WP7 "gaps"

[Speebs]

From their very website about this ''remote drive"



No thanks. I'll encrypt it myself and store it on a cloud I know I can be more trusting of and will let me delete and not have to wait 5 days or whenever they decide to remove it.

Also, Live mesh runs and syncs from your desktop the same. Which is why I recommended SMEStorage..

Huh? I'm talking about straight UMS mode without any additional apps. I don't want another app, cloud storage, or something that requires a software install on my PC.

 

[canesfan625]

Huh? I'm talking about straight UMS mode without any additional apps. I don't want another app, cloud storage, or something that requires a software install on my PC.

the rest of us are talking about the best methods with apps since there isn't and probably never will be ums mode. People can keep preaching the registry hack but that's worthless to many devices.

 

[Speebs]

the rest of us are talking about the best methods with apps since there isn't and probably never will be ums mode. People can keep preaching the registry hack but that's worthless to many devices.

From the OP:

3. No mass storage mode - I knew this one going into it and had already registered and voted for this feature on MS's WP7 suggestions site. This was/is an extremely useful feature for any phone to have. WP7 is about streamlining and efficiency, yet without this feature, they are ensuring I always have to carry a thumb drive around for work/travel/family support.

 

[freestaterocker]

I've been eyeing WP7 devices for some and waited for Verizon to get something new, but they didn't release anything, so picked up a used Trophy from eBay. Did a lot of research/playing prior to buying so not too many surprises, but I still want to verify some of the "gaps" I see in the current WP7 OS or be proven a noob that there is a way to do x, y, and z.

1. No manual configuration of the 802.11x IP addresses - Kind of surprised I couldn't do this as it seems fairly simple to implement a screen to set this information. Probably a little over paranoid, but use a hidden WPA network without DHCP. Ended up just creating an IP reservation for my Trophy's MAC address to get around this.

2. Can Live Tiles not act as simple toggle buttons? - One thing I liked on Windows Mobile and Android is that I could just tap a button/icon and it would toggle the wifi or flash light on and off.....no need to open up an app. It seems all of the WP7 apps are simply shortcuts to the app and it has to load up and I have to close. Is there something I a missing? (wifi, BT, GPS, screen brightness, and flashlight are the items I would like to have quick access to with a one button push direct toggle.) Seems like such a simple thing that MS could just shove something out that did this.

3. No mass storage mode - I knew this one going into it and had already registered and voted for this feature on MS's WP7 suggestions site. This was/is an extremely useful feature for any phone to have. WP7 is about streamlining and efficiency, yet without this feature, they are ensuring I always have to carry a thumb drive around for work/travel/family support.

4. Apps closing by themselves - Does WP7 have a limit on how many apps it can have open at one time? I would have thought that with 512 MB of RAM I could have more than 4 or so 1 MB applications open at a time. However, it seems that eventually the apps close out even though I don't exit them (hit the window key, not the back button).

5. Battery % in the status bar - I know they aren't the most accurate, but there is a big difference to me from having 49% battery and 26% battery. Even Android and WM6.5 doesn't have this option stock and it baffles me as to why I had to load custom ROMs or files to get this feature. WP7 seems to follow suit.

6. No immediate resume of games nor ability to disable buttons during game play - I can understand why it is implemented this way, but playing a game and accidentally hitting the search key or what not is annoying. I also would have expected the resume to be damn near immediate, but it seems a state is saved and the program has to reload in order to resume play. Like I said, not a big issue, but kind of annoying.

7. Limit of 20 people to a group - I was surprised they impose such restrictions on your group size. I basically have to now divide my family into separate groups now....and that doesn't seem right. Same way with my various friends groups.

8. DLNA support - I thought I read or saw a commercial for WP7 supporting DLNA, yet I don't see anything mentioned on the forums/manual/documentation I have. So does WP7 support or going to support DLNA?

9. 3rd party keyboard - I was a "gotta have physical keyboard" guy back in the day. I hate typing on a screen. Well that was until I got Swype for Android installed and WOW does that make a difference in speed and to lessen frustration. I surely hope MS will allow a Swype type keyboard soon. Don't get me wrong, the current keyboard is one of the better ones I have used, but Swype is still better IMO.


<start rant - as in I know it's not supported, but just voicing my opinion>
R1. Menu button - I was disappointed that Android went the path of removing the menu button. I would much rather have a menu button instead of a search button if I had to choose. Not having a menu button means that menus are not always activated/found in the same manner/places from app to app. It also forces the app developer to waste space by leaving a location where the user can touch activate a menu.

R2. No side loading of applications - I blame Apple for this one. I had no problem searching the web to find the applications I needed/wanted for my phone, but since Apple's closed/integrated business model, everyone has their own app store and won't allow others to play. MS is partially there with the Chevron thing, but that is hit and miss if even available and only allows limited installs. I do some hobby programming and would have been nice to not pay a developers fee to unlock my phone for a hobby....but understand they can't give everything away.

R3. Separate volume controls - WM6 and Android have this option to set media at one volume and ringer at another. I to feel that it should be that way. Granted it isn't hard to change the volume, but it is hard to remember to turn it back after you change it.

<end rant...for now>


Overall I'm glad to have a such a responsive phone. That was really my only complaint about WM6 was the speed. I could do everything the iPhone could do, but it just took a lot longer for things to open/transition. The lag on Android was really annoying as well, but you don't really notice it anymore with the latest versions of software/hardware..... I was so close to buying an HTC Rezound...that screen/resolution = <drool>.

You can get almost every single thing you listed with a developer unlock. If chevron puts out more tokens, you can do this with full backing from MS for only $9.

 

[canesfan625]

You can get almost every single thing you listed with a developer unlock. If chevron puts out more tokens, you can do this with full backing from MS for only $9.

Chevron almost adds nothing on this list. It adds R2 with a limit of 10. Anything else still requires interop unlock outside of number 8 which shouldnt need unlock unless someone makes dlna homebrew.

From the OP:

Correct, however, the discussion is with firepromaster his situation and the app the recommended but for all we know the OP didn't know of these things and this could work for him.

 

[xmind]

You can get almost every single thing you listed with a developer unlock. If chevron puts out more tokens, you can do this with full backing from MS for only $9.

I've been doing a fair bit of searching, but I haven't seen home brew apps that will cover even half of what I listed. If you have some links to apps that address some of these concerns, please share.

I'd almost be willing to pay for a developer unlock if I can get all of these items addressed via unlocking and side loading apps.

 

[xmind]

Correct, however, the discussion is with firepromaster his situation and the app the recommended but for all we know the OP didn't know of these things and this could work for him.

We'll I'll clarify: I know of the various cloud storage solutions and using Zune or other PC side clients to read our phones. My post for UMS was for computers without internet or I can not (permissions) or will not (resource constrained or corporate computer where software installs are monitored) install programs on someone else's computer.

 

[canesfan625]

We'll I'll clarify: I know of the various cloud storage solutions and using Zune or other PC side clients to read our phones. My post for UMS was for computers without internet or I can not (permissions) or will not (resource constrained or corporate computer where software installs are monitored) install programs on someone else's computer.

In that case its just a bad deal. Microsoft doesn't view WP as a mass storage device and so without a huge uproar I doubt we will ever see UMS. Though I cant remember if live mesh is two way. If it is you can connect to your home PC (or whatever PC that has it) though internet explorer using their activex control and then connect to that from your phone.

 

[Speebs]

In that case its just a bad deal. Microsoft doesn't view WP as a mass storage device and so without a huge uproar I doubt we will ever see UMS. Though I cant remember if live mesh is two way. If it is you can connect to your home PC (or whatever PC that has it) though internet explorer using their activex control and then connect to that from your phone.

I think that's why he brought it up.

 

[snowmutt]

I love this post- I have almost all of the same complaints. I do love the phone, though, and am adjusting to these things (which, in the end, are just annoyances). MS does seem to overdo it with the "knowing what's best for the user" and hopefully they'll implement some of the more necessary features.

I am with you. I love the security that MS is trying to accomplish, but without allowing some user flexibility and carrier personalization it is hard to fathom why a ton of Android users would ever switch. I had a poster I respect on Phone Arena point out to me that he thought it was strange that Microsoft became the giant it is by allowing it's computer software to be open and customizable, but than went with an Apple style of phone OS instead of the Google style. People want to make their phones their own, and want their Samsung to be a little different from their LG.

 

[blehblehbleh]

I had a poster I respect on Phone Arena point out to me that he thought it was strange that Microsoft became the giant it is by allowing it's computer software to be open and customizable, but than went with an Apple style of phone OS instead of the Google style. People want to make their phones their own, and want their Samsung to be a little different from their LG.

I believe that's because they don't want an unraveled mess like they had with Windows Mobile. This is something they have a degree of control over and ensure that the end user has a relatively pleasant experience. I'd say customization isn't mutually exclusive. Microsoft probably is looking into that but who knows it could be overridden by other principles they have on keeping that particular end user experience