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Topic: Operating Systems

I am passionate about Windows Phone, just give it a try

Summary: Windows Phone may not have the mind share of other platforms, but those of us who use it daily are pretty passionate about it and will not give it up.

Matthew Miller

By for Smartphones and Cell Phones |

I use devices from nearly all smartphone platforms and like to give them all at least a chance to occupy my pockets. I like iOS, I tolerate Android, and I LOVE Windows Phone so when I read James' new post titled, "Windows Phone: The passionless platform", you know I had to chime in and tell James why he is wrong on this one :)

I have the iPhone 4S for Verizon, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the Nokia N9, and many other smartphones in my gear bag and drawers, but the main device I keep going back to is the spec lowly HTC Radar 4G. The hardware is superb with the aluminum body, size that easily fits in any pocket, and battery life that carries me through my long day. Windows Phone is elegant, efficient, stable, personable, and a simple joy to use.

iOS is fine and I do like my iPhone, but it is more for the superb apps than the OS itself. I have tons of folders with apps stored in them, but the home screen interface reminds me of my Palm OS days. Android lets you customize it like crazy and have widgets all over the home screens, which ends up making it a bit overwhelming and cluttered at times. Not to mention, I still get FC (force close) in Android apps on a daily basis. If I had to choose just a single platform right now, I would choose Windows Phone in a heartbeat.

With Windows Phone I have a main home/Start screen with eight Live tiles and most of the time I just use this home screen or slide up to view the next eight tiles and rarely have to dive any deeper to get to what I use all the time. My eight Live tiles include:

  1. Phone/dialing utility: Calling people I talk to all the time is just two taps from dialing.
  2. Family tile: I can communicate with my family, view their status updates, see their latest photos with a simple tap and couple swipes.
  3. Messaging tile: My teen daughter and wife text all the time and this is essential.
  4. Linked inbox: All my email is accessed from one tile.
  5. Music & Videos tile: I love my Zune Pass.
  6. Rowi: This is my favorite Twitter application on Windows Phone.
  7. YouVersion Bible: Thanks to this app I have now passed 107 straight days of completing my daily Bible reading plan.
  8. AlphaJax: I love playing this word game. You can play against me if you want, just challenge "palmsolo".

My next eight down include my calendar, RunKeeper, Spotify, Xbox Live games, Internet Explorer, Marketplace, Flixster, and USAA bank.

I am a firm believer that Windows Phone is going to move up into third and maybe even second place in the smartphone race at some time, people just need to give it an honest try. My wife gave up her 12 megapixel Nokia N8 for a Nokia Lumia 710 and tells me every other day how much she loves using Windows Phone because it is so fast and easy for her to get things done and NEVER freezes or resets. My middle daughter has a Samsung Focus and constantly tells me this is the best phone ever. My youngest wants a Windows Phone and when something better comes to T-Mobile I will pass along my Radar to her. These family members are passionate about Windows Phone and so am I so I completely disagree with James statement that this is a passionless platform. What's your position?

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

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72 comments
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  • It just doesn't get me excited

    It's a personal thing, I think Windows Phone is coming along nicely. Using it doesn't get me excited like almost every other phone does. It's a mystery to me quite frankly, as I am Mr. Gadget Lover in every way.

    Matt, I know it works for you. Would you carry only a Windows Phone every day for a month? I know you usually have 2 or 3 with you, being a gadget addict as I am. How about it?
    JamesKendrick
    Reply Vote

    • Hmm, the Windows Phone Challenge, huh?

      James, choice is something we both love about the mobile world and you know I was just giving you a hard time. I am very passionate about Windows Phone though and am seriously considering your questions and challenge. Maybe I will give up everything, but Windows Phone for a month and write up a series on it. I may have to still review other phones here and there, but could keep my personal, every day phone a Windows Phone.

      Honestly, if I had to choose I would give them all up for Windows Phone.
      palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller)
      Reply Vote

      • I throw down the challenge

        Use NO OTHER phone for a month and report in on the experience. I really want to get over my lackadaisical feeling about Windows Phone, and I'm counting on you to help me. :)
        JamesKendrick
        Reply Vote

      • Both take the challenge and compare

        It would be interesting if James was to also take the challenge and then we could have comparative view points.
        Nihon8888
        Reply Vote

      • Maybe its a good thing he doesn't get excited.....

        It may speak to the platform itself as being a stand out that he is too nervous to give a try because he knows he will not be going back to these other platforms he has been enjoying for years!
        OhTheHumanity
        Reply Vote

      • @Matt and James

        That's an excellent idea. Challenge noted and witnessed! I have to admit I'm with James on this one as WP does not excite me - although I'm at the point of smashing my Samsung Fascinate against a brick wall sans Otterbox and going with something different for my work phone... perhaps your experiences will convince me - the die hard iOS proponent and Android user - to drop Android altogether and go with a WP device for my work phone.
        athynz
        Reply Vote

      • To be fair

        Maybe James could compare it to a modern phone like the HTC One X with 5-core Tegra, or the Samsung Galaxy S II. That would be fun.
        symbolset
        Reply Vote

      • Re: I throw down the challenge

        I don't see you keeping your promise? You're still busily spreading FUD about something you don't understand.
        WebSiteManager
        Reply Vote

    • Just try it!

      Just give it a go for a week, what do you have to lose?!
      clcrockett
      Reply Vote

      • Tried them but.....

        I just couldn't stand the windows phone, my wife's iPhone was better, but I still prefer my Samsung Android. No problems with that phone and I would buy it again.
        linux for me
        Reply Vote

    • None of the above...

      It is funny, but none of the mobile platforms gets me excited these days.

      iOS is feeling old, even though it gives the most consistent user experience due to the tight stranglehold Apple have on the iTunes Store.

      Android is okay (unbranded htc Sensation), feels more modern than iOS, but feels a bit meh! Nothing to get really excited about.

      Windows Phone 7 (unbranded htc 7 Mozart) is fine, I much prefer it to iOS, it is easier to use and in many ways more logical and informative than iOS and can be less cluttered than Android. The only 2 drawbacks I have with it are: 1) our Exchange Server certificates are so badly mangled that the 'phone considers it a pariah and refuses to talk to it 2) no Audible support - supposed to be coming soon, but they've been saying that for a year.

      To be honest, with 3 smartphones in my pocket, I actually use them less than I did my htc TouchPro and my iPhone 3GS back in 2009.

      I have turned push e-mail off, I let it come in once an hour. I don't constantly check Twitter. In fact, I only use it for listening to podcasts and audiobooks most of the time. I'll occassionally look up something on Google, if I need some information quickly, but I'll generally wait until I am back at my PC.
      wright_is
      Reply Vote

      • well

        That is more a problem with your IT department rather than your phone. However i do know what you mean, as i had to publish new certificates to get my phone to work properly. But it just means your servers are set up the way they should be.
        danjames2012
        Reply Vote

      • Audible is in actual beta, should be coming soon

        To your point 2), check out Paul Thurrott's post about the beta of Audible in testing right now, http://www.winsupersite.com/blog/supersite-blog-39/windowsphone75/report-audible-app-windows-phone-limited-beta-142575. Shouldn't be much longer...
        palmsolo (aka Matthew Miller)
        Reply Vote

      • @Matthew

        Thanks for that.
        wright_is
        Reply Vote

    • Why not actually try it instead of thinking up reasons not to?

      It's obvious you haven't tried WP7 for any length of time James or your bias is so impenetrable that you can't really handle better software. At least Matt uses his other phones no matter how bad they might be ;-)

      Anyway get used to it, in two years you won't be able to find anything not running a Metro UI (and yes Android and Apple will have to catch up).
      tonymcs@...
      Reply Vote

    • End of life for Wp7: 6 months.

      Current WP7 phones will not support Apollo, due in October. It's a new OS kernel and not hardware backward compatible - It's a new reboot for the team (which, coincidentally, was completely recycled on WP7 launch day don'tcha know.). If you bought in the last year and want to upgrade, well, it bites to be you. If you buy WP7 from today forward well, being stupid should be painful for the good of the species.

      Good news though: it does finally support dual core. Or will, if it launches on time. Few of those other odd devices, though, and since it's another generation 1 launch you're going to have to bear with a little instability and feature blight. Hopefully they'll at least have configurable MP3 ringtones available on launch day this time. This is what proprietary systems have been like since the dawn of time: you get to start over. And over. And over.
      symbolset
      Reply Vote

      • Your mind is ?

        Times change, and you're an idiot! There is a greater chance that My Samsung Focus will receive the next major update than not receive it. I know you wish for WP to be a complete do over because that's what Android needs, but Google is to stupid to admit it. The funny thing is that you are stupid enough to keep buying that cheesy bloat ware packed OS. I'd rather stay on Mango for the rest of my contract then to have to deal with the infection which is Android. You are so sure, but how will you look when you're wrong? You numb neck, dirty kneecap, water head, toast teeth, no nut, cheep OS backing, Windows Phone wishing was Android, compensating, tall toe, fool!
        rodneyej
        Reply Vote

    • Starting from April 1...

      ...you should both use a Windows Phone for one month exclusively. No reviewing other phones that come out during the month of Aril. Just your Windows Phone. That should settle the issue.
      alamfour
      Reply Vote

  • Kudos to Matthew Miller

    Kudos to Matthew Miller for defending the Windows Phone turf :-)
    owllnet
    Reply Vote

  • From My Cold Dead Hands

    That's when you can take my Windows Phone away from me. So far this is the only phone platform that has NEVER locked up, NEVER had to re-boot.
    LYU370
    Reply Vote
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