The look and "feel" of WP7...

[jfa1]

But it IS personal. It's YOUR arrangement of pinned apps/live tiles displaying YOUR information! I'm being a little dramatic here, but if your phone is boring, your information is boring! That is why your WP7 will look different from anyone else's. People have preconceived notions as to what "customizable" means, apparently. Which isn't really surprising, but given how different WP7 is, a different approach to customizing should also be taken. And this isn't really directed at you personally, just the overall mentality of WP7 needs wallpapers, et al.

But its still personal preference your idea of what's boring is not necessarily someopne lese idea of boring. Both opinions and preferences are valid. My prime consideration is that my device works for me and helps me work smarter at work and keeps me informed about what I need to know and be doing. Antyhing else is gravy that I can take ort leave.

 

[Pronk]

But it IS personal. It's YOUR arrangement of pinned apps/live tiles displaying YOUR information! I'm being a little dramatic here, but if your phone is boring, your information is boring! That is why your WP7 will look different from anyone else's. People have preconceived notions as to what "customizable" means, apparently. Which isn't really surprising, but given how different WP7 is, a different approach to customizing should also be taken. And this isn't really directed at you personally, just the overall mentality of WP7 needs wallpapers, et al.

I see your point, but unless you deliberately (or by pure luck) pick and pin apps that are different to your accent colour, it is still a grid of primarily one of a small handful of colours on either white or black. That is very limiting with regards to personalisation - everyone's start screen looks largely the same. No personal wallpaper, no themes, no custom choice of colour and so on. And your tile arrangement may be unavoidably more monochrome depending on what apps/tiles you want to pin - my start screen for example is primarily solid tiles of the accent colour because that's the apps I want quick access to and they're either default ones or 3rd party ones where the devs have made the tile match the accent colour (IE, Mail, Messages, Phone, My Encyclopedia, Birdsong, etc).

 

[koolkid09]

Android is iOS with widgets and live backgrounds, from an appearance perspective.

That statement was ignorant. They look nothing alike besides having icons. But even WP7 has icons.


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[bentheoandrews]

Like loads of you have said - WP7 is a breath of fresh air in the Mobile OS world. I could stare at the messaging speech bubbles with their two different shades of the accent colour all day. I had really become bored with all the iOS fake wood and leather look in various apps. It looked so dated - and not in a cool retro way.

 

[Major]

That statement was ignorant. They look nothing alike besides having icons. But even WP7 has icons.


Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

Are you serious?

Apple - iPhone 4S - Read all about the amazing iOS.

Four by four grid of icons with a status bar up top and a four icon dock at the bottom.

Samsung Captivate Glide review -- Engadget

Four by four grid of icons (and widgets) with a status bar up top and a four icon dock at the bottom.

You're half-right about an ignorant post on this thread....

 

[Speebs]

But it IS personal. It's YOUR arrangement of pinned apps/live tiles displaying YOUR information! I'm being a little dramatic here, but if your phone is boring, your information is boring! That is why your WP7 will look different from anyone else's. People have preconceived notions as to what "customizable" means, apparently. Which isn't really surprising, but given how different WP7 is, a different approach to customizing should also be taken. And this isn't really directed at you personally, just the overall mentality of WP7 needs wallpapers, et al.

An OPTIONAL background wallpaper won't interfere with your information. Cutting off 5 pixels per corner to round out the tiles a little bit won't affect anything other than make the start screen look less boring to most people. Ms forcing GIAGANTIC header fonts that waste valuable screen real estate are much worse than a little bit of "gloss."

Yes, I want my phone to look good when I turn the screen on. And MS should, too, because when I turn my phone on they would rather people say "whoa, that looks awesome" than "whoa, that looks like a lego phone."

 

[koolkid09]

Are you serious?

Apple - iPhone 4S - Read all about the amazing iOS.

Four by four grid of icons with a status bar up top and a four icon dock at the bottom.

Samsung Captivate Glide review -- Engadget

Four by four grid of icons (and widgets) with a status bar up top and a four icon dock at the bottom.

You're half-right about an ignorant post on this thread....

That is not Android stock. That is Touchwiz. Like I said. Android Looks nothing like iOS and your ignorance is still showing.

 

[mprice86]

An OPTIONAL background wallpaper won't interfere with your information.

Probably will be added, people will try it, realise it looks bad, and go back to flat colour. Or keep it so they can complain about how bad it looks.

Cutting off 5 pixels per corner to round out the tiles a little bit won't affect anything

Never going to happen. Tiles are that size for a reason. It's part of the design principles.

other than make the start screen look less boring to most people.

You're the first person I've seen call the WP start screen boring, but I have been reading here less to prevent side effects such as brain damage and serious depression.

GIAGANTIC header fonts that waste valuable screen real estate are much worse than a little bit of "gloss."

Fonts are this size for a reason. It's part of the design principles. Also a header font only takes up a slight bit more at the top of the screen, the rest is left chrome free to leave space for information/content.

Yes, I want my phone to look good when I turn the screen on. And MS should, too, because when I turn my phone on they would rather people say "whoa, that looks awesome" than "whoa, that looks like a lego phone."

MS do want the phone to look good. They do think it looks good. So do all the people awarding the OS with best design awards. I really feel like I've missed something where people who didn't/don't like the design went ahead and got a Windows Phone anyway?

Microsoft didn't come up with this design to personally offend you, if you don't like it, vote with your wallet and buy another product. Reading your post it sounds like you're looking for far more customisation than MS or even Apple is ever likely to deliver.

 

[Speebs]

Probably will be added, people will try it, realise it looks bad, and go back to flat colour. Or keep it so they can complain about how bad it looks.

I can choose a background I like, thanks. Why do they let you choose a desktop background in Windows?

Never going to happen. Tiles are that size for a reason. It's part of the design principles.

The tiles would stay the same size. I'm talking about bezeled edges to make them look a little less toy-like and more appealing to a wider audience who is used to the bubbly other OSes.

You're the first person I've seen call the WP start screen boring, but I have been reading here less to prevent side effects such as brain damage and serious depression.

Well everyone I show the phone to thinks it's boring, so I guess our anecdotal evidence cancels itself out.

Fonts are this size for a reason. It's part of the design principles. Also a header font only takes up a slight bit more at the top of the screen, the rest is left chrome free to leave space for information/content.

What's the reason, other than "design principles"? It could be 2/3 the size and still be readable. In fact, I find most of the fonts larger than they need to be, and my eyesight isn't even that good. In the "people" app, the header takes up A QUARTER OF THE SCREEN. That's insanely wasteful.

MS do want the phone to look good. They do think it looks good. So do all the people awarding the OS with best design awards. I really feel like I've missed something where people who didn't/don't like the design went ahead and got a Windows Phone anyway?

I like the OS for other reasons, mainly the fact that it's most similar to webOS and is not Android or iOS. I like the OS a lot, but that doesn't mean there is no room for improvement.

Microsoft didn't come up with this design to personally offend you, if you don't like it, vote with your wallet and buy another product. Reading your post it sounds like you're looking for far more customisation than MS or even Apple is ever likely to deliver.

I'm looking for customization, yes. A little bit. The only customization I can make right now is choosing tiles for the main screen. I don't care what Apple would do. I expect more from MS.

 

[freestaterocker]

You know what'd be sweet? Translucent live tiles on top of a wallpaper.

 

[Winterfang]

Am I the only one that sings in their head that Cotton song when they read the topic? jijijiji

 

[Major]

That is not Android stock. That is Touchwiz. Like I said. Android Looks nothing like iOS and your ignorance is still showing.

Stock Gingerbread has just three icons in the bottom dock. That makes all the difference in the world to some people, I suppose.

Here's a thought. Instead of slinging insults, how about you sling some evidence? Prove me wrong.

Either that, or save whatever face you have left and admit your mistake.

 

[mprice86]

The fact of the matter is that the look and feel can be debated until the cows come home but it's never going to change anything.

Its entirely down to personal preference and no one is going to change what they think of it because someone on the internet said so.

Some people like/love it, they should tell their friends, post on here and be happy with their purchase.

Some people dislike/hate it, they should tell their friends, buy something else and go post on the applicable forum.

I'm all for topics that result in interesting and stimulating discussion but pretty much every topic about the design turns into an argument about who's right.

 

[Pronk]

That is not Android stock. That is Touchwiz. Like I said. Android Looks nothing like iOS and your ignorance is still showing.

Of course Android looks like iOS - it was designed to, because it was a rip-off from the get-go. Originally a rip-off of Blackberry OS, then iOS when Eric Schmidt went back to Google with what Apple had been working on. Don't let the widgets fool you - it's still primarily a grid of icons with a fixed dock of icons at the bottom that appears on all screens. And that's STOCK android.

And without iOS, it'd still look like whatever Blackberry have.

 

[jalb]

 

[wolf1891]

Click to view quoted image

excellent... but, you really should link back to the orignal source (http://xkcd.com/386/) when posting images from XKCD (or just about anywhere else too I suppose...)

 

[condemned]

Of course Android looks like iOS - it was designed to, because it was a rip-off from the get-go. Originally a rip-off of Blackberry OS, then iOS when Eric Schmidt went back to Google with what Apple had been working on. Don't let the widgets fool you - it's still primarily a grid of icons with a fixed dock of icons at the bottom that appears on all screens. And that's STOCK android.

And without iOS, it'd still look like whatever Blackberry have.

Everybody takes ideas from their competition. That's how they get better. If it weren't for iOS and Android, Windows Phone would probably be nothing today either.

 

[koolkid09]

Stock Gingerbread has just three icons in the bottom dock. That makes all the difference in the world to some people, I suppose.

Here's a thought. Instead of slinging insults, how about you sling some evidence? Prove me wrong.

Either that, or save whatever face you have left and admit your mistake.

Ok. You never used Android. Its obvious now.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Major]

Ok. You never used Android. Its obvious now.

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

We already have a consensus, son. You failed to quantify your position, and you continue to fail. I'd be happy to continue debating the merits (or lack thereof) of your views, but since you apparently cannot support your argument with anything of substance, what's the point? You beat yourself.

 

[jfa1]

Click to view quoted image

thats cause for some serious ab exercise via LMAO