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Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

Summary: At the Think Mobile conference in San Francisco, Microsoft evangelist, Joel Franusic talks about new functionality users can expect with the Windows phone 7. Franusic discusses the new interface, Office updates, and game development features.

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

At the Think Mobile conference in San Francisco, Microsoft evangelist, Joel Franusic talks about new functionality users can expect with the Windows phone 7. Franusic discusses the new interface, Office updates, and game development features.

Topics: Microsoft, Collaboration, Mobility, Operating Systems, Software, Windows

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  • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

    No tethering, no cut+paste, none of the other stuff that folks had been griping about the iPhone missing for years on end... Can't wait to see those same people try and snap the clutch on their brains while they try and backpedal in the name of fanboy loyalty...
    Random_Walk
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

      @Random_Walk

      'Cut and Paste' in V1 has been revamped as 'smart text' (I may have the name wrong) where the OS will attempt to guess what text it is you are trying to enter and determine if you have already entered it then offer you the ability to 'paste' it in so this is a new way of looking at cut and paste. I have used several mobile devices and have never needed to cut and paste anything (perhaps I'm just a good typer with my thumbs :-)) so I don't consider this a deal breaker.

      Same with tethering, tethering is gernally hindered by the carrier not the phone. Again, I have never needed to tether my phone, but I may be in the minority.

      I'm looking forward to this phone as I have used it at Tech Ed and fell in love with the UI and the social features.

      Pat
      omdguy
      Reply Vote

      • Dude!! Are you really this dumb???

        @omdguy Do you know the difference between WORD COMPLETION and Copy&Paste?

        Your statement that c&p is "smart text" is as stupid as saying that a dog is a cat.
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

    • I waited until iPhone had these things before buying one

      @Random_Walk
      And I'm waiting until WP7 (or WP7.5) has these things before I'll consider buying it. iPhone 1-3 were horrible, [b]HORRIBLE[/b] devices, partially because they didn't support these things. At least WP7 has a [b]far[/b] superior UI to the iPhone. iPhone is just a grid of icons. At least MS innovated with the WP7 UI and it looks to be [b]far[/b] more practical a UI. That it takes me a click, a swipe, and at least 1 tap to see a new email or my next appointment really shows how little thought Apple put into the iPhone UI.
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

    • It's three years later, there's no excuse for missing features

      @Random_Walk MS has had the advantage of watching iOS and Android development, so they should have been able to leap-frog them both, or at least [i]not[/i] make the same mistakes. Even ignoring the technology realities, from a PR level the lack of cut-n-paste and multi-tasking for 3rd party apps makes Windows Phone 7 in late 2010 look an awful lot like an iPhone in mid-2007, not exactly the best situation so soon after the abject failure of the Kin.

      In many eyes, Microsoft, the 800lb gorilla, should have been able to come out with something far beyond the rest-you know the "extend" part of the 3 Es. The fact is that all they're [i]really[/i] showing us is a novel interface and Xbox integration. I'm thinking too little, too late.
      matthew_maurice
      Reply Vote

      • They have learned from both WM and iphone that c-n-p and tethering

        are both features that less than 1/10th of 1% of smartphone consumers use, making them obvious post v1 update features. Much more important to come out with a well thought out ui and a great app dev story which is what they smartly did. They could have released a piece of crap like ios or android a couple years ago if they didnt care about setting their bar as low as those two.
        Johnny Vegas
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

        @Johnny Vegas <br><br><i>"They could have released a piece of crap like ios or android a couple years ago if they didnt care about setting their bar as low as those two."</i><br><br>I find that statement laughable seeing how Microsoft has "borrowed" so many things from the same iPhone/iOS platform. A curated App store, no sideloading like it was with WinMo. A 30/70 developer split for the app store. No more stylus with antiquated WinMo, it's all multi-touch phone now with pinch to zoom and other goodies made popular by the iPhone. Zune management software will be required for syncing everything with this phone. Even more so than iTunes because you need Zune just to offload photos from the phone (you won't be able to access the SD card directly). And have you seen the many ported iPhone game apps yet? Many didn't even bother to change their UI for WP7, they're the same games I've been using on iOS 2 years ago. <br><br>May I remind you the iPhone came out in 2007 and Android in 2008. Microsoft had ample time to develop something that would blow the competition away on day one, but so far I haven't seen it. Just more lame excuses about the reason these important features are missing (well the iPhone didn't have these features in 2007 so there!).
        dave95.
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

        @matthew_maurice <br>Microsoft said that it's coming. Besides, you don't see iPhone not have copy and paste in 2007? Windows Mobile and Symbian both have Copy and Paste and it still looses.

        Don't worry, Microsoft will take the world by a perfect storm. The iPhone was modern for 2007, but now it's becoming out of dated.
        illegaloperation
        Reply Vote

    • @matthew: I agree, the same criticism holds for the iPhone

      @Random_Walk
      [i] the lack of cut-n-paste and multi-tasking for 3rd party apps makes Windows Phone 7 in late 2010 look an awful lot like an iPhone in mid-2007,[/i]

      Yup, like I said in 2007, the iPhone looks a lot like a Windows Mobile phone from before 2000. Actually... now that I think about... that isn't true. Windows Mobile was [b]never[/b] so crippled as the iPhone was in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Huh. That makes Apple even worse.
      NonZealot
      Reply Vote

      • based on what?

        @NonZealot windows p7 has a FAR better ui? have you seen one? held one? used one? or is your zealot coming out? <br>you really mean to sit there and have us believe that the early window mobile interface was like the original iphone? please. do get a grip ol' bean. and drop the bs name. everybody know's you're just posturing and it's a lie.
        sportmac
        Reply Vote

      • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

        @sportmac

        please don't respond to idiot zealot. he is just kidding.
        banned from zdnet
        Reply Vote

  • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

    With easy porting of iPhone apss, WP7 may just be the phone to get. You would have all the same apps, a great new UI, I can't wait til these phones are released.
    Loverock Davidson
    Reply Vote

  • Someone from MS needs to pull this guy aside and set him straight

    Evangelists aren't supposed to put people to sleep when they talk... yawn...
    Johnny Vegas
    Reply Vote

  • Very bad person to interview...

    If I heard this right, the first the guy asked him what apps will be made or provided OTHER than games, and the guy responds... "It's interesting that you bought up games... because games..." ... uh yeah ok... how about you respond to his actual question and not what he said not to talk about. Lol... and all he said was Hubba bubba about a hub facebook+twitter = hub, ok Inteview over. Wasted my life just now watching this video. LOL

    I like wp7 for what it is so far... but marketing etc has always failed to even say what it does
    x21x
    Reply Vote

    • Could it be that it does nothing impressive??

      @x21x It is very likely that WP7 is so far behind that MS is purposely down playing the abilities .... because it barely has any or they are just below what others can do already. In fact, the only feature that I think they should be hitting (MS Office support) is not even being talk about.

      They keep talking about games because that is what they think is the market. They are not smart enough to understand that the smartphone market is not for gamers. And please, don't talk about Angry Birds because that is a silly but addictive $1 game that does not require web integration (except to see the video) and you can play it to kill short amounts of time ......

      On the other hand MS is advertising $30 games that require a $30 monthly data plan and an extra $8 monthly XBox Live fee to play it .. and the games require a substantial commitment of time (ie: they are not good for killing 5 mins of dead time ... they require more like 30 mins to an hour of online play).
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

      • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

        @wackoae <br>You apparently don't know what you are talking about the because there's a lot more to WP7 than your narrowed mind can handle.<br><br>Any smartphone require a data plan and XBox Live on WP7 does not required any fee.<br><br>EDIT:<br>Nintendo DS and PSP is not a phone. Windows Phone 7 require XBox Live Silver which is free.

        Maybe you should know what you are talking about before making yourself look like a fool.
        illegaloperation
        Reply Vote

      • Here is a question for your LIMITED brain

        @day2die How much do people pay for the data plan required by the NDS or the PSP??

        Also, you must be smoking something, because XBox Live requires a subscription .... which MS is selling to both XBox and WP7 users. You must be an idiot for thinking that XBox Live is free on the WP7. The fact that you the subscription account can be use on either does not negate the fact that YOU NEED TO PAY for the subscription in the 1st place.
        wackoae
        Reply Vote

  • Geez. It's just a Phone.

    I don't understand why people who have Android's, RIM, or an iPhone decide to come on WP7 blogs and bash it any way they can. It seem childish to me and to a point a bit insecure to attack a product because it's different than yours. I don't go to iPhone articles and bash the iPhone. I'm above that. Others here aren't.<br><br>Back to the article. Nice interview. It seems that from other articles and videos that WP7 will have a lot of built in Apps, 3rd party Apps, and a wide range of games. I've seen some really Epic games and some simple run of the mill waiting in line at the Supermarket games. So, there will be a little for everyone's taste.<br><br>As for tethering. I wish WP7 would have this at release. It sounds like it can be added later fairly easily. I can understand if you are a real heavy user phone guy or need to have constant access to the Web it would be handy. Truth be told though, it costs simply too much for an average Joe to pay the say $30 data plan and another $20 for tethering. If you can get your company to pay for it, fine. But I don't know of a whole lot of "normal" users or even "heavy" users who would be willing to pay that steep of a cost.<br><br>WP7, I feel, has a pretty good strategy. They took some of the good things from the iPhone, and some good things from Android. Threw in a few unique things to differentiate WP7 (XBOX, Metro UI, Live Tiles, Cloud Storage etc) from the competitors and voila! You've got a pretty darn competitive phone.<br><br>Let's not forget that this is a first release. Never is a phone perfect out of the gate. We just all have to hope WP7 turns out to be as good as most reviewers have said it is. Because if it is, it will make the Mobile World a better place for you and me.<br><br>Cheers!
    SmoothDouglas
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Think Mobile: Microsoft highlights Windows phone 7

      @SmoothDouglas

      Out the gate: No copy/paste, no multi task.

      Early adopters will hate it, everyone else will steer clear of it.
      cyberslammer
      Reply Vote

  • THINK MOBILE?!?!?!

    That's all you have????!?!

    What an effing joke. You're peddling a phone that doesn't have copy/paste, no multi tasking and thinking everyone's on XBox Live with a 360.

    I see FAIL in this phone's future.
    cyberslammer
    Reply Vote
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