I gonna pick up the LG Optimus 7 because my iPhone officially bores me to tears now. I can pick up the Optimus for €50 euro with a stall discount in December! yay!
Printable View
I gonna pick up the LG Optimus 7 because my iPhone officially bores me to tears now. I can pick up the Optimus for €50 euro with a stall discount in December! yay!
My HTC HD7 should get delivered today :)
Gary
You should get it delivered by Amazon Prime. :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
I'm waiting for release in Canada :) I'll go with the HTC 7 Pro as soon as its available. I like the fact that this one still has a physical keyboard.
Yeah, I thought about that, but having used the HTC HD2 for the last year, I am now sort of used to not having the physical keyboard.
Couple of things really bother me about WP7, like, multitasking only reserved for MS apps, no memory card support, no data connection support (only sync through Zune software)...
What exactly are you referring to here?Quote:
Originally Posted by baja_yu
I find multitasking bad on the iphone, apps stay open all the time and eat my battery life! I heard there are classes in the sdk which handle sudo tasking, ie mimic multitasking by saving/load state from storage.
As for zune, ive used it since it came out, i like the look, i think it may replace media player as the default media centre in windows, also apple seem to do fine with a similar lockdown.
My reservation is the non hot swap with the memory cards but then i cant even change the battery on my hi phone.
As for the model im stuck with the optimus because my country is crap.
Connecting the device in data mode, Windows sees it as a external memory storage, just like when you plug in a USB flash drive.Quote:
Originally Posted by gep13
Actually they don't. In most cases (most apps other than audio or voip apps) they stay in background a very short time (if they don't ask for extension, and that buys them just a little more), and they have lower priority access to system resources. From background they switch to suspended state where the state is preserved but the application doesn't execute any code. So no battery drain there.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
I dunno i find my phone gets visibly worse the more apps i have used over the day. It was fine before the update to multitasking. Still its not a priority feature for me but i take your point.
Ah, I see what you mean.Quote:
Originally Posted by baja_yu
That isn't really a concern for me.
Gary
I have a motorola DroidX and I am pretty happy with it. I do have 2 lines though (other line is a standard dumb phone), and I would consider upgrading my other line to a Win7 phone, however I have a few issues with what I have seen so far.
1) No Outlook sync support. I don't use exchange server, and I don't use hotmail. I don't want to aggregate my stuff into hotmail. I just want my stuff to sync with Outlook. Doesn't even need to be emails (so long as I can use POP3 or IMAP on the phone) but tasks, contacts, and calendar in Outlook I use a ton. Right now I use google calendar sync, which at least will keep my calendar up to date. The rest has all been a manual process. Doesn't seem like Win7 phone brings anything else to the table with regards to this.
2) No carrier support for CMDA carriers. I don't know whos fault this is really, but I have Verizon Wireless, and I would not switch to AT&T (which I find to be totally horrible) just for a phone (idiots do that for iPhones though).
3) No GPS (as in turn by turn direction GPS). I use the free google GPS on my droid and love it. I was paying 10 bucks a month for Verizon's GPS service prior to this phone, but no need anymore. It works really well.
I am happy that VZW announced tiered data, so when I do get my second device, I don't have to pay a full 30 bucks for a data plan on it. I am just not 100% sure that device will be a Win7 phone. Hopefully MS pushing a strong wave of updates to keep building functionality. However as it stands right now, it seems the phone is only fully functional if you run exchange and sharepoint servers that it can connect to.
I believe CDMA Win7Mo phones are in the works... they just weren't done in the initial batch. If I remember right, I'd seen reports that a March time frame was what they were looking for? Verison and T-Mobile are supposed to be the carriers. As for who was responsible for that? The manufacturers... MS only supplied the software, along with the recommended and required hardware specs. From there it was up to the manufacturers. At least that's the way I remember reading it.
-tg
This is what a top Verizon exec said recently:
http://www.electronista.com/articles...verizons.mind/Quote:
When asked about the chances of a Windows Phone 7 device arriving on Verizon's network in the near future, McAdam's response took a more dismissive tone while maintaining secrecy over the company's upcoming handset offerings.
"We like our relationship with Microsoft," he said. "But clearly in the US there are three major mobile operating systems: RIM, Google, and Apple." The executive went on to admit that Verizon does not see Microsoft as a major player in mobile anymore. "Microsoft is not at the forefront of our mind," he added
Got hd7 today and i have to say its a great piece of kit i love it!
Booo!! I am still waiting on getting my delivered. DHL are being a pain in the rear :(Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
Should hopefully have it tomorrow.
If yo want I can send you a video of me using it :D
Grrr!!! :mad:
:)
The only thing I find lacking is the IM, there is none. I thought they may have had a built in application, why don't phone makers have this?
On the plus side its easier to use than I thought and all the usual applications are already waiting to download!
WHAT? The WP7 doesn't come with IM? What the heck? Even my lowly LG has IM (I jsut can't use it due to lack of a data package)...
-tg
What LG tech? I have the Remarq also no data plan. Can't seem to buy just a plan phone any more.
Nope same as iPhone, yet facebook is built in!
the LG CU920... For the most part, I like it. Even comes with TV (if I were inclined to pay for that) and Email capabilities (again, useless to me though since I haven't the data package) ... the big feature I use a lot is the bluetooth... makes it easy to get my pics off the phone and onto my computer.Quote:
Originally Posted by GaryMazzone
-tg
Woo hoo, my neighbour took in my parcel, I have my HD7!! Just setting it up just now.
So, far, I am loving it :)
Meebo and Trillian can IM (multiple protocols) through the browser... but I'm not sure how the browser on the phone would handle it.
There is a Messenger Application in the MarketPlace.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
Okay, this is just plain stupid...
I can't find a way to get the MAC address of the WIFI adapter on the phone, nor can I find a way to allocate a static IP address to the WIFI adapter.
Looks like I am going to have to turn DHCP on in my Router, and use MAC Address filtering to find the MAC address. What were Microsoft thinking?!? This is the one thing that I have found so far that is a big let down with the phone, everything else is so well done!
Gary
Are you sure this isn't hidden behind the battery, along with the phone's serial number and all that extra stuff?Quote:
Originally Posted by gep13
Hmmm, I haven't checked there, so it could be, but I would have still expected it to be visible within the Phones "About" Section, as it normally is. Also, this still doesn't help with not being able to assign a Static IP Address.
Gary
I bet it's DHCP so that it can leap from network to network as it finds them as you travel about.... just a guess.
-tg
That would be my guess as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by techgnome
However, for my home network, I don't use a DHCP server. I can understand why they would do it this way, by default, but I would still expect that there would be an advanced section, where you could tinker with the settings.
Gary
Ok a couple of things:
V1.0.0.0.0...... Applications suck. People have had long enough with the sdk, make some good applications please, I really want to give you my money
Turn the brightness down: The phone is very bright and it eats the battery something shocking.
I need some folders: Yes I am a neat freek
Other than that I love it. I have high hopes for the Flicker application which is gorgous and have no problem paying for it to support development. The MSN application is poo though.
I don't suppose anyone would like to develop an IM client with me? I'm going to start planning it next monday. Hell I have been itching to get some development done! Gep and Mendhak, I'm looking at you guys!
Developers have been avoiding the Phone 7 platform in droves.
It trashed most of their investment in developing for the Windows Mobile platform and the restrictive nature of what's been provided is stifling. Developers have no native code/COM access and even a lot of the .Net CF can't be used effectively. You're left with a form of Silverlight/XNA (gag).
Things have gotten so desperate in Redmond they commissioned a book by Petzold and decided to release it for free: Programming Windows Phone 7 by Charles Petzold.
We'll see how long this platform lasts. So far the big game developers (id Software for one) give it a big yawn.
I doubt that is entirely true. I would rather wait to see official figures from MS after the launch quarter than rely on some of the mulch gloating around the tinterwebs at the moment.
I would imagine that realistically the figures will be low until the third or forth quarter while enhancments are made to the development platform and policies.
In all honesty, I want to get into some development on this platform. I have a couple apps that I have for my Windows Mobile 6.5 phone, that I am looking to port over. I don't know how much time I would be able to give you, but I wouldn't say no to helping if I can.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
Gary
This is my take on it as well. There are lots of rumours going round just now, especially with the statements from Bob Muglia at the PDC last week. I am going to wait and see what happens.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
Gary
Cool, I have one or two small projects I would like to sort out first just for learnings sake so il put together some sort of timescale and work from there.
Sounds like a plan.Quote:
Originally Posted by DeanMc
Well Windows Phone 7 delayed for Verizon, Sprint, other CDMA networks until 2011 is more than just rumors.
Just found out that from all the HTC 7 phone's only the "Surround" will be available in Canada at launch :(
I really don't need that huge speaker, I usually use some earbuds when I listen to music or video anyway.
Guess I'll have to wait, or grab the LG Optimus, any comment on that phone ? (the phone itself, not the OS)
Got mine yesterday and I had high hopes for this phone. With all honesty it has exceeded my hopes. This phone rocks, simply rocks. Nothing else to say. Coming from iPhone, Android, and WM 6.5 experience and none hold a candle to WP7.
What's so good about it (compared to others)?
Well, for starters... it doesn't require to be held using the grip of death. Also, from what I hear, the tiles update themselves automatically, so you don't need to actually open the app to get the updates. I'll probably give them a look once the hoopla has settled down some. I still have a year left on my contract, so I'm in no rush at the moment.
-tg
One thing I could imagine would make people on this forum want this phone is the fact that you can use VB to write apps for it.
The death grip problem on iPhone is hardware so I wouldn't take into consideration when comparing OS' and widgets on Android also show updates without having to open apps. I'm not attacking anything here, I'm genuinely asking for comparisons as I used all except WP7.
At the minute, there isn't direct support for writing in VB. The current tools only allow you to write in C#. VB.Net is coming though.Quote:
Originally Posted by kleinma
Hey,Quote:
Originally Posted by baja_yu
My colleague at work has the HTC desire, and I have the HTC HD7. We sat side by side and did a comparison of the two, and in short, there isn't a lot that one can't do that the other can. So I think it really comes down to personal preference.
There are a couple issues with WP7, as I have mentioned, i.e. not being able to allocated a static IP address, copy and paste etc, however, it is still a relative youngster OS on the market, and I would expect these additional functionality to come out as it matures.
If you want ease of integration with the Windows Live services, then definitely WP7.
Gary
Form what I've read about WP7, the most surprising part was the multitasking limitation and their policy that only MS apps can run in the background. That's total crap. Hopefully they will realize that and change it in a future release.
While there is currently no XNA support for VB on Win7 phone (since XNA doesn't currently support VB), there are Win7 phone templates for VB.NET for regular apps (aka silverlight based ones)Quote:
Originally Posted by gep13
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/e...load+Center%29
You say that until you use a phone that does have multitasking, and find out it totally kills your battery. On my droidX, there are apps I don't want, but can't uninstall, and they run always in the background, even if I kill the task. They just start back up again, and suck battery life. Apps I will never, ever use or have a need for, but there they are. For example skype came preinstalled on my droidx after I got the 2.2 update, and it exhibits all the issues described above.Quote:
Originally Posted by baja_yu
Talking about battery life, how is it actually ? do you need to charge it every single day ?Quote:
Originally Posted by kleinma
Really depends on how much you use it, and what you are using it for.
If you use it just like a traditional phone, meaning just calling and sending some txt messages, etc.. then it will last a pretty long while. However these things are mini computers, and they have all sorts of things that make you use it much more frequently.
So if you turn on GPS, that eats battery, if you turn on Wifi, that eats battery, if you are on the phone playing games for hours or surfing the web, that eats battery.
Since these phones all use standard usb chargers, I have one at home, one at my work desk, and one in my car, so I don't really worry about not being able to charge it. Likewise everyone else (other than iPhone owners) who are getting smart phones also will have the charger that works, so you are generally never too far from a place to plug your phone in.
I can go a day with moderate use without charging the phone, but I do tend to plug it in when I am around a charger, just to keep the battery full.
We've seen this apologist's answer for every platform that came out w/o multitasking support. It is true for poorly written applications that don't either (a.) sleep while in background, or (b.) use proper async programming based on events and callbacks.Quote:
Originally Posted by kleinma
Admittedly an awful lot of the stuff out there (for every platform) is poorly written in this manner. I cringe at the thought of the power consumption a lot of these SilverLight/XNA applications will have, not to mention the memory consumption. The latter alone may effectively preclude much useful multitasking.
A lot of the crap you can get away with on a desktop these days doesn't apply in an environment like mobile builds of WinCE where you have limited CPU cycles, memory, storage, and no lavish virtual memory.
If you find yourself using DoEvents or the equivalent a lot you're not ready for handheld programming. If you do a lot of explicit multithreading you're not ready for handheld programming.
Battery life is a function of usage and charging but can also vary with your use and charging pattern. Depending on the battery technoogy (both the chemistry and the smarts in the charging circuitry) there may be a battery maitenance regimen that will help extend life. Few users have the patience though, and some manufacturers don't even publish guidelines in their documentation.
I agree about Skype, it sucked so bad on Android that I uninstalled it after an hour. But I'm with dilettante when it comes to it. A lot of the problems are from poor coding on the apps part. Best example is Skype that stays loaded even if you sign out and exit explicitly. Once I figured out which apps were draining my battery I started getting two good days of use from my Desire. And to be hones one good day would be enough. It's not like I go with Bear Grylls on survival tours that I need it to last a week. I'm usually never more than a couple of hours from a power source, I can charge in the office, at home, in the car...
I think a part of it is also the rush to market... wouldn't surprise me if there's organizations out there going "Oh, heck, it's based on Silverlight? Heck then, take our existing Silverlight app and just reconfigure it for WP7. That should work right?"
-tg
One thing that really eats batteries are applications that use the radios extensively. Chatty polling for state changes (new data, etc.) is a good example.
Right. In one of the WWDC videos they mentioned that using cell radio is the most expensive operation in regards to battery. Furthermore, when you start data transfer, the radio is in high power mode and it remains there for some time before it lowers the power again (if there's no need for it), so they say that the data is best to be buffered to larger chunks and transfered in bursts.
I've read that some experimentation has been done where applications queue/schedule outbound data that gets lumped with output from other applications, then fired in a bundle to a proxy which splits and delivers payloads to their destinations. Response traffic can be bundled in a similar reverse pattern. Sort of like using an SSH or VPN channel but with data clumping to reduce the amount of time the radio has to stay hot.
That's a very good idea. Most of the applications that do transfer/syncing in the background that don't require very frequent connection (like mail accounts, facebook, twitter, news, weather and such), which is basically the most of the stuff that keeps the connection alive on a phone could benefit from such a mechanism.