Windows Phone 7 Purchase Survey

[Jason Dunn]

<p>I'm curious about whether the readers of Windows Phone Thoughts will be purchasing a Windows Phone 7 device before the end of the year - presuming that they'll be available in initial launch markets before the end of the year, are you planning on purchasing one? Vote in the poll, and post a comment if you want to add further context.</p><p><script src="http://static.polldaddy.com/p/3925304.js" type="text/javascript"></script></p>

[brianchris]

I've been saving an upgrade for WP7 ;) My first choice is the Dell Venue Pro, but I'm on AT&T and won't be switching. So I'll either 1) Purchase the LG Quantum, 2) Purchase the Dell Venue Pro off contact, unlock it, and hope the 3G frequencies are compatible with AT&T, or 3) wait and see if T-Mobile loses any exclusivity on the Dell Venue Pro (quickly) and it shows up @ AT&T also.

[kerrins]

I'm just too frustrated with MS Mobile operating system. No cut and paste is just without a doubt a bad thing to omit. There are also other issues with limiting how I can download SW (same reason I don't want an iPhone).

[efjay]

WP7 is going to do everything I do on WM 6.5 worlds better, so I am switching as soon as I can get my hands on the Dell Venue Pro.

[mike6024]

There's not an appropriate answer for me. I would totally buy a WP7 phone, but I'm on Verizon, so that's not an option for me until sometime next year.

[Kacey Green]

HD7 Here, will keep the HD2 until tethering is available for me. Switching ASAP so I have a device to develop on.

[Glohamar]

I voted for end of year, but Sprint won't have a WP7 device until early next year. I will get it as soon as it is out. I am still using a HTC Touch Pro and I am patiently waiting for WP7.

[Stinger]

I think I'll wait until the second generation of devices before making a decision. By then, we should have a good indication of the quality of apps being developed for WP7 and how quickly Microsoft will be releasing updates.

The problem is, once you buy into the Apple ecosystem (as I have), it's hard to get back out of it. Transferring all of my media to the Zune software would be a nightmare and I'd lose all of the apps that I've already bought. I'd probably have to buy a WP7 device and an iPod touch.

However, if my employer wants to buy me a WP7 device, I'd gladly use it. :)

[txa1265]

I had a (pre-phone) BlackBerry ages ago, and have been a PDA user (HPLX to Newton to WinCE & Psion & Palm and so on) for 20+ years now. For cell I always had a basic phone.

Since I had WiMo 6.1 on my Dell Axim x51v and was quite happy, I figured I'd try a HTC Touch Pro 2 as my first smartphone ... and it was the most abysmal thing I could imagine - everything about it felt wrong and kludgy and performance was dreadful. Went to a Droid and it was a whole different world.

I know this is a whole new OS, but:
- the OS is demonstrably (and undeniably IMO) 'undercooked'. Comparing to iPhone 2007 choices shows how backwards the thinking is - 2 years in mobile terms is an eternity.
- the 'today screen first' mentality is still there (not bad necessarily)
- they failed to get the #1 US handset maker (Moto), who was largely responsible for the massive success of Android
- they failed to get the #1 US carrier (VZW)
- the games they have are 2008 iPhone retreads so far

So there is really no rush in getting it ... as there is nothing to show it will be anything beyond what Palm managed to do.

[Jason Dunn]

There's not an appropriate answer for me. I would totally buy a WP7 phone, but I'm on Verizon, so that's not an option for me until sometime next year.

Oh yeah, that's a good point - I forgot about you poor CDMA guys. Our CDMA carriers here in Canada have transitioned to the GSM technology tree (HSPA I think?) and now they use "GSM phones" rather than CDMA phones.

[Jason Dunn]

The problem is, once you buy into the Apple ecosystem (as I have), it's hard to get back out of it. Transferring all of my media to the Zune software would be a nightmare and I'd lose all of the apps that I've already bought.

Well, if it helps, if your iTunes music isn't DRM-protected, the Zune software can be pointed at your iTunes directory and it will just scan it all and you're good to go. You're screwed on movies/TV shows and apps though of course. :D

[jacklf]

I'm still pretty happy with my WM6.5 phone.. which is good since I'm ~1 year into my 2 year contract. Hopefully I'll be able to get in on next year's models.

[ingenious]

I used to be a die hard WM fan for 5 years. Earlier this year I switched to Android (using that lovely HTC Desire now) and WP7 has a lot to improve to become interesting again for me. I have so much freedom with Android, and I have to say I'm not at all fascinated by the metro UI.

[Rob Alexander]

I just don't see the point in moving in the WP7 direction. The screen shots look pretty, but only marginally useful and the decisions MS made with this puts them two generations behind the iPhone. Now that I've tried out the iOS on the iPad, I'll wait to see if the rumors about the iPhone on Verizon are true. If they're not, then I'll move to Android next year.

[Stinger]

Well, if it helps, if your iTunes music isn't DRM-protected, the Zune software can be pointed at your iTunes directory and it will just scan it all and you're good to go. You're screwed on movies/TV shows and apps though of course. :D

The main problem is that iTunes moved from storing the album artwork in the music file to storing it in a central database several years ago. The music would transfer fine but, as far as I know, the album artwork won't. It's going to take an exceptional product, regardless of platform, to make me consider going through 80GB of music to fix the artwork.

Sad but true.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Wow, despite all the doom-mongering, there's a strong majority of pollsters who'll buy the phone.

Stinger, when did that happen? Because the album art I embedded in iTunes for my 1st gen iPod touch still works in my other players, including Winamp and Android phone.

[Twain]

I think not. Microsoft is doing everything they can to shoot themselves in both feet while angering consumers. Specifically, since I am on Verizon, and Microsoft won't see fit to deliver CDMA phones for Sprint and Verizon until "sometime" in 2011. How am I supposed to get interested in that??

My plan was to purchase a WP7 phone from Verizon (while keeping my existing Touch Pro 2) and use it to experiment with, test software, etc. Also, I don't want to buy service from another service provider just to have a WP7 phone.

With the software development restrictions in place (no native code, no SQL CE, no sockets, etc.) I guess I'm to simply toss out years of Windows Mobile code and start over??!! Well, with that "option", WP7 really isn't the only game in town: I have already been looking at Android for code development.

If my livelihood depended on developing mobile software for a living, perhaps I'd think differently. But, since it isn't and I don't have deep pockets, I'll make choices that work for me and that ultimately, may not involve Microsoft...

[Jason Dunn]

The main problem is that iTunes moved from storing the album artwork in the music file to storing it in a central database several years ago. The music would transfer fine but, as far as I know, the album artwork won't.

Hmm. I thought it was the other way around; that iTunes used to store it in the database, but now it stores it in the header of the file. I don't have time to check that, but you may want to look into it to ascertain how it really works. If it helps though, as long as your metadata is correct, the Zune software should pull in the right artwork regardless...(unless it's ultra-rare, etc.).

[Darius Wey]

The main problem is that iTunes moved from storing the album artwork in the music file to storing it in a central database several years ago. The music would transfer fine but, as far as I know, the album artwork won't. It's going to take an exceptional product, regardless of platform, to make me consider going through 80GB of music to fix the artwork.

That only happens if you use the "Get Album Artwork" feature. I recommend saving the artwork, then adding it to your album via the "Get Info" panel. That actually embeds the artwork in the media.

[slighmd]

WP7 all the way! iTunes was waaaaaaaaaaay slow on a PC. Zune is a lot batter and it certainly looks better

[Jason Dunn]

That only happens if you use the "Get Album Artwork" feature. I recommend saving the artwork, then adding it to your album via the "Get Info" panel. That actually embeds the artwork in the media.

That's so incredibly slow and painful though - it's awful that Apple doesn't realize how brutal that is for people with large media collections. Or even small ones...I really hate iTunes. :mad:

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Aha! So that's why it worked for me. I er, did it the slow and painful way... :o

[Richard76]

I like a lot of the new changes in WP7 but I will not be able to use this device unless I can sync my PIM info via cable directly to Outlook. Alas, I can only hope that M$ continues to support WM6 as I just ordered another HTC Advantage X7510.

[Reid Kistler]

No Windows Phone 7 yet: will keep my WinMo 6.5 HTC (Tilt 2) until they pry it from my cold dead hands..... :D