Arrive compared to Win8 phones

Jan 3, 2008
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Aside from the obvious differences, IE screen size, processor speed and memory. What are the big functional changes in business apps and usage between the arrive and new win 8 phones?

I am still using a Touch Pro2 on Sprint and use it for business. Word for notes in meetings, Excel for calcs, invoices and material lists. Email with exchange and text and calling.

Am I going to gain enough with win8 to live without a keyboard? Excel really sucks and painful to use with onscreen keyboard.
Thanks
 

lippidp

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Jun 7, 2011
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Aside from the obvious differences, IE screen size, processor speed and memory. What are the big functional changes in business apps and usage between the arrive and new win 8 phones?

I am still using a Touch Pro2 on Sprint and use it for business. Word for notes in meetings, Excel for calcs, invoices and material lists. Email with exchange and text and calling.

Am I going to gain enough with win8 to live without a keyboard? Excel really sucks and painful to use with onscreen keyboard.
Thanks

You should also be aware that Excel in WP is not better than Excel in WM. In fact, for business use the only benefit WP brought was support for multiple Exchange accounts. WP is a consumer-focused OS. If I were you I'd first decide if moving to WP at all is going to benefit your business needs. You will lose stylus support, which for me now makes using Excel burdonsome, but I guess using our big fat fingers for computer input is the future for some reason.
 

hysonmb

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The Arrive is likely going to serve you better than a WP8 device for the purposes you listed.
The onscreen keyboard is great on Windows Phone but if you're using it heavily the physical one is a better option.
 
Jan 3, 2008
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Thanks to both of you.
I have used physical keyboards for all navigation and input since 2002 with my Hitachi G1000, PPC6601, Treo700wx, Treo800w, Snap, Touch Pro2.

Hard decision, I have been waiting for a win8 phone since last fall when I upgraded my PC to win8. I hate to spend bid $ on old hardware (arrive), and I long for a larger screen.

Just to bad I am one of very few left that want real buttons.
If I have to carry a PC every where I just as well get a dumb old flip phone that won't pocket dial if I forget to lock the screen..
 

q21701

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Well, sprint does have a 30 day return policy on handsets, but you may want to wait for the WP8 devices I can't offer an opinion on Excel because I don't use it.
 

Witness

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I'm in the same boat for wanting real buttons/keyboards.

I'm going to upgrade to whatever Sprint offers for WP8 (if I stay at all..), and I'm going to miss the Arrive's keyboard dearly.

EDIT: About Excel, it is somewhat usable. There were far more functionality in the WM versions. Nowadays, I just create the spreadsheet with formatting on a desktop and upload to Skydrive, before pulling it back down to my phone. I used to create spreadsheets on WM. Too basic on WP version, so I don't bother with it anymore.
 

iknowsingh

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Well, sprint does have a 30 day return policy on handsets, but you may want to wait for the WP8 devices I can't offer an opinion on Excel because I don't use it.

Sprint's return policy is 14 days.. has been since late last year. Just like every other carrier. Sprint never made a big deal out of the announcement, so spread the word.

SOURCE: I was previously a Sprint rep at an authorized retailer until April... we had to inform tons of customers when doing upgrades and signing contracts. Those who didn't know (via telesales or ordering online) freaked out when the 14 days had passed, but there's nothing we could do in-store for them. You have to return your device within 14 days of activation via the method you ordered it. Example: You can't order a phone thru telesales and return it to a store... you'd have to call Sprint and return it via the method they tell you on the phone.
 
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I'm in the same boat for wanting real buttons/keyboards.

I'm going to upgrade to whatever Sprint offers for WP8 (if I stay at all..), and I'm going to miss the Arrive's keyboard dearly.

EDIT: About Excel, it is somewhat usable. There were far more functionality in the WM versions. Nowadays, I just create the spreadsheet with formatting on a desktop and upload to Skydrive, before pulling it back down to my phone. I used to create spreadsheets on WM. Too basic on WP version, so I don't bother with it anymore.

I agree. Excel went backwards big time from Windows Mobile 6.5 to Windows Phone.

On the arrive with Windows Phone7 my key board is all but useless for navigation to different cells. On windows phone cannot edit XLS spreadsheets, must be XLSX. Formatting and other options are not as easy to get too either.


So far in the month I have had the arrive I am more disappointed than happy with the switch.

Like better with arrive than windows mobile 6.5 TouchPro2:
1. Better email with multiple exchange account support.
2. overall faster.
3. Live tiles, (nice but not deal breaker)

Better on TouchPro2
1. Excel all around better. Can navigate with arrows and edit and save in either old or new file format.
2. Navigation in general. Very little need to touch screen with fat greasy finger..
3. Big clock and weather on home screen.
4. Rss Hub aka NewsBreak. I cannot find equivalent app that does all it did on WP7
5. Making phone calls. Just start typing and contact pops up. Windows Phone 7 added unneeded steps.
6. File explorer....
7. Works as USB Hub. I can connect to my Car stereo with usb cable and search and play all music and podcasts from car stereo all while charging my phone. (My arrive will not even charge from car stereo and screen says "No usb storage available"

Don't get me wrong, Microsoft did some nice eye candy with Windows Phone and there is stuff to like. Just overall they broke more than they fixed...
 

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