Looking at Windows Phone - Questions from a BB User

[BB10QNX]

A few questions, as we're now looking into Windows phones, especially with BlackBerry being droided (which we have used and do not like at all):

1. Do the devices have a global/universal search of the data, including contacts, docs, etc that's on the device?

2. Is there a built in File Manager on the device? How well does it work?

3. Truly, how is the application status coming along? Does the BBM app work well? Twitter? FB? Instagram? Music apps (that don't require data usage), like Neutron on Droid/BlackBerry? How are the Map apps? So basically, are they coming more rapidly now, or, does it remain in the hopeful stage? What is MSFT doing to ensure the app success for the platform? Glad to have read where they may have given up on the droid emulator project, but hopefully they are doing something to grab the attention of quality devs and apps.

4. Can you take say, a folder/file, and add it to your main tiles screen?

5. How well do notifications work? Can you customize notifications, say, for different contacts, email accts, social accounts? Is there a notification center, kind of like a hub for all your notifications?

6. Are you able to set up multiple email accounts, and how difficult is it to do?

7. Remote access to your PC? Doable now? If so, reliable?

8. Is MSFT truly dedicated to the WinPhone market, especially for the consumer and not just enterprise?

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[pankaj981]

1. Do the devices have a global/universal search of the data, including contacts, docs, etc that's on the device?

- Yes, this has been implemented since 8.1, more improvements in WM10

2. Is there a built in File Manager on the device? How well does it work?

- It works..well. Functionality may differ on user scenario. There are various 3rd-party more powerful file managers in the Store

3. Truly, how is the application status coming along? Does the BBM app work well? Twitter? FB? Instagram? Music apps (that don't require data usage), like Neutron on Droid/BlackBerry? How are the Map apps? So basically, are they coming more rapidly now, or, does it remain in the hopeful stage? What is MSFT doing to ensure the app success for the platform? Glad to have read where they may have given up on the droid emulator project, but hopefully they are doing something to grab the attention of quality devs and apps.

- You may want to read the reviews for all of them. Some of them lack features when compared to their iOS/Android counterparts but some are being re-written for W10 as universal apps w/ better support

4. Can you take say, a folder/file, and add it to your main tiles screen?

- Nope, not using the MS Files app

5. How well do notifications work? Can you customize notifications, say, for different contacts, email accts, social accounts? Is there a notification center, kind of like a hub for all your notifications?

- Yes, notification are customizable (including sounds and suppressing some)

6. Are you able to set up multiple email accounts, and how difficult is it to do?

- Yes, very easy to setup

7. Remote access to your PC? Doable now? If so, reliable?

- Yes, using either Team Viewer or the official Microsoft Remote Desktop

8. Is MSFT truly dedicated to the WinPhone market, especially for the consumer and not just enterprise?

- Yes, for now.

 

[RumoredNow]

We do have a thread started by a former Blackberry user: http://forums.windowscentral.com/blackberry/394035-blackberry-refugees-were-here-help.html

I'm copying the above posts into that thread. I urge the OP and interested readers to continue the conversation there to help make a complete documentation of the issues involved for disaffected BB users moving to WP.