Torn Between Android and WP7

[Rico]

Why do people have to have multitasking. Its only a few seconds. I've been using a Captivate for a week or so, and I have to say, my Focus is a better phone. Android is slow, and clunky. It does a lot, but doesn't do a good job at most of the things it does.
Sent from my Samsung Focus using Board Express

The one thing I always miss when I pull the SIM out of my Captivate and slip it back into my Focus is multitasking. Ninety-percent of my multitasking usage would be streaming music in the background while doing something else. It kills me that there's so many choices for streaming music on WP7, but they basically require you to use your phone as an MP3 player, a device which generally only does one thing at a time. Over the past couple of months, this has been a huge thorn in my side with an increase in not only music streaming, but podcast listening as well. At least with podcasts, I can add them via Zune desktop and play those back in Zune while doing other things on my phone. But there's a lot of electronic and UK artists which aren't in the Zune marketplace which are available via Slacker Radio and Soundtrackr.

 

[Rich Edmonds]

The one thing I always miss when I pull the SIM out of my Captivate and slip it back into my Focus is multitasking. Ninety-percent of my multitasking usage would be streaming music in the background while doing something else. It kills me that there's so many choices for streaming music on WP7, but they basically require you to use your phone as an MP3 player, a device which generally only does one thing at a time. Over the past couple of months, this has been a huge thorn in my side with an increase in not only music streaming, but podcast listening as well. At least with podcasts, I can add them via Zune desktop and play those back in Zune while doing other things on my phone. But there's a lot of electronic and UK artists which aren't in the Zune marketplace which are available via Slacker Radio and Soundtrackr.

What service as you attempting to use as streaming? I guess not Zune? I don't really have a problem with the media as I sync my phone with my laptop at least once a day so I synchronise a music playlist from iTunes to device, which I either add to or take away on a daily basis to keep the music fresh.

 

[Rico]

Mostly Slacker and Soundtrackr. I tend to download most music from Zune versus streaming it as it's streaming isn't as seamless as those two. If i were able to run processes in the background I could stream music from Dropbox while doing other things.

My big hope is that Nokia's Comes With Music service comes to the US in a big way with their partnership with Microsoft, and with it more choices in music.

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[garak0410]

I'l give my two cents here as I am an Android user that purchased a WP7 phone to see if I could make the switch. I love Microsoft products. I love my Xbox 360, my original Zune, my Zune HD, Windows 7, I loved my Samsung Blackjack, etc. I am a Microsoft ******.

Having said that, there is no way I can leave Android behind. It does absolutely everything I need it to do for work and personal use. I want to use WP7 so bad but I just can't. I NEED multitasking. I go in and out of apps and need to copy/paste between them frequently. Android's notification bar is second to none. It is so nice having a dropdown with all of my notifications right there. Push notifications for any app. Flash. I can go on and on. In my opinion an HTC Sense device is the best Android device if you need it for work and personal use. I have a Droid Incredible. Sense handles my Exchange account perfectly. The email is laid out well, I see all HTML email, my calendar and contacts sync perfectly, etc.When I tried WP7 for a few days it was a huge step back. I was more functional with my Blackberry unfortunately.


If WP7 ever gets all of it's shortcomings figured out I may take a look again but in my opinion it was inexcusable to release it without some of these important features. It seems like if you currently have an iPhone, Android, or even a Blackberry switching to WP7 right now would be moving backwards. If you're coming from a feature phone then it would be an upgrade. Yes the Xbox Live stuff is awesome, but I need a multitasking phone for what I do. I'm sure a lot of people don't need a phone for what I do and for them maybe WP7 is just what they need. Just wanted to give my opinion since I tried to make the switch.

Everyone on here has been very helpful but I tend to agree with you here a little...while Multitasking is nice it isn't a showstopper for me...I guess at this point, it would be Outlook syncing...I tried the Outlook Connector and it was HORRIBLE...all manual dragging of contacts and individual events...ugggh. I already use CompanionLink with my droid and it syncs so well, even notes. I know it can sync calendar, contacts and tasks via GOOGLE on WP7 but you can't view the tasks directy on WP7.

And I agree...the pull down menu is amazing and very helpful in Android.

But in overall experience, Android is highly functional but SO DULL! WP7 has it beat there.

I am going to hold a little longer on WP7. I keep an eye on at least 3 RSS feeds for it so I can be in the "know."

 

[MrBigFeathers#CB]

I really want WP7 to come into it's own but right now it just doesn't compare to Android. two things I forgot to mention were Google Talk and Google Navigation. Two things I use all the time on my Android device. Google Navigation is free and works perfectly.

 

[garak0410]

I really want WP7 to come into it's own but right now it just doesn't compare to Android. two things I forgot to mention were Google Talk and Google Navigation. Two things I use all the time on my Android device. Google Navigation is free and works perfectly.

Yes...those are good apps...and do not get me wrong...I want WP7 to succeed and perhaps be the #1 Mobile O/S...I just can move to it...YET...and trust me, I want to leave Android...just too many good apps in a quirky OS...

 

[MrBigFeathers#CB]

Why do people have to have multitasking. Its only a few seconds. I've been using a Captivate for a week or so, and I have to say, my Focus is a better phone. Android is slow, and clunky. It does a lot, but doesn't do a good job at most of the things it does.
Sent from my Samsung Focus using Board Express

Multitasking for me is necessary because if i'm halfway through reading a long email I can open a different app and come back to the email and it will be where I left it. I don't have to find my place again. I can pause a game and come back where I left off. After the Mango update I will be interested to see how WP7 is but by then what new stuff will Android be doing?