Mango - New User Impressions

[BigCTM]

I have been using Android phones for the past year or so and honestly got fed up with all the force closes and inconsistent 3G signals. This was from multiple phones. I have used the Iphone 4 and absolutely hate Itunes so that was out of the question too.

Keep in mind that I started with Mango...

So I have been using the HTC Trophy for several days now and wanted to give some first impressions. In summary, I am honestly shocked by how much I like Mango. Forget specs - this is the fastest phone I have ever used, including dual core android phones. The new social networking is the best I have ever seen. Where else can you start a facebook chat and get interrupted and then continue it in a text message? This is a cool feature that I have actually used. The multitaking is great and simple to use. Most of the apps that I use are available - more on this later...One of my favorite features is Zune Pass. This is totally worth the 9.99 per month in my mind. Gives me a chance to try out new tunes all the time! I also really like how you pin a webpage to the start. This is extremely useful.

There are some negatives too. First, the apps in general are not as refined as I have seen on Android and IPhone. An example is Engadget. You can tell that more work has been done on the other systems because they are more popular. Second, the games are lacking compared to Android and Apple. I knew this coming in though - hopefully more are coming. My other negatives are very minor, such as not being able to change your homepage in the browser. I solved this by putting google search on my start page. I still like Google better than Bing.

All in all, Mango has surpassed my expectations so far and would for others too if they would be willing to try something on their own rather than just jump on the Android and Apple bandwagon.

 

[Coffee]

Glad you like it. Windows Phone definitely has a few issues but overall it's quite a good experience. The zune pass is pretty unbeatable.

I think it'll take a larger market share to really get the 3rd party devs to put games on windows phone. We have gotten a lot more games lately, but you'll see the most popular stuff debut on iPhone long before WP, I'm afraid, which is normal due to the installed user base numbers.

I was an Android user first, too, and while I liked hacking it up, there's nothing like a solid, fluid OS like WP.

 

[J4rrod]

Fair points OP. However, I do not agree with your Google > Bing statement. I honestly think Google is more of a habit than a preference. If you would like to really see which you like better, go here: Blind Search

Do about 5 queries, tell us the results here.

Besides that, I agree with you; however, with your games issue, I definitely understand, but do you have an Xbox LIVE account? I do, and maybe the integration of XBL on WP7 is the reason I don't have any complaints with the games lol.

Also, certain apps are better on WP7 than iOS/Android and vice versa. For example, although I have never used Flixster and eBay on iOS/Android, I guarantee the WP7 versions of the app are far better than iOS/Android. It just varies app-to-app.

 

[Winterfang]

Google is better than Bing for searches, that's why it's number one. I prefer bing but is a matter of preference.

 

[scottcraft]

Good review Bigctm1! I came from android too and I haven't looked back.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

 

[J4rrod]

Google is better than Bing for searches, that's why it's number one. I prefer bing but is a matter of preference.

I have to disagree. That's like saying Android is number one because it's better for smartphones than WP7, which as we all know is not the case. It's all a matter getting to the market first. Bing wasn't around for years while Google completely destroyed Yahoo, AskJeeves, etc. If Bing would have been there to compete with Google at the time when Google was getting popular, we'd be seeing a-whole-nother ball game right now in terms of market share between Google and Bing.

 

[theman60099]

I definitely agree with j4rrod on the Google v Bing debate. its also much easier to use Bing on wp7 than Google, that's why there's a search button.

 

[Airanp]

I happen to love my Zune pass as well but I pay the $14.99 a month and am able to keep 10 songs a month forever. I don't plan on giving that up as I would not be able to get it back. I guess it's like buying a cd a month for 5 bucks. Pretty good deal but I would keep it for 9.99 with no songs to keep too.

Just cause something is number one, doesn't mean it's better. The blind search proved that to me as almost all of my choices turned out to be Bing. 4 out of 5 for me

I was looking at android back in Feb when I wanted to ditch my iPhone and do not regret even the slightest going with WP. I look forward to WP, Xbox, Win8 intigration myself.

 

[Jazmac]

I dig Bing much better. I get the results I want and not a ton of articles that happen to contain a word from my search. Secondly, it keep within the ecosystem, a place I'd rather be.

 

[cckgz4]

Yea I figured my preference for Google in the past was mainly out of habit. I love Bing, especially in Mango

 

[fifthGear]

Google is better than Bing for searches, that's why it's number one. I prefer bing but is a matter of preference.

That's a form of fallacious reasoning called an Argumentum Ad Populum, or an Appeal to the People. That something is generally believed does not prove that it's actually true. Popular opinion is quite simply irrelevant (non sequitur) to the conclusion. For example, at one time pretty much everyone thought the earth was flat... popular belief didn't prove the statement.

Hence, "Everyone says that Google is better than Bing. Therefore, Google is better than Bing." Is just fallacious reasoning.

On the other hand, it doesn't mean that what's popularly believed is false. It's just that the truth of a statement cannot be determined by appealing to popular opinion (Unless, of course, the statement is <I>about</I> popular opinion. LOL)

 

[Winterfang]

I didn't said that Google is number one because people think it is. I said it's number one because is better. I don't like using it but I find myself using it on internet memes and funny pictures.

 

[narrow-minded]

The apps issue is hard for Microsoft to overcome. WP7 won't get more marketshare until they get more/better apps. More/better apps won't be made until WP7 gets more marketshare.

Microsoft is pretty much having to throw money at developers to get apps on the platform. Hopefully it'll work. Rumors have been floating around that WP7's sales have gone up a good bit since Mango was released.

 

[narrow-minded]

Also, certain apps are better on WP7 than iOS/Android and vice versa. For example, although I have never used Flixster and eBay on iOS/Android, I guarantee the WP7 versions of the app are far better than iOS/Android. It just varies app-to-app.

This is true. The Flixster app for WP7 is better than iOS/Android (I've had both). The Weather Channel app for WP7 is on iOS' level and definitely better than Android. Groupon's app for WP7 is also better, IMO.

 

[theman60099]

I didn't said that Google is number one because people think it is. I said it's number one because is better. I don't like using it but I find myself using it on internet memes and funny pictures.

it's not "better" that's another fallacious thought.

 

[scottcraft]

One thing I like about Bing is the rewards credits you can get for using Bing as your search engine on your computer.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

 

[Judge_Daniel]

From personal experience (and yes, I have tried the blind search), I have decided that Google understands the way I use keywords better than Bing does. This is probably because I've just gotten used to the way to find things Google's way. However, I've begun using Bing now (at least on the desktop, as I only use Bing on my Windows Phone) to find travel prices, news, and sometimes price comparisons instead of Google. In the end, they both have their benefits and shortcomings, but it is the user's job to decide which best fits each scenario.

As for the OP's post, I completely agree with your post. While some apps may be more beautiful on WP, it is clear that many, many of them are not as developed as their counterparts on other OSes. This, however, isn't because Windows Phone is lacking, but rather that these apps are simply newer. I'm sure with time and popularity, these apps will achieve equality to their siblings.

 

[power5]

Fair points OP. However, I do not agree with your Google > Bing statement. I honestly think Google is more of a habit than a preference. If you would like to really see which you like better, go here: Blind Search

Do about 5 queries, tell us the results here.

Google every time. For one reason, date. No idea when any of the results were posted in bing. Yahoo showed no results each time for me so I can not guess if I would have picked them. I noticed a bunch of erroneous results today when doing some searching. Google was using my small letter 's' on my iphone 4s search as plural. So some of my results were coming back from last year. I could tell after the first few clicks that this was happening, then I started making sure my results were from recent, not over a year old.

 

[danj210]

I didn't said that Google is number one because people think it is. I said it's number one because is better. I don't like using it but I find myself using it on internet memes and funny pictures.

Statistics show that Bing pulls more relevant searches than google. Google pulls more junk than relevant searches. If you like more junk than relevance than stick with google bro, it's that simple.

 

[deadwrong03]

One thing I like about Bing is the rewards credits you can get for using Bing as your search engine on your computer.

Sent from my Windows 7 phone using Board Express

what rewards are u talking about I never heard of this


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