My Wishlist for WP for business apps

[dlcpa]

I haven't been here in a while because I was waiting for Verizon to get the Samsung Galaxy Note. Now I am waiting for the Note 2. However, because of all of my business apps I would have preferred it if MS would have offered a phone I could use because ultimately that should be a platform to which everything gets ported for me.

When I was here last, I noted I was leaving WP, not only for the quality and size of the phones but also the reckless attitude of MS towards business users. I talked about how great WM 6.0 was with MS Office programs as compared to WP 7 and tango.

This is something I wrote on a Phandroid forum:

**** My wishlist includes a phone that fits in your pocket but has sides that pull out to add a lot more width so that it becomes 9:16. That and my foldaway Bluetooth Stowaway keyboard and I have a laptop wherever I need it without adding 10 pounds and a big case to what I have to carry. I'll even be able to do tax returns on it.

This is why there jerks a Microsoft blew the potential of phones. They still have a chance but they should have been there already. If Jobs rather than Gates and Ballmer were there, imagine what Windows Phone would have been. ****

It doesn't have to have all that now but that's where it all should be going. For many business and professional users who don't want to carry around laptops or even tablets, this options gives it all to them. Windows would be fully usable on a Transformers type phone. MS should do what it can to keep the business and professional users with competent access to MS Office programs, as bad as they are, and the promise that their programs will eventually have full access from their phones.`

 

[fwaits]

Well let's see what WP8 brings before you rag on them more. We haven't even seen WP8 really yet aside from architecture stuff (Which does bring a lot of Enterprise features) and the start screen. Lots more to show on the software side in the next month or so.

 

[12Danny123]

I don't get it why are you here then?

 

[dlcpa]

I don't get it why are you here then?

I am here because my most used software, being an accountant, is limited to Windows. Professional tax prep programs don't work on anything but Windows. Some of them don't even work with Vista or the older versions like before 2009 don't work under anything but XP. So, ultimately, that's where I will be and thereby I want to be on Windows, on my telephone.

My Doctor who loves Apple computers, Iphones and Ipads had all his medical software on Windows servers and he and his colleagues walked around the office with very thin Apple laptops. But they always had trouble communicating well with the servers. I went there yesterday and saw a Dell laptop and he told me that the company they use for software/hardware will not support Apple hardware even though they use IPads. Crazy but Windows is a standard that works.

I would have jumped in a WP7.5 phone if they were large enough (like the Samsung Note) and if they flawlessly synched wth MS Office programs without having to lose fields in Outlook and without having to redirect fields so that during the synch you get double the contacts. I have 4,000, I don't need 8,000. Also, the WP7.5 vers of Excel and Word contain less features and functions than did WM6.

If Verizon had the Note, I wouldn't be here now but I still haven't replaced my Blackberry Storm 2s. If WP8 tells us it will have more equality and less work-arounds with MS Office then I'd forget about Samsung and go to a WP8 phone, if there was one that was large enough (screen size). Oh yes, and I forgot about the ability to sync locally on my laptops and not be forced to go into the clouds. That was the other problem I had with WP7.5

I don't think I am asking for much but I am waiting to hear what abilities WP8 is supposed to have since and haven't made a move to a Samsung Note. I am waiting for the Note 2 but if WP8 has a decent product by November/December, I'd try it.

 

[HeyCori]

My wishlist includes a phone that fits in your pocket but has sides that pull out to add a lot more width so that it becomes 9:16. That and my foldaway Bluetooth Stowaway keyboard and I have a laptop wherever I need it without adding 10 pounds and a big case to what I have to carry. I'll even be able to do tax returns on it.

I know it's a wishlist but that's one heck of a request. It sounds like you'd be better off with a Microsoft Surface or some other Windows 8 tablet.

 

[SnailUK]

This is why there jerks a Microsoft blew the potential of phones.

I don't understand this attitude.

Microsoft don't make phones, they make the OS. OEMs can make any form factor of phone they like.

Personally i've been after a phone with decent audio hardware in it, but i've yet to find one (although i hear rumours the latest Samsung has a 24bit DAC). I don't get annoyed with anyone for not making a phone for my particular niche, i just keep my fingers crossed someone will one day create a phone with outstanding audio reproduction capabilities.

Its difficult, because OEMs (other than Apple) these days don't make much on phones, they need to sell in bulk to make any money. Therefore creating Niche phones doesn't make much sense.

 

[Nataku4ca]

i also think u should get Surface Pro, powerful enough to do everything and small enough to carry around and not feel the weight

we don't know what wp8 hardware is going to look like yet, but if anything Samsung will probably recycle Note design for it... i don't really like phablets, but if that's what u need it's what u need... otherwise i think the titan size is probably the biggest i will go before switching to a tablet, or else ill get a bulge in my pocket and a big slap in the face by the girls

 

[dlcpa]

I don't understand this attitude.

Microsoft don't make phones, they make the OS. OEMs can make any form factor of phone they like.

Personally i've been after a phone with decent audio hardware in it, but i've yet to find one (although i hear rumours the latest Samsung has a 24bit DAC). I don't get annoyed with anyone for not making a phone for my particular niche, i just keep my fingers crossed someone will one day create a phone with outstanding audio reproduction capabilities.

Its difficult, because OEMs (other than Apple) these days don't make much on phones, they need to sell in bulk to make any money. Therefore creating Niche phones doesn't make much sense.

The attitude you see is just frustration. I like Outlook a lot and I can't stand that Excel and Word hasn't evolved. I hate the fact that MS Office 10 is the same as all the others before it except that they put menus in different places so you have to find everything without the benefit of anything being done better or easier.

Unfortunately, there is no competition because some of us MUST use Windows if we want to avoid unforeseen problems with our software.

The other part of the frustration is true that MS is a software company but that is exactly what I am complaining about. I would love WP8 Note but I wouldn't touch it unless it interfaces better with MS Office and you could do backups and syncing to your local laptop. Windows Mobile 5 and 6 used to have that and some Jerks at MS felt that wasn't necessary anymore. Yes, it isn't necessary for 12 year olds but you want phone purchases, or at least you will in the future, to work with your business software. Twitter and Facebook will work with any phone. Pandora and Video will work with any phone. So why slap the business user and loyal ones at that, in the face and watch them walk away. The core of the Phones are big enough to do Xbox and Outlook.

I said this before but imagine if Steve Jobs headed up Microsoft, what Windows Phone would look like now. However, even he didn't give business what it needed by not allowing for syncing of xls, doc and pdf files without a 3rd party software package and that never works as well. I have Documents To Go on my Blackberry and it's Ok but not as good if a native MS Office was on the phone. With all the power these phones now have, why ignore one of your biggest selling points and put your self at a huge disadvantage from Android and Apple.

If you use Windows on your desktops and laptops, what would compel you to an inferior operating system that does nothing related to Windows better than Apple or Android? Actually, it does it worse.

So you see, for me it's really a software issue. I wish I could talk to the people at MS, but that's not going to happen.

As far as a Surface, I assume that's a tablet, I'd prefer it all be able to go into my pocket and for something bigger, I'd use my laptop. I am not a salesperson that has to show customers anything and I know me, if I had a tablet, I'd lose it or it would get stolen. If I used it only in the house, office or a hotel room, the laptop is better. What it is really good for is for letting toddlers be amused in restaurants so you can enjoy dinner and they stay occupied and quiet. My kids are grown, now that's their problem.

 

[Nataku4ca]

As far as a Surface, I assume that's a tablet, I'd prefer it all be able to go into my pocket and for something bigger, I'd use my laptop. I am not a salesperson that has to show customers anything and I know me, if I had a tablet, I'd lose it or it would get stolen. If I used it only in the house, office or a hotel room, the laptop is better. What it is really good for is for letting toddlers be amused in restaurants so you can enjoy dinner and they stay occupied and quiet. My kids are grown, now that's their problem.

sounds like u haven't seen the surface before, here have a peek

Full video of Microsoft's Surface announcement now available for your viewing | wpcentral | Windows Phone News, Forums, and Reviews

if u get the pro version, it's actually a tablet and a laptop

i understand your need to stick it in the pocket, i hope u can hold out until wp8 hardware announces to see if there are any phablets

 

[geekmaster]

funny. i talked to a guy who works on the cisco webex platform back in April. he said they were just now speculating if they should put resources into developing a windows phone 7.x application for webex. i have not heard back from him yet. but im more than positive it will be ported over to wp8 with the shared core of windows 8. just thought you should know since lots of businesses take webex as their priority communication software

 

[JimClass]

It's now almost November 2013 and there's STILL no WebEx for WP8. My BBerry is dying and I need to get a new phone. I like the way WP8 integrates Outlook, but I have to have WebEx (and would really like to have GoToMeeting)...neither are available on WP. If you are a heavy business user of a mobile phone (and I am), these are the basic meeting apps. Very few companies use Lync..and nobody uses Skype for business.
Even my Blackberry had WebEx. If I don't see WebEx show up in the Windows Store in the next few weeks, I'll have to go with Android (I don't like iTunes hijacking my media, so iPhone isn't really an option).

 

[Nataku4ca]

My BBerry is dying and I need to get a new phone. I'll have to go with Android.

get the BB Q10, my new job gave me one and it's actually a pretty decent device, the Lumia 1020 is still my daily driver though

 

[Hypnopottamus]

It's now almost November 2013 and there's STILL no WebEx for WP8. My BBerry is dying and I need to get a new phone. I like the way WP8 integrates Outlook, but I have to have WebEx (and would really like to have GoToMeeting)...neither are available on WP. If you are a heavy business user of a mobile phone (and I am), these are the basic meeting apps. Very few companies use Lync..and nobody uses Skype for business.
Even my Blackberry had WebEx. If I don't see WebEx show up in the Windows Store in the next few weeks, I'll have to go with Android (I don't like iTunes hijacking my media, so iPhone isn't really an option).

WP8 doesn't have WebEx, but you are wrong about it not having GoToMeeting. You have to download the app called "Citrix Receiver" and there is an app within it that gives you access to GoToMeeting and have access to company files. Of course, your company has to use Citrix for this to happen.