subject: Is Windows Phone 7 usable? [print this page] Is Windows Phone 7 usable? Is Windows Phone 7 usable?
The first day I used the HTC HD7 running Windows Phone 7, the new mobile operating system from Microsoft, I couldn't log intoFoursquare. Afriend on Twitter told me the issue had been going on for almost a week.TheFoursquare support Twitter account had tweeted to those who asked that the issue was "being worked on." No ETA on a fix was Acer as07a31 batteries given. There were few complaints. No one, except for Microsoft employees and a handful of brave early adopters, probably even noticed.After several more days, the login function began to work again. There was no blog post from Foursquare about the issue or its resolution.
Is this what it's like to be a second-class citizen in a world dominated by iPhones and Androids? As I transition over to this new handset, that's a key question I want to answer.
Mission: Really Use Windows Phone 7
During the outage, I discovered there were other third-party Foursquare apps to choose from, includinga pretty great one called4th and Mayor. Hmm, maybe Windows Phone 7 won't be too bad after all?
I'm determined to find out.
My mission over the next couple of months, is to discover whether or not Windows Phone 7 is ausable device for early adopter-ish, Google-using, Android-attached smartphone addicts like me. Or you, maybe.
To conduct this experiment, I'm using HTC's HD7*, a fairly high-end smartphone with a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 5-megapixel camera with Mitac bp-8050 battery support for 720p HD video, 4.3-inch high-resolution touchscreen, 16 GB of storage...oh, and a kickstand.
Early Press Surprisingly Positive
We already know that many tech journalists, including notable Apple fans, have said that Windows Phone 7 is a good, if not downright attractive, mobile operating system (OS). One review that stands out the most in my mind as I begin this transition is from TechCrunch's MG Siegler who surprised his legion of pro-Apple supporters by writing "Wow, With Windows Phone 7, Did Microsoft Actually Bring a Gun to a Gun Fight?"
"..Over the past few months, I've actually been pleasantly and continuously surprised by what I've seen of Windows Phone 7. My initial reaction? Impressed....I already like this better than Android."
Just as shocking, noted Apple insider John Gruber even applauded Microsoft for trying something different.
"Good for Microsoft for starting over with a truly new UI and new developer APIs," he wrote before delving intomore critical thoughts.
But from a devout Apple fan like Gruber, the sentence Dell vostro 1500 battery almost felt like a compliment.
