WP7 - WP8 easy upgrade..?

[beershark]

Naturally, most of us are excited about the launch of WP8 and the new models and am sure many of us will rush out and get them.

But, will MS make this easier for us than at present.

The Zune backup is laughable, you only backup when you get a software upgrade and you can only restore to the original phone, not a replacement (if original was faulty say) or upgrade.

I know there are a few very useful workarounds at present, but none I believe allow you to restore a backup to another device. A backup being different of course to a sync to the cloud / Zune / PC.

I am running Win8 preview and expect to upgrade to the release version next week. I believe Zune is being replaced as well.

Question:- Is MS going to make this transition easy for us with WP8, Win8 & Zune replacement??? Damn hope so!

 

[wp8nyc]

Im wondering the same thing.

On a similar note, whats the easiest way to export contacts from a wp7 so that they can be synced with a new wp8 device?

 

[Villain]

I'd really like to see MS put out a program like RIM's desktop manager.

Im wondering the same thing.

On a similar note, whats the easiest way to export contacts from a wp7 so that they can be synced with a new wp8 device?

contacts sync with the main email account... doesn't get any easier

 

[freestaterocker]

Im wondering the same thing.

On a similar note, whats the easiest way to export contacts from a wp7 so that they can be synced with a new wp8 device?

Sync them to your email account. As soon as you add said email account to your new WP8 device it will sync them automatically.

 

[PG2G]

I expect... nothing.

 

[spyderzWPC]

Im wondering the same thing.

On a similar note, whats the easiest way to export contacts from a wp7 so that they can be synced with a new wp8 device?

make sure they are attached to your Hotmail/live/outlook account and they will follow you where ever you sign in with ms

 

[aubreyq]

I think Microsoft will reveal something about backups on the 29th.

 

[thed]

I'm still (perhaps foolishly) holding out hope that MS will have some sort of data migration tool from WP7 -> WP8. I can't say that I expect to see it, but it's the least they could do for the WP7 adopters.

 

[pjs37]

I expect... nothing.

That's pretty much what I think. Then they will also probably quote how they asked a focus group and that focus group likely said "Oh no we want a fresh start whenever we get a new device and never mind losing lal our data from applications"

 

[Winterfang]

Contacts will synch easily. Then you will have to spend an hour or so manually merging them (it will list twitter,facebook, live (and also outlook which is just dumb as he.ck) and multiple emails separately).

You will lose everything else.

 

[rkgriffin]

I don't see a big issue with this. Maybe I just manage all my info differently. All my mail and contacts are in Outlook.com and my Exchange account at work. Both of those setup in seconds and I have access to all my contacts. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SkyDrive, etc also setup in seconds. The only thing left is apps and I wouldn't want them all re-installed.

I would like to have a full backup option for apps if switching from a WP8 to another WP8 device.

 

[Landsharkk]

Well, the transition from WP6 to WP7 was terrible. They did not support the Windows Backup program (I forget the exact name now, but it was the official windows phone backup program) with WP7. So, whereas my WP6 device had everything backed up from contacts, email, txt messages, etc, none of that mattered because WP7 couldn't restore the backup.

Of course, with WP7 all contact info is backed up/sync'd with your hotmail/live/outlook account automatically. However, you still lose txt messages and any app specific data, etc.

 

[beershark]

I don't see a big issue with this. Maybe I just manage all my info differently. All my mail and contacts are in Outlook.com and my Exchange account at work. Both of those setup in seconds and I have access to all my contacts. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, SkyDrive, etc also setup in seconds. The only thing left is apps and I wouldn't want them all re-installed.

I would like to have a full backup option for apps if switching from a WP8 to another WP8 device.

Fair point, but then you need to link the contacts with networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

You will also lose SMS and other data and game progress (to which some people will pay for with points and ammo or whatever)

 

[beershark]

I'm still (perhaps foolishly) holding out hope that MS will have some sort of data migration tool from WP7 -> WP8. I can't say that I expect to see it, but it's the least they could do for the WP7 adopters.

I think they need to otherwise they will further alienate early adopters.

 

[rkgriffin]

Fair point, but then you need to link the contacts with networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

You will also lose SMS and other data and game progress (to which some people will pay for with points and ammo or whatever)

I didn't think of the game stuff so that might be a concern for some.

Using Outlook.com I believe you can link all of your contacts there once and adding it to a phone keeps the links.

Of course people might not want to link their Outlook.com together with FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. I am loving it now though. Set it up once and never again.