Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"One of the most appealing parts of the iPhone is its Web browser. Mobile Safari is powered by the WebKit engine, and this same engine also powers the desktop browser. The result is a Web experience that, while not identical to the desktop experience, is not far off. Windows Mobile, on the other hand, has a browser that's roughly derived from Internet Explorer 6. The result? A decidedly second-rate Web experience. Windows Phone 7 Series will improve things somewhat-to approximate parity with Internet Explorer 7-but it remains behind its desktop counterpart."

I'm finding it hard to put any kind of posiive spin on this - fact is, it's hard to be positive about a lot of the WP7S news that's come out over the past few weeks. I can (probably) learn to live with most of them, but this is one area that I'm going to find hard to gloss over. If we had access to alternative browsers like Opera that's one thing, but it looks like that's still going to be a ways off with the restrictions Microsoft is placing on developers. Getting on par with IE7 may be good enough, but...who knows? WP7S is coming late to the party as it is, and a dated web experience is just one more strike against it.

I read an email on the Mobius list where the idea was that because consumers have already adopted the iPhone in droves, they won't be interested in Windows phone 7 came out. Here was my response (with some added thoughts).

Consumers are fickle creatures; they change their minds all the time when it comes to phone contract renewal time. HOWEVER...I wonder if "app lock-in" will play a role in moving to other platforms? As in, you're Joe Smith and you have an iPhone and you've spent $200 on apps over your two year contract...that app investment, will it make you feel like you need to stay with your iPhone even if there's another phone you like more? I wonder...

The reality is, of course, that the majority of users don't yet have smartphones - so in that sense the market is wide open - yet I think the biggest adoption blocker remains the costs of data plans. If you want your phone to do more than make calls, sent texts, and MMS, you're increasing the monthly outlay by a fair bit - especially if you're a light phone user with a small minutes plan, it can easily double the monthly cost of your phone bill (it does in my case). Until the carriers start to want all these people on their data networks, I think data plans will remain expensive, and the bulk of the population will stay away.

"All naysaying aside, people are pretty excited about Windows Phone 7. Our readers are excited for it. I'd be outright lying if I said I wasn't excited about it, too. Know who else is excited? The Windows Phone 7 team - but perhaps not for the reasons you'd expect. With a few years of work finally coming to a head, some of the folks on the Windows Phone 7 team are taking a step back, looking at the fruits of their labor... and leaving. Not because they're ashamed, and not because they're being poached by the competition - but because instead of making Windows Phone 7, they want to make things for Windows Phone 7."

Going back a few years, anyone remember Two Peaks software, headed up by Mel Sampat? I always liked Two Peaks software - in fact, I'm still using FlexWallet to this day, despite it being replaced by eWallet, and always like what Sampat did for users in terms of creating really superb software. He went to work for Microsoft a few years ago, and I kept in touch - in fact, at one point we had a conference call about what a pain that stupid birthday alarm triggering at midnight problem was. I'll have to find out if that lunacy has continued on into Windows phone 7 - I kind of doubt it, but then again, I never thought after 7+ years the same problem would continue to cause problems. But I digress... Read more...

Long Zheng has some really cool screen shots on his site, apparently of what early mock-ups looked like for Metro, the name for the visual design that Windows phone 7 is made up of. Well worth checking out - some of them I like more than how Windows phone 7 looks today!

"With breaking news about the Windows 7 mobile apps from MIX10, Chris Hardwick talks to Engadget's Joshua Topolsky about what Microsoft is bringing to the table, from Xbox gaming on Windows 7 phones, a preview of their new apps and more."

Sure, there are more than a few things that some people aren't too happy about right now with Windows phone 7, but there's one very important thing that Microsoft has done with the announcement of this new version: they've put themselves on the map in a way that hasn't happened in a very long time. More from me later on this topic, but I think it's really important to acknowledge that fact.

"We just spent some quality time with the MIX10 build of Windows Phone 7 Series running on the same prototype hardware sourced from Garmin-Asus that we saw at MWC -- and apart from a few Murphy's Law-style demo hiccups, we loved what we saw."

I'll say this much: anyone who thinks that this is a copy of the iPhone clearly isn't paying attention. Well worth watching - lots of great stuff in the video. Love it or hate it, Windows phone 7 is full of little things that, when taken together, make for a very different experience than anything else out there today.

"Contrary to the controversial report out of Microsoft MIX10 this week that Windows Phone 7 Series will not feature copy & paste functionality, a person close to the den explained that copy & paste is definitely a scenario and feature that the team is putting a lot of thought about and hope to bring to the platform soon after initial release."

This echoes what I know about the topic and have been trying to say in our very lively discussion on the subject (between the weeping and gnashing of teeth). If this rumour is accurate though, Microsoft has done itself a huge disservice by trying to spin this as a by-design feature rather than telling us "Look, we know you want it, we want it, but we just couldn't pull it off in time - but we're making a commitment to do it as soon as we can." Honesty is always better than trickery. This whole thing has made this a day I want to end soon (that photo above is how I feel right now).

"We found out from Todd Brix of Microsoft that Windows Phone 7 Series will eschew user-replaceable memory. Memory cards may still be used by manufacturers and OEMs, but those won't be easily or readily accessible to the end-user. This will allow, as Microsoft puts it, for a better user experience on the device, and we're not sure that the primary motive for locking down storage memory is for a better experience - we're guessing it has to do with DRM though the strategy would go well with Microsoft's move to remove a file management system."

Although I tend to put a memory card in my phone and leave it there - rarely if ever taking it out - I've always like the idea of removable storage because there are two constants in the flash memory world: first, that the cards will always grow to have more storage, and second, that they'll get cheaper. I railed on Microsoft for not putting removable storage card slots in their Zune products, because it would have been a key advantage over the iPod, and now Microsoft is taking a step backwards in my opinion by removing the option for OEMs to offer removable storage cards. According to Todd Brix, this is due to wanting to offer a "better user experience". I call bunk on this point - any modern program not designed should automatically scan both local and removable storage and present the user with the content they want to see. If the user options up the photo application, it should show the user all the photos on their device, and their card, seamlessly. Anything less is just lazy programming and not caring about the user experience.

If HTC and the other OEMs offer devices with decent storage options (up to 32 GB, maybe even 64 GB if they want to rock the house), I personally won't care about this too much - but I know it shuts off a lot of scenarios for some people, and I wish Microsoft hadn't gone this route. I think in this respect, they're trying a bit too much to copy Apple - and that's not a good thing.

And since we're getting all the bad news out of the way this week, there's also no file system. I think the file system is a poorly-suited concept on a mobile phone and creates too much complexity for average users, but I know power users love having a file system.

You may now proceed with getting angry at Microsoft and swearing you'll move to Android.

"Ready for another long, drawn-out copy and paste controversy to overtake your every waking moment for a year or two? Good: Microsoft just mentioned in a Q&A session here at MIX10 in no uncertain terms that clipboard operations won't be supported on Windows Phone 7 Series... so that's that."

This is one of the groan-worthy things I learned about Windows phone 7 about a month ago, but haven't been able to share because it was under NDA. So...uh, yeah, no copy and paste right now in the product. Every MVP in the room had a fit when this information was revealed; it was real "shock and awe". We of course immediately started asking the team how they could leave out something so core to user experience, and the general response was that they wanted to have it in the product, but they couldn't fit it in by shipping time. I know, I know, many of you will feel they should have left something else out of the product and put in copy and paste. But, you know, there's this update thing that might make painful omissions like this easy for Microsoft to fix in the months after they go code complete, but before the products actually hit the shelves. The Zune HD that I took out of the box was missing a bunch of feature until I connected it and got the update so...there's hope. But proceed with your screaming and ranting anyway. ;-)

UPDATE: Todd Brix from Microsoft is saying the lack of copy/paste is by design.

"In the last six months, Apple and Google have jousted over acquisitions, patents, directors, advisers and iPhone applications. Mr. Jobs and Mr. Schmidt have taken shots at each other's companies in the media and in private exchanges with employees."

The New York Times has a very interesting article on the head-butting going on between Apple and Google right now. Frankly, I think the whole thing is a bit silly and is too ego-driven, but on the other hand, the inevitable distraction this will cause both companies gives Microsoft an opportunity to launch a brand new OS that will need some time to grow.

"Microsoft's flavor of push notifications for Windows Phone 7 Series -- the so-called Microsoft Notification Service -- was just demoed using an MLS (Major League Soccer) app, and it fits in really well with the "Metro" UI motif."

I've never used Exchange or a Blackberry, so I don't know how different this is from the current WM6.5 paradigm. What's disturbing to me is that Engadget are speculating that this is just one more nail in the coffin of multitasking on Windows Phone. While I like the Metro UI and most of the other changes coming with WP7S, this is one development that has me worried.

"The Zune desktop software isn't just a music manager for your computer - it will serve as the music manager for your Windows Phone 7 Series handset. Just connect your Windows Phone to your computer and Zune automatically detects your phone, The "Device" tab allows you to browse, manage, and delete music directly on your phone. All changes are instantly reflected on the handset's Zune hub. Take that, iTunes!"

This is old hat to any Zune owners out there, but if you've never used the Zune desktop software before and you're wondering what it will be like to manage your content and sync it to your phone, here's a brief video demonstrating exactly that. I can't tell you how excited I am to be able to use this! Here's one reason why: when I sync my Zune HD to my PC, I have a Sync Group defined in the Zune software that will automatically sync the last 90 days of photos. So I always have the most recent photos I've taken on my Zune HD, and I don't have to do anything to get that. With my HTC HD2? The photos are two months out of date already, because I have to export the photos from Picasa in a mobile-friendly resolution, then connect my HD2, and drag and drop the folders of photos over into the right directory on the phone. That process sucks. Bring on the Zune software sync - it's going to rock!

"Now, thanks to a post from Microsoft's Shawn Hargreaves, we know the display resolution for the first batch of Microsoft's next generation phones: 480 x 800 (WVGA) pixels at launch, with a future update that will introduce a 320 x 480 (HVGA) native resolution. Dedicated hardware will ensure image scaling across all those pixels without taxing the GPU."

So much for strictly controlling the hardware. Isn't this how we started down the slippery slope towards the developer nightmare of having to write for multiple screen resolutions? Image scaling sounds nice, until you realize that you're looking at two different aspect ratios (5/3 versus 3/2). Hopefully it'll stop here.

Sometimes there are advantages to living nearby to Microsoft - Chris Pirillo got some hands-on time with a Windows 7 phone via a walk-through with Microsoft's Greg Sullivan. Well worth watching!

"We've had it up here with these shenanigans. You're jerking us around, and we're sick of it. We get it, you have a very particular concept of what sort of phones you want running your new Windows Phone 7 Series OS. Not only do we get it, but we're kind of proud of you for sticking up for yourself for once and ensuring some sort of sameness across your platform. Unfortunately, it's not the holiday season yet, so we can't buy one of these fancy WP7S phones yet. Meanwhile, on the other end of town, HTC is bringing the HD2 to T-Mobile in the US this month. Sure, it runs your soon-to-be-outdated Windows Mobile 6.5 OS which nobody wants, but it's also pretty much the best hardware we've ever seen. Bar none."

Paul Miller published an editorial at Engadget yesterday that made me think about the consequences of corporate secrecy and policy when it comes to the geek community. Even as someone willing to play by these rules (as evidenced by my own NDA with Microsoft), I still long for a time where geeks can have what they want, and companies can keep mainstream customers happy. Unfortunately I don't see that happening any time soon for some very practical reasons. And in the end, as frustrating as it is, I think it is for the better.

Read more...

"Pink, the long rumored Microsoft-branded (but not Microsoft-manufactured) phone(s) that features premium mobile services (think Zune) and has also been referred to as Zune phone, is all but officially confirmed now, thanks to leaked third-party marketing materials obtained by Gizmodo. Microsoft did not announce anything regarding the device when it showed off Windows Phone 7 Series, but these documents lay out a promotional plan for Pink in detail, and while they don't talk about specs or software details, they do shed some light on the upcoming mobile phone."

After months of speculation ("It's dead!" "No, it's alive!"), we now have something a bit meatier to chew in to. Gizmodo has the scoop on marketing materials including the above pic of the Turtle, one of the two phones MS is apparently working on. You can catch the details and analysis at Ars Technica. Meanwhile, Engadget has a really blurry pic of the other phone in the lineup - the Pure - as well as shots of the dialer. There's still no confirmation on what OS will be running the hardware, but I don't think it's likely to be WP7S.

"While in a recent Twitter Q&A, Microsoft UK's Director of the UK Mobile Business Group Alex Reeve hinted that 'ODMs are free to offer Windows Phone 7 Series upgrades for Windows Mobile 6 smartphones', Natasha Kwan, General Manager for Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business in the Asia-Pacific region, told APC that the HD2 - the hottest candidate for such an upgrade - 'doesn't qualify because it doesn't have the three buttons'."

With its uber-specs, the HD2 was the likeliest candidate among the current crop of WM6.5 smartphones to get an upgrade to WP7. But Microsoft appears to be taking their lockdown of the user experience in WP7 very, very seriously - and the HD2 doesn't qualify. That's going to disappoint a lot of HD2 buyers (in Asia and Europe) and prospective buyers (in N. America). I'd bet the possibility of an upgrade was a factor in the buying decision (I was certainly thinking that way), and with this development sales of the HD2, as well as its resale value, might take a hit with WP7 just 7 months away.

"In the past, the industry has been hard-pressed to find a real competitor to the iPhone. Several "iPhone killers" have come along, including the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm, but both devices have failed to live up to Apple's product on any level. Even Android-based devices like the Nexus One have come close but can't quite attract the kind of attention the iPhone does...But there is a strong possibility that Microsoft's newly announced Windows Phone 7 Series will change that."

eWeek weighs in on the merits of the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series, specifically comparing it against the iPhone. Some of the points are a little weak in my view (a sense of urgency? really?), but there's always room for debate. I think it's premature to start discussing this seriously until we know more on what restrictions developers have to work under - I'm not very happy with what I've heard so far - but then speculation is half the fun. What do you guys think? Is eWeek making sense to you, or are they somewhere off in la-la land?

"Here is a brief chat with Microsoft's Joe Belfiore and designers about how they think about design overall and how TED inspires them to utilize the ideas they take away from the conference to influence the design of products at Microsoft. The featured Windows Phone product members include Joe Belfiore, Albert Shum, Jae Park, Don Coyner, and Teresa Goertz."

You can either click here or on the banner above to head over to the Windows Phone Blog and check out the video chat with some Windows Phone product members at the TED conference. I heard the word beautiful, simplicity, and experience several times. I wonder how many of us are going to use those words after experiencing Windows Mobile 7. I sure hope so. I think Microsoft knows they have to come up with something that has an integrated but awesome feel to it as well as productive. I'm excited and I think it's going to happen.

"Today at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled the next generation of Windows® Phones, Windows Phone 7 Series. With this new platform, Microsoft offers a fresh approach to phone software, distinguished by smart design and truly integrated experiences that bring to the surface the content people care about from the Web and applications. For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on Windows Phone 7 Series. Partners have already started building phones; customers will be able to purchase the first phones in stores by holiday 2010."

It's here. It's finally, really, truly here: Windows Phone 7. To say that this has been a long time coming would be a severe understatement. In fact, it's been such a long time coming that I'm unsure of how to even frame my feelings about it finally being announced. It was 2004 when I first saw conceptual screen shots for what was then code-named "Photon". Year after year, MVP Summit after MVP Summit, and Mobius event after Mobius event, I was shown screen shots, Flash demos, and even live code running on devices, of a truly next-generation user interface and operating system. This operating system was supposed to be fast, fluid, finger-friendly, and have features that nothing else on the market had at the time. It was originally supposed to be released in 2006 - and here we are, four years later, and it's only finally coming to fruition and won't be on devices until the end of the year.

The question of "What took so long?" is a complex one that I'm ill-qualified to answer in a post such as this. Looking back over the years, I think it comes down to one thing: leadership. Microsoft is full of smart people, but unless those smart people are led in the proper fashion, things aren't going to get done. I believe Microsoft had a great vision for mobile devices from 1997 to 2003, when their operating system evolved rapidly from the very first greyscale HPC's (Windows CE and a Velo 1 was a great combo back then) to powerful Pocket PCs. They seemed to have a vision for moving forward with innovation...then something happened.

At the time, the overall market was nascent, and more focused on PDAs that mobile phones. Microsoft had Palm in their sights for years, and made massive progress against Palm in the market. The market, however, shifted to mobile phones, and competitors such as RIM, Nokia, and Apple got to market with compelling products while Microsoft floundered, seemingly unable to move forward with anything competitive. Windows Mobile certainly has some great advantages - the chief among them being choice of hardware designs and the flexibility of the operating systems - but over the past few years those have become disadvantages as the platform fragmented and lost momentum. Will Windows Phone 7 herald a return to the glory days, or will it be Microsoft's last attempt at a mobile operating system? Only time will tell. Read more...