Windows Phone 7: Why It's a Disaster for Microsoft

[MorganX]

The truly sad part about the Anti-MS sentiment and fanboyism, is WP7 defintely exceeded my expectations. I make my living in IT with lots of MS products as well as Open Source, and I own and Droid and iPhone 4. WP7 is so much more responsive and useable. They really nailed it. Try it for one day, and you'll be sold.

I've also discovered Zune which is a great piece of software. Much better than iTunes IMO, which feels like a huge piece of slow malware sometimes. It should replace WMP in Windows.

The people hub and live tiles, there's so much, yet I have to do so little. I can't wait till this matures because right now it's 9/10. I don't throw away investments easy but my iPhone is dead weight now, and I loved it.

Oh, and I can toggle bluetooth and wifi with 3 taps without a third party app. tap, tap, tap (put your settings tile on home screen). One thumb for all the FM Radio control (if you have a Focus). Really sweet. Just go try one for yourself.

[Samurizer]

If you buy a pencil looking for a pencil and come to find out it doesn't write in ink, that isn't a shortcoming.

It is a shortcoming if a sizable proportion of users expect it to, and other competing pencils can.

Unlike a Nintendo DS or something, a smartphone is inherently not a consumer-only device, and it's not like "consumers" and "corporate users" are distinct subsets that don't overlap each other either, plenty of people are both. By not designing for corporate users, Microsoft is essentially sidelining a large number of consumers as well. They probably have good reasons, but I'm not seeing it.

[MorganX]

So yeh Microsoft omitting things like copy and paste, full exchange support

Even on my iPhone I have never used c/p. I hear some people do, I'm sure they'll add it in time just to have it. Speaking of Exchange, sending with high priority actually means something now. How sweet is the "urgent" messages tile in WP7's outlook? Now I can tell everyone, stop flagging every email as high priority, when I go to the urgent tile, I expect it to be urgent dammit!

[spudtrooper]

It is a shortcoming if a sizable proportion of users expect it to, and other competing pencils can.

Unlike a Nintendo DS or something, a smartphone is inherently not a consumer-only device, and it's not like "consumers" and "corporate users" are distinct subsets that don't overlap each other either, plenty of people are both. By not designing for corporate users, Microsoft is essentially sidelining a large number of consumers as well. They probably have good reasons, but I'm not seeing it.

Did you completely miss the demographics of the product? This isn't a smart phone for people who want to hack their device - its being marketed to the "pro-sumer" who wants to have a "smart" phone and get on with his/her life. Have you not seen the commercials? That doesn't mean its lacking in comparible features either, its just not the initial market (and wisely so)

I'm sure the "corporate back end" will come in time but that certainly isn't the starting point for this phone and MS realized its easier to build a new market around new users than to try and convince the entrenched users who are already committed to a product/brand.

Its a phone that will convince the bazillions of non smart phone users why they need a smart phone and its so easy to use and seem less it may just pull it off.

[Subject Delta]

Whilst I will agree that WP7 has a lot of drawbacks this line:

The result is that Apple's iPhone -- which started as a consumer device -- is now the second most secure device after the BlackBerry, and it's gaining trust at financial institutions, hospitals, and other regulated businesses, while Windows Phone 7 can't even be considered. How stupid was that decision?

Indicated either a stupid reviewer, or a biased article. Bearing in mind the considerable ease with which every single iOS release gets jailbroken i'd hardly call the iOS security stellar.

[George P Global Moderator]

I don't know why the "it's a 1.0 so of course it lacks things" argument isn't valid by some. And also why some people thing MS can't add the things they're missing back quicker than it took Apple or even Google to do? If the 1.0 argument isn't valid for MS why did it apply to Android? Wasn't android missing loads of stuff? Didn't it take till v2.0 to finally start showing what it could do? By that logic wasn't Android also "late to the party/game/market" or "too little too late" because the iPhone had such a huge lead over everything else a year ago when the first android handsets shipped?

What is it with this constant double standard when it comes ot MS, and why is it everyone else seems to get a free pass on the same issues? Look at the facts, Android was lacking lots of things at first, and was "way behind" others yet, oh look, it's a year later and it's fighting and taking over the top spot. Why can't MS also have WP7 at that spot a year from now?

[Soulsiphon]

Even on my iPhone I have never used c/p. I hear some people do, I'm sure they'll add it in time just to have it. Speaking of Exchange, sending with high priority actually means something now. How sweet is the "urgent" messages tile in WP7's outlook? Now I can tell everyone, stop flagging every email as high priority, when I go to the urgent tile, I expect it to be urgent dammit!

Psst. Don't waste the breath trying to remind people that iPhone launched without:

- cut/copy/paste

- a full homescreen of icons

- iTunes store

- App store

- MMS (had to receive mms in the form of a web-link in a sms, then go hand type that into a web browser and login because ya know, no cut/copy/paste)

A better article would have been how minor WP7 fail is at launch compared to the epic fail that was iOS at launch.

[spudtrooper]

I don't know why the "it's a 1.0 so of course it lacks things" argument isn't valid by some. And also why some people thing MS can't add the things they're missing back quicker than it took Apple or even Google to do? If the 1.0 argument isn't valid for MS why did it apply to Android? Wasn't android missing loads of stuff? Didn't it take till v2.0 to finally start showing what it could do? By that logic wasn't Android also "late to the party/game/market" or "too little too late" because the iPhone had such a huge lead over everything else a year ago when the first android handsets shipped?

What is it with this constant double standard when it comes ot MS, and why is it everyone else seems to get a free pass on the same issues? Look at the facts, Android was lacking lots of things at first, and was "way behind" others yet, oh look, it's a year later and it's fighting and taking over the top spot. Why can't MS also have WP7 at that spot a year from now?

No idea :)

Hopefully in early 2011 when its 1.01 with cut & paste and bing navigation all of this nonsense will be squashed.

[mad_onion]

You're going to be able to pick holes in any os especially one that just came out. iOS still has quite basic missing features after all these years, it doesn't make it a disaster. When you write a real review you have to look at the whole picture not just pick and choose what you don't like.

[Samurizer]

Did you completely miss the demographics of the product?

Did you completely miss what I was talking about for almost the entirety of my last post?

If the 1.0 argument isn't valid for MS why did it apply to Android?

What makes you think it does?

[GayWolf]

Psst. Don't waste the breath trying to remind people that iPhone launched without:

- cut/copy/paste

- a full homescreen of icons

- iTunes store

- App store

- MMS (had to receive mms in the form of a web-link in a sms, then go hand type that into a web browser and login because ya know, no cut/copy/paste)

A better article would have been how minor WP7 fail is at launch compared to the epic fail that was iOS at launch.

Quick reality check: Microsoft launched Windows 1.0 in 1985, without many of the features that people currently consider to be essential features to have in an OS. Now, if instead of releasing that basic feature-lacking OS in 1985, Microsoft released it now, tried to commercialize that product and have it compete against far better choices, would you choose to go with Windows?

[Mr. Gibs]

Quick reality check: Microsoft launched Windows 1.0 in 1985, without many of the features that people currently consider to be essential features to have in an OS. Now, if instead of releasing that basic feature-lacking OS in 1985, Microsoft released it now, tried to commercialize that product and have it compete against far better choices, would you choose to go with Windows?

Quick reality check. iOS and Android both launched with maybe 1/15th of the features Windows Mobile had. How is it that 3 years later, iOS is the most popular, Android is second, and Windows Mobile is wayy down there.

Quick reality check number 2. Comparing a product from 1985 and one from 2010 is pretty dumb. I mean a 3 year difference sure it makes sense since there hasn't been any major major technology leaps in those 3 years...but 25 years

ago?

Quick reality check number 3. Look in the mirror, see any green tinges on your body?

[Subject Delta]

I don't know why the "it's a 1.0 so of course it lacks things" argument isn't valid by some. And also why some people thing MS can't add the things they're missing back quicker than it took Apple or even Google to do? If the 1.0 argument isn't valid for MS why did it apply to Android? Wasn't android missing loads of stuff? Didn't it take till v2.0 to finally start showing what it could do? By that logic wasn't Android also "late to the party/game/market" or "too little too late" because the iPhone had such a huge lead over everything else a year ago when the first android handsets shipped?

What is it with this constant double standard when it comes ot MS, and why is it everyone else seems to get a free pass on the same issues? Look at the facts, Android was lacking lots of things at first, and was "way behind" others yet, oh look, it's a year later and it's fighting and taking over the top spot. Why can't MS also have WP7 at that spot a year from now?

Maybe, the point you are missing is that Android actually had more features than it's initial competitor, iOS when it launched. It already had C+P it already had MMS support, and it already had multitasking. If you look at how Android has evolved over the last 3 years, and compare it with what Microsoft have came up with after 3 years it's easier to understand why WP7 is such a lame duck.

[Mr. Gibs]

Maybe, the point you are missing is that Android actually had more features than it's initial competitor, iOS when it launched. It already had C+P it already had MMS support, and it already had multitasking. If you look at how Android has evolved over the last 3 years, and compare it with what Microsoft have came up with after 3 years it's easier to understand why WP7 is such a lame duck.

And it took the iPhone 3 years to add those basic things, well 1-2 for MMS 3 for the rest. That didn't dent it sales did it?

[jakem1]

Quick reality check: Microsoft launched Windows 1.0 in 1985, without many of the features that people currently consider to be essential features to have in an OS. Now, if instead of releasing that basic feature-lacking OS in 1985, Microsoft released it now, tried to commercialize that product and have it compete against far better choices, would you choose to go with Windows?

:rolleyes:

[Manish]

I don't know why the "it's a 1.0 so of course it lacks things" argument isn't valid by some.

Simply because WP7 isn't competing with Android and iOS of yesteryear. Consumers won't care if iOS and Android in their infancy didn't have x, y and z features.

Having said that, I would love to see WP7 (awesome UI) mature and take a comfortable, yet competitive position in the market.

[treemonster]

this thread reminds me of x new mmo vs wow of today not wow at launch arguments. lolz

[Simon Veteran]

I think the biggest problem with WP7 at this point is the browser. I mean... they're shipping IE7's engine on it, right?

It would be one thing to have such a browser on the desktop, where web applications are already largely held back by IE7 anyway. But Microsoft is entering a market where WebKit is king, and mobile web developers have been using that to their advantage. Just take the mobile version of Neowin as an example: we developed that with a focus on the majority of the mobile devices out there. It works beautifully on BB OS 6, WebOS, Android, iOS, and Nokia phones. It does not work (yet) on the newest mobile OS, WP7, because the browser engine is from 2006 - and in 2006, most web developers were shocked at how bad it was.

I mean... that's unacceptable. Simple as that. No one has designed mobile web applications for IE in the past few years, because the lowest common denominator for the majority of phones was WebKit.

If Microsoft doesn't port the IE9 engine over to WP7 once it's finished, I don't know how they're going to survive on the web app front.

Multitasking, copy and paste... we know all of that is coming. But on my phone, I spend most of my time calling, sending texts, and browsing. This phone can only really do two of those things well.

[Subject Delta]

And it took the iPhone 3 years to add those basic things, well 1-2 for MMS 3 for the rest. That didn't dent it sales did it?

With Apple, if it's an iWhatever it will sell. Microsoft just don't have that same presence in the mobile device market.

[Melfster]

All the reviews I have read from various sites been pretty positive. The main problem with Windows Phone launch has to do more with the carrier its launching with in the US rather then OS itself. It will have to add features both match its other two rivals and surpass Android before mass adoption takes place. Right now the basics are covered but it's still missing some key features. Although it is launching late, There is definitely room for another smart phone in the market. The reason Android has been such a success is because there are multiple vendors selling on multiple carriers, WP7 will be like this also. Right now most phones in market that being sold are feature phones. Once we transition to having most phone on the market being smartphones that leaves a lot of growth. Of all the other mobile OS available besides android and ios, I feel WP7 has the greatest chance to succeed. It is in between the free for all of android and the locked down nature of the Apple and the iPhone. I think there is probable only room in the market for 3 major mobile OSs. Nokia, Blackberry and HP/Palm are really in bag of hurt because they build there own devices , it will be very hard for them to attract the critical mass of developers needed to sustain smart phone platform.

[Mr. Gibs]

I think the biggest problem with WP7 at this point is the browser. I mean... they're shipping IE7's engine on it, right?

It would be one thing to have such a browser on the desktop, where web applications are already largely held back by IE7 anyway. But Microsoft is entering a market where WebKit is king, and mobile web developers have been using that to their advantage. Just take the mobile version of Neowin as an example: we developed that with a focus on the majority of the mobile devices out there. It works beautifully on BB OS 6, WebOS, Android, iOS, and Nokia phones. It does not work (yet) on the newest mobile OS, WP7, because the browser engine is from 2006 - and in 2006, most web developers were shocked at how bad it was.

I mean... that's unacceptable. Simple as that. No one has designed mobile web applications for IE in the past few years, because the lowest common denominator for the majority of phones was WebKit.

If Microsoft doesn't port the IE9 engine over to WP7 once it's finished, I don't know how they're going to survive on the web app front.

Multitasking, copy and paste... we know all of that is coming. But on my phone, I spend most of my time calling, sending texts, and browsing. This phone can only really do two of those things well.

Who said you can't make a web browser on Windows Phone 7? It's not like you're going to be forced to use IE. Developers are allowed to use native code if their applications need it, you just have to contact Microsoft before hand and inform them of your requirement.

And as for mobile web, I personally hate going to a website and getting forced to look at a mobile version...I think its just stupid but that's just me. Btw please fix neowin mobile for opera mobile =P

[Simon Veteran]

Who said you can't make a web browser on Windows Phone 7? It's not like you're going to be forced to use IE. Developers are allowed to use native code if their applications need it, you just have to contact Microsoft before hand and inform them of your requirement.

And as for mobile web, I personally hate going to a website and getting forced to look at a mobile version...I think its just stupid but that's just me. Btw please fix neowin mobile for opera mobile =P

But no such browsers exist yet - and even if they did, we would still have to target IE, because that's what most WP7 users will use for the next while.

As for Opera... maybe :p

[aftas]

This article could also be titled

"I'm an Apple and iPhone fanboy and will hate anything by MS without even trying it. And if someone forces me to review one, I will only look at the flaws and ignore everything else, just like i ignore all the flaws of my perfect device"

At least it sums up the whole "article" if you want to call it that. but I'm sure the WP7 haters will hang on to this like flies to fresh dog crap. that's the purpose of it anyways.

+1

It just goes on to write unbased opinions on the future.

[WindowsFanatic]

Windows Phone 7 is by far the best smartphone OS EVER in terms of UI and features. It will DESTROY iPhone and Android within a couple of years..... just like XBox 360 has destroyed PlayStation, and Internet Explorer destroyed Netscape Navigator.

[Subject Delta]

Windows Phone 7 is by far the best smartphone OS EVER in terms of UI and features. It will DESTROY iPhone and Android within a couple of years..... just like XBox 360 has destroyed PlayStation, and Internet Explorer destroyed Netscape Navigator.

And like Internet Explorer is being destroyed by Chrome and Firefox now?