappointment.

I have not really talked about Android. Android has done what Windows Mobile has failed to do and with the SAME tools. Android has the same hardware as the latest and greatest Windows Mobile Device and will have the same Hardware as any WP7. No advantage. Carrier support. Yep. Does it work? I would say in my limited time with the Device that all aspects of Android work better than Windows mobile out of the box. They both have HUGE community support, and tons of third party apps. But Android out of the gate kicked WinMo’s ass with marketing. The Motorola Droid campaign is outstanding. I like the progressive feel to Android’s OS with the constant evolution of the OS. Currently 2.2 Froyo is hitting with over the air updates. Has WinMo ever done that . No ah ah.

My opinion is based on my experience in which I have over 8 years of fooling with Windows Mobile and Pocket PC on scores of devices. My experience is tempered I think by the fact I am not a “Tech Guy” with a degree in this field, rather I am a Sales and Marketing guy who works in the High Performance Automotive field. So it is not because I had to have these devices, it is because I WANTED to have these devices. With that, it is these people that WANT these devices, the nOObs as we call them that drive this industry. Money and unit sales are what drives development, not IT guys overclocking the processors, hardware specs, or anything like this. WP7 needs to simply work. no freeze ups, applications open and close, slick UI that is easy to use, and most importantly appeal to consumers. People want to spend their money on devices that other people know and respect. They do not want to spend money on a phone that no one else they know has, or knows anything about. They do not want to spend gazillions of hours reading XDA Developers and being flamed to get the damn thing to work. Now granted we do, but we are the minority.

Windows Phone 7 better work, be easy to use, and have main stream appeal to consumers. Massive advertising campaign with tons of celebrity endorsements to make people want to have one. Then the Carriers support which we know AT&T will at least initially do. I know David has been on a rampage about the apps and ease of which XNA and Silverlight can create them. That’s great. It won’t be enough. The Damn Browser will kill all that cause it will suck ass. Maybe the apps like weather will help, but browsing will still suck. That’s why I am not buying stock in WP7. I am not convinced that they will have the tools to carry it across the finish line. Will I buy one? Hell yeah, but I am seriously concerned that iPhone owners won’t. Remember, they see all the celebrities and their buddies carrying them.

Doug

That is quite a lot, but he clearly says how he feels about the upcoming OS. If you have other views or want to just tell us how you feel about Windows Phone 7 so far, send us an email at [email protected] and I’ll make sure to read it, and most likely post it.

About Wen M

Working for WMPU is awesome. Love to write personal articles, and I do it very often. I am the reviewing editor (self appointed), so you will see alot of reviews and giveaways from me. I own quite a few devices not just Windows Phone but Android and others. I live in Minnesota, USA and love traveling to other places.

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efjay

Well if he hasnt actually used the browser but is just saying it will be bad based on the name alone then I pretty much discount everything else he says because he sounds like he has already formed his opinion that WP7 will fail based purely on the inclusion of IE. And he doesnt even give any reason why IE is bad, save for the fact that it is called IE. This is the kind of blind bias that MS has to overcome and sadly no matter how good WP7 is they just wont be able to see beyond their own biased opinions.
Picklefart

He is an idiot. Internet Explorer is a solid browser in Windows Phone 7. That's been mentioned already in reviews. Watch the engadget video from their podcast last week. That being said regardless of the quality of the browser this article lost all credibility when the phrase "epic fail" was used.

arizona_sk

"The Damn Browser will kill all that cause it will suck ass. "

That's funny. I thought most people agreed that the browser was pretty good.
The thing he doesn't understand is that there's room for iOS and WP7 to grow. For WP7 to be successful, it needn't poach users from Apple. Rather, if a fraction of XBox owners buy the phone, it might be sufficient for now.
http://mobilitydigest.com Matt

Just wanted to let you know Mobilitydigest.com has two dougs and you got the two mixed up. The Doug that wrote this article currently runs the Telstra HD2 on AT&T, so he's got pretty much the baddest ass winmo phone you could get. He's definitely getting a WP7 as well. He's pretty fair other than the obvious predeterminations about IE but it's going to have to overcome bias because IE has sucked for a very long time. If this is the beginning of a new and worth having Internet Explorer then I am all game.

http://www.facebook.com/chris.lynch.hp Chris Lynch

I couldn't agree more with efjay and Picklefart (btw, GREAT name!). I have used both the iPhone browser and WP7 in the simulator. Everything I need in a browser on a mobile device is there with WP7. Also, the fact that IE can be upgraded WITHOUT an OS upgrade is HUGE. Andriod and iPhone cannot do this. From what I have seen so far, MS will have a great lineup of 3rd party app developers releasing QUALITY apps. I do not care if there are are only a few hundred apps when WP7 launches. As developers create applications with Microsoft's brilliant developer tools (and come on, Microsoft is KNOWN for their dev tools to be the best in the industry), more developers will create new content to release to an even bigger audience.

Slayr007

Yeah. He has no experience with the browser on wp7. Also, the inclusion of flash will bring over a sh*t ton of users from iPhone. Also, this guy's opinions are formed on the basis of Windows Mobile not Windows Phone 7. WM did suck. One thing we must remember, though, is it's still Microsoft and we should always expect imperfections. However, with the inclusion of OTA updating in wp7, those updates will be a sh*t ton easier, than the OEM-controlled updating that plagued WM. Also, WP7 has the advantage of having one of the biggest potential demographics if they can sell this phone properly: XBox Live Subscribers. There are more users on XBox live than any other social gaming experience in the world. If they can tap that demographic, I can see a huge growth in WP marketshare. I really hope Microsoft and Co. can properly advertise wp7.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505515024 John Bascom

People who want microsoft to incorporate webkit do not do so because they want MS to have a good browser. I think they want MS to be embarrassed that they incorporated Apple's software tech instead of made their own. From what I can tell, IE renders pages just fine, as far as speed goes, i think the network coverage would have more to do with that than the inherent tech of the browser.. thats going to be the weakest link everytime.

oOo

Furthermore web designers have created mobile pages that are optimized for Webkit (and not standards compliant) and they are fearing that in the future they will have to support IE too (if WP7 becomes popular).

Webkit everywhere would make their live much easier…

okkkk

im a web developer, you are an idiot.

IE is good, webkit is crap made by apple.

Kylie

Good article, but I think Doug misses why the iPhone became popular.

We are moving out of the first generation of computers, controlled by input devices… mouse, trackpad, stylus.

We are moving into the second generation of computing devices, controlled by multitouch.

Apple was the first with multitouch. That was in January 2007. It made iPhone different to anything before it. It gave it appeal. It gave it desire. And it gave Apple an almost 4-year head start on Microsoft. Microsoft is late to the multitouch game, still with no answer to iPhone on the market.

Android arrived on the market in 2008. A 2-year head start on Microsoft.

I believe there will be only 1 proprietary mobile OS in the market. Apple has taken that position.

The only way late-comers can enter the multitouch device market is to go open-source. Open it out as much as possible, and allow others to put their services on that platform (eg, allow others to put their search engine, or app store on that platform).

Microsoft went the other direction with Windows Phone 7. Made it a closed platform. All apps must go via Microsoft's store. WP7 is locked to the hardware with DRM. Only Microsoft services allowed by default. I don't think that'll work. Apple has already sown up that market. It's a losing game to copy Apple at this.

As for the browser, Microsoft could have made its own version of WebKit, but didn't so that Ballmer could save face. Compounding the browser problem, Microsoft has not allowed other browser vendors into Windows Phone 7, by denying them access to the essential native code.

If you don't like what Microsoft did with IE, you cannot escape. You're locked in.

Brianna

The problem with Android is that it is open source. There's a million version of Android out there just like there's a million Linux distro. Android Marketplace doesn't have any quality control and that's why the whole market is full of fart apps.

Windows Phone 7 is late to the market, but it has a powerful weapon against Android, that is quality control. All Windows Phone 7 devices must meet a system requirement so OEMs wouldn't ship the WP7 with underpower hardware. All Windows Phone 7 devices will also get the same updates directly from Microsoft not OEMs so that there's not devices out there stuck on older version because OEMs simple did not want to update them.

WP7 will also provide consistence experience across different devices because OEMs are not allow to customize the UI. This also eliminate any performance problem cause by those interface addons.

Finally, Microsoft will update Internet Explorer and I doubt I will have to wait long before Internet Explorer 9 will be ported to WP7.

GAM3R

@ Brianna, don't forget Meego, the OS could have a real chance to become a strong 3rd place behind Android and iOS. Meego is also much more exciting from a developer point of view because, just like for WebOS, you can write html/js/css apps for it. However, Meego was actually designed for the consumer market. as well Meego is open source.

MeeGo will be survival and very HOTTIE competitive against Wp7 and will stomp wp7 anytime, sooner like iPhone & Android did beat WinMo. no kidding! I can predict a vision of MeeGo is next true competitor

Jamie

@GAM3R. poor guy frothing at the mouth about inconsequential MeeGo. MeeGo hasn't even qualified to be a troll bait:)
Brianna

MeeGo has the potential to be the next Symbian OS, so yes it may be widely use, be that doesn't mean people would consider it "cool" and develop for the platform.
Slayr007

Your an idiot. I'm not completely sure but i'm pretty sure that MeeGo will face the same problem as Android. IT'S TOO OPEN. Also WP7 from a dev standpoint is more exciting because it uses the same code as other MSFT products such as WINDOWS and XBOX 360. This ability to use what's already there is going to be a huge advantage. Sorry but HTML is OUTDATED. C+(iPhones language) and js are extremely too complicated. This is where WP7 really stands out. it uses XNA and Silverlight. XNA is based off of C# which uses less lines of code to do the same thing than C+. And Silverlight allows for more vibrant and visually pleasing apps than any other programming language(excluding it's competition, Adobe Flash) on the market today. What's sad is that iPhone/Pod/Pad apps are programmed using a language that was developed by Microsoft. In a way i think that this could be considered lazy. Oh and btw, the more programming languages you allow on a single phone platform, the messier it's app story gets.

oOo

Android is NOT open source.

True open source would mean that new versions are developed in public toghether with the community and that modifications and customisations by OEM are contributed back (or at least published).

None of this happens with Android. The OS is developed mainly by Goolge in secrecy and only released versions get pushed to the public repository. OEM versions (the OS versions that actually run on hardware and are sold) are not published at all.

This model is more similar to the shared source model of Windows Mobile but shared to everyone on public repositories (they have to because the license (GPL) that most of the open source components they are using forces them to do so).

Durishin

I don't really think that they had a choice.

The reason that iOS and the JesusPhone are successful is not that they are so superior in terms of capabilities – because they are not. Rather, it is because they provide a solid, seamless experience. My 82 y-o mom and 83 y-o dad have iPhones because they work and it's a great experience. Heck. WM6.5 is a great experience – IF YOU LEAVE IT ALONE – but who reading this does that.

Had, M$, though, promoted WM6.5, it would have been a winner – except that M$ didn't control the experience as does Apple. But M$ aren't the manufacturer and the manufacturer wants some buzz too. So M$ is in a no-win situation: they have to share the limelight with the manufacturer. It can be a win-win or a lose-lose depending on the spec of the phone and the UI the manufacturer puts in. Apple controls the entire experience: UI, OS, design (LOL) and manufacture.

M$ has one daunting challenge. The market is the great unwashed who want something cool that works well. I hope they get them. So far they have spent millions convincing us WinMob faithful to love 7. They likely won't be able to hold half of us, then they have to get the the iPhone wanna-haves. Tough space to re-carve out your share.

Will they do it or is M$ the new GM: unable to innovate their way out of a paper bag because there are too many internal stakeholders to please. We will see…

Slayr007

What they need to do is launch a MASSIVE, I mean MASSIVE, Marketing campaign, like the I'm a PC campaign. Something like I'm a PC and now a PHONE, TOO. or something along those lines to advertize the hell out of wp7. That's the whole reason that the zune has such a miniscule marketshare, no advertizing campaign, at all. One commercial with the launch of a truly magnificent feature or piece of h/w(i.e the welcome to the social campaign) and that's it.

chinch

ugh. whatever site that was aped from it was dreadful and unreadable.

i see "braindead" not "deep thought"
GAM3R

You think WP7 everything is going to be on the cloud and would rather have it on the cloud instead of have a hard drive…

You don't realize this vital due to the fact of cap data with your cell companys… Now I know only AT&T is doing this right now, Streaming music & game on a 2 gig data plan everyday for a few hours a day will not last a whole month.

But with the cell providers putting caps on the data I don't see much use of the cloud which make them ruining a full enjoyment of cloud service. For people not on AT&T you might not understand this yet cuz I am on AT&T and just don't get full enjoyment online streaming of movies and music , becuz of teired data.
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/7652/monthlyus…

Brianna

What are you complaining about? If you don't want to use up your data plan, just sync using Zune software; syncing from the cloud is only a bonus feature.
dropqube

Oh look our little Android fanboy is back.
Again with all of his shitty blahblahblahblah.

Dude get a life – you once said you have a fiance? Go spend some time with her instead of trolling websites you douche.

lulztrolled

WOW. Go look at mobility digest now. Doug got his panties in a bunch.

Though he does have a point that the email wasn't from him
yoitsme

htc wp7 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY5P6KvfDcI

hoss805

A++++++ right there

http://twitter.com/expectafight @expectafight

lol, read comments in their entirety, he said that their response (aka wmpu's response) was taken down, which would mean this page.

http://twitter.com/l3it3r @l3it3r

lol, no. There was another post which I replied to. The editor of this site removed it. Page 404 error. here's the link straight from my browser history: http://wmpoweruser.com/thoughts-on-windows-phone-…

http://twitter.com/expectafight @expectafight

This comment has been deleted by the administrator.

This has been the common refrain whenever something gets deleted, nothing else has come up. if you type in http://wmpoweruser.com/youre-story-is-fishy/ you'll get a 404. It's not about taking it down, its about someone having a typo then creating nonsense on top of it. BS that he had to get it cleared by the editors. come on.

http://twitter.com/expectafight @expectafight

I've visited the site every hour on the hour since 3AM eastern, with a slightly longer interval between 7 am and 8:30 am and haven't seen that post at all, added to that, you said that you didn't get a chance to "read the sure-to-be-insane, youtube-like" comments at mobility digest…so how could you have posted something on a dead link? be real with yourself, Chris…
http://mobilitydigest.com/ Doug Simmons

Hi, Doug Simmons here.

@expectafight: Indeed an article did run on your site this morning on what I wrote on our site in response to what was written on your site about what was written by a guy who shares my first name and first initial of my last name, but not necessarily all of my opinions and writing style. Here's the pingback or whatever with some headers in my email: http://mobility.anhistoric.com/wmpowerdenial.png

When an article gets pulled that quickly, safe bet it was an editor kind of guy who decided to pull it for whatever reason, like not stooping to my level or whatever, and not the writer. In case you actually think I forged that, Google the text within it and you'll see that it was in fact posted and pulled. Not that this matters but being called a troll and an ignorant douche by you guys I can live with but not a liar. And parenthetically, pulling your own writers' article, that's a dick move against that writer to be used sparingly.

Toodles…

http://twitter.com/expectafight @expectafight

"well then, as someone who frequents this site" aka the first words that wrote in response on mobility. This isn't my site.

Sad that you don't like Bing. It actually clears your name:
http://cc.bingj.com/cache.aspx?q=jam+that+he+had+…

I do owe you and Chris an apology. I legitimately didn't see the article. I'm sorry.

http://twitter.com/l3it3r @l3it3r

Rock on, no worries

http://twitter.com/expectafight @expectafight

Nah, it's not right. In defending the site, I ended up trolling. That's BS.

chinch

HAND OUT THE DIAPERS & PACIFIERS…. WELCOME LITTLE DOUGGY WUGGY TO DAYCARE

FYI noone even knows or cares what you posted… it's 100% FANBOY DRIVEL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy your web hit boost, the way WEN & co here cross-promote the Jerry Springer re-run is sure to happen again

Fellwalker

Doug is right but I'd have written MARKETING IN MUCH BIGGER LETTERS. i-xxxxx is a huge success, and usablility does come into it. That said, I know people who have bought them because they are labelled as "iPhone" who will be unlikely to ever use them for anything else than making calls. Whenever people see me using my HD2, they ask me "is that an iPhone?". They have heard of iPhone, and have never heard of HTC or HD2, so I just say to them: "no, it''s better".
My sister bought an iPhone because it is a "standard" and has so many apps. Of all those she has, the only one I cannot get on my HD2 is one that tells her which carriage to get on the London tube at any station to be near the exit at the destination station. (regrettably there are now many others available only for the iPhone, even from BBC, its just that she does not have those!) My wife has tried the iPhone and says it is far more usable than my HD2.
I use my HD2 because it is more powerful and I am prepared to put up with occasional freezes so that I can cram more stuff and more varied stuff on to it than i ever could with a small screened gadget like an iPhone.

I do hate the fact that developers and companies are developing for just the iphone, and unless Microsoft get their act together, they will lose out badly. Forget the clever games and demonstration stuff, Joe Public wants funny cheap rubbish like farts and bouncing breasts and vuvuzelas. BTW, all available for your Windows Phone, but with no big fanfare – not newsworthy. Get the useful stuff like bus and tube and train timetables on there. Free maps, geotagged photos, local pubs, shops, petrol stations (with up to date prices). BBC iPlayer and Youtube and Facebook and Twitter. Let users share and swap music and photos – perhaps by touching their phones. Make it really easy. Beat apple at their own game.
iPhone or iPlayer is the equivalent to a hoover meaning a vacuum cleaner. Now it has moved to a Dyson meaning a clever vacuum cleaner, and Hoover is relegated to meaning an old fashioned basic machine. Maybe one day Windows Phone will do that to Apple iPhone.