Develop Bugs

What apps do you like and why?

I thought we'd get a thread going on cool / helpful apps available in the market or web.
Lets try to avoid only putting the name of the app. Tell us a little about the app. It doesn't have to be a story. Please provide a link to app found online only.
Games apps are welcomed.
Ex. NFL Mobile, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8469781&postcount=628 gives current stats and scores. <-----I don't have the app installed so I don't know why it's any better than one off the market. Feel free to tell me why.
I like Silent Toggle Widget cuz it allow me to go from volume on, silent, and vibrate, from my home screen and only takes 1 icon.
Handcent SMS allows me to avoid small MMS pics and slide shows which are in the default messenger.
I like the game Alchemy. You start off with 4 elements and combine them to create new ones. I think theres over 300 combinations but I've only come up with 40ish. It's addicting.

FeedR. Great RSS feeds app, also has excellent sync with Google Reader.
Touiteur. I feel this is the best Twitter app out there.
Fruit Ninja. Very very addictive. Awesome fun. Open Feint makes it better.. as I always strive to get higher scores against my friends.
Tapatalk Pro. The best Forum surfing app out there.

Mp3 music download- it let's me download all the songs I
Want to my g2 for free!
Tikl- push to talk with your friends. Like a walkie talkie.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2

Google Voice - 2 numbers 1 phone?? What can be better.
Gameboid - Who doesnt love classics.
Handcent - Better than the default texting app imo.

Tech Buzz - it gives me my daily dose of android news
LED Light - Much more handy using the bright light from the led flash to look for stuff in the dark rather than the phone screen.

ddgarcia05 said:
I thought we'd get a thread going on cool / helpful apps available in the market or web.
Lets try to avoid only putting the name of the app. Tell us a little about the app. It doesn't have to be a story. Please provide a link to app found online only.
Games apps are welcomed.
Ex. NFL Mobile, http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8469781&postcount=628 gives current stats and scores. <-----I don't have the app installed so I don't know why it's any better than one off the market. Feel free to tell me why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because you can watch the NFL Network 24/7 stream lag free...for free...and SNF games for free....if you dont get the NFL Network..like me...its great

Firefox for Mobile 4 (beta), syncs my bookmarks, awesomeness...

LauncherPro = 7 homescreens, silky smooth, Sense style pinch preview, drag to un-install.
doubleTwist = Music player that looks a whole lot better than the stock
LED Light = turns your G2 into a flashlight, its a widget so that makes it quicker than having to open an application.

What are some must have apps

Just wanted to kno if im missin out on some good apps.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Battery Monitor Widget (free)= gives you up to the minute updates on how much power your phone is using (or getting, if you're charging). The widget tells you your battery life and clicking on it gives you several options on viewing exactly how fast your battery is draining.
Subsonic (one time donation of ~$10) = my favorite app ever, it sets up your computer as a server your phone can access so that you can play EVERY song you own without having to load it to your phone. I sold my iPod after getting this because, hey, I don't need it anymore. My 32GB iPod Touch is nothing compared to streaming all 300+GB of music I own. Audio Galaxy has a free version but if you haven't been keeping up with your id3 tags, you're screwed.
If you don't like the sense news widget you can get feedr. Not sure how much it costs though, it's a nice alternative and works very well. They do basically the same thing except feedr gives you more options and it's easier to find the rss feeds you want to subscribe to.
Other than that, I just use sense widgets. Hope this helps.

AbsolutZeroGI said:
Battery Monitor Widget (free)= gives you up to the minute updates on how much power your phone is using (or getting, if you're charging). The widget tells you your battery life and clicking on it gives you several options on viewing exactly how fast your battery is draining.
Subsonic (one time donation of ~$10) = my favorite app ever, it sets up your computer as a server your phone can access so that you can play EVERY song you own without having to load it to your phone. I sold my iPod after getting this because, hey, I don't need it anymore. My 32GB iPod Touch is nothing compared to streaming all 300+GB of music I own. Audio Galaxy has a free version but if you haven't been keeping up with your id3 tags, you're screwed.
If you don't like the sense news widget you can get feedr. Not sure how much it costs though, it's a nice alternative and works very well. They do basically the same thing except feedr gives you more options and it's easier to find the rss feeds you want to subscribe to.
Other than that, I just use sense widgets. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea thanks alot im a look into the subsonic app it sounds pretty interesting
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Not all of these are FREE, but look into them anyways.
Customization
Launcher Pro/ADW Launcher - These replace your launcher, or homescreen. They allow you to change a lot of the way the phone looks.
Widget Locker - This replaces your lockscreen, allowing you to change that like a homescreen. You can use custom unlock bars and even add widgets to your lockscreen.
Widgets
SwitchPro - This is my most used widget, its a transparent bar that allows you to turn on/off system settings. I use it for my 3G/4G Radios, Wifi, Bluetooth, and a quick button to turn my phone on vibrate and mute my media.
System Info Widget - If you look at screen-shots around here, you'll run into this widget. It monitors your Battery, Temperature, RAM, Disk Space, and free space on your SD card. Its a handy tool to check how much space you really have.
SMS Unread - This gives you an icon for Email, Messages and Phone that has a little bubble to show if you have new Email/Text/Calls. I keep it on my lockscreen, since my notification bar is hidden.
Applications
APK Installer - Install APK's downloaded from the internet. As you spend more time on XDA you'll find a ton of custom APK's, free programs, and beta releases.
Titanium Backup - This is the MUST have APP if your going to be trying new ROMS, it backs up your apps and data so you don't have to go through the tedious task of reinstalling them all.
AdFree - Removes Ad's from your phone. First thing I install personally.
Lookout - Mobile security, find your phone if lost through GPS, Wipe your phone remotely, backup all your data, and scans for malicious APK's.
Apps are a funny thing though, It's half about functionality, and half about what suits you personally. So I'd recommend you dig into the market and check out XDA to find the apps that you can't live without.

Thx for the subsonic..... trying it out shortly
Sent from my HTC Evo

Check the link in my sig, it has a big list of apps that I use.
I haven't used it in a while but I preferred Mecanto over Subsonic because it is free and actually loads your music onto their servers so you dont have to leave your computer on to listen to your tunes.

MIQLive - Cloud management app (http://miqlive.com/tour)
Dropbox - Cloud Storage
Handcent SMS - A great SMS application

AbsolutZeroGI said:
Battery Monitor Widget (free)= gives you up to the minute updates on how much power your phone is using (or getting, if you're charging). The widget tells you your battery life and clicking on it gives you several options on viewing exactly how fast your battery is draining.
Subsonic (one time donation of ~$10) = my favorite app ever, it sets up your computer as a server your phone can access so that you can play EVERY song you own without having to load it to your phone. I sold my iPod after getting this because, hey, I don't need it anymore. My 32GB iPod Touch is nothing compared to streaming all 300+GB of music I own. Audio Galaxy has a free version but if you haven't been keeping up with your id3 tags, you're screwed.
If you don't like the sense news widget you can get feedr. Not sure how much it costs though, it's a nice alternative and works very well. They do basically the same thing except feedr gives you more options and it's easier to find the rss feeds you want to subscribe to.
Other than that, I just use sense widgets. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Subsonic for sometime the only that really got to me was the fact that you had to keep your computer on all the time if you wanted access to your music library.
I recently discover Mecanto, it's free and it stores all of your music on their servers, meaning you can pull it up anytime anywhere without your computer having to be on. It's truly amazing! Many people havent heard about it but they are doing a great job. I'm not sure how long it is going to last free, so if I were you I would get it ASAP. It doesnt have all the tweaks as subsonic but the music is streamed in CD quality and it's fine.
As far as other must have apps...
Handscent
Wireless Tether
Pulse - Amazing news reader and very easily customizable
AdFree - blocks ads...lots of debate about this one...
Dolphin Browser
Dropbox - Probably the God of all other apps
Epistle - Takes notes on your phones and automatically syncs with your dropbox! I use this all the time!
Folder Organizer - If you use folders this is the app to have!
Sportacular - to keep up with sports, sends you realtime updates
Music Junk - stream and download music for free!
TV Show Stream - Watch tv shows free on your phone
Where's My Droid - God this comes in handy all the time
Zedge - download millions of ringtones and wallpapers
Wordfeud - it's scrabble, play with friends or

The best app in my opinion that streams music from your pc is audiogalaxy alot better then subsonic and its free.

Yes but audiogalaxy has a 3GB limit. Oh and your computer needs to be on as well.
Sent from my EVO

_MetalHead_ said:
Check the link in my sig, it has a big list of apps that I use.
I haven't used it in a while but I preferred Mecanto over Subsonic because it is free and actually loads your music onto their servers so you dont have to leave your computer on to listen to your tunes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I came across your thread last week and found one of the best android games, imo. Glyder© 2, really great game mechanics and HUGE environment.
My other must-have apps:
AdFree - not working for me on CM7
Autostarts
Audio Manager
DocsToGo
Dolphin Browser HD
-MyPDF, Dolphin add-on saves web pages as .pdf, excellent!
-Desktop Toggles, Dolphin add-on easily switches user agent.
Dropbox
gUnit
Handcent
OS Monitor
Pandora
Photobucket
Remote Desktop
Root Explorer
ShootMe
Swype
SystemPanel
TinyURL - very handy, adds tinyurl to share context menu. No more split links in sms!
Titanium Backup Pro
UltraChron
Google Voice

oblivior72 said:
Yes but audiogalaxy has a 3GB limit. Oh and your computer needs to be on as well.
Sent from my EVO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh, I didn't realize there was a limit... guess I'll keep Subsonic installed as a backup then.

nebenezer said:
I came across your thread last week and found one of the best android games, imo. Glyder© 2, really great game mechanics and HUGE environment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad you like it, it's one of my favorites.

oblivior72 said:
Yes but audiogalaxy has a 3GB limit. Oh and your computer needs to be on as well.
Sent from my EVO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wait so with the other one your comp does not need to be on?

Not with MeCanto. And its free and unlimited space.
Sent from my EVO

These are the apps on my phone:
Google Voice - Love this app. First thing I install and set up.
LauncherPro Plus - Launcher replacement.
AndroZip Pro - For all your archive needs.
BeamReader - Best PDF viewer out there.
Better Terminal Emulator - If you're a nerd like me, the terminal is a must.
Chrome to Phone - Look things up on the computer and send links to the phone.
Digital Clock - I like being able to customize my nightstand clock.
Documents to Go - Office software.
Key Ring - For all those store club cards my girlfriend insists I use.
Pandora - For the music I don't own.
Root Explorer - Best file manager out there.
Barcode Scanner/Shopper/Shop Savvy - Really pisses off retail workers.
SME Storage - Why limit yourself to Dropbox? Use all of them, including Google!
Square - Accept payments for services using your phone.
VPlayer - Best movie player I've found so far.
WinAmp - For the music I own.
Wireless Tether - Phone as a wireless modem.
I need to check out some of these apps people have posted now...

another option for music is Musikcube. your pc does need to be on but it is also free and no size limit.
just giving options.

IPCam viewer lets you look at traffic cams in your area (if you have any). Quite nice for watching traffic or weather.

New to WP7

So I've finally joined the club and boy am I stoked. So, what are the first things one should do e.g. apps to get, slight customisation, games etc, help your fellow comrade.
I don't know if this thread has been done before, if not, maybe it could be a sticky?

the first advice i could give to you is: read the forums

That's the beauty of WP7. There's no real customization to be done and no real apps to get. You're good to go!
Sent from my GT-I9000M

APPS?
download OEM apps.
download what you need. Marketplace got almost everything
customization? you mean changing the color of the tiles? LOL

radeon_x said:
That's the beauty of WP7. There's no real customization to be done and no real apps to get. You're good to go!
Sent from my GT-I9000M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How adorable, another android troll. There's also no lag, a good music player, no fragmentation (It's good to know I can't buy a new phone and have it be outdated next week) and hell, gaming has already about caught up with Android. You guys have more, we have better.

z33dev33l said:
How adorable, another android troll. There's also no lag, a good music player, no fragmentation (It's good to know I can't buy a new phone and have it be outdated next week) and hell, gaming has already about caught up with Android. You guys have more, we have better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the problem is that the more you feed the trolls , they keep coming back for more.

i just realize that he is using a sgs...
eww.

saldawop said:
I guess the problem is that the more you feed the trolls , they keep coming back for more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's pretty much a greek tragedy how incompetent these android users are "LOL my phone OS is better than yours *tap 3 times before an app finally pulls up then swipe left or right and watch the lag roll in* Yup, totally better, I troll you."

Ha. That wasn't really a troll. I just meant there's no setup or critical apps you need to get the phone running. Just grab whatever catches your eye from the market and you're golden. I like that aspect of the platform compared to Android. Until you want your phone to do something a specific way, it's bliss.
Sent from my GT-I9000M

kappo78 said:
So I've finally joined the club and boy am I stoked. So, what are the first things one should do e.g. apps to get, slight customisation, games etc, help your fellow comrade.
I don't know if this thread has been done before, if not, maybe it could be a sticky?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the world of WP7. Care to share which device you acquired?

MartyLK said:
Welcome to the world of WP7. Care to share which device you acquired?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't get it, aren't you the one who was pushing the WebOS users to outvote everything on that poll?

If you only get two games, get...
Ilomilo
Aphajax
Both will blow your mind into little wobbly pieces of grey blancmange and raspberry sauce. And all will be well in the world.
Wait! Someone's just put QUORUM down on a TW! Bastard!

radeon_x said:
That's the beauty of WP7. There's no real customization to be done and no real apps to get. You're good to go!
Sent from my GT-I9000M
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on how you look at it.
Lacking the need for customization at a low level is good (Rooting to uninstall bloatware, etc.), but there are tons of instances where you have to hack the system up just to achieve trivial tasks. Adding Ringtons to you phone, accessing Camera Shutter options, changing the default Search Engine in the Browser (T-Mobile sets it to Google, and some Euro Carrier sets it to Yahoo!). Things like that. You can't even set a home page in the browser (so even though I can't stand searching through Google, there's no way to Set Bing as the home page and just open a new tab and search from there). The OS is literally devoid of options/settings that matter. Can't even toggle between EDGE and 3G to save battery without hacking the phone (and that hack doesn't even work for some phones).
These aren't deep customizations on any other smartphone platform, but for WP7 it requires going beyond rooting or jailbreaking an Android phone. It makes Android a bit easier to use than WP7 when you factor in OneClick Root apps and the ability to sideload applications without scouring threads/the internet for information to get this done (and installing a ridiculously big SDK on your computer - nevermind the fact that it requires a Windows PC as well).
Microsoft got it wrong.
The issue with Android settigs is not that there were too many. It's the way they are presented to the user. They're generally (especially in third party applications from independent devs) just thrown in the user face on one huge page. Decently organized options in groups or tabs... there's nothing wrong with that. They need to add tons of options for the system and stock applications, because making even trivial changes to some behaviors is impossible without going through more work than loading a custom ROM on an Android phone is right now.
Minimalistic is good if you do it right (iOS). Microsoft took it to the extreme and all it does is create a ton of usability faux pas.

z33dev33l said:
How adorable, another android troll. There's also no lag, a good music player, no fragmentation (It's good to know I can't buy a new phone and have it be outdated next week) and hell, gaming has already about caught up with Android. You guys have more, we have better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, you're trolling him.
He means that the stock functionality in the WP7 system is above and beyond Android and iOS. And it is. Everything comes from Microsoft, integrates nicely, and performs well. Aside from Microsoft and Manufacturer Apps (i.e. HTC, LG, Samsung Apps), there aren't that many apps that you need on a WP7 device to be functional - besides games. Twitter is missing in the People Hub, so that's a biggie, and the Facebook integration doesn't include all functionality, so you need that.
I suggest Twitter, Seesmic, Facebook (Seesmic because it includes both and is a nice hub to use when you don't need heavy duty FB/Twitter functionality). Microsoft has a ton of free apps that are useful. Your manufacturer (especially if HTC) will fill in many of the other gaps. Foursquare is in the Market.
Adobe Reader is in the market. Amazon and Amazon Kindle is there. eBay has a very nice App in the market. Messenger by Miyowa sadly I have to recommend it because it's the best of any Messenger app in the market at the moment.
If you have an HTC phone you don't need a weather app. The HTC Hub Tile is Live for Weather. If not, I recommend Weather bug or Microsoft's little weather app. Weather Channel is a 9MB app and I can't see how that ridiculous size is justified given how WeatherBug and Microsoft's weather app are both < 2MB (if not 1 or below).
Microsoft has a few free games to try out. AlphaJacks is like Words With Friends for Windows Mobile ("Try It" version is free forever, but Ad Supported). Haypi Kingdom is a nice strategy game that is multi-player (also available for iOS and Android, so there is no shortage of people to play with/against).
Office Apps aren't needed (Office Mobile)
NoteTaking Apps aren't needed (OneNote Mobile)
Exchange Clients aren't needed (In-Built Functionality)
Music Players aren't needed (Zune)
Radio Apps aren't needed (Zune)
Slacker and Last.FM exist for Internet Radio.
Shazam is available with Unlimited Tagging.
Microsoft has a List App in the market (and HTC has one in their Marketplace).
Poynt, AP Mobile, IMDb, Fandango are all there.
But there aren't many needed apps, TBQH. Most apps are slower to use than the web browser because they tend to take excessive amounts of time "Updating..." Loading a web browser or performing a voice search often outperforms them, IME.
I'd get the biggies. Personally I'd avoid crap that you don't necessarily need and use the space for stuff that matters (Music, Pictures, Documents, etc.).
You can save documents from SkyDrive to your computer by opening them up from the Office.Live.com website and saving them to your Office Hub in Office Mobile. OneNote Mobile Syncs perfectly. There is an option to keep your Camera Roll in Sync with SkyDrive (this can use a lot of data if you take lots of pictures).

N8ter said:
Actually, you're trolling him.
He means that the stock functionality in the WP7 system is above and beyond Android and iOS. And it is. Everything comes from Microsoft, integrates nicely, and performs well. Aside from Microsoft and Manufacturer Apps (i.e. HTC, LG, Samsung Apps), there aren't that many apps that you need on a WP7 device to be functional - besides games. Twitter is missing in the People Hub, so that's a biggie, and the Facebook integration doesn't include all functionality, so you need that.
I suggest Twitter, Seesmic, Facebook (Seesmic because it includes both and is a nice hub to use when you don't need heavy duty FB/Twitter functionality). Microsoft has a ton of free apps that are useful. Your manufacturer (especially if HTC) will fill in many of the other gaps. Foursquare is in the Market.
Adobe Reader is in the market. Amazon and Amazon Kindle is there. eBay has a very nice App in the market. Messenger by Miyowa sadly I have to recommend it because it's the best of any Messenger app in the market at the moment.
If you have an HTC phone you don't need a weather app. The HTC Hub Tile is Live for Weather. If not, I recommend Weather bug or Microsoft's little weather app. Weather Channel is a 9MB app and I can't see how that ridiculous size is justified given how WeatherBug and Microsoft's weather app are both < 2MB (if not 1 or below).
Microsoft has a few free games to try out. AlphaJacks is like Words With Friends for Windows Mobile ("Try It" version is free forever, but Ad Supported). Haypi Kingdom is a nice strategy game that is multi-player (also available for iOS and Android, so there is no shortage of people to play with/against).
Office Apps aren't needed (Office Mobile)
NoteTaking Apps aren't needed (OneNote Mobile)
Exchange Clients aren't needed (In-Built Functionality)
Music Players aren't needed (Zune)
Radio Apps aren't needed (Zune)
Slacker and Last.FM exist for Internet Radio.
Shazam is available with Unlimited Tagging.
Microsoft has a List App in the market (and HTC has one in their Marketplace).
Poynt, AP Mobile, IMDb, Fandango are all there.
But there aren't many needed apps, TBQH. Most apps are slower to use than the web browser because they tend to take excessive amounts of time "Updating..." Loading a web browser or performing a voice search often outperforms them, IME.
I'd get the biggies. Personally I'd avoid crap that you don't necessarily need and use the space for stuff that matters (Music, Pictures, Documents, etc.).
You can save documents from SkyDrive to your computer by opening them up from the Office.Live.com website and saving them to your Office Hub in Office Mobile. OneNote Mobile Syncs perfectly. There is an option to keep your Camera Roll in Sync with SkyDrive (this can use a lot of data if you take lots of pictures).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh, no real apps to get doesn't exactly sound right. It makes it sound like anything released on this platform is bad.
To OP though, Ilomilo and Twin Blades are the only games I have that live up to my XBL expectations (and sadly I have most of them) there are other good games but Ilomilo overall. other than that Netflix is the only other one I'd deem necessary.

I knew exactly what he means when I read the post. Perhaps English isn't his first language, but it wasn't a hard statement to decipher...
Netflix is useless if you're not a subscriber, so I wouldn't deem it necessary at all. No one is going to subscribe to Netflix just to watch movies on a phone. Just doesn't make sense, IMO. If you're a subscriber, though, have it's nice to have...
The only necessary apps are those for social networking, and XBox Live Extras.
The Manufacturer Hub Apps (some/most of them) are a given.
TBQH, most smartphone OSes are like this. If the platform is missing something, like Android is, the Manufacturers usually add it in (ThinkFree Office, Amazon MP3, MobiTV, Exchange support, etc.).
One thing most of us forgot is Navigation Software. At this point if you want decent navigation with Turn-By-Turn directions, you're basically required to pay a subscription fee for TeleNav or whatever the phone comes with.
I've tried A-to-B Navigation. It's useless for all practical purposes.
Social Networking and Navigation Software are the only ones I'd say are necessary.
Also the Carriers are allowed to change the default search provider in Internet Explorer, so if you're a Bing user like me the usability of in-browser search is... terrible. T-Mobile Maps the Search button (and address bar search) in IE to Google and some Euro Carriers change it to Yahoo. Severely inconsistent and bad considering most people use the address bar to perform searches.
There is no option to change the default search provider. And performing that hack requires more manual labor than rooting and installing a custom ROM on an Android computer (and involves making registry changes, etc. on your Windows PC).

N8ter said:
I knew exactly what he means when I read the post. Perhaps English isn't his first language, but it wasn't a hard statement to decipher...
Netflix is useless if you're not a subscriber, so I wouldn't deem it necessary at all. No one is going to subscribe to Netflix just to watch movies on a phone. Just doesn't make sense, IMO. If you're a subscriber, though, have it's nice to have...
The only necessary apps are those for social networking, and XBox Live Extras.
The Manufacturer Hub Apps (some/most of them) are a given.
TBQH, most smartphone OSes are like this. If the platform is missing something, like Android is, the Manufacturers usually add it in (ThinkFree Office, Amazon MP3, MobiTV, Exchange support, etc.).
One thing most of us forgot is Navigation Software. At this point if you want decent navigation with Turn-By-Turn directions, you're basically required to pay a subscription fee for TeleNav or whatever the phone comes with.
I've tried A-to-B Navigation. It's useless for all practical purposes.
Social Networking and Navigation Software are the only ones I'd say are necessary.
Also the Carriers are allowed to change the default search provider in Internet Explorer, so if you're a Bing user like me the usability of in-browser search is... terrible. T-Mobile Maps the Search button (and address bar search) in IE to Google and some Euro Carriers change it to Yahoo. Severely inconsistent and bad considering most people use the address bar to perform searches.
There is no option to change the default search provider. And performing that hack requires more manual labor than rooting and installing a custom ROM on an Android computer (and involves making registry changes, etc. on your Windows PC).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not only that, but I wouldn't subscribe to any version of Netflix because of the cost. I watch maybe 2 to 4 rented movies a month. And some months, none. To have to pay a fee just to use Netflix is wasteful. Yet that's how NF works. I would, however, subscribe to NF if there was no fee. The only cost would be the rental charge.

I have to say the best game for Xbox Live is the Harvest. Feels like diablo with a sci fi twist. The bad thing though is if your a typical Xbox console gamer, you won't find much that will interest you on WP7.
I swear its a new puzzle or tower defense game ever week.

you can of course customise your lock screen, you could also install "pin to start" which apparently offers customised live tile (don't have it myself, not my type of thing". Apps wise, get the HTC You tube app if you have an HTC device, would also recommend pdf reader and the amazon kindle app (if you like books) beyond that, there are nearly 9000 apps to choose from - I think there are even a couple of "fart" apps if that floats your boat...........

I've already mentioned Adobe Acrobat Reader X and Amazon Kindle.
Not all applications have Live Tiles, and TBH without a Live Tile an app would have to be very important to merit a spot on you home screen (no one wants a home screen that scrolls for miles). I have issues keeping Seesmic/Twitter/Facebook on the Home Screen, for example, without a Live Tile. Games like AlphaJax are good cause the Tile is Live (tells you when it's your turn and how many games you have waiting on you, for example).
The HTC YouTube app is good, but it's only for HTC devices (I already said the Manufacturer apps were a given since they fill in obvious gaps in functionality i.e. YouTube, NotePad/List App, Flashlight, Attentive Phone, Live Weather Tile (HTC), Sound Enhancer, etc.).
The customization that I say is missing isn't really "customization" in the XDA-Developers sense.
Setting a Home Page in the Browser, Setting the Default Search Engine in the Browser, and Options for things like how long you want Toast Notifications to stay on the screen aren't any type of deep customization. It's simply a trivial setting that Microsoft needs to add. These things are missing all over the OS and need to be added in ASAP. It acually makes the OS a chore to use in many instances.
They also need to make carriers unable to alter the default search engine. It sucks for people who use a certain search engine, and makes it take 3x longer to perform searches if you don't want to go through Google. There just need to be an option for the three biggies (Bing, Yahoo, Google) or the ability to allow the bing homepage to set itself as the default search engine (or Yahoo, or Google).

Most missed feature...

Here's the thing...I am planning on making my next phone either the new Nokia or the Focus S pretty much whichever releases first. I came from a 3gs and now have a Captivate and I want WP7 users to tell me the top things they miss from their previous OS...whether it be Android or IPhone. I am pretty much trying to figure out what I am going to be giving up in the switch to WP7. Thanks for any replies and no trolls please lol.

I think in general you'll be gaining a very trouble free, polished, and well integrated experience, while giving up more customization and a giant marketplace. i think coming from ios and android the biggest things you'll miss are your apps, if you were a big app user.

Notifications. WP doesn't show your notifications in one place like Android or even a popup like ios. You have to have the app pinned the home screen. If you have a lot of apps this could get annoying
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

Oh and no google apps on WP. No Gmail no maps no voice. Not official ones anyway
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?

Gurgs said:
I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You see icons/numbers for missed calls, messages, emails on the lock screen and on the live tiles and there are notifications for all of them.
You can use GMail with the mail client (IMAP), also Google Calendar works fine. I am not sure about Bing Maps in the US but here in Austria it's useless. But there is a good (free) unofficial Google Maps app. Visual voicemail is only supported by some carriers.

Gurgs said:
Here's the thing...I am planning on making my next phone either the new Nokia or the Focus S pretty much whichever releases first. I came from a 3gs and now have a Captivate and I want WP7 users to tell me the top things they miss from their previous OS...whether it be Android or IPhone. I am pretty much trying to figure out what I am going to be giving up in the switch to WP7. Thanks for any replies and no trolls please lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
abysmal support for instant messaging apps. That's my only gripe.

Words by post is the alternate. Its superior to words with friends imo
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App

I came from WM6.5. I miss the bluetooth support. WP7 does not have SPP, so no external bluetooth devices will work, only bluetooth headsets etc. I can't use my bluetooth external GPS. Since my LG has a really poor GPS, this really bites.
Other than that, I really like the WP7 experience now that Mango is out.

Big issues for me compared to IOS.
- Lack of apps. The big ones like Facebook have been ported, but little ones (like language learning apps and dictionaries) - forget it.
- Lack of games. Always playing with my ipod touch, never play with my WP7 phone. Not enough good titles.
- No audio scrubbing in music player. Can't fast forward properly or jump around in tracks - makes it useless to for playing podcasts/audiobooks. Still have to use my ipod for listening to language CDs.
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
- No way to backup a WP7 phone. If you lose your phone or have to upgrade your firmware, wave goodbye to all your save data, settings and sms messages. You'll also have to manually re-install all of your apps.

karan1203 said:
Words by post is the alternate. Its superior to words with friends imo
Sent from my T8788 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is words by post cross platform? WP7 -> iPhone? My wife has the 4s and that would be great...

Notifications, Swype (I like typing with one hand), screen orientation lock and LED flash light app.
Other than that, there are little limitations here and there that will probably be addressed in the future updates.

topkop said:
Notifications, Swype (I like typing with one hand), screen orientation lock and LED flash light app.
Other than that, there are little limitations here and there that will probably be addressed in the future updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there only one choice for keyboard in WP7? If so how does it compare to stock keyboards on other platforms?

Gurgs said:
Is there only one choice for keyboard in WP7? If so how does it compare to stock keyboards on other platforms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is just 1 keyboard with Windows Phone 7.
I used to use Swype with Windows Mobile.
The keyboard for Windows phone 7 does have autmatic corrections and word suggestions. It ends up being just as fast as swype.
I have a quantum, which also has a real physical keyboard, which is nice when typing a long email.
No issues with the on screen keyboard. It works very well.

Aphasaic2002 said:
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, podcast handling is one of the things I like in Windows Phone! I used to download podcasts using ITunes and using Zune to sync to the phone. There is an easier way.
Now I have the phone automatically download and manage the podcasts itself (without using a PC). The phone downloads podcasts automatically when it is plugged into power and connected to Wifi. I've set it to keep the last 5 episodes of each podcast - works great so far and less hassle than launching iTunes every day!
More details here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1286101

Gurgs said:
Is words by post cross platform? WP7 -> iPhone? My wife has the 4s and that would be great...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Words by Post is on WP, Android & iOS so yes.

Audio and Video Scrubbing. How this was missing in 2010 let alone 2011 just doesn't make sense.

Gurgs said:
I know I lose words with friends but i'm sure there is a replacement of some kind in the app store plus xbox live integration will even that our for me (hopefully). Missed calls and messages are really the only important notifications I need. I do use gmail as my main email tho so will that cause any problems? Also how does bing maps compare to google maps? Nokia drive looks really nice if I go that route. What about any kind if visual voicemail? Any alternatives to google voice?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YouMail has an app called Magikmail that work as a Visual VM replacement unless AT&T gets its act together.
Bing Maps works very well for everything except a decent driving GPS, but a $5 app called Turn-by-Turn directions fixes that for me.
Missed calls and Messages- you'll have no problem at all with the very good notifications on the tiles for those, as well as the notifications on the lockscreen.
There are a few GV apps in the marketplace that work decently well.
Words with Friends alternatives- Alphajax and Words by Post
Other than that, I miss the LED notifications and being able to have a lastpass plugin for my browser. Overall, not really much that I miss from the other 2 options and a lot to like in WP7 over them.
---------- Post added at 11:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 PM ----------
Aphasaic2002 said:
Big issues for me compared to IOS.
- Lack of apps. The big ones like Facebook have been ported, but little ones (like language learning apps and dictionaries) - forget it.
- Lack of games. Always playing with my ipod touch, never play with my WP7 phone. Not enough good titles.
- No audio scrubbing in music player. Can't fast forward properly or jump around in tracks - makes it useless to for playing podcasts/audiobooks. Still have to use my ipod for listening to language CDs.
- Poor support for podcasts imported from Itunes. They appear in random order, also much prefer itunes to zune.
- No way to backup a WP7 phone. If you lose your phone or have to upgrade your firmware, wave goodbye to all your save data, settings and sms messages. You'll also have to manually re-install all of your apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some good points here. I have only found 1-2 apps that I miss, but won't argue there are some things I'd like to have.
Haven't been upset by the audio issue- FF and REW work just fine for me. What am I missing that's so amazing?
Podcasts? No way- iTunes is horrible. Zune isn't that much better. Why use either? Just have the phone do it without needing to sync to either? Way past the iOS paradigm here.
Somewhat agree on the backup. Zune does do a backup when you do upgrades, but I think there's no way to do it otherwise. Annoying. And yes, until the Skydrive API is really more available, there aren't good methods for saving app data... but when it is, it'll be better than the other 2, assuming MS doesn't screw it up massively.

Well the Focus S coming out in two weeks pretty much answers which phone i'm getting. And this thread makes me realize i'm not giving up much of anything to leave Android, not to mention not having to flash a new ROM on my phone every week to keep up with the times lol

I think that the only things i miss from Android are...
•Tethering (new phones have it though, and possibly my HD7 via an update)
•TV Listings for Android (how is it that there is not a single app that can display all my US/Puerto Rico channel listings with shows and times? no... not a show tracker, i mean a full TV Guide)
•Adobe Flash (slow, buggy, laggy... but i could watch anything on the web )
•USB Mass storage (although i wonder why? come to think of it, i dont use it that much)
Still, the good FAR exceeds the bad here and my next phone will still be WP7 for sure!!! Titan or Focus S maybe (why TMO gets the crappy one???)

Am I the only one who likes S-Voice better than Google Now?

I know neither are perfect but when I give a local phone command like play music or a certain song S- Voice usually does it automatically. Google Now just always wants to search the web or make me scroll to a (tiny) button and choose what I want to do. Any tips to getting Google Now to "get a little smarter"?

I don't get Google Now yet. I mean I have it, I just don't "get it". The cards kinda put me off, so I haven't taken the time to explore what it really does for me.
I liked being able to press the search button (which my S3 doesn't have ) and Google Voice Search would pop up and I'd tell her (yeah, her) to do something and she would do it (usually).
Google Now seems a bit more complicated.

I've been using Google Now for a while now and I've found it to be very convenient. I love the fact that it will remind me when my favorite football (soccer) team plays a day before on the days I forget. It's pretty awesome IMO how it gives me an ETA for my commute to and from work without having to look up anything. It also does that for any place I look up (Store, Company, etc) with a shortcut to navigate. I was skeptical at first but it has found it's way to integrate into my everyday life.
Sent from my SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

I looked into it a little bit and I've come to the conclusion I don't lead an interesting enough life for Google Now to be useful. I (more often than not) know where stuff is around me, I have apps that tell me the weather and my teams' scores, and public transit is pretty consistent for me.
So there you go.

I can't really get the hang of either of them. Can either of them place phone calls or open apps?
Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk 2

There both agreviting. I mean try telling it to send a text message, damn thing just twist your words. It's making me think my spoken English was recently learnt through rosettastone. I end up arguing with it....
Sent from my SGH-I747M using xda premium

I use Voice Search (not Google Now) because the cards put me off.
Usually I'm looking to do something specific and I don't need a bunch of cards coming up.
I found that S-voice was less accurate and slower than Voice search for everything. VS will make calls, search, search phone, send texts...etc.
I hated on S-voice that it had to repeat back what it was doing....make sure that's what I wanted and then do it....the process took longer than VS by 3X.

bud951 said:
I know neither are perfect but when I give a local phone command like play music or a certain song S- Voice usually does it automatically. Google Now just always wants to search the web or make me scroll to a (tiny) button and choose what I want to do. Any tips to getting Google Now to "get a little smarter"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
N95
Ditto here. I did find personalized recognition under settings so you can try that to see if it helps, and IIRC, you can choose the apps that it has access to.

I pretty much only use the (new offline) Google Voice search/commands, too, and ignore the Google Now cards, because they're not useful often enough in NYC. Weather and extreme weather alert cards are nice, but the subway and commute stuff doesn't really help me, and I don't give a sh1t about the new movie & sports cards.
Maybe more user-relevant cards from apps will show up in the future, though.
(Still, S-Voice sucks.)

The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.

wiz4769 said:
The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google voice is the best of both worlds...it has app control and it's fast on voice searching.
It's S-Voice without the annoying slowness and GNow without the stupid cards popping up.

wiz4769 said:
The fact that google now doesnt have full control over the apps yet is the kicker. I think it will be able to do this and then it will be the king. But for asking google search type things its better than S voice, but S voice can control the apps....combine the abilities of the 2 with the speed of Google Now and it will be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't part the problem that Google Now uses DIFFERENT commands to do things? (I just updated to the v7 version and I can set a time with the same prhasing as S Voice, but it actually sets an alarm for 10 minutes later vs S-Voice's bringing up the timer part of the clock.)
In S Voice you would say, "set a timer for ten minutes" and it brings up the stop watch and asks you to start it. (mine usually times out before I can say 'start')
In Google Now you say, 'set a reminder for ten minutes ' and it does set the alarm for the time.
What I LOVE is that Google Now can look at my calendar and where my next appt is and tell me (in advance) how long it's going to take to get there, reminding me to leave. This of course requires that you put the information into the location portion of your appts.
There's a set of 2 vids on Youtube with Google Now's 67 commands and search types.
http://youtu.be/fHkhp6BwnGo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ePUYp6HPU&feature=share&list=ULh8ePUYp6HPU

Lol man! i think you are alone in this one!! google now is so much better to anything else!! it really knows you!!

kjpedro said:
Lol man! i think you are alone in this one!! google now is so much better to anything else!! it really knows you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 Google Now hands down
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

Can someone explain me how Gnow works and what it can do never used it
Sent from my SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app

I never use neither of them.
I hate Google Now throwing all the sports thingy wasting my battery, memory, and data.. Though, S-voice don't spend any data, I feel like it's wasting battery and memory.
I'll use G-Now/S-Voice when phone can stay up for 3days with heavy usage