Posted on 10/13/2010 11:05:58 AM PDT by SmokingJoe
Perhaps Windows Phone 7 won't come dead on arrival after all. Maybe the analysts and naysaying pundits don't give Microsoft the respect it deserves. Maybe there is enormous pent up demand for Windows Phone 7. Maybe the silent majority that loves Microsoft products has waited for this day -- ah Monday, when Windows Phone 7 officially launches.
Three days ago, I asked: "Will you buy Windows Phone 7?" The response was immediate and overwhelming: More than 150 comments to the post and more than 3 times the usual number of e-mail responses I normally get to buying questions. Among the e-mail respondents, the majority plan to buy a Windows Phone 7 device. Even among those saying nay, many expressed interest if circumstances were different, such as Microsoft getting the product to market faster (they couldn't wait and already got something else) or limited carrier availability (in the United States, no Verizon. Yet.). Most of the e-mail respondents who chose something else bought or will buy an Android handset -- that's a painful dig for Microsoft, because Android more directly competes with potential Windows Phone 7 developers and smartphone buyers than iPhone.
I am still mulling how best to handle the responses. For today, I will start with those readers sending e-mail, because they are identifiable; many Betanews commenters aren't. I may post again over the weekend from commenters, some of which are sourer on Windows Phone 7 than the e-mailers. I'll start with an apology: There are simply too many of you to include in this post. I am cramming in more respondents than usual, but still leaving many out. Hey, much as I love long-form writing, a post using all the respondents would be in the 5,000-word plus range.
(Excerpt) Read more at betanews.com ...
Give It to Me Now With that introduction, I present the positive responses to the question "Will you buy Windows Phone 7":
"I'm buying Windows Phone 7," says Mike Hartman. "I'll be the first to admit the Android and iPhone usability is perfectly acceptable, but I have a platform that I'm already invested in." That platform includes Zune and the Zune Pass subscription service, which Hartman has. Among the respondents, he was among the most pragmatic about his expectations: "I've heard the live tiles on the home screen and the social networking integration is pleasantly surprising. I expect strong Outlook/Exchange integration but I don't suspect that will be that much different than iPhone's Exchange capabilities. Office compatibility is a plus, but I don't know how much actual 'work' I'll be doing on the road."
Microsoft couldn't pay to get buyers as certain as Seth Russell: "I can honestly say without any hesitation that I will be investing in a Windows Phone 7 smartphone." Many of his reasons mirror Microsoft marketing for WP7: Music and digital media, Office integration, mobile gaming and Xbox integration, among others.
"I'm gonna buy a Windows Phone 7," says Andy Green. Like many e-mail responders, Green is a "fan of Microsoft platforms for a long time -- 20-plus years. As a developer, their Visual Studio suite is terrific, and the .NET platform itself combined with Silverlight considerably shrinks development time, and that gives a huge advantage over other platforms like the iPhone and Android. We have existing applications out there for the iPhone and iPad, but we're anxious to start writing for WP7 -- we already have some ready to go at rollout." Green is enthusiastic but not obsessed. He owns iPhone 4, which he loves. "It's tough to scoff at the beautiful design, and it does have a boatload of apps. But I have to say that the newer approach that WP7 takes to the 'home screen' idea is fascinating, and I'm anxious to see if using it in real-life lives up to its potential." In follow-up e-mail I asked if Green would purchase a WP7 smartphone right away. "Absolutely."
Gusts Linkevics gives three clear reasons for choosing Windows Phone 7:
1. I am .NET developer, so developing for windows phone 7 for me would be easy, and I can make any app I need.
2. User interface seems very interesting.
3. Phones' hardware is very good for the moment.
Garrison Neely is similarly enthusiastic:
As a C# .NET programmer, my knowledge of Microsoft tools translates directly to the Windows Phone development ecosystem. The user interface stands apart from both Android and iPhone, and, from what I've seen in demos, is quick and responsive. I like that Windows Phone's minimum specs are strong, which will mean the phones will be able to handle pretty much anything thrown at them. Finally, I like that developers who have used XNA to design games for the Xbox 360 will be able to transition their abilities nearly seamlessly -- that's a great sign for gaming on WP7 devices.
Green adds to the developer perspective: "Writing for the WP7 platform is considerably less tedious than the iPhone or Android."
I WILL? Did they put that in the ObamaCare bill too?
Nope!
No, the funded Patty Murray to the tune of 110,000.00
Probably the chief reason that the Win7 phones don't presently multitask is because a single .NET app is going to hog every bit of available resources while running.
People don’t give a rip what OS is on their phone. They have become consumers of services and want a certain “user experience”. Apple delivers that in spades, Android phones may figure it out...but Microsoft? Never.
I was going to buy an Android of some flavor but given I don’t have to learn a new language for Windows7 Phone programming I might go that route instead.
I’ll buy it when my cellphone bill doesn’t have to jump $40 a month to get it.
I agree. I don't understand how people can justify around $100 month for a cell phone. I really don't get it.
Users choose a platform/OS based on the applications they want to run. Making it easier to get developers on board results in more applications being available. Users will go where the applications are, and the applications will be where the developers are.
>>>I agree. I don’t understand how people can justify around $100 month for a cell phone. I really don’t get it.<<<
Free Republic everywhere you go. :-)
Nope.
I don’t have an iPhone at this time, ONLY because I refuse to do business with AT&T.
So instead, I have a DroidX that I intend to dump the second iPhone contracts with Verizon.
I am burned out with anything Windows.
Win7 multitasks. They don't presently allow third party apps to multitask.
That's ALL I need. I am already addicted. Not having FR on my phone allows me to spend some time with my family.
>>>You WILL buy Windows Phone 7
No. Waiting for the Verizon iPhone :)
That worked for the desktop market. But it worked because it was part of a three part strategy (stranglehold on hardware manufacturers, coupled with plug-and-play). The problem is that developer support alone, without the other two prongs, is not a valid strategy.
It might be easier to develop on 7 than elsewhere, but it is all but given that any app that appears on 7 will also appear on Droid and iPhone, regardless of the fact that development might be easier for some developers.
MS’ strategy can work, but only if the novel UI approach is adopted by users. If it isn’t, then the entire strategy crumbles, and they will have to start again.
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