Validate my life choices

[Mercule]

Not really... I've been puttering around these forums for a while, getting info on the Surface and pondering WP8. I'm finally at the point that Sprint has lost me and I'm going to jump. So, here's my dilemma: Get iPhones for my wife and me, or go with WP8? Android isn't an option. We've both had it and loathe it. The switch would be to Verizon (based on local service), so it's the 928 or 4S.

I've currently got an iPhone and am pretty comfortable with it, which is surprising, considering my feelings about Macs and how much I hate iTunes (biggest Apple complaint is how closed the ecosystem is). IOS pretty much just works for most of what I need: It hasn't "wowed" me for a long time, but it only occasionally vexes me.

So, why switch? Well, first, I like the look of the 928 better than the iPhone. Second, I'm a .NET developer, and I kinda like the idea of being able to build stuff for my phone; I'm actually working on a couple apps for WinRT. Third, I do get frustrated at how painful it is to sync things like Pages to Word and anything on Dropbox/SkyDrive or to just open a link in the app I want. Finally, I'm ornery and really just want to move away from Apple.

What's holding me back is fear of loss. Not all my apps are available (duh). OneNote and Office would be shiny, but what about the stuff I lose? I thought I'd list the apps I use all the time and see if there is a good equivalent on WP8. Here goes:

• Google calender (family of six using a custom Google Apps domain -- we must be able to manage six separate calendars from the phone. Number one feature for my wife)
• Google Maps (Here Drive?)
• Zite (looks like it's there, but is it gimped? This is big for me.)
• Email, especially syncing with gMail folders
• SkyDrive (I'm assuming this is pretty awesome on WP)
• Kindle (the WinRT app is... less than excellent)
• Amazon Cloud Player (would consider switching to Xbox music, if it was good at storing mp3s)
• Pandora (all day, everyday. heads-down coder)
• TiVo (I know there isn't an official one, but is there a good 3p app that will let me see my recorded shows without having to turn on the TV?)

One other question that doesn't lend itself well to a bullet point. I have a couple of nice games on my phone. Not Angry Birds or PvZ, but "real" games (Ticket to Ride and San Juan) that can be played by multiple people and are a bit more engaging. I play these with my wife or kids when we're traveling, sitting in a waiting room, or some such. I don't really care if WP has conversions of physical games, like what I've got, but I'd like to hear if there are a couple of deeper games available.

Thanks in advance. I hope to join the ranks of WP8 users while Amazon is still selling these things at $.01.

 

[MDak280]

I can comment on a few things.

HERE Drive/Maps should be an adequate replacement for Google Maps. I don't have any problems with it.

You can use a gmail account on WP but you have no option for push notifications (you can sync every 15 mins). There are unofficial gmail apps but I'm not sure if they offer push and I think you might have to pay for the good ones. I switched to Outlook for email before getting a WP and it works great.

SkyDrive, if you use cloud storage a lot, is great on WP. It's cool how it's integrated into the OS. You can automatically save pictures to SkyDrive if you want, and all of your notes and documents are automatically synced from the Office apps and OneNote. Yes, you do get free Office but the functionality is very limited. But it's great for editing documents on the go. I wouldn't say it's ideal for creating documents from scratch (I've only used Word, though). However, OneNote is excellent I really like it.

Haven't tried Kindle but there is an official Kindle WP app.

Pandora is fantastic on WP, one of my favorite apps. It's ad free for all WP users until 2014 iirc.

As for games, I can't give specific examples, but I'm sure there are some great, deep games. I don't really game on my phone.

 

[Mercule]

I switched to Outlook for email before getting a WP and it works great.

I'm trying to move my domain, but there appears to be an issue with it. MS says I have to wait for 365 days. (Excuse me?)

Yes, you do get free Office but the functionality is very limited. But it's great for editing documents on the go. I wouldn't say it's ideal for creating documents from scratch (I've only used Word, though). However, OneNote is excellent I really like it.

OneNote is the biggest deal. For Word, I really don't want to spend a ton of time typing on my phone, but it'd be nice to be able to rough in a skeleton and/or make a few minor changes and then be able to sync to the desktop (easily) and without losing basic formatting (Pages turns headers into really big text).

 

[FinancialP]

Honestly if you've waited this long, please stick it out until the new devices are released, and you can get the devices you listed at a deeper discount.

I ditched Pages on my iPhone in favor of Docs to Go and OneNote.

Ps
I wouldn't sign a contract for a 4S.

 

[Noahma]

I gave up on Google the moment I purchased my 920, I like outlook's calendar much much better. The use of Family Rooms on the phone is stellar if you have multiple windows phones in the family. Even if some are on an Iphone you can sync up the calendars pretty easy. As a previous poster said the Pandora app blows every other Pandora app out of the water. It is Excellent. The Office documents along with office 365 is amazing. The files should be stored out on Skydrive but you can access them literally anywhere. The office web apps are pretty decent, if you are not near your computer with office installed, they will work well with the phone and with office itself.

What I did for my calendar was just to export the file from Google Calendar and then reimport it. adding the calendar to each user is easy as well as setting everyone up in the Family room with the shared calendar that way. The only thing other phone users will not be able to do in the Family room is use the Messenger service (must be on a WP to use it) But Onenote files that are included in the family room can be opened via the IOS one note app.

 

[MDak280]

I'm trying to move my domain, but there appears to be an issue with it. MS says I have to wait for 365 days. (Excuse me?)

That's weird. Maybe someone else can help with this, I have no idea.

OneNote is the biggest deal. For Word, I really don't want to spend a ton of time typing on my phone, but it'd be nice to be able to rough in a skeleton and/or make a few minor changes and then be able to sync to the desktop (easily) and without losing basic formatting (Pages turns headers into really big text).

The format should stay the same. From my experience, on the phone app it uses the format that was already being used. For example, if I'm editing an essay for school: I already started the essay using Times New Roman, 12 font with a bold title in 20 font. If I need to change something from my phone, say from the title, it will automatically be bold and 20 size font. Then if I move my cursor to the body it should be unbolded, 12 font. When you sync to SkyDrive it will save as is. Editing is very convenient

Honestly if you've waited this long, please stick it out until the new devices are released, and you can get the devices you listed at a deeper discount.

I ditched Pages on my iPhone in favor of Docs to Go and OneNote.

Ps
I wouldn't sign a contract for a 4S.

I respectfully disagree (partly). There haven't been any rumors or hints at a new Verizon Lumia, and with the Lumia 928 being 1 cent on Amazon, waiting doesn't make sense since this deal is already great.

In the case of the iPhone, though, it makes a lot more sense since the 5S/6 should be coming soon. It's going to be expensive though, and in that case the iPhone 5 will probably be discounted and I would get that over the 4S.

 

[Mellifluous]

A few answers to your queries in bold...

Not really... I've been puttering around these forums for a while, getting info on the Surface and pondering WP8. I'm finally at the point that Sprint has lost me and I'm going to jump. So, here's my dilemma: Get iPhones for my wife and me, or go with WP8? Android isn't an option. We've both had it and loathe it. The switch would be to Verizon (based on local service), so it's the 928 or 4S.

I've currently got an iPhone and am pretty comfortable with it, which is surprising, considering my feelings about Macs and how much I hate iTunes (biggest Apple complaint is how closed the ecosystem is). IOS pretty much just works for most of what I need: It hasn't "wowed" me for a long time, but it only occasionally vexes me.

So, why switch? Well, first, I like the look of the 928 better than the iPhone. Second, I'm a .NET developer, and I kinda like the idea of being able to build stuff for my phone; I'm actually working on a couple apps for WinRT. Third, I do get frustrated at how painful it is to sync things like Pages to Word and anything on Dropbox/SkyDrive or to just open a link in the app I want. Finally, I'm ornery and really just want to move away from Apple.

What's holding me back is fear of loss. Not all my apps are available (duh). OneNote and Office would be shiny, but what about the stuff I lose? I thought I'd list the apps I use all the time and see if there is a good equivalent on WP8. Here goes:

• Google calender (family of six using a custom Google Apps domain -- we must be able to manage six separate calendars from the phone. Number one feature for my wife)
  I am not familiar with multiple calendars but check out this thread: http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/216471-multiple-google-calendars.html
• Google Maps (Here Drive?) Here Maps is more than adequate - especially the ability to fully download so you're not using data, which is particularly useful on holiday (you can switch off data and just use GPS, which incurs no cost). Here Drive is a sat-nav driving app which uses the same maps, but also has voice instruction and a sat-nav type view.
• Zite (looks like it's there, but is it gimped? This is big for me.)
  I use the Zite app. If you have an existing account it syncs everything you've setup, and it is customised for the Windows Phone interface. Personally I like it because it is built to suit Windows Phone, just as the iPad version suits the iPad, though they're both very different.
• Email, especially syncing with gMail folders
  You can sync different folders as well as pin them to the start screen, and move email to different folders. If you setup your accounts to sync Calendar and Contacts as well, then contrary to what someone else says, it DOES push email as it arrives. There is also a Gmail app by Ecomerc which does a good job of providing a more Google-like inbox.
• SkyDrive (I'm assuming this is pretty awesome on WP)
  SkyDrive works similar to iCloud and backs up/syncs docs and photos. Apps can also use it (e.g. a music app can be given access to sync music, a Gameboy emulator can sync roms from it, etc.
• Kindle (the WinRT app is... less than excellent) It's ok - personally reading books on a phone isn't my bag, but it does the job fine and syncs your place, allows customisation etc.
• Amazon Cloud Player (would consider switching to Xbox music, if it was good at storing mp3s) Windows Phone doesn't have this unfortunately, but you could store music on SkyDrive then use an app like SkyMusic, which will then stream your albums.
• Pandora (all day, everyday. heads-down coder) I'm not in the US but I hear the Pandora app is very good.
• TiVo (I know there isn't an official one, but is there a good 3p app that will let me see my recorded shows without having to turn on the TV?) I don't know but I don't think so.

One other question that doesn't lend itself well to a bullet point. I have a couple of nice games on my phone. Not Angry Birds or PvZ, but "real" games (Ticket to Ride and San Juan) that can be played by multiple people and are a bit more engaging. I play these with my wife or kids when we're traveling, sitting in a waiting room, or some such. I don't really care if WP has conversions of physical games, like what I've got, but I'd like to hear if there are a couple of deeper games available.

Unfortunately there are no games as far as I know that are like this, apart from Final Fantasy!

Thanks in advance. I hope to join the ranks of WP8 users while Amazon is still selling these things at $.01.

 

[FinancialP]

Lets not forget the Nokia World event coming up.

 

[chezm]

Ps
I wouldn't sign a contract for a 4S.

I second this statement, signing a new contract on a 2 year old phone is bogus imo. Thats not to say Apple wont stand by their product and protection (they are excellent here in Canada), but its a phone that im sure with iOS7 will feel outdated quickly. If you go with iPhone, definitely consider at least the 5...but even for myself (not being an Apple fan, although my wife has a iP5 and i've got a Nano), id wait out on the iP5S, mainly because its built on the new OS.

 

[mm77]

Kindle is fantastic on my Lumia 800, so I feel shouldn't be a challenge on the 928

 

[futpaul]

Kindle is fantastic on my Lumia 800, so I feel shouldn't be a challenge on the 928

I like Kindle so far too, but is there a way to search? So far I can only scroll through titles or authors, and we've downloaded so many free Kindle books that I can't find what I want without the eternal scroll!

 

[futpaul]

I'm trying to move my domain, but there appears to be an issue with it. MS says I have to wait for 365 days. (Excuse me?)

I could try to help you with this. I'm new on the forum so I don't know if PMs work yet. I've moved a couple of domains to live.com so I can use Outlook.com mail. Definitely has a process but I got them to work.

 

[gsquared]

OP: You are over-analyizing.

If you have done your homework which it seem like you have you don't need us to "sell you". Besides, you'll be getting whichever phone your wife wants

 

[raacut]

make sure you scan through this thread http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/210477-official-what-wp-needs-succeed.html
, just so you know what the phone is missing .( You'll be surprised at some of the things that you take for granted on other platforms that are just not there on WP8)