Will Windows Phone continue to avoid to make a File Manager?

[vish2801]

a5cent, I'm so glad we have people like you here to explain all of this to us.

I'm also glad that certain people on this forum aren't in charge of Windows Phone development because if they were, it'd turn into Android basically.

Android isn't bad, and nobody wants to turn WP into android, you people might be fondled with apps like Netflix,Hulu but the countries in which nokia has good presence don't give a sh!t about them. People are just asking basic features and app like File Manager with file association, this app matters more than some stupid streaming app, there's always a way but MS doesn't seem to pick them

 

[vish2801]

I don't see why the file manager is needed even in this case. You can use your PC to sync/copy the files over to the phone since you are not downloading it.

Didn't you read, he's from 3rd world country and the 1st gadget people buy in 3rd world countries is a cheap smart phone like Lumia 520, not a PC, if you need PC to manage your SMART phone, then how can you call it smart phone ?? Even Nokia's S40 series phones can give you this basic feature. WP is functionally a mere copy of iOS, while in reality it must be in the middle of android and iOS.

 

[immyperez]

I'm contempt with how you can transfer and access music and videos! It's definitely a step up from windows 7...I detested the iOS style way of doing things!

At least now we can drag and drop and not worry about altering the behaviour of the phone itself. I have a friend who has a Galaxy Ace and it starts doing all sorts of crazy stuff when connected to a PC...for example...it dials random numbers, lol!

I have to say though...my Nokia N8 had a shed load of features I would kill for...especially my beloved FM transmitter!!! Oh well...at least it's buttery smooth and has great apps!

 

[vish2801]

Just because Android or iOS have some features, does not mean WP can’t have them. Just because other OS have multiple volume settings means WP8 can’t have it? Should it remain like a rotary phone with a single volume dial? Should we give up pinch to zoom or swipe just because other OS had it first? Very immature attitude on some people here…

If I correctly recall there was a sticky post by Dave Blake that used to summarize the top features users wanted implemented in WP8. A file manager was one of them. The sticky appear to have been replaced by PART 2, and no longer has a summary.

People that use the phone as an entertainment device can likely live without one. Once you go beyond that it’s hard to do without a file manager.

Simple task: I want to take an email attachment, save it to the phone, and then re-attach it to an new email. May work for media and Office files, but won’t work for PDF or other type of files. For the PDF file, you need to open it, then separately go to the PDF app, open it, upload it to Skydrive, then you can email a link, but not a file. With other type of files, such as .dwg, you have no options.

I also have friends that won’t switch to WP for not having some (business useful) features, the File Manager being one of them.

My 1 friend just switched to 820 from E63 only because of Nokia and when he found the mess of PDF and emai attachment he just got mad and said what's the use of MS Office if I can't convert my report to pdf and can't attach it at all. And he's true, many business personnel use that convert to pdf to report so after mailing them nobody can edit it. But MS is branding it as a so called business phone, idiots....He's realizing now that his E63 has better features than WP.

 

[vish2801]

People here complaining about security breach, but what if MS create file manager and don't let 3rd party developers to do the same ?? As we all know after downloading any file, phone asks you to choose which app you want to open this file, if same can be done in MS' created file manager and give options to user to choose app from it so we can choose and change the file association easily. That wouldn't breach the limitation about individual app has individual storage. And email the file directly from file manager can also solve the priblem about attachment selection. Can somebody throw some light, is it ppssible ?? As we all know MS can allowa special permission for its own apps without breaching security.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Android isn't bad, and nobody wants to turn WP into android, you people might be fondled with apps like Netflix,Hulu but the countries in which nokia has good presence don't give a sh!t about them. People are just asking basic features and app like File Manager with file association, this app matters more than some stupid streaming app, there's always a way but MS doesn't seem to pick them

I never said Android was bad, and there are people who seemingly want Windows Phone to be more like Android by taking features straight from it. I don't mind people asking for basic features, but it shouldn't be a carbon copy of iOS's or Android's implementation of it. It should be adapted to Windows Phone.

 

[Tony Dony]

Most users don't need it ?? I'm from India and WP is in good position due to Nokia but people won't be buying Lumias if such basic features won't be added. File Manager with file association is a must here,

And you speak in name of the 1 milion residents of India ?

Lumias are selling very well in India, very very well.

 

[a5cent]

... you can't even set any song as a ringtone, you can't watch or send video, audio on whatsapp. If individual apps use individual storage than MS must allow user to let them associate their files if more apps can run the same file. And this cam be achieved only by File Manager with file association.

One of the very first things any amateur developer realises, is that for any given computing problem there always exists a huge number of potential solutions. Your notion that a certain problem can be solved in but one way (via a file manager) is something that even a beginning programmer could tell you is just plain wrong.

Surprisingly, the problem you suspect is impossible to solve without a file manager (setting up file associations) is easily and often solved without one. We need look no further than W8, where that is achieved using the "Set Default Programs" control panel app... not the file manager.

Most of your other opinions could be just as easily debunked, but I'll leave it at that.

 

[a5cent]

...what if MS create file manager and don't let 3rd party developers to do the same ?? <snipped> That wouldn't breach the limitation about individual app has individual storage. And email the file directly from file manager can also solve the priblem about attachment selection. Can somebody throw some light, is it ppssible ?

You're suggesting that the file manager app directly integrate the ability to pick up any PDF stored on the device and be used to attach said PDF to an e-mail. While that is possible, it would be a ridiculously bad solution.

Firstly, this solves the problem for but a single file type... PDF's. While that is nice, I'm pretty sure other file types exist that people would like to attach to e-mails. Variations on that approach exist, but just a bit of thinking should make it obvious that they either aren't flexible enough (work only for a predefined set of file types) or pose a security risk (are able to access files that shouldn't be accessible).

Secondly, it solves the problem for but a single application... e-mail attachments. What if a user wants to upload that file to DropBox instead? Obviously, DropBox is just an example. Many other apps could also make use of such a feature, including many that have yet to be developed. Here too, a bit of thinking should make it obvious that this approach just isn't flexible enough.

 

[vish2801]

And you speak in name of the 1 milion residents of India ?

Lumias are selling very well in India, very very well.

I'm talking about future, not present. I'm saying people are surprised that such features aren't available. WP7 had damaged Nokia's image a lot, people didn't know it has no bt transfer facility, no mass storage support and you can imagine frustration of people who don't have PC, they can't even download any media file because wp7 doesn't support background download support, in fact most of browser for wp8 like UC Browser doesn't support it and we don't have fast data plans and you can't stare your screen until your ph finishes download of 5mb files at 2g connection, can you ??

 

[vish2801]

One of the very first things any amateur developer realises, is that for any given computing problem there always exists a huge number of potential solutions. You're notion that a certain problem can be solved in but one way (via a file manager) is something that even a beginning programmer could tell you is just plain wrong.

Surprisingly, the problem you suspect is impossible to solve without a file manager (setting up file associations) is easily and often solved without one. We need look no further than W8, where that is achieved using the "Set Default Programs" control panel app... not the file manager.

Most of your other opinions could be just as easily debunked, but I'll leave it at that.

Common user isn't understand language of any kind of developer, user understands features, so do you think wp cannot set any music file as a ringtone is okay ?? File manager can give you more facilities and you can keep an eye on your personal files, is it a bad feature ???

 

[mase123987]

vish2801, it is clear you can't stand the limitations of WP. Made that very clear on all 20 of your posts. You come off as hating the OS.

 

[vish2801]

You're suggesting that the file manager app directly integrate the ability to pick up any PDF stored on the device and be used to attach said PDF to an e-mail. While that is possible, it would be a ridiculously bad solution.

Firstly, this solves the problem for but a single file type... PDF's. While that is nice, I'm pretty sure other file types exist that people would like to attach to e-mails. Variations on that approach exist, but just a bit of thinking should make it obvious that they either aren't flexible enough (work only for a predefined set of file types) or pose a security risk (are able to access files that shouldn't be accessible).

Secondly, it solves the problem for but a single application... e-mail attachments. What if a user wants to upload that file to DropBox instead? Obviously, DropBox is just an example. Many other apps could also make use of such a feature, including many that have yet to be developed. Here too, a bit of thinking should make it obvious that this approach just isn't flexible enough.

PDF was an example, and have you ever used symbian phones S60 V3 and above ?? I want access to only my personal file,not system files. Hope you can understand what I'm talking about. And we do have share button for files in wp8 same can be added in file manager, any app like skydrive,dropbox,email,blue tooth can share the file easily.

 

[vish2801]

vish2801, it is clear you can't stand the limitations of WP. Made that very clear on all 20 of your posts. You come off as hating the OS.

I don't hate OS, I own 520, but I'm just annoyed by limitations, don't judge me or label me for my complains.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Common user isn't understand language of any kind of developer, user understands features, so do you think wp cannot set any music file as a ringtone is okay ?? File manager can give you more facilities and you can keep an eye on your personal files, is it a bad feature ???

Did you understand his post? Where did he say that not being able to set an mp3 as a ringtone is acceptable?

Why are you so intent on having a file manager? What do you mean keep an eye on your files? What exactly is there to see?

 

[vish2801]

I never said Android was bad, and there are people who seemingly want Windows Phone to be more like Android by taking features straight from it. I don't mind people asking for basic features, but it shouldn't be a carbon copy of iOS's or Android's implementation of it. It should be adapted to Windows Phone.

Adding features shouldn't be called copying, e.g. notification center is a feature but if MS presents you same way as android, it's a copy.

 

[a5cent]

Common user isn't understand language of any kind of developer, user understands features, so do you think wp cannot set any music file as a ringtone is okay ?? File manager can give you more facilities and you can keep an eye on your personal files, is it a bad feature ???

You obviously consider yourself advanced enough to judge the security model Microsoft developed for WP and claim that security plays no role in the context of this debate. So, since it is you I'm talking to, not just any common user, I see no reason to dumb down this conversation any further, right?

I completely agree that WP needs quite a bit more flexibility in the ringtone department. Apparently, you still haven't gotten the message though, so one more time just for you: there is absolutely no reason your ringtone requirements can't be solved by other means than a file manager app!

I am not directly for or against a file manager on WP. However, I am against throwing WP's security model out the window. Since I see equally simple and flexible ways to provide all the functionality required without a file manager, I see no reason to keep discussing one. If someone can explain how a file manager alleviates all the random file access limitations WP users currently live with, without sacrificing WP's security model, I'll be happy with that solution as well.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Adding features shouldn't be called copying, e.g. notification center is a feature but if MS presents you same way as android, it's a copy.

I didn't say adding features is copying, what I mean is the way some people ask for things, they wanted Microsoft's implementation to be like Android's.

That's exactly what I'm saying, they shouldn't present it like Android, it should be adapted to Windows Phone.

 

[vish2801]

You obviously consider yourself advanced enough to judge the security model Microsoft developed for WP and claim that security plays no role in the context of this debate. So, since it is you I'm talking to, not just any common user, I see no reason to dumb down this conversation any further, right?

I completely agree that WP needs quite a bit more flexibility in the ringtone department. Apparently, you still haven't gotten the message though, so one more time just for you: there is absolutely no reason your ringtone requirements can't be solved by other means than a file manager app!

I am not directly for or against a file manager on WP. However, I am against throwing WP's security model out the window. Since I see equally simple and flexible ways to provide all the functionality required without a file manager, I see no reason to keep discussing one. If someone can explain how a file manager alleviates all the random file access limitations WP users currently live with, without sacrificing WP's security model, I'll be happy with that solution as well.

Where did I say I need File Manager for setting music file as a ringtone ?? You can put that option in music+video app. You got me totally wrong, I never said File Manager is the solution of every problem. I demanded file manager as a feature. Not a solution for every goddam lack of features on WP. I don't want to see any system files, I just want to manage my files received via bluetooth, downloaded from any website, manage media files and document files. I hope you got my point now. S60 V3 and above phones do provide same, you can't see any system files but you can manage your personal files. Nokia's own file manager even on S60 v2 didn't allow system file access but 3rd party did but on s60 v3, no 3rd party app can access system file, I want just a file manager created by MS giving me access to my personal files only, MS must not allow 3rd party developers to build one but it can built it with tight security along.

 

[vish2801]

I didn't say adding features is copying, what I mean is the way some people ask for things, they wanted Microsoft's implementation to be like Android's.

That's exactly what I'm saying, they shouldn't present it like Android, it should be adapted to Windows Phone.

1st, android isn't the 1st OS which provided these features. It was symbian. It provided users the best experience. 2nd most of WP users are converted from symbian, they always seek those basic features in their new shiny phone but when they can't they don't like it, WP7 was very much featureless, WP8 is good but still need features and asking basic features is never wrong thing. People always complain about iOS that it has too much restrictions but how WP is different from it ?? We do have some more freedom but that's not enough. Some freedom is very much necessary and it's not like MS can't do that, it looks like they don't pay much attention on WP.