This thing has not gotten near the respect it deserves on WP7... this browser is amazing compared to IE, it renders about a millisecond slower and I have a landscape address bar, better access to tabs, and just a more enjoyable and fun browsing experience. Worth the 1.99 without a doubt.
Is version 2.0 even out yet? I thought the announcement last week said it would come to the Marketplace 'within the next few weeks'.
OGCF said:
Is version 2.0 even out yet? I thought the announcement last week said it would come to the Marketplace 'within the next few weeks'.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just now came through some time within the last 30 minutes or so. It's so much better than IE.
Really? Awesome! I didn't buy version 1 but I think I'll buy this one. I'll get the trial first.
Best buy I've made next to ilomilo... really an awesome browser.
Downloaded it love it but having trouble loading YouTube videos anybody know why? YouTube works with IE
I love this one but unfortunately the rendering is IE.
So the same issues as stock browser for me.
But the UI is great.
Surfcube 2.0 is great, but the Tile on the startscreen is bad...it's not a square so it destroys the elegant design of the tiles.
That's the only reason for me not to buy it, I can't live with such a fractured startscreen
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! So far, SurfCube's development has mostly been request-driven, and we intend to keep it that way,
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
vbandi said:
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I am using the black theme because the display is a SAMOLED. I just tried the light theme and there the tile of your Surfcube looks good because it is a black square and fits the other squares on the startscreen.
With the black theme you cannot see the black square around the cube-icon, so it looks like there is only the cube. Between all the other square tiles of the startscreen this looks bad. It would be nice if the tile would have a colour different than black so it stands out from the background.
Of course, this is just my opinion...but I don't think my collegues would be happy if I started talking to my phone to open your browser
skycamefalling said:
No, I am using the black theme because the display is a SAMOLED. I just tried the light theme and there the tile of your Surfcube looks good because it is a black square and fits the other squares on the startscreen.
With the black theme you cannot see the black square around the cube-icon, so it looks like there is only the cube. Between all the other square tiles of the startscreen this looks bad. It would be nice if the tile would have a colour different than black so it stands out from the background.
Of course, this is just my opinion...but I don't think my collegues would be happy if I started talking to my phone to open your browser
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, I guess it is a matter of taste - I personally love the icon on the black theme, because it stands out - but I feel it is out of place on light, because of the different square color.
vbandi said:
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions! So far, SurfCube's development has mostly been request-driven, and we intend to keep it that way,
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
@skycamefalling: are you using your phone with the light theme? I admit the icon looks a bit out of place there, but we cannot put transparent pixels in it - that would show the accent color instead of the background, and the icon would look horrible with purple, blue, red, etc tile colors. If you don't want to pin the app to the start screen, just use voice recognition to start it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello. It's great you're here.
I have a question:
Is it possible for you to build browser based on different rendering engine than IE built into WP7?
doministry said:
Hello. It's great you're here.
I have a question:
Is it possible for you to build browser based on different rendering engine than IE built into WP7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
at present nope. even though i'm not the developer, i know it isn't possible.
The Gate Keeper said:
at present nope. even though i'm not the developer, i know it isn't possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right. Technically it is possible, but it would require tons of work, and most likely, even then it wouldn't be smooth and fast enough. Same goes for porting an existing browser engine.
However, HTML5 support should hit WP7 this year, and I expect the IE engine we are using to be updated, too.
Thanks. I was asking mainly because of annoying problem with support for certain pages, not html5/flash related.
vbandi said:
Hello guys, it's the developer of SurfCube. Thanks very much for this thread, we are very glad that you like our work! Also, thank you for the purchases - every penny we get is going back to development. If you have time, we would really appreciate a rating in the Marketplace.
@Asheyb8: As for playing Youtube videos, unfortunately we as developers have to work really hard to get it done from the browser. Microsoft didn't give us the facilities that would make it easy, and have to settle for lots of hacks.
Hacks? so youtube won't work at all? That is a pity since its a very cool browser, is there no way to get around this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AsheyB;11281266
Hacks? so youtube won't work at all? :confused: That is a pity since its a very cool browser said:
By hacks, I don't mean OS hacks or anything illegal. I mean, we as SurfCube developers have to do a lot of extra work, some of those may not be too elegant, and may not work in all circumstances.
But if enabling video support in a third party browser is possible at all, rest assured, we will do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vbandi said:
Interesting, I guess it is a matter of taste - I personally love the icon on the black theme, because it stands out - but I feel it is out of place on light, because of the different square color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a quick note to say that I also really like the cube icon on the black theme (SAMOLED screen here). It gives the app an elegant look that makes it stand out from the other tiles, and I like periodic alterations from the standard theme (Surf Cube, AP Mobile, Office, Newsroom, etc.). Kudos on the version 2 release, by the way; it's the best browser purchase I've made on the platform.
Would it be possible to have the tabs in the next release able to completely rotate as an option? Also, do you know if it is possible to do any sort of text reflow on zoom with 3rd party browsers based on the IE render engine? I would guess not, based on the browsers that are out today, but it's one of the features I really miss from Opera.
Cheers, and keep up the good work.
VelJharig said:
Would it be possible to have the tabs in the next release able to completely rotate as an option? Also, do you know if it is possible to do any sort of text reflow on zoom with 3rd party browsers based on the IE render engine? I would guess not, based on the browsers that are out today, but it's one of the features I really miss from Opera.
Cheers, and keep up the good work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - if you really like SurfCube, a 5 star rating in the Marketplace helps a lot
I am not sure I understand what you mean by rotating the tabs, can you elaborate on that?
Text reflow is unfortunately not possible - I have found no way to determine the current viewport of the browser. Even if there was, it would require tons of html / javascript trickery, and may not be practical. I miss text reflow, too - but most sites can be read pretty well in landscape mode.
Cheers
I tried out the first version and at first I thought it was a browser where you rotated the cube not only to different settings pages, but also to different tabs of the browser (for instance, one side of the cube is Google.com, and the other could be set at yahoo.com, etc).
To me that would be more useful as I don't go into settings very often. Favorites would be the most used setting, and I don't use that very often.
So what if you could make it a cube with each side a different tab, and be able to specify a different start page for each side of the cube...
If it already does something similar, I apologize.. it is cool though.
Related
So, who have had time to look at the UI Design and Interaction Guide? I see everyone's busy discussing and defining multitasking, but isn't this newly released document the most interesting thing to have come out of Mix so far? I think.
I've just skimmed through it but first of all I love that Microsoft FINALLY provied a sleek GUI framework out of the box for app development! Of course, it was expected with Silverlight support and all, but it's nice to get it confirmed. I'm talking about stuff such as
-Gesture support
-Finger friendly controls
-Smooth scrolling panels
I know all these things have been possible before, but not with ease. Coming from the .NET CF world, I've had to spend a lot of time enabling such featurse in my apps. And they're not as slick as I expect them to be in WP7.
The UI is what most needed improvement for the apps on Windows Phones to be competitive with iPhone apps. This will lower the threshold for developers to create smooth, impressive apps. This will increase competitiveness for Windows Phones, which in turn will benefit us, the developers - enlarging our market.
Agree? ..or are most guys at this not that concerned with monetizing on their apps?
I've downloaded it but not had chance to look through yet as I'm at work.
Whilst I'm pretty unsure still about the whole marketplace-only, no FS support stuff, I am quite excited about the new development stuff. Like you say, nice interface controls will be there ready to use instead of having to rely on hacks and third party stuff to achieve something approaching half-decent.
I'm glad this is available already, the more time the better, and it makes sense really as MS will want their appstore pretty well populated at launch to compete with iPhone and Android.
Nilzor said:
So, who have had time to look at the UI Design and Interaction Guide?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did. Found out that there are no file open/save controls. Immediately realized that until a jailbreak comes out there's no way I'm buying a WP7S phone, despite the many things I love about this new OS.
Only 4 "accent colors" plus 1 manufacturer color.
The accent colors are ORANGE, RED, BLUE and GREEN.
Why 4? Why cant the user change it from color palette selection?
I would love to use BLACK or DARK BLUE or blue grey ala iPhone !
I just cannot understand this accent color limitation
if found something interesting in the guide. a windows mobile 7 handy have same number of buttons as a hd2 .
1. Power/Sleep
2. Volume
3. Screen
4. Camera
5. Back
6. Start
7. Search
So, the only difference is the layout.
It's a very valuable document, thanks.
We'd like Microsoft deliver more samples to provide a sort of a framework with frequently used patterns.
In any case Silverlight applications look fantastic.
vangrieg said:
I did. Found out that there are no file open/save controls. Immediately realized that until a jailbreak comes out there's no way I'm buying a WP7S phone, despite the many things I love about this new OS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your goal here? Do you want to store data for the App or are you trying to write a FileExplorer app?
tyrannus said:
What is your goal here? Do you want to store data for the App or are you trying to write a FileExplorer app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I need file storage as a user, not as a developer. Anyone who tried to transfer files to the iPhone for third party programs knows it's a PITA.
Microsoft is simply trying to protect you from yourself and the dangers of unauthorized text files and colors.
MooGoo said:
Microsoft is simply trying to protect you from yourself and the dangers of unauthorized text files and colors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I know first hand just how nasty those text files can be .. omg HAX~
and colors?!?... watch yoursnelves. any more then 5 and we've got a global disaster on our hands.
surely ms wouldnt release an updated version of an os with less features?.. would they?
copenhagen said:
+1
I know first hand just how nasty those text files can be .. omg HAX~
and colors?!?... watch yoursnelves. any more then 5 and we've got a global disaster on our hands.
surely ms wouldnt release an updated version of an os with less features?.. would they?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While lack of colours seems weird, I'm sure it could be easily implemented.
Less features? Laughable, considering what WM6 is.
Lumic said:
While lack of colours seems weird, I'm sure it could be easily implemented.
Less features? Laughable, considering what WM6 is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea just like other other weird things that could be easily implemented, like multitasking, cut & paste, file system access, and having a user accessible SD card slot.
I don't know if you saw the leaked specsheets for the Dell Lightning, but that thing comes with an 8GB miniSD card, user-upgradable.
Yes, it is upgradeable if you don't mind voiding your warranty and tearing apart your entire phone. On the plus side however, removing the battery cover on my Rhodium to get access to the SD slot doesn't seem quite as annoying anymore.
First paragraph:
http://www.techautos.com/2010/03/17/windows-phone-7-series-hardware-requirements/
Since we have plenty of YouTube app alternatives in the marketplace now, I was just curious to see which one people preferred the most. Personally I really love LazyTube because I'm sort of a power user on YouTube myself.
As a Focus user, Supertube is my go to.
i dont use youtube on my phone...
ill stick with msn video and ustream
HTC YouTube Supports Account Login, comes from a company I'm certain will support it, supports HQ streaming, and is free.
So yea... I prefer that until Microsoft gets their better YouTube client out the door.
I use the HTC app both on my Focus and Arrive.
supertube supports account login now...I like my supertube
but where would I find the HTC youtube app for my focus
forgive my ignorance
Yeah I know SuperTube and HTC have login support, but the way subscriptions work on LazyWorm are better than those imo. In the HTC app all of my subscription videos show up out of order and there's no way to sort them by most recent.
TOA Duck said:
supertube supports account login now...I like my supertube
but where would I find the HTC youtube app for my focus
forgive my ignorance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can only get the HTC YouTube app if you have developer unlocked your phone either officially as a developer or with the ChevronWP7 hack. It will only work if you have a firmware before NoDo. If you want to know how to jailbreak, you can go here for the beginners' guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=938106
I'm not such a YouTube power user that I care that much about subscriptions or how they're sorted, and if that meant that much for me I'd just use my Vibrant. I carry it and my HD7 everywhere with me, anyways...
And even if I'd cut it off, I could still use it sort of like an iPod touch over WiFi
I don't see a point in paying for something like that, and I've already been burned by Board Express (Terrible Performance, etc.) and Birdsong (still haven't added a Live Tile, etc.). Don't think I'll ever buy another mobile app again, Lol.
I have an Omnia 7 so no HTC app for me. I like both SuperTube and Lazyworm but the latter is the better one overall (downloads are pointless as far as I'm concerned so no need for that). Lazyworm supports likes and HQ over 3G and links to the Zune hub, that's pretty cool.
One thing I will say though: the Lazyworm icon is damn ugly, specially when pinned to your main screen. It's like it was made by/for a kid and is in total contrast to the SuperTube icon which looks very nice.
Anyway, like someone else said I wish Microsoft could release a proper app already.
I couldn't care less about being able to log into my account on a Youtube app, but I what I have seem to work for different situations:
I have SuperTube for the HD videos (the quality on small screen is amazing), and for downloading some videos to watch on the commute.
I have RealTube for good streaming on 3G, and for other sites with video.
I use the LazyWord Youtube app just because the new version looks so pretty, and the UI is very well thought out.
I sideloaded the HTC 2.0 Youtube just to see what it's all about, and it is pretty good, but not my standard go to Youtube app.
And of course, the Youtube "enabler" from Microsoft.
Peew971 said:
One thing I will say though: the Lazyworm icon is damn ugly, specially when pinned to your main screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This I totally agree. The Lazyworm icon is really terrible .
Hope they can change it.
It's the only downside I find. I hope we can have a more sober icon, just the YouTube logo would be perfect (why this worm ? Why this brown color ? ).
Otherwise the UI of LazyWorm is very nice and it's my favorite YouTube app at the moment.
I really don't use the download function so SuperTube is ok but not so useful to me.
arturobandini said:
This I totally agree. The Lazyworm icon is really terrible .
Hope they can change it.
It's the only downside I find. I hope we can have a more sober icon, just the YouTube logo would be perfect (why this worm ? Why this brown color ? ).
Otherwise the UI of LazyWorm is very nice and it's my favorite YouTube app at the moment.
I really don't use the download function so SuperTube is ok but not so useful to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After people requested a new icon, they came up with that for the next release:
http://twitpic.com/4h688o
I know what you're thinking: What The F...?!
Currently just using the HTC Youtube app, or just via IE if I wanna find videos from users i subscribe to, might check out SuperTube.
Aww where is the love xda... sitting in last place !
Seriously though, great poll and it's very interesting seeing where we are falling short. We are in for the long haul and plan to continually improve on what we have so getting constructive feedback like this is EXACTLY what we are after.
I'm curious as to why people prefer the HTC app over our solution considering our free version supports more features and many have said sports a superior interface / experience?
We have been receiving several comments, suggestions and feedback from our users via ratings, emails, facebook and twitter. We will be releasing 2.1 very soon which should hopefully address some of these issues and include some awesome new features (so please stay tuned).
Thanks to those who are voting for us and for those who didn't we will strive to win you over next time!
Finally, I'll leave you guys to comment on our YouTube 2.1 (free) & LazyTube 2.1 (99c) tile icon concepts attached
Thank you for contributing to the thread. I'll go straight to the only 2 things I don't like about your app:
- I would like an option in settings to pick the light or dark theme independently of my actual phone theme.
- Your icon is too childish, sorry I can't find another way to put it. Smartphones are for adults and the cute worm doesn't cut it I'm afraid. I'd like something that looks good and cool like when SuperTube redesigned their icon. Even just the word Youtube with nothing else would be better.
Great work otherwise, I love the app and appreciate the fact that it remains free with no ads.
LazyWormApps said:
Finally, I'll leave you guys to comment on our YouTube 2.1 (free) & LazyTube 2.1 (99c) tile icon concepts attached
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
Thank you for the feedback.
No offence, but sorry I really dont' like the current icon and the ones you suggest above.
I totally understand that you would like to keep the worm since it is a symbol of LazyWorm, and therefore a part of your identity.... But unfortunately it is not very beautiful and not very sober, so it ruins the beauty of the icon.
I do adore Lazyworm and it's the only negative point I find. I am not very happy when I have to stick the live tile on my start screen
I hope you will not feel offended by my comment, it is not my purpose.
You can only get the HTC YouTube app if you have developer unlocked your phone either officially as a developer or with the ChevronWP7 hack. It will only work if you have a firmware before NoDo. If you want to know how to jailbreak, you can go here for the beginners' guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=938106
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for your reply, but my question was how can I find the HTC Youtube app, not how to unlock my phone, LOL. I would have asked that question first if thats what I wanted. No offense. Ive searched the forums but may have missed it. can someone else help me out
I use LazyWorm and HTC YouTube. Even tough I prefer LazyWorm, which has a great UI, quality, speed and smoothness, I sometimes just want to know what's new on YouTube that comes from Germany. HTC YouTube supports regions, LazyWorm sadly doesn't.
Peew971 said:
Even just the word Youtube with nothing else would be better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I agree. The same icon without the worm would be really better, or a simple YouTube logo (maybe replacing 'You' by 'Lazy')...
Also, if LazyWorm could supports regions, like HTC YouTube does, it would be cool indeed.
I like it.. Keep up the good work. Dont listen to these fools. Thats your logo. Stand by it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6NMH4ry-4&feature=player_embedded#at=148
i would just love wp7 to look like that, lets hope that after mango rtm release, hackers and modders will start to make such a great things
it looks a lot like bada
I saw this some time ago. Great design.
That is a big negative for me. Don't mess Windows phone up with Android style.
Just let the Metro UI be itself. The only thing i want in Metro Ui, is the ability to change the background (not the lockscreen) and the icon has a glassy style, in order to view the background through the list of apps.
That is all i want, Microsoft WP teams are doing their best to give a top performance for Windows Phone user, i perfer that way to a OS that everyone can touch and then the OS is given the worst feedback from User because they use a bad-coded custom ROM.
Just take Android for an example. Android itself , or Google Build, never hear any complaination, or less than all other Carrier/Factory Custom Build.
About making a good custom ROM, i will give HTC a go, they usually make the best custom ROM from Windows Mobile 6.5 to Android.
Looks ugly. The current UI is much better, simpler and better looking. Shiny buttons and gradients are way overused.
sure it's different, but not using the space wisely. one widget can display time, date, news, weather, and a favorite rss feed or two.
ok, TILE, one tile can. widget, tile, whatever.
i was too slow on the screenshots to get teh time changing, and video, well, video screen casts are just annoying to edit, so here's a couple of stills. much less space used, and the information is still there.
ugh, leave metro alone, i left android for a reason, and a bad UI is one of them. :\
...oh no...please don't......
If I wanted an overload of ugly widgets, I would have bought an Android device. Metro is simple, clean and beautiful just the way it is.
noone said that metro looks bad, i just think that with mods, wp7 scene can make it better, i love wp7 but for now i have to scroll whole page to get to bottom tiles,
Some informations should be visible right after screen unlock, and limiting them to 8 tiles (that are visible without scroll) is not enough.
And honestly its xda developers for god sake, so dont tell me you wouldnt like some mods.. : O
Do it yourself
ok, thanks for useless suggestion useless guy
behh said:
noone said that metro looks bad, i just think that with mods, wp7 scene can make it better, i love wp7 but for now i have to scroll whole page to get to bottom tiles,
Some informations should be visible right after screen unlock, and limiting them to 8 tiles (that are visible without scroll) is not enough.
And honestly its xda developers for god sake, so dont tell me you wouldnt like some mods.. : O
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there's been other concepts which i feel were better in the design department to get more information on the initial start screen such as these:
http://www.wpcentral.com/fan-concept-ii-what-if-windows-phone-had-folders
http://www.wpcentral.com/fan-concept-what-if-windows-phone-had-smaller-tiles
those keep in line with the metro design better imo.
i'm all for mods, but i'd rather them take longer and put some thought into the UI as to not ruin it
Screw the mods. MS got it right the first time lol. I have an Android and want a WP7 sooooo bad because of the simplicity and those sexy tiles.
And the cool menu pages, sliding right to left and vice versa. Sweet as candy.
I think WP7 should stay the way it is, because its just right. Maybe android can look like that, lets all remember android is the one os that embraces customization. WP7 don't.
I don’t think MS will or should allow to change the UI, WP7 identity is the UI... beside the smooth OS....
ppl have to chose what they what tile or widgets...
Yeah if they change the ui at all, I'm sticking to Android. Mine as well have all of the customization if I can only have "some". It is beyond perfect the way it is lol.
behh said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S6NMH4ry-4&feature=player_embedded#at=148
i would just love wp7 to look like that, lets hope that after mango rtm release, hackers and modders will start to make such a great things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FUGLY. I still hate widgets on my Omnia 2. Brrr
Metro is just fine.
http://wmpoweruser.com/iphone-theme-gives-a-taste-of-windows-8-on-a-smartphone/
Apple fanboys so excited for windows 8 they have a full theme on iphone first... but aren't they supposed to be supporting Apple products? LOL
Besides, the whole theme is wrong. I asssume Apollo will look exactly like WP7 metro interface, only with background colors and whatever just as long as its not horizontally positioned.
Tap that!
Looks nice! You gotta give iOS users, hackers, and developer props for being able to do amazing stuff with Apple's OS. All fanboyism aside, this Win8 iPhone theme truly showcases iOS' power and capability.
KimWinter said:
Looks nice! You gotta give iOS users, hackers, and developer props for being able to do amazing stuff with Apple's OS. All fanboyism aside, this Win8 iPhone theme truly showcases iOS' power and capability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's too bad we can't do that with WP.
man those ios guys are quick !
not a bad looking or responding theme either.
sinister1 said:
It's too bad we can't do that with WP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course we can. We just need Windows Phone to become as popular as iPhone. Hackers seem to be able to get into anything man made nowadays.
From what I saw I did not see the tiles being live. Yes, I saw labels on the tiles but that does not make them live. Give me live tiles!
I don't know about live tiles - that Win8 theme was a Dreamboard theme, which takes a lot of memory from the phone. If you try to play iOS games that are memory intensive e.g. Infinity Blade 2 or Dungeon Defender, the game will crash (if Dreamboard is enabled). So if you try to add live tiles to your Dreamboard theme, your iPhone might explode.
KimWinter said:
I don't know about live tiles - that Win8 theme was a Dreamboard theme, which takes a lot of memory from the phone. If you try to play iOS games that are memory intensive e.g. Infinity Blade 2 or Dungeon Defender, the game will crash (if Dreamboard is enabled). So if you try to add live tiles to your Dreamboard theme, your iPhone might explode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that also means that the iPhone needs to be Jailbroke.
I got kind of excited, because i would love the larger tiles/icons on my iPhone, but am not going to jailbreak a work issued iPhone.
There are other Windows Phone 7 themes for it as well, but the same issue. Phone must be jail broke.
sinister1 said:
http://wmpoweruser.com/iphone-theme-gives-a-taste-of-windows-8-on-a-smartphone/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably because OSX Lion is a remake of Windows Millenium.
Apple has been doing themselves such a disservice sticking with such a static, boring UI. it makes me wonder why.
nicksti said:
Apple has been doing themselves such a disservice sticking with such a static, boring UI. it makes me wonder why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
ohgood said:
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, Apple doesn't really have to worry about making a theming app or whatnot because hackers and other developers are more than happy to do all those (customization, tweaks, hacks, etc) for FREE. I mean look at redsn0w, greenpoison, ultrasn0w, and other jailbreaking tools for iPhone - they're FREE!!
Still, it makes you kinda wonder why with all the power of iOS and WP7 as a stable and working mobile OS, they chose to limit it's customizability - even the most basic functions (like custom themes or background wallpapers or the ability to change icons).
ohgood said:
Because it sells in outragous numbers, without changing anything ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Complacency is one way to end up bankrupt (general statement). And Apple did see the need for a notification center and a camera from lockscreen.
Every iOS that has that UI is another year that opens the door for Android and WP to gain more customers.
nicksti said:
Complacency is one way to end up bankrupt (general statement). And Apple did see the need for a notification center and a camera from lockscreen.
Every iOS that has that UI is another year that opens the door for Android and WP to gain more customers.
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Click to collapse
complacency= yes, look what that did with wm6.x.
The ios ui , I don't know... maybe it's great, or maybe people don't care and it isn't. Either way, it has developer mindshare, I haven't heard of devs falling away in droves to android or wp.
If/when you see that mass exidous, something is up.
ohgood said:
complacency= yes, look what that did with wm6.x.
The ios ui , I don't know... maybe it's great, or maybe people don't care and it isn't. Either way, it has developer mindshare, I haven't heard of devs falling away in droves to android or wp.
If/when you see that mass exidous, something is up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think with the iPhone, alot of people have invested alot of money in other hardware that works very well with the iPhone.
docking stations, car mounts, chargers, cases, etc.
It's one reason why people stay iPhone customers, once they are iPhone customers.
I even considered buying a new car stereo, because I could not get A2DP Bluetooth audio to play from my iPhone into my Pioneer DEH7000BT car stereo.
I have since found info on how to do it. I made a YouTube video illustrating how. There were a couple not obvious steps. It still isn't perfect. AVRCP does not work (can't control the iPhone - next / prev from the deck) and I need to manually go through a process on the stereo and the phone every time I want to use it.
In the end, the fact that there is app to accomplish almost anything is still the big seller.
We use PGI at work for creating teleconferences. I never can remember my host code or participant codes for others or even the number to dial. Sure enough, on the iPhone, there's an app for that. It starts the conference and calls you either on the iPhone, or a number you enter at the time. It even lets you invite others to the call. And you can store participant codes for others and join with it. It is difficult to join a teleconference on the road without this, because you need to memorize the participant code. Now it is a 1 button deal.
There's an app for webex that streams the video.
The other day, I bought ForumRunner, so that I can post on xda when away. It works great.
When companies make apps, they almost always target the iPhone first.
I really hope that attitude changes with Apollo.
I personally think alot of the restrictions that will remain in place until Apollo has contributed to developer reluctance. Devs know how to dev for iPhone. It has not changed in a long time. They know how to dev for Android. Same thing. Windows Phone 7 prevented devs from doing things the way they knew how to do them. So, it was either relearn alot to get your app to a small percent of the smart phone market. Or just dev for iPhone and Android and see if Windows Phone gains enough market share to care.
I love Windows Phone 7 with Mango. I never would have tried an iPhone if work had not forced me too. And now, I also love using my iPhone. There's a few things that are annoying (AVRCP and dismissing every email). But it does a good job.
Really hoping that when the Apollo SDK is released, we see a surge in quality app development.
But which would you guys choose:
1. iPhone with a grid of boring icons from screen to screen
2. iPhone with a more dynamic UI like Android or Windows Phone
The iPhone sells inspite of the UI, not because. I remember all the rumours floating around that iOS 5 would come out with this dazzling new UI. That was a letdown to me.
I think if a blank slate customer saw 3 phones on display, the iPhone would not grab that customer like the rest. However, there are no blank slate customers.
nicksti said:
But which would you guys choose:
1. iPhone with a grid of boring icons from screen to screen
2. iPhone with a more dynamic UI like Android or Windows Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
ohgood said:
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with much of this. Turn on the phone do what you want. Move on. I don't turn on my phone to stare at animations because they are cool, just like I don't buy a car because its shiny and red. Anything distracting should not be just to be flashy. It should serve a purpose as well.
But there is something to having the ability to display some information with current data on the icon / tile / widget.
Apple's response is the curtain, which solves most of the problem, but differently.
Constantly seeing 73 degrees and sunny could eaily be replaced with an icon that accurately reflects the current weather conditons for a default or current area. This is one reason people used HTC Sence with the home screen weather. A double wide icon for this would be great.
It would be nice to have the clock icon display the next alarm time, not 10:15:00 or the very least have that on the curtain. A double wide icon for this would be cool too.
An icon for music that reflects the Album art would be nice, but doen't really help you do anything. A contact pic on the email pic for the last unread email would be really cool.
Microsoft solves those problems with Live Tiles and Hubs, but does not solve the problem of seeing all missed notifications in one place. For me, there never has been a time when I missed any notification that was important.
Apple doesn't have any double wide icons. And other than the Calendar, the only thing that can be modified on an icon is a number
I think both Apple and Microsoft have areas to improve on both of these aspects.
ohgood said:
You're giving the launcher, or home screen, or start, or desktop (whatever) way too much eye-time. No one stares at live tiles, or app lists, for 20 minutes. They use applications, and do things. The app list, tiles, whatever are only an icon, yes a shortcut, to the main event. It doesn't matter if the tile/icon flips in 3D, spins, or does cart wheels, its still very limited in what it can do. You have to access the application to _do_ things.
Let the icons/tiles/shortcuts/whatever debate die.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To each his own, but I rather look at a home screen and see information instead of having to launch something. And widgets and tiles deliver useable information without having to press.
After all, that is the point of Siri right?
nicksti said:
To each his own, but I rather look at a home screen and see information instead of having to launch something. And widgets and tiles deliver useable information without having to press.
After all, that is the point of Siri right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Useful information is great.
I think most people agee that Siri is more of a cool bell and whistle to get people to buy the iPhone. It's good at somethings, but bad at others. In the end people play with it for a while, and then go about normal phone usage.
Some go so far as thinking each icon on the phone needs to be exciting or unique, but many are really just to launch an app.
I will never want an animated background.
But, useful info on the icons on my iPhone, would be very welcomed.
I've been with Sprint for almost 9 years now, and before my Evo 4G in 2010 all I had were the old Nextel i95's...so needless to say I'm at a complete loss with WP7. I tinkered and tailored with Android ROM's for years now and have loved a lot about the OS...but I just couldn't pass up this deal for the Lumia 900 on AT&T. I'm beyond satisfied after having set everything up and loving how tightly knit and integrated a lot of the features are. But I still have some questions:
1) Can i screen capture with the stock rom? I don't want to have to unlock this phone (That was one of the reasons I left Android, you needed to unlock to do ANYTHING)
2) Are there any apps beyond the 3 that use a double tile? Is this a setting somewhere that I'm missing on? Kinda like resizing widgets?
3) Are there different themes, beyond the color switching pallete, that can be used with WP7? And while we're at it, is there a different lockscreen or anything else that can be done from it besides unlocking it? (Such as unlocking to text, email, custom app?)
4) What's up with the notifications disappearing after a while before I get a chance to check em? Is there a way to check them besides going to their respective clients to see what I missed?
5) Can you guys point me towards some alternative apps or settings to replace some of the stock feaures?
6) Besides having to login to AT&T all the time, is there a different way to monitor my data usage? A simple app perhaps?
7) Oh and how could I forget....do I have to go all the way to the settings every time to see what the percentage on my battery is? I found a couple threads saying that you have to unlock the phone for this feature but I refuse to believe that something this simple needs a workaround like that.
Thanks in advance guys, loving this OS and looking forward to some of the changes.
1) Unfortunately not. Most screen captures you see on the net are done using the development software.
2) Tiles sizes are determined by the developers. I wish there was a way of making them single or double too.
3) The colours are the only customisation you can do right now without unlocking the device other than changing the lock screen. The lockscreen I like, as it unlocks to the "desktop" when there is no notifications but if you unlock it as a notification happens then it will take you the application required to see the notification.
Also for some awesome lock screens go to the deviantart website.
4) This is my one and only gripe with WP7. Having said that after unlocking the notication is either facebook or twitter (the only ones not shown on the home screen) and both of those show on my "ME" tile. So really if I want to see anything I missed I go to the "ME" tile and slide across to notifications.
5) What stock features do you need help with?
6) Im not on AT&T and my phone provider has an app to do this so I would be contacting AT&T about this.
7) They do not show a % because its not very accurate I think. This is something I at first hated but I don't care that much any more. This is not like my Samsung Galaxy II which wouldn't last a day. I usually get over a days use out of my Lumia so I don't have to look all the time and be worried. When the love heart goes on the battery I know its getting low but still I have HOURS left.
In terms of number 5 I just meant is there an alternate keyboard, browser, gallery, search feature/marketplace etc. Not that I have a problem with any of these (although I do miss haptic feedback on my keyboard) I just wanted to know if there were alternatives.
EDIT: I do have a problem with ONE of those things I mentioned. The marketplace...it seems too cluttered and feels like the phone is always zoomed in with the way everything looks...but that looks like it was done on purpose.
You.can get two off your list with a Developer unlocked device. Think of it this way. Nokia is giving you a $100 credit because of the data issue. Use it to purchase a legitimate Dev key from Microsoft. Can sideload apps, and also develop with it.
1) can do it with homebrew Screen Capturer app.
2) Only Microsoft or OEMs can develop double wide tiles.
3) Need to have an interop unlocked device to add colors, etc. More involved than dev unlocked and not yet available for the L900.
6) The AT&T myAT&T app will give you the info you need. Nokia is also releasing a data tracking app. Coming soon.
7) Homebrew Battery Meter app. Updates a Live Tile every 10 minutes. Pretty accurate. Good history charts.
Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express
There are a few other browsers and such but they are all just front ends for the existing apps supplied with the device. There is also a few marketplace apps which you might find better. I use AppTastic every now and then purely as it shows what's on sale. There might be an app which I don't think is worth $5 or $6 after the trial but would happily purchase to support the developers for a few bucks.
iiDeadSeriousii said:
In terms of number 5 I just meant is there an alternate keyboard, browser, gallery, search feature/marketplace etc. Not that I have a problem with any of these (although I do miss haptic feedback on my keyboard) I just wanted to know if there were alternatives.
EDIT: I do have a problem with ONE of those things I mentioned. The marketplace...it seems too cluttered and feels like the phone is always zoomed in with the way everything looks...but that looks like it was done on purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, there are alot of the things that are different. Can't/Won't say if its better because thats a personal choice. I've grown to love the look and feel now. So has my daughter...but my son hates it. I gave them both 2 weeks to like it or I would buy them their next phone. My daughter converted...my son did not, and did not want new phone. But, with that said, there are some things I miss from Android....not much, but some. I do wish Live Tiles were a touch more customizable. I wish I could have some more color schemes instead of the just the current ones. I'd love to have a Black/White and/or Grey/white combination of colors also.
Otherwise....its a matter of just trying and getting used to it. I think it took my daughter 3 days to get used to the tiles and groupings of the hubs and what they are designed for. Her original list of must haves went away....
Thanks for all the help guys, yea I figured that most of my complaints/issues could only be solved with an unlock phone but I figured I'd ask. I've got another question, do apps auto update or do I need to manually check em every time?
Your marketplace tile will have a number on it showing the number of updates available. So no you never need to go check but you do need to initiate the update manually when you see that there is some waiting for update.
Again thanks guys for getting me started with the phone. Just a few more questions:
1) Is there a way to set a tile to immediately turn on/off either Bluetooth or Wifi? Or am I stuck with the default settings tile?
2) Can I save a setting where I don't have to download my pictures every time I open an email? I used to just pit "Always show pictures" on the Android GMail client.
3) I've looked and looked and still cant find a tile to just show battery. Can someone link me to an official one that I don't have to side load?
4) Is the app Bandwidth the only app for network speed test? Its kinda glitchy for me.
5) Is there a way to get that HTC Hub on this Lumia or is that another thing where I gotta unlock the phone? I really like the look of it.
6) Someone mentioned that you can change the lockscreen, or at the very least the wallpaper, how do you do that?
Thanks.
iiDeadSeriousii said:
Again thanks guys for getting me started with the phone. Just a few more questions:
1) Is there a way to set a tile to immediately turn on/off either Bluetooth or Wifi? Or am I stuck with the default settings tile?
2) Can I save a setting where I don't have to download my pictures every time I open an email? I used to just pit "Always show pictures" on the Android GMail client.
3) I've looked and looked and still cant find a tile to just show battery. Can someone link me to an official one that I don't have to side load?
4) Is the app Bandwidth the only app for network speed test? Its kinda glitchy for me.
5) Is there a way to get that HTC Hub on this Lumia or is that another thing where I gotta unlock the phone? I really like the look of it.
6) Someone mentioned that you can change the lockscreen, or at the very least the wallpaper, how do you do that?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont know if someone mentioned this, but you're in the droid mentality right now. Like Apple, alot of the framework is locked down. Even with sideloads, alot of the framework is not available. HTC Hub is one of those. MS did not want that kind of screen and they don't allow it. WP is based on Live Tiles and they are sticking with it...for now.
You can change the lock screen pic by going to settings and Lock+Wallpaper. You can change the timeing settings and the picture. If you have a picture you want to use, go to your pictures hub and simply long press on the pic, use as wallpaper is an option.
But mostly, do not expect alot of hack/modding on these phones. For the most part, most of Windows phones, were Android phones at 1 time...ie the Samsung focus line. HD7 was the HD2 line which has been successfully ported to Android and WP7. If you want android type functionality in terms of look and feel...probably not gonna get it here. Of course, I could be wrong....but...who knows.
iiDeadSeriousii said:
Again thanks guys for getting me started with the phone. Just a few more questions:
1) Is there a way to set a tile to immediately turn on/off either Bluetooth or Wifi? Or am I stuck with the default settings tile?
2) Can I save a setting where I don't have to download my pictures every time I open an email? I used to just pit "Always show pictures" on the Android GMail client.
3) I've looked and looked and still cant find a tile to just show battery. Can someone link me to an official one that I don't have to side load?
4) Is the app Bandwidth the only app for network speed test? Its kinda glitchy for me.
5) Is there a way to get that HTC Hub on this Lumia or is that another thing where I gotta unlock the phone? I really like the look of it.
6) Someone mentioned that you can change the lockscreen, or at the very least the wallpaper, how do you do that?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have answers for all of these, but here's a few (and fwiw I agree
with alodar1). But before I begin, not sure if you're aware of the Marketplace online (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/marketplace) - might make searching easier as you're starting out.
1) "Settings Tile" is 1 such app (I don't use these, so I can't recommend which one to install, but I've seen this one recommended... *shrug*) http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/102014a6-156e-4604-8f1a-2a86e4edf191
2 & 3 don't know, sorry
4) TestMyNet works decent: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/a25ec139-fc33-4571-9425-cf031a3312bb
5) No, sorry (I had it and never really used it...)
6) Answered above =)
You may also want to check out 'AppFlow' (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/apps/578ef361-c265-46b7-b6f4-63cbd7fbefe0) or some similar application recommendation app.
alodar1 said:
Dont know if someone mentioned this, but you're in the droid mentality right now. Like Apple, alot of the framework is locked down. Even with sideloads, alot of the framework is not available. HTC Hub is one of those. MS did not want that kind of screen and they don't allow it. WP is based on Live Tiles and they are sticking with it...for now.
You can change the lock screen pic by going to settings and Lock+Wallpaper. You can change the timeing settings and the picture. If you have a picture you want to use, go to your pictures hub and simply long press on the pic, use as wallpaper is an option.
But mostly, do not expect alot of hack/modding on these phones. For the most part, most of Windows phones, were Android phones at 1 time...ie the Samsung focus line. HD7 was the HD2 line which has been successfully ported to Android and WP7. If you want android type functionality in terms of look and feel...probably not gonna get it here. Of course, I could be wrong....but...who knows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I realize I still kinda am in that mentality. It's just there's so many little things I took for granted that I never realized were there until this happened. I love this platform so far though, I have no major complaints, just small issues with it. But thanks for the tip, yea I know about the HD2 cause the first thing my brother did when he got that a couple years ago was have me put Gingerbread on it lol. I'll stick with what I've got for now tho, this is a ridiculously smooth experience and if I've gotta make some sacrifices, oh well. I still get everything done that I want throughout the day...I just wished some apps were better supported.