#1 STUNNA

I'm really thinking my next phone is going to be the Nokia Sea Ray. The Meego version of it came with 64GB of storage.

YeuEmMaiMai

^ won't work as I use multiple PCs with the phone and having zune running on multiple PCs is not the solution i want.....

#1 STUNNA

You can sync data from multiple pcs to one zune. I've done it before. Have a main pc that it syncs to and the other you can set the phone as a guest device and you can add and remove content from it in other pcs. I've used this to transfer or add songs from friends pcs.

ViperrepiV

My biggest complaint with WP7 is the lack of support for multiple Gcal calendars....it only supports your main calendar, boo!

#1 STUNNA

I believe support for that is coming in Mango.....

ViperrepiV

support for multiple calendars is coming, but apparently it doesn't work with google :-/

Maybe this is google actively blocking it or dragging their feet, but it still sucks

Unless I'm mistaken, in which case, this is great news.

is300eater

I was wondering if there's ANYTHING I can do so my headphones would be louder? It's for my netbook that I use to watch movies when I do cardio on the elliptical, but the volume sucks, is there anything I can download (like some kind of driver or whatever)?

#1 STUNNA

Try using VLC player to watch your movie. It play pretty much every format and I think it can turn the volume louder than most programs

www.videolan.org

p.s. wrong thread

Anachostic

Buy more sensitive headphones (http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.ed...ohn1_table.htm) or buy an inline headphone amplifier (http://boostaroo.com/store/home.php?cat=249) that plugs between the netbook (or Windows Phone 7 device) and your headphones.

#1 STUNNA

True more sensitive headphones would def help. The higher the db rating the more sensitive they are

#1 STUNNA

A Vendor Neutral version of mango was released to MS employees for them to put on their phones. That version and it's tools have subsequently leaked into the wild with many people reporting success installing it.

Check it out!
http://www.wpcentral.com/breaking-of...ase-leaked-xda

It may end up that this breaks your phone and you can no longer update to new versions so be careful but if this is exactly what MS released to it's employees than I wouldn't worry about that. Though OEMs may include firmware updates that improve performance with the official update so you may want to wait for that, probably won't be able to (or will have some difficulty) get those updates if you install Mango manually.

#1 STUNNA

7.5 Mango was officially released today and all US carriers are now delivering the update though there's a delay for the Venue Pro, Focus 1.4 and the HD7 but they should get it soon. Also the reviews are live and they're all pretty good. I'm still waiting for news from Nokia about their device before I decide to switch. But I'm hearing it's pretty awesome so it's looking like I'll make the switch some time in the coming months.

alex2364

My Samsung Focus has been Mango-fied. It feels like I have a new phone.

Anachostic

I was wondering what was up with the Zune software demanding I update. Awesome that my phone is delayed.

YeuEmMaiMai

you are missing the point, I do not want to install zune software on every PC that I connect my phone to. I want to be able to tell the phone that it is a disk drive and use it that way. Until MS fixes this issue in windows phone 7, the OS is a no go for me..... as I am currently setup this allows me to easily transfer files from my work PC to my phone and then to my home PC if needed...

Its' s shame too because wp7 looks like it is pretty nice overall.....

Anachostic

Why not use any of the multitude of cloud storage systems available for intermediate file storage and transfer?

YeuEmMaiMai

because internet sucks ass in some of the locations where I am at and also our work environment is locked down pretty tight.....resulting in storage sites being blocked........ Not to mention that it is faster to plug phone in and click copy/paste than it is to login to some cloud service....

Anachostic

Those are valid concerns. But honestly, I don't understand the insistence on having an all-in-one, swiss-army, bat-belt device. For transferring files, I'd just have a USB drive.

In other news, I forced an early update to Mango on my phone. There's some interesting new features in there. The SDK just went gold a couple days ago, so I need to download that and update my apps.

#1 STUNNA

I carry a small 16GB flash drive on my keychain. I don't need to use my phone as a storage device so I can be on the phone and transfer files at the same time!

YeuEmMaiMai

yeah cause carryinng around another thing is just what I want to do lol........ my phone funcrtions as a MP3 player, radio, mass storage device, memo recorder, note pad, GPS thus eliminating the need to carry all of those devices with me......in addition to my phone

Anachostic

http://windowsphonereview.com/wp7-tips/usb-drive-mode

#1 STUNNA

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fbOPck5ndXI?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That bitch looks soo good!

It's coming to the US in early 2012. Only thing I don't like is the 16GB of storage, not enough for me. I need at least 32.

doopstr

I played the video because I had to find out of that was a man or a woman.

#1 STUNNA

and what did you determine, I still can't tell.....

doopstr

hermaphrodite

#1 STUNNA

agreed, hipster hermaphrodite

#1 STUNNA

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Also new is the Nokia 710 it's the cheaper model. Same 1.4GHz, 512MB RAM but has 8GB storage and an LCD instead of AMOLED display.





One of the ways that Nokia is making Windows Phone different is is the addtition of Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive which is Turn by turn navigation, a special ESPN app (not sure how it compares to the ESPN app already on the marketplace) and Nokia Music.

Turn by Turn navigation twould be nice....

doopstr

I really didn't need these guys to tell me that Windows Phone 7 is not doing that well. AZ tells me that. iPhone and Android threads are always on the top of page 1. I found this thread in the middle of page 2.

Windows Phone is Superior; Why Hasn’t it Taken Off?
http://ceklog.kindel.com/2011/12/26/...-it-taken-off/

Why Microsoft's Windows Phone Is Failing In The Marketplace
http://seekingalpha.com/article/3161...e?source=yahoo

Former Windows Phone 7 general manager explains why the platform is failing -- consumers can be easily fooled
http://blogs.computerworld.com/19489...urce=rss_blogs

Former Microsoft Exec Scopes Windows Phone's Failure
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2398070,00.asp

New Nokia smartphone fails to turn tide
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BK0SM20111221

So, what does Microsoft need to do?

#1 STUNNA

^ yup I read that article today. I think it comes down to what he said, marketing and getting retail sales people educated about the product.

Here's a call made to your avg AT&T store asking about smart phones and which ones they carry and they don't mention WP at all. The guy has to basically asking directly about WP to be told that they have them otherwise they have Android and blackberry....

http://www.wpcentral.com/case-study-...-windows-phone

<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F28 408227&auto_play=false&show_artwork=true&color=009 aff" frameborder="0" ></iframe>

I like what John Gruber said about WP on the "On the Verge" show

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#1 STUNNA

So it's rumored that there will be an upgraded version of the Nokia Lumia 800 when it comes to the US next year known as the Nokia Lumia 900. Supposedly it will have 32GB ROM, a 4.3in OLED screen, LTE and maybe even a front facing camera. Nokia CEO stephen elop has mentioned a couple times that the needs of users in the US are different than Europe so they'll have to meet those needs in order to compete so it seems likely that it will be a little better.

#1 STUNNA

I also think it's way too early to tell and MS has more money than god unlike RIM or Palm and they'll dump numerous billions in order to be competitive in this market. They aren't going to quit if it's not a success after two years. Look what they've done with Bing and Xbox, they aren't going to ignore it like they did the mp3 player market which is heading toward the grave now.

doopstr

I think this is the whole problem. MS doesn't know how to operate when they aren't the lead dog. They try to push the carriers and device manufacturers around like they do in the PC world.
Back in they day they used to kill the competition by undercutting them. I guess that's hard to do when Google gives away Android and lets the carriers and manufacturers do whatever they want.

#1 STUNNA

Another good article from Ars this time about WP situation.

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/new...killing-it.ars

I would think if it's good for the customer and makes them happy then why would the carriers and OEMs want that but happy customers means more sales...

Anachostic

I think the tide will turn with Win8's release. Once people start using the metro interface and get comfortable with it on their desktop/tablet, they'll be more keen on having it on their phone.

#1 STUNNA

Microsoft and Nokia's Plans for Marketing Windows Phone in 2012Paying retail workers $10 to $15 per phone should really help them start selling these devices. Windows Phone is not a bad device and most reviewers seems to like it more than android so I think once these employees get educated about the device and are encouraged to sell them then it'll become a no brainer.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/...ne-2012-141784

TSX69

MS, Defying Image, Has a Design Gem in Windows Phone

Joe Belfiore, left, and Albert Shum are on the Windows Phone software team.

“GORGEOUS,” raves The Huffington Post.

“Best-looking smartphone operating system in the industry,” gushes Slate.

“Far superior to most if not all the Android smartphones,” says TechCrunch.

Sounds like the usual adulation for a gadget from Apple. In fact, they’re actually accolades for a new product from Microsoft.

Microsoft?

Exactly. Long ridiculed as the tech industry dullard, Microsoft actually has a hit, at least with the technorati. It’s cellphone software called Windows Phone — and they need it to be a blockbuster here at Microsoft Central.

Yes, Windows and Office products are ubiquitous and highly profitable. But they’re about as inspirational as a stapler. While the likes of Apple have captured our imaginations with nifty products like the iPhone, Microsoft has produced a long list of flops, from smart wristwatches to the Zune music player to the Kin phones. Steve Jobs used to deride Microsoft for a lack of originality. In his opinion, the company didn’t bring “much culture” to its products. With Windows Phone, though, Microsoft is finally getting some buzz.

“I am a devoted Apple fan — I was in line for the iPhone,” said Axel Roesler, assistant professor for interaction design at the University of Washington in Seattle, but Windows Phone “strikes me as quite different and an advance.”

Windows Phone, which began appearing in devices last fall, certainly stands out visually. It has bold, on-screen typography and a mosaic of animated tiles on the home screen — a stark departure from the neat grid of icons made popular by the iPhone. While most phones force users to open stand-alone apps to get into social networks, Facebook and Twitter are wired into Windows Phone. The tiles spring to life as friends or family post fresh pictures, text messages and status updates.

Even so, relatively few consumers have been tempted, and sales have been lackluster. A big problem is that, initially, the handsets running Microsoft’s software, made by companies like HTC and Samsung, were unexceptional. Even more important, wireless carriers, the gatekeepers for nearly all mobile phones, have not been aggressively selling Windows phones in their stores. Most promote the iPhone and devices running Google’s Android operating system.

And so Microsoft has struck a partnership with Nokia, and executives at both companies have high hopes that their handsets will catch on with consumers. On Monday at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nokia plans to introduce a sleek metallic Windows Phone called the Lumia 900 that will be sold by AT&T in the United States, according to two people with knowledge of its plans who spoke on condition of anonymity because the product has not yet been announced. Unlike other handset makers creating devices with Microsoft’s software, Nokia is not also developing Android phones.

“We are doing our best work for Windows Phone,” said Stephen Elop, the chief executive of Nokia and a former Microsoft executive.

While the customers’ verdict is still unknown, the group that developed Windows Phone has already profoundly affected Microsoft itself, influencing work on other consumer products. The next major version of software for PC’s, Windows 8, will look a lot like Windows Phone, which Microsoft hopes will help it work better on tablet devices. A Windows Phone-like makeover was also part of the new software update for Xbox, which along with Kinect is one of Microsoft’s few consumer hits.

Bill Flora, one of the designers of Windows Phone, said the care that Microsoft took in designing its products had changed vastly since he joined the company out of art school in the early 1990s.

“Now, instead of 80% of its efforts being unenlightened, just 20% are unenlightened,” said Mr. Flora, who recently left Microsoft to form his own design firm in Seattle.

Terry Myerson, Microsoft vice president for phone engineering, with a robot in a the company's phone-testing lab.

THE tale of how Microsoft created Windows Phone starts with the introduction of the iPhone, in 2007. To Joe Belfiore, now 43, an engineer who oversees software design for Windows Phone, that was the spark.

“Apple created a sea change in the industry in terms of the kinds of things they did that were unique and highly appealing to consumers,” Mr. Belfiore said in an interview at Microsoft’s campus here. “We wanted to respond with something that would be competitive, but not the same.”

Microsoft had been an early player in smartphones with Windows Mobile, software that ran on devices made by Samsung, Motorola and others. But 1 word describes its early effort: complicated. Windows Mobile had a complex array of on-screen menus, including a start button for applications that was borrowed from Windows PCs. The software ran on sluggish devices that had physical keyboards and, in some cases, styluses.

Once the iPhone exploded into the marketplace, Microsoft executives knew that their software, as designed, could never compete. So in December 2008, Terry Myerson, who had just taken over engineering for the mobile group, convened a meeting that members of his management team came to call the “cage match.”

With a prototype of a new Windows Mobile phone on a table, Mr. Myerson, a no-nonsense engineer , led a heated debate over whether any of the software could be salvaged. No one was leaving the room until the issue was resolved, he said.

7 hours later, the meeting finally adjourned, after Mr. Myerson got a call from his wife saying a pipe had frozen at his home. By then, a consensus had emerged that there wasn’t much technology worth saving. “We had hit bottom,” Mr. Myerson, who is now 39.

“That frankly gives you the freedom to try new things, build a new team and set a new path,” he added.

The decision was to start from scratch, a move that had serious consequences. Not only did it delay a Windows phone, it gave Google an opening to woo Microsoft handset partners to Android.

Charlie Kindel, a longtime Microsoft manager who joined its mobile team in early 2009, compared the pain caused by starting over to the predicament of Aron Ralston, the hiker who amputated his own arm in 2003 after it was it pinned under a boulder in the Utah desert.

“This boulder comprised of Apple and Blackberry rolled on our arm,” said Mr. Kindel, who left Microsoft last summer. “Microsoft sat there for 3 or 4 years struggling to get out.”

Mr. Myerson also had to rebuild the mobile team — and Mr. Belfiore was his 1st major hire.

Mr. Belfiore is a rare breed of Microsoft executive: he joined the company in 1990 fresh out of college and stayed, even as others fled to work for companies with more pizazz.

For much of his career, Mr. Belfiore worked on the design of Windows and Internet Explorer, the kind of Microsoft software that is everywhere but not always admired for innovation. But he was also known for spending hours testing Microsoft technologies outside the office to see how they could be simplified.

In recent years, Mr. Belfiore earned a reputation in the company for working on more adventurous projects, even if they sometimes bombed in the market. Before he joined the mobile group, for instance, he oversaw design of Zune, Microsoft’s ill-fated answer to the iPod. A version of the product released in 2009, the Zune HD, was praised by reviewers for its spare design that featured elegant typography and snappy, animated screen transitions as users flipped around music collections. But the Zune HD came out years too late, well after the iPod had cemented its lead.

Mr. Belfiore took over the mobile group in early 2009, just as designers were finishing up the earliest prototypes for Windows Phone. In those prototypes, Mr. Flora drew inspiration from the signs in airports and other transportation hubs. He borrowed the emphasis on clarity, clean typography and broadcast-quality transitions between screens from Zune, which he had worked on with Mr. Belfiore. The ideas gradually gelled into a software design language that Microsoft calls Metro.

A Nokia Lumia 800, which uses Windows Phone software. Sold in parts of Europe and Asia, it's indicative of the sleek design coming in the 900 model.

But there were challenges beyond design. Microsoft had to take a fresh approach to working with phone makers so it could have its slick new software function properly. Unlike Apple, Microsoft doesn’t make its own hardware. Before it restarted its mobile strategy, Microsoft did little to ensure that its handset partners were putting its software on devices that could run it well.

No longer would that be tolerated. Microsoft gave its handset partners detailed specifications of the types of technical innards required, including processors with certain amounts of power and screen technologies. Handset makers grumbled about the rules, but the result was phones that ran better.

“It’s not just about software,” said Albert Shum, general manager of the design studio for Windows Phone. “It’s about the whole end-to-end experience.”

When senior executives got their 1st look at the software, Mr. Myerson said, there was “some hesitancy.” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, didn’t like that the 1st screen that appeared after turning on the device contained oversized type that cut off the day of the week. (Wednesday showed up as Wed.) Revisions were made.

But the group was given its creative freedom. And the critics, at least, have approved the final results.

“It looks like nothing we’ve seen before from Microsoft,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at Gartner, the technology research firm. “The company is being somewhat bold and saying what worked for them in 1992 won’t work now.”

Still, last summer, Mr. Ballmer told Microsoft investors that he was disappointed with Windows Phone sales. In mid-December, he named Mr. Myerson, the engineering head, to take full control of the group. He charged Mr. Myerson with improving the Windows Phone advertising campaign and relationships with wireless carriers. A software update for Windows Phones in the fall added a number of improvements to the product, including basic editing functions like copy and paste.

BUT this year is crucial; it will show whether a respected product is enough to help Microsoft make up for lost time. Even if it feels good to be a favorite of tech critics for a change, Microsoft needs a blockbuster in the mobile business, not a cult hit.

“Entering the market so late with this experience has created some special challenges for us,” Mr. Myerson said. “I think if we were there earlier it would be different.”

#1 STUNNA

A Sony device that play Xbox games!?!?

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Imagine if it played PSP, PS2 and Xbox games! now that'd be sick!

http://www.nokiawp.net/3451/ot-sonye...windows-phone/

#1 STUNNA

Rumors are that the next big update to Windows Phone codenamed "Apollo" will be based off of Win NT like desktop windows is instead of Win CE. This sounds huge for Windows Phone.

This is my theory, Win NT has already been optimized for multi-core, etc so no need to also make Win CE multi-core friendly. Plus all the work that MS is doing in Windows 8 to be as mobile friendly as iOS will make for a great fit for a phone OS.

MS has been componentizing Windows OS starting with Vista to make it easier to only use the essentials parts of the OS that you need. They've got Windows embedded which runs on minimal hardware, the Min-Win project they've been running for years, and the Server Core stuff that allows you to run basically a command line version of windows that only does the task you need it to do and hardly has a GUI to reduce resources and to greatly limit it's attack footprint.

Also I'd expect that this will allow you to easily make apps that run on Win 8 and WP. So with Visual Studio 2012 and a few tweaks you could make a universal app that would run on Phone, Tablet, PC, ARM and x86. This wouldn't do much for the PC market but people making Metro apps for the PC and Tablet might as well spend a little extra effort to make a phone version also.

I don't think there'll be an issue with the current WP apps since their built on Silverlight, and XNA which are things that've been on Win NT for years now so they should run fine on a Win NT platform.

This might be where I jump on board the WP train.

http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-p...from-windows-8

#1 STUNNA

Leaked AT&T 2012 Roadmap shows that the Lumia 900 will launch on March 18th for $100!

This should sell well

http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/25/atts-q...8th-for-99-99/

doopstr

Funny, i assumed that since win8 is supposed to run on ARM that it was a forgone conclusion that it would also be their phone OS.