Related
I would like to know if there's gonna be an application HUB in the new Windows Phone 7 Series??
Would be nice to have a hub where you can add your favorite 3rd party applications like:
- Location/Navigation software (Google Maps, TomTom, iGO, CoPilot etc.)
- Browser software (Opera, Skyfire etc.)
- Games
- Multimedia software (CorePlayer, TCPMP etc.)
Sorted by example on Category or Most used.
Would be nice, usefull and marketable.
I don't get why Microsoft would introduce an "Application Hub" when the point of Hubs was to get rid of the "applications".
Games would be in the games hub, multimedia would be in the multimedia hub. There's an applications list in alphabetical order on the start page if the right arrow is pressed...
according to http://www.modaco.com/ there's a marketplace hub. does this mean this is the only entry point to install applications? Makes me get panic attacks!
I guess that there'd be another way to install applications, unless they want to have corporate users stay with WinMo 6.5.* for the future, as when a company wants to have a mobile app tied to there custom company software for in house use, they for sure wouldn't want it to take the way over the Marketplace.
As for having the most used applications easily available: you could just pin them to the Startscreen a.k.a. Live-Tiles. You can pin single contacts, single albums, single songs there and I believe somebody already said, that u could pin programs from the App-List to the right too. Depends on the application how it then uses the Live Tile (to display highscore, in-game scenes or what not).
StevieBallz said:
I guess that there'd be another way to install applications, unless they want to have corporate users stay with WinMo 6.5.* for the future, as when a company wants to have a mobile app tied to there custom company software for in house use, they for sure wouldn't want it to take the way over the Marketplace.
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Click to collapse
That is a good point. I hope you are right. Not being able to run whatever program I want to is a big deal breaker for me. If this were the case I would go Android unless WP7 gets jailbroken (I feel so sad using this term for WM/WP; it is so open right now. Why restrict it in such ways?).
the reason that they are restricting the apps, is to make the system more stable. They want the experience to be amazing on every phone, eg making the hardware requirements so strict. They want to be able to evaluate what an app does to the system before it is released. They are making the submission parameters easier to comply with, so it will be easy to put your work on marketplace. They new marketplace specs for 6.5 will give developers the ability to make links straight to the app on the marketplace.
Initially I was starting to kinda freak out, but I think this is for the best. It will force people to use the marketplace, and since it won't support old apps, it will move all the applications for windows mobile to one spot, it is just one more way they are trying to compete with apple.
And on a side note, I'm not actually sure that winpho7 has a file explorer... Nothing in the demo gave me reason to think that one would be there. I think they are trying to replace explorer with the hubs.
If you swipe left on the start page, you get a list of all your applications.
I don't think there's a seperate, categorised hub.
I believe you can also add shortcut tiles on the start page, but that's all I know.
(And yeah, I too would like to find out whether WP7 has a file explorer...)
webpatrick said:
I would like to know if there's gonna be an application HUB in the new Windows Phone 7 Series??
Would be nice to have a hub where you can add your favorite 3rd party applications like:
- Location/Navigation software (Google Maps, TomTom, iGO, CoPilot etc.)
- Browser software (Opera, Skyfire etc.)
- Games
- Multimedia software (CorePlayer, TCPMP etc.)
Sorted by example on Category or Most used.
Would be nice, usefull and marketable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't mean to be rude but this doesn't make any sense.
Add your favorite applications to your Start Screen. All the rest are in a list when you swipe to the right.
Apps that fit a certain category would go in that category's hub. Why would you have Games in an Application hub and then have a Games hub? Remember under the Music&Video hub there was Pandora (right now they have it under a list of apps under the hub).. that's your Multimedia software.
I do agree that additional hubs would make sense.. we don't only care about people and pictures etc. but also things like RSS news updates, or like you said, location and navigation. An Internet hub would be a good place for Favorites/Bookmarks, History (shared across every installed browser), RSS, IE8 Web Slices, website notifications (not every update on Twitter and Facebook is by an actual person/contact), etc. If you give the same treatment to Location/Mapping, then suddenly you don't have the standalone apps of IE and Bing sticking out in the hub-centric experience.
but a bunch of shortcuts to different programs doesn't make sense as a hub, just pin them to Start.
reformedctrlz said:
the reason that they are restricting the apps, is to make the system more stable. They want the experience to be amazing on every phone, eg making the hardware requirements so strict. They want to be able to evaluate what an app does to the system before it is released. They are making the submission parameters easier to comply with, so it will be easy to put your work on marketplace. They new marketplace specs for 6.5 will give developers the ability to make links straight to the app on the marketplace.
Initially I was starting to kinda freak out, but I think this is for the best. It will force people to use the marketplace, and since it won't support old apps, it will move all the applications for windows mobile to one spot, it is just one more way they are trying to compete with apple.
And on a side note, I'm not actually sure that winpho7 has a file explorer... Nothing in the demo gave me reason to think that one would be there. I think they are trying to replace explorer with the hubs.
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Click to collapse
The problem is that you have to pay $100 for your spot at the marketplace table. Even if your app is free. Simply not fair. No more xda members coding up their own programs and releasing free.
And hubs is not a file explorer. I dont want a device that thinks it knows what I want to do with my files. If I want something that restricts where I get apps and what files I am allowed to store on my device I will get an iphone.
The only thing wp7 might have over iphone os (besides interface; I do think wp7 has a very cool and original ui; that is a matter of opinion though) is multitasking. While details are slim and it sounds like multitasking capability will be very restricted, it sounds like background processing will be available to third party apps at least in some form. Thats more than iphones can say.
Unfortunately I think its android time for me. But I'm not sad about it. Ive started really looking into it and it seems pretty cool. It has full multitasking now and the latest phones are sporting some awesome hardware. I will probably get my first android phone over the summer and i'm excited.
I'm not waiting nearly another year to get hands on an actual wp7 device. Maybe when more details come out it won't be so bad but I doubt it and I'm not waiting to find out. The direction of Microsoft is back in time toward more restriction and control of the product. It's time I jump ship to an open source OS. Sad because I love MS desktop products. My computing world is a constant battle between google and MS. I use windows 7, outlook, exchange, windows mobile office ect. But I choose google over ie, google over bing, and soon android over wm. Will be interesting to see how well this combination will play together.
I don't think installing Cab files will change all too much..I believe it will be much like it is today except we aren't putting the cart before the horse this time. I mean Marketplace just launched months ago even though WinMo has been around for over a decade...its hard to have an effective marketplace when people who want apps know the better places to find them. This time around the app store will launch with the OS so i think it puts more emphasis on the App store (to the average consumer) as well as being better integrated into the phone...but who's/what's stopping us from just downloading Apps the same as usual? Microsoft has mentioned that Activesync will still work with WP7 (Zune will be just for music, pictures, movies) so why is it all of a sudden impossible just to do what we've been doing for years?
It seems odd the exodus that seems to be happening lately. Its like you guys were perfectly happy with with Windows the way it is now?!?! If you are then stay with it the way it is now..lol. I personally can't wait to the what the guys here are gonna come up with for HUB's...hell I can't wait for HTC to put their special touch on WP7..I can imagine the HUB put together in a TF3D fashion...with their own additions of Weather (with that gorgeous UI) stocks...etc. I'm not gonna lie...the possibilities are as endless in the future as they are with the current OS. I think it will be fun to see in about a year, how many of you guys who are riding the fence or doubting the upcoming release will change your minds.
I once had to drag my best friend on a double date....he didn't want to go, he complained the whole way there...saw the girl, and did everything he could to make an excuse to get out of there (she wasn't his type)...now they're married, crazy things happen when you give something a chance. I've waited 2+ years for this and won't back out now just because I see something I don't know the answer to...once I get the OS in hand I will make my decision. I think thats the most logical way
~style~
style1 said:
I don't think installing Cab files will change all too much..I believe it will be much like it is today except we aren't putting the cart before the horse this time. I mean Marketplace just launched months ago even though WinMo has been around for over a decade...its hard to have an effective marketplace when people who want apps know the better places to find them. This time around the app store will launch with the OS so i think it puts more emphasis on the App store (to the average consumer) as well as being better integrated into the phone...but who's/what's stopping us from just downloading Apps the same as usual? Microsoft has mentioned that Activesync will still work with WP7 (Zune will be just for music, pictures, movies) so why is it all of a sudden impossible just to do what we've been doing for years?
It seems odd the exodus that seems to be happening lately. Its like you guys were perfectly happy with with Windows the way it is now?!?! If you are then stay with it the way it is now..lol. I personally can't wait to the what the guys here are gonna come up with for HUB's...hell I can't wait for HTC to put their special touch on WP7..I can imagine the HUB put together in a TF3D fashion...with their own additions of Weather (with that gorgeous UI) stocks...etc. I'm not gonna lie...the possibilities are as endless in the future as they are with the current OS. I think it will be fun to see in about a year, how many of you guys who are riding the fence or doubting the upcoming release will change your minds.
I once had to drag my best friend on a double date....he didn't want to go, he complained the whole way there...saw the girl, and did everything he could to make an excuse to get out of there (she wasn't his type)...now they're married, crazy things happen when you give something a chance. I've waited 2+ years for this and won't back out now just because I see something I don't know the answer to...once I get the OS in hand I will make my decision. I think thats the most logical way
~style~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you have misunderstood the announcements. Activesync (as in sync with PC) will NOT be available. It also seems that there is no way to access the file system on the device. The only way to install apps is through the marketplace. They are removing the ability to just install a cab as we have always done. That is the problem. I am not saying I won't give it a chance. These points may turn out to be wrong. All I am saying is that current info suggests that this is the case and if so WP7 is not for me. Of course I am not going to pass final judgement until it is released. But since all indicators point to the negative I am not going to wait to find out for sure when there are tempting alternatives. And no I am not satisfied with WM as it currently is. The problem is that WP7 fixed what was wrong with WM6 and at the same time trashed everything that was good about WM6 (once again, nothing is for certain but this is what evidence points to).
ok even if it's like that it's microsoft.
Even iphone has jailbreak. In our case we will not have to worry for warranty.
The so called no oem sw will return as bumerang on them.
This is the most hardcore forum on pda's and every one says bhaaaa on MS.
When they did their survey they mast asked only iphone and simple phone users, sertainly not wm users. )
[UPDATED] Android Market Apps I bought for my Hero: Are they "paid for" on my Desire?
Updated April 18, 2010
Now I get it. See Post #6 below. Google's dragging their ass on "fingerprint" approval. They need to be SHAMED virally across the web for sheer incompetence -- or intentional malice toward purchasers of a phone that competes with their Nexus One. "Do No Evil" my ass.
========== My Original Posting =========
I bought maybe 6-7 apps for my hero -- 2 different keyboards, "Executive Assistant", some kind of alarm clock... When on my Hero, even after factory reset and resetting up my phone, when I went to MARKET and "My Downloads", those paid for apps showed up as available to install again on my Hero.
I have been using my Desire -- but thus far only for Wifi as I set it up and get acquainted with the phone. Perhaps stupidly (!) I am still using the Hero as my "phone" til I have all my apps and widgets and layouts replicated on my Desire.
Though I do not have my carrier's SIM card installed in my Desire, 90% of the device works fine, especially all wifi usages, Market downloads, email, web, etc... I did set up my Gmail account as well.
It's one's Gmail account which is your linkage to PAID FOR apps, via Google Checkout. So, I am surprised that when I select "My downloads" i don't see any indication of paid for apps.
Is this tied to a SIM card? (if so seems ridiculous)
RELATED: I can't even find BETTER KEYBOARD app in the Market now, nor "SMART KEYBOARD" ... Does the market auto-filter out apps that do not run on Android 2.1 ?
thank you
the paid apps are tied with your google account.
(no longer relevant)
From what I read, some paid and free apps should appear as soon as google finishes some signature thing related to that! so it's a matter of time.
By the way, do you see paid apps in general? For me, I always had to use Market Enabaler on the Hero to open Market to paid apps.
A temporary solution, you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager. The only limitation here is that you have to keep checking for updates on the Hero.
Re: Android Market > Apps I bought for my Hero: Are they "paid for" on my Desire?
as far as I know, and experts correct me if wrong, the ability to get access are directly connected to the sim from which you connect.
which is why market enabler used to spoof the apn's from which paid apps were available.
with no sim card you should only be able to get free apps or nothing at all.
I live in Sweden, no paid apps.
was at friends last night who has an old UK sim card, popped that in and I got access to some paid apps. but still with the limitations as previously discussed in this forum. (waiting for Google to get it straightened out)
so, yes & no, the apps are tied to your sim, cuz it tells the phone which apn/ network your phone is connecting from...
Sent from my HTC Desire using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
I just read a few other threads, with links to the official Android Market forums. First off, I have to ask some basic vocabulary:
What are "protected apps" ?
I have no idea what this means.
Second: salahag, thanks for your reply. I didn't respond initially because I didn't understand it at all. Paid apps showed up in my Hero from day 1 and that was for me October 2009. I was baffled because I had no context for even thinking "is everything that's available showing here?" because by default my brain had no reason to pose that question. I just assumed the Market worked one way, and I was seeing everything the way everyone else sees it.
I'm suddenly quite baffled by this emerging mystery now that I can't find a bunch of apps for my DESIRE. But now the mystery of "where are my paid apps that I bought on my Hero?" is solved, replaced by "why are hundreds of apps that were available on my Hero not available on my Desire?"
XDA-devs to the rescue, via another thread here about "Missing apps in the Market" linking to this posting in Android Market forums:
by nprussell - 4/8/10 (LINK to this posting at Android Market forums)
Hi all,
I'm an Android developer from the XDA forum & VillainROM.co.uk. I've primarily worked on the Hero, but I received my Desire yesterday.
I can confirm that I too am missing several apps from the market. I also have an answer to your question.
First things first, it's protected apps that are missing from the market. There are generally two reasons why apps will be missing from the market.
(1) When a new ROM/Phone is released, the manufacturer, in this case HTC, sends the build to Google, which includes a 'Fingerprint' (a unique line of text which governs its market access) in the build.prop file. Generally, it states the name of the phone and Android version in the fingerprint. With Root & system write access, this fingerprint can easily be changed... but we don't have that luxury right now.
Once Google approve the build, the fingerprint will be added to their allowed database to view protected apps on the market.
(2) The other cause for apps missing from the market in builds (such as twidroid, layar, barcode scanner etc) is that these apps require permissions to use the camera/auto focus. They are NOT protected apps. If the XML permission files are missing from system/etc/permissions, then Google Market will simply block these apps from showing.
So again... to answer your question... we'll see the protected apps as soon as either:
a) HTC chase up Google
b) Google get around to activating the fingerprint
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Un-frikkin-believable.
It's like the equivalence of a dumb low-IQ bureaucrat holding up a long line for Drivers' License renewals at the "Department of Motor Vehicles". No reason at all for the stupid delay other than some asshole letting some work order sit on his desktop til he feels like getting to it.
No wonder the author (gogol) of that other related thread recommends consumer activism or we just stand in line each time and just wait to get ****'d in the ass by beaurocratic process that sounds WAY more like Microsoft than "the smartest guys in the room" at Google -- who pride themselves on only hiring Ivy-league grads and equivalents, like from Stanford. They ought to be ridiculed out of town with this.
gogol writes: I really cannot believe Google screws this great Android platform like this. Think about the next firmware update, from Google or HTC ... We will AGAIN get this issue ... Then wait again very long. I am really mad and hate this.
If one of you guys is capable of writing a good professional article or blog regarding this issue, we could spread the voice all over the internet / twitter / facebook / blogs / news so Google could "end" or "fix" this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm game to SHAME GOOGLE into getting their f-ing act together or be ridiculed for incompetence -- everywhere we can post that message on the web. And they have the nerve to criticize APPLE for their ridiculous App Store totalitarianism?
.
xrrkrrkx said:
I live in Sweden, no paid apps. Was at friends last night who has an old UK sim card, popped that in and I got access to some paid apps. but still with the limitations as previously discussed in this forum. (waiting for Google to get it straightened out)
so, yes & no, the apps are tied to your sim, cuz it tells the phone which apn/ network your phone is connecting from...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you clarify this further. Thank you for information related to SIM card needing to be in use in order to access paid apps -- god only knows why -- it's retarded to me.
But is it correct that I have read other places that there are LOCALIZATION ISSUES? where some apps are only available to certain regions? (Like YouTube does) -- Or can you shoot that one down as rumor. I don't get this. Open source OS. Google's entire revenue model based on ads. More phones = more ad impressions = more money to Google. What possible motivation is there to block access to apps in a marketplace that I am willing to pay for -- where Google gets % of all sales, as well as transactional revenue thru Google Checkout? -- Something doesn't make sense. And usually when that's the case, SOMEONE IS BEING PROTECTED in some corporate deal.
What's the story. Is this another CARRIER-TAINTED example of holding customers hostage? If so, I can't wait til the day we can blow up that Carrier-driven model that strangles the free marketplace. They should make it or break it based on direct delivery of services at competitive pricing. I am so tired of Boardroom Protectionist Policies agreed to by major competitors, to ensure a baseline profit well above anything deserved if there was open competition. ... But I could be off on my little side rant and it has nothing to do with this issue, in which case, .... ooops. sorry
salahag said:
From what I read, some paid and free apps should appear as soon as google finishes some signature thing related to that! so it's a matter of time.
By the way, do you see paid apps in general? For me, I always had to use Market Enabaler on the Hero to open Market to paid apps.
A temporary solution, you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager. The only limitation here is that you have to keep checking for updates on the Hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many thanks - I never even thought to do this. Rooted my Hero, copied the apks (they're in /data/app-private) to the Desire and installed. I now have National Rail and Locale Lockscreen back again
Ta.
you can use your Hero to extract the paid applications (apk files) using Root Explorer, copy them to the Desire SD card and install them using any file manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to ask: Is Root Explorer an app from the Market (I'll check of course), and does it only work on rooted Heroes? Mine is unrooted. But I have used Astro app many times for moving stuff from my computer to Hero, and now my Desire. So, it would just be a matter of my knowing which folder/directory to look in on my Hero to access the .apk files.
(EDIT: I see now from daern above: they're in /data/app-private ... well Astro Explorer shows me root folder and data folder but both say "directory is empty", so I am guessing unless I root my Hero i can't access this stuff... right?)
So, thanks from ME also!
Easy. Install "InstantRook.apk" on the Hero (Google for it, download directly to the device and run from Astro).
Once installed, it will announce "your device is rooted". Now fire up Root Explorer and note that you can see the /data folder. Copy the private apk files to /sdcard and away you go.
It really is as easy as that. It may stuff your Hero (it didn't affect mine in the slightest) but as I'm assuming that you're replacing it anyway, the worst it would require would be a hard-boot anyway.
Took < 5 mins
I have read through many discussions and reviews, and I'd like to confirm and clear a couple of things with experienced users of TP2.
What I need is WM and QWERTY. It leads to HTC TP2, SE Xperia X2, Samsung Omnia Pro B7610. SE and Samsung doesn't fit me for some reasons, therefore I ended up considering TP2. Here are my questions regarding TP2:
SMS stuff: is it possible to have saved plenty of messages [more than 1000]? Does that slow the device or SMS operations down? Is it still lucid and easy to keep overview in sent/received/drafts? Is it possible to send one message to more receivers at once? Is it possible to save SMS as a text file to memory card? And what about full-text search on messages?
audio recorder: is it possible to start it by one or two touch and same easily save it? Does it save mp3 or wav file to memory card?
does it allow schedule power off/on?
What else makes me pretty nervous is the fact that WM6.x is dead system no more supported by MS. Isn't it similar to buying PC with Windows 98 today? In one year time most likely there will be only apps for 7 and no more new apps for old 6.x. If it was phone for 200$ I wouldn't care, but when I pay 500$ [as sold here in EU], I expect such phone to stay useful for a good couple of years. I don't want to go for WP7 as according to MS ads it is intended as a mobile interface for Facebook for bored teens. And what's more, it'll take year or two since those apps used by me will be 7 compatible...
xsys said:
What else makes me pretty nervous is the fact that WM6.x is dead system no more supported by MS. Isn't it similar to buying PC with Windows 98 today?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dead system? Not supported? Who told you that? Remember: just because somebody posts their opinion doesn't make it true.
And no, not similar to buying PC with Win98.
MCbrian said:
Dead system? Not supported? Who told you that? Remember: just because somebody posts their opinion doesn't make it true.
And no, not similar to buying PC with Win98.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
xsys, there's still far to broad a userbase for the traditional windows mobile platform for Microsoft to pull the plug on it. You can expect to see support and development both continue on it, likely under one of the suspected names of "windows phone classic" or "windows phone enterprise"
For some of your other questions:
-The SMS module in WM 6.x (and even earlier versions) is known to bog down noticibly with the more messages you retain, and would probably be rather significant by the time you got to 1000. That's honestly one of the top 10 achille's heels of this platform.
-Yes, you can add multiple recipients to SMS messages just like with an e-mail.
-I don't know of any way to archive SMS as text file(s), but it's possible that one of the available 3rd-party SMS clients might have that capability. However, microsoft's free MyPhone service/client will back up all your SMS's and other important info (contacts, call logs, pics, etc) to the cloud each day, where you can access them through a web interface from anywhere. Using this is a great way to keep your SMS inbox trimmed down to the few active threads you're using at any given time, which can sidestep much of the native issue in WM6.x
-Again, I think full-text searches of SMS's would require some 3rd-party client, though I can't say if any offer that.
-HTC and other dev's offer a number of voice recording options, most of which can be as simple as lauching the app, then just hitting record. Some can do .wav, some can do .mp3 and others, and all can save to your SD card. I'll also note here that there's a great free key remapper for the TP2 available in these forums, that would allow you to map the recorder app of your choice, to any button on the device, for easy opening if you use it frequently
-I don't know if there's a way to schedule a power on, but I think I've seen a solution here somewhere to schedule a soft-reset (the standard simple reboot procedure). Maybe someone more familiar with it could point you to it.
Let us know if you have any more questions!
-
thanks for your responses guys. It seems dead system from MS point of view. They are now only on WP7 and stopped all work on WM6. Even TP2 is more than year old device and question is if there will be TP3 or something similar, soon. When it comes to memory and processor TP2 is kinda outdated piece of hardware. Though keyboard is outstanding, as well as some other functions. It is actually main reason for me to buy.
I hope that the community will keep this device alive Though, it is not so famous as HD2 what has much more users, and developers too.
My phone service seems to be nice one from MS it could solve my problem.
So, all the info I'm getting online makes me go for TP2... Now I just hope I'll get a good piece, as I heard some have problems and had to go for repair a few times...
Which ROM is the best - Heineken or Pilsner ;-)
There are still builds leaking from MS so someone is developing on the 6.5.x branch. To be honest, as a business user, there is no phone OS out there today that can match the features of 6.5.x. As long as MS has business users I don't see them stopping development on 6.5.x
hi there,
the defy is my very first android-mobile device. I had windows mobile 4,5,6 in the past and i'm using palm pre (webos) since over a year now. I am dissapointed about the apps for webos, because they dont exist every app appears first on iphone.. somethimes for android... and never for webos. So, on amazon-cybermonday, i bought a cheap motorola defy.
But i am dissapointed.. not in the device but in the OS. This is Version 2.1 and feels like a buggy windows mobile 5 Nothing works really intuitively (?).
i installed all the cool apps in from the app-catalog, which first doesn't worked with my gmail-adress. i had to use googlemail.com adress (?). that took me about 2 hours then i installed the facebook app, which didn't told me that i have unred messages. I dont Like this app because i know the webos one.
so i tried google goggels.. cool app, indeed. But after 2 fotos, the device hangs and had to be restarted. there is no button to restart -.- ^^
ok, after the restarts, i tested other apps.. i downloaded very much apps.. there are very trashy apps in the store. Some japanese, chinese and other unreadble apps with no description.. hmm... until a message appears, that i dont have enogh memory and should close some apps. ...
and .. really.. how do you life with a OS without an ability to exit apps?? i had to download a taskmanager to kill open programs (to get 90% of the used memory back.. not 100%).. so after some opening and closing, i had no more memory and had to restart (pardon: shutdown and start) again.
my sum up: i have a mobile phone with has potential. it has a great camera (which an app had destroyed so i cannot use it anymore because blue color switched to red color, it was a filter in an crashed (or killed) app) and a good display, waterproof and long durability.. but the OS is not usable in my option. the apps are not designed well, they are mostly "ugly". i dont know what app is running without looking into another app, which is ugly too
so my question about one week of testing and finally returning to Webos. Why is android so.. unusable? i would call myself as a geek, but hey... that is too much Or.. maybe.. i am doing it wrong! what is possible with an android-phone? how many hours of customizing do you have to spend to have an android which is exactly like you want it? and where can i copy that
I think the problem with the Defy is that it's shipped with Motoblur which is by and large the cause of the "ugliness" and sluggishness of the phone.
Get Launcher Pro, I've only heard good things about it
Sounds like you have been installing a few too many apps my friend!
One of Android's stong points is it's ability for apps to customise the interface and modify the functions of the device. However, this can also be a weakness with poorly written applications bogging things down, or as you experienced with the camera app, stopping some features from working.
I would reset your device back to it's default state, and start again, choosing carefully what you install (tip: Check the reviews and comments in the market before you hit install).
LetoKynes said:
I think the problem with the Defy is that it's shipped with Motoblur which is by and large the cause of the "ugliness" and sluggishness of the phone.
Get Launcher Pro, I've only heard good things about it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think i like the motorola blur although i dont really know where this starts and ends The widgets are ok and the ability to have a connection from my pc zu the android-blur from the internet is good to know if i cannot find my device or want to upload something without moving..
But, like milesg suggested, i will reset the phone.. i have to anyway because of the camera-bug. maybe i can install this launcher.. i dont want to break the phone because it is proberbly a gift for christmas.
@milesg.. i have written the reviews on androit-pitt and have installed only the very good apps.. thats what dissapointed, too. ^^
I wouldn't worry about "breaking" the phone, as far as I know (at least from what I've read), LauncherPro is just a simple download and install app (doesn't involve any unrooting/unlocking/etc.) so I'd definitely give it a shot.
I'm surprised by the undertones of this thread. It's a phone! It's not a general computer, it's not a GameBoy, it's a portable communication device. I have not owned a smartphone before. Well, at least not for long. I tried the HD2 Pro and thought it was a device with the clunkiest interface I ever used. I tried a Blackberry (Bold 9700) and hated the walled-off ecosystem (a reason I will never use Apple devices), and now I got the Defy and after a week of playing and tinkering with the setup I'm happy as a clam. I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox. I have no Motoblur accounts, no Social services of any kind, only two home screens (one for e-mail, and one for weather/calendar/Reuters news, and a few shortcuts), and that's it! I've got a phone with good quality calls, great speakerphone, maps, navigation, e-mail, and IM on the go. I'm happy. Less (of good quality) is more.
prophil said:
Or.. maybe.. i am doing it wrong! what is possible with an android-phone? how many hours of customizing do you have to spend to have an android which is exactly like you want it? and where can i copy that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you to some extent. I just finished 2 days of getting my new phone to run, and I only persisted because I am a software developer and never give up on a computer, as small as it may be. In terms of immediate usability, my previous SonyEricsson P1 is still ahead.
just some examples: after importing my contacts through motoblur, I realized that birthdates were not mirrored in the calendar. I created a few test contacts, whose birthdates DID appear. I now decided to delete all contacts from MB and re-import through my google account. After that, the birthday events of the newly created entries were still in the calendar, even though the contacts proper were deleted. I had to root my device, install a database client app, and go directly to the Contacts/Events database to delete the entries.
This morning, the calendar widget insisted on showing yesterdays date. No way of convincing it that this was the 8th of December. Meanwhile (12:00 am) it has caught up, however.
Bottomline: if you feel this platform is still in its infancy, and it is questionable how it will ever become the platform of choice for your wife or for efficiency-oriented business purposes (in other words: non-geek usage), you have my sympathy.
chris
I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox. I have no Motoblur accounts, no Social services of any kind
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds like you did the right things - i will investigate this for myself. But you really just confirm what has already been said. Unless one has a clear understanding of what does not work, and what alternatives are available, the DEFY (and probably any other Motorola phone, and most other brands as well) will cause a lot of frustration.
I say exchange/return it asap and get a diff andriod device before getting stuck in a 2 yr contract....but don't let that one phone give a bad rep to all android phones...get an android that doesn't come w motoblur
*Sent from my Tmobile MT4G*
I installed launcher pro as well. Phone runs supper smooth now. Also, this thing is way better than gameboy. I play nes and snes games all day
@prophil
Windows mobile (note not WP7) is the best OS ever, so i can understand you're disappointed.
But, be realistic, development is getting poor and WM will die soon.
All the OS available today are worst than WM but you have to chose one of them if you want to do more than calls with your phone. In my opinion Android is the best choice among those OS, that's the reason it is so popular.
MarSOnEarth said:
I installed LaucherPro (and paid for the plus version although the only widget I ended up using is the calendar) and PowerBar. Then I added Pure Messanger for my unified Gmail inbox.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please tell me where to find PowerBar? Cant find it in the AppStore
I felt the same way about my hero until i found xda!!
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly? Lmao ok. I've never used a winmo that i didn't wanna throw off the bridge.
Sent from my DEFY using XDA app
I love Android noobs
Sent from my defy using XDA App
disturkis4u said:
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly? Lmao ok. I've never used a winmo that i didn't wanna throw off the bridge.
Sent from my DEFY using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. BB is too limited and win mo was probably the worst
System ever
disturkis4u said:
Lol you're coming from a winmo and saying that android isn't intuitive and that its ugly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i see that my poor englisch leads to a miss understanding. I'm not coming from Windows Mobile. I had owned a xda and and xda2i .. thats about 8 years ago i think?.. and i could get used to it. it was cool.. you could do a lot of things.. (while other phones still had monochrome displays).. but the feeling, that the OS and the Device were married like El and his wife in "married with children" is : that just doesn't work.. so i had putted it in my desk and forgot about it. for about 7 years or so. I thought things have changed.. but they haven't really.
I come from WebOS.. that was.. is.. my actual smartphone-OS. That is exactly like a OS should look und feel in my opinion.. <- that was my mind before i every tried iOS or Symbian or Android... i never will go to Apple, so my curiosity leads me to android. That should be the best, they all told me. (ok, like iOS is the best is what all the apple-people tells me). And.. its not
Have to ever had the chance to test webOS?
anyway, my work is done, im at home now and im just going to reset the device and try my luck again
Fact is Android might not be for you. But that doesn't mean it's a bad OS, just means it's not what you want in an OS.
Definitely need to take your time with downloading apps your first try out with the phone. Don't go app crazy. Download a few of them, test them out, uninstall those you don't like and go on, but don't do this with twenty apps at a time.
My first Android phone was a Cliq...believe me you are much better off with the Defy.
Its me again
I've been installing and testing.. configuring and uninstalling.. i think.. i made one mistake on my first run. i didn't installed the launcher Pro!
after i installed the launcher pro, the OS is becoming usable.. i can make folders instead of scrolling through a buggy endless list of apps. and if i want to scroll, it is smoothy
then, i have found very attraktiv apps, like a file-manager with bluetooth and smb support. and i can send everything from and to my dlna-devices. .. ok.. thats just funktionality, not more.. but.. i think, i just have to play some more days with the OS to get used to it..
or.. shouldn't I because i will give it away (gift^^)
I used my Samsung Soul for more than two years before I moved to Motorola Defy to increase my productivity. In 2000 I bought the HP Jornada 720 (WinCE) that I really liked but stop using it as it wasn't truly a portable device and I couldn't possibly have it with me everywhere. I kept it until 2008 as a secondary backup solution for important information such as contacts before threw it away.
Now that I own an Android OS based mobile phone for more than a week I can say that I'm kind of disappointed with the OS. Maybe I had too much expectations but I'm not disappointed enough to give up the OS just yet.
Android 2.1 out of box is hardly worth investing in my opinion when you have no use for social networking i.e. Facebook and twitter features. However, the prospect of checking emails on the road with availability of a wireless connection is very appealing to me but Android 2.1 is very poor in supporting multiple email accounts. I understand that Android 2.2 has a better email support but I have to wait up to six months for better support. It is beyond me how Google didn't see the demand of such feature in the first place. I think the lack of proper email support in Android 2.1 demonstrates that Google didn't target users like me originally.
The lack of Office Suite is another disappointing thing for me. Out-of-box I cannot even write/read a simple note in a text file. The sticky notes widget shipped with Motorola Defy does not serve my needs at all. I would have loved to be able to trasnfer a word document to my phone for later reading.
I'm sure there is an app on the market for whatever I want my smartphone to do but the cost and time I have to invest deters me even from trying.
I haven't found browsing internet on a 3.7" device a pleasant experience but having that feature in Android by default is assuring for urgent matters when a laptop or desktop PC is not available.
I'm also pleased that I can watch videos and listen to music when I left my Sony Walkman S series at home. Watching video on 3.7" device is certainly an advantage but the battery usage is always a concern on phone devices but not with PMP devices.
I was also surprised to find the lack of customisation compared to my Samsung Soul. Everything about Samsung Soul can be customised and one can build his own theme without any technical knowledge. In Android 2.1 only ring tones and wallpapers are customisable. I can't even change the background colour of system menus for instance. I'm sure there is an app for that.
Google's own services/apps are great if you have a use for them. For instance google's map comes handy for me very occasionally. I have lived without it so far while I was on the road. On the other hand, I will have a use for a proper GPS software such as CoPilot that I intend to purchase soon and I'm pleased it is available for Android platform.
Conclusion
I doubt it Motorola will upgrade Defy beyond Android 2.2 and I'm willing for the time being stick with Motorola Defy until end of 2012.
By no means I dislike Android but in terms of productivity I expected much more. All the features I use on my Motorola Defy can also be found on other mobile platforms so nothing to praise about when it come to Android. The initial ownership cost of my Motorola Defy which I like the hardware very much is much lower than equivalent/similar handsets on other mobile platforms.
In my opinion Android platform is not suited for very active business users nor power users like me out-of-box. Once out-of-box features are improved for business oriented users or power users then I do not see why I should consider what other mobile platforms are offering.
From @windowsphone on twitter: http://newwp.it/i6NfzI
On the last page there's this question, "What, if anything, would you change about your Windows Phone 7?" Bombard away with what MS needs to be working on (file management or at least local document sync, direct Outlook sync, etc.) Please make sure what you guys write is thought out and most importantly, grammatically correct.
* Give us an official support page and a contact number for issues
* Clear outline & timeline of future updates
* More frequent updates and force carriers to deploy them in maximum of 45 days
* Enable to use own MP3 ringtones
* Sync directly to Outlook
* Allow tethering
* Turn by turn navigation for Australia with better maps
* Allow unlocking of the device for a one of fee! Only charge per year when someone wants to submit to marketplace
janemanno1 said:
* Give us an official support page and a contact number for issues
* Clear outline & timeline of future updates
* More frequent updates and force carriers to deploy them in maximum of 45 days
* Enable to use own MP3 ringtones
* Sync directly to Outlook
* Allow tethering
* Turn by turn navigation for Australia with better maps
* Tom Tom,Garmin etc GPS compatible software
* Allow unlocking of the device for a one of fee! Only charge per year when someone wants to submit to marketplace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amen to all of these.
Just changed one thing for every other country.
More recent hardware, and I am in.
agp64 said:
Amen to all of these.
Just changed one thing for every other country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed
Zune Pass in australia. Our zune hub isnt very pretty without it
Well, I would like to see multitasking, some options on the right of the home screen, let's say a button, that would open a line of Wifi on/off and etc., Copy paste, better browser. And what's important- update devices, give more info about the updates, what is coming and when
janemanno1 said:
* Clear outline & timeline of future updates
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FWIW, remember a little thing called "Longhorn" (aka "Vista")? So many promised features and released dates missed. I doubt you'll ever see anything other than vague descriptions and nebulous dates, Microsoft has been slapped around too much in the past for missing promises.
My comment:
- SkyDrive if you dont have sharepoint in the officehub.
- More reliable push notifications.
- Expanding Facebook integration with ability to send private messages from the message hub to facebook and other services... but this will probably not happen so hope the fb app gets better with notifications.
I would love to have a bug free ZUNE , it is crashing all the time and sometimes with BSOD'S
Turn-by-turn voice nav
User selectable ringtones and sounds
User created email folders
More themes and UI customization
Screen capture
Copy & paste
A good one:
http://wmpoweruser.com/the-art-of-stalling/
doministry said:
A good one:
http://wmpoweruser.com/the-art-of-stalling/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is unremarkably sad. I didn't know it was that serious.
That is unremarkably sad. I didn't know it was that serious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you mean remarkably sad?
And android wasn't the same way at launch?
I purchased the HTC Magic on launch day from Rogers.. Android market wasn't made available to us in Canada until roughly 5 months later..
I didn't get turn-by-turn until aprox a year or so later..
No voice search until ...what...3 updates which took roughly a year and half (1.5, 1.6...2.1)
They day I dumped my HTC magic I still didn't have local search.. unless I opened a browser and went to Google.CA and specified my city in the search field.
WP7 wil catch up eventually, it's still a baby OS compared to the others. Android didn't really become great until after 2.XX
I agree with other with the timeline business. I'd like to see that as well.
I just put a CDMA version of WP7.... It is about time we have the option of getting one.
Things to change about Windows Phone 7
--------------------------------------
1) Password protection on email. This is needed when you hand your phone to someone to check out or use and don't want them to be able to just click on your email while that happens and read private emails.
2) The marketplace should have an option to download first and install later. This is because public wifi or data plans in general are not nearly as fast as using your local wifi. You might pop into a coffee shop or mcdonalds to try some new apps on the go and you want to maximise your use of the wifi while you are there to get through the download queue. Installing/unpacking can take quite a long time but that can be done when you are no longer connected. This also aids in saving on limited data plans. With this approach, if there is no more space currently left to unpack the queue should move on and unpack successively but keep downloaded packages on the device to be installed later once the user frees up some more space.
3) Better managaement of marketplace download queue. I have had stuck downloads before, particularly at pending or corrupted downloads that were stuck at the installing phase. You should always be able to cancel or retry something. These options only come up when "attention is required". Queue reordering is also a strong "nice to have".
4) Better Management of phone download history. For example, when I restore a phone I don't want it to queue up literally everything I have ever "purchased", especially many trial or free apps. There should be a special "restore" queue for indispensible games/apps that you do want to automatically redownload when this happens.
5) Better lock phone i.e. android combination swype. The current 4 digit system is too easy to see over the shoulder and easily brute forceable, even more so if someone remembers only some of the digits.
6) Complete application data/isolated storage sync. Anytime you are at a local computer or connection to sync, you should have an option sync the latest application data for example news feeds and media as well. This way data connection apps are still useful in places without a connection i.e. subways. I understand this is a major feature just by itself
7) VPN options
8) Local file management/drag and drop.
9) Ability for Zune to play and organise media by folders with 8 implemented.
In general I think WP7 should be stronger with local/isolated storage features and not be so cloud dependent. The combination of cloud + local services will be a killer combination. In addition I think WP7 should be going after Android's #2 spot right now and not iPhone which it currently cannot compete with. Android has many weak spots including lower requirements on apps and games resulting in weaker quality when compared to WP7, lack of SD installability for many apps. and generally unpolished "iphone knockoff" feel. Secure #2 spot for now, which will be a good base to attack iPhone from. WP7 is already superior to Android in UX now and can gain quickly in app diversity and features.
Right now the OS feels like a beachhead but a strong one. There is good work, but unpolished and incomplete but the war can still be won. Keep fighting the good fight
The bottom line is that if MS wants this OS to fly for real, in the long term, they need to get their act together.
stillriza said:
I think you mean remarkably sad?
And android wasn't the same way at launch?
I purchased the HTC Magic on launch day from Rogers.. Android market wasn't made available to us in Canada until roughly 5 months later..
I didn't get turn-by-turn until aprox a year or so later..
No voice search until ...what...3 updates which took roughly a year and half (1.5, 1.6...2.1)
They day I dumped my HTC magic I still didn't have local search.. unless I opened a browser and went to Google.CA and specified my city in the search field.
WP7 wil catch up eventually, it's still a baby OS compared to the others. Android didn't really become great until after 2.XX
I agree with other with the timeline business. I'd like to see that as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what I hear you saying, any company that puts out products should not consider the current state of the industry? What should Apple do with the next iPhone? Put one out without all the current features and then migrate those features into it over the course of a year? Or how about the car companies, they should put out cars without navigation or high tech stereos or computer aided engine controls and just migrate those features into them over the course of a year?
Far be it from MS to stay up with even itself on new products and put out a smartphone without the current state of the industry features. Let them put those features in over the course of a year...or two. It's unwise to bring a mature product to market. People might begin to expect that kind of thing. Bollocks!
My feedback on the online survey:
-Current phone - WM 6.5
- Next phone - (i) Android
(ii) Other- Windows Mobile, if it is revived , will be preferred over Android
Suggestions:
(i) I don't like the Homescreen, it should be more customizable and at the very least the tiles
should be resizable.
(ii) There should be a favorite people hub with the option to pin a contact directly to this hub from
the contacts list (tap and hold on contact should give at least 3-4 options viz. pin to favorites, pin
to start, edit & send)
(iii) After device purchase, the user should have the option to replace the homescreen with an
approved one from reputed developers(I will prefer a solution from SPB software).
(iv) There is too much scrolling in the program list, option of grid view should also be there.
(v) Size of headings too large in the hubs. The headings should either be in a background layer or
they should Auto Hide after somtime and be replaced with blinking arrows on the left/right edges of
the screen.
(vi) File Explorer + Multitasking.
(vii) Office applictions should be more powerful.
(viii) Availability of powerful Calendar & Task management applications like pocket informant.
(x) Revival of Phone/End hardware buttons.
Forgot to add - (xi) Revive Smart-dialling
(xii) Bring back outlook sync
MartyLK said:
So what I hear you saying, any company that puts out products should not consider the current state of the industry? What should Apple do with the next iPhone? Put one out without all the current features and then migrate those features into it over the course of a year? Or how about the car companies, they should put out cars without navigation or high tech stereos or computer aided engine controls and just migrate those features into them over the course of a year?
Far be it from MS to stay up with even itself on new products and put out a smartphone without the current state of the industry features. Let them put those features in over the course of a year...or two. It's unwise to bring a mature product to market. People might begin to expect that kind of thing. Bollocks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you.. but what I was saying is Android was the same way. Apple already had a pretty good grip on the market at the time Android launched. As per what you mentioned above.. it was clear Android didn't have a grasp of the then current state of the market. Several updates later.. and look at them now.
Basically, any company that puts out a product should consider the current state..but sadly that just doesn't always happen. The phone is pretty complete to I would like to say 70% of the general phone using public. It seems MS had targeted the OS to those switching from 'dumb' phones, if you will, to smart phones. The only people who are really hurting would be the power users. The updates will come.