Before I make the jump I have some questions!

[ragingsilver]

Hi all,

I've signed up to this forum in preparation for getting a HTC 8S when it arrives next week. I've looked around the web and youtube videos etc and some questions need answering.

General OS questions
1) WP8 has Nokia maps + Drive built in and I believe you can download the maps for offline usage. Since the 8S only has 4GB (Maybe less after OS) will the maps go to the SD Card?
2) When I plug the phone into my PC does it react as if it's an external HDD?
3) With the Wi-fi turning off when you put the phone to sleep will I still be able to get notifications from say Whatsapp and all the other social apps?
4) How would I go about adding videos and photos to the SD Card/phone? Is there a program like iTunes for this? Can I sync them from my skyDrive account?

HTC 8S question:
1) The bottom of the phone can come off to put in the SD Card and SIM card, how easy does this bottom come off? I'm a bit paranoid that it will keep coming off.


and finally for the interested, a bit about myself. I'm a light user of smart phones (To give an idea of how light, I can make my 3GS last 5-7 days on standby, no joke!) coming from a iPhone 3GS of 3+ years. I have some games on my phone but mostly I use social and informative apps so they don't take up much space. I love the design of the WP8 OS and will be joining the wagon soon. I chose the 8S because it does what I need and it's fairly cheap yet very stylish, perhaps the most stylish phone I've seen in a very long time. Hopefully it'll last me a good few years to come.

Thanks for welcoming me to this community and I want to say thanks in advance to anyone who answers my questions above :happy:

 

[brmiller1976]

1) Good question, and I'm not sure... The maps for the western US were several hundred megs, IIRC.

2) Yes. If you have a passcode on your phone, when you plug it in, you'll be prompted on the phone to type it in. At that point, your phone turns into a "drive." You can drag and drop back and forth (including moving music or movies to your 8S for viewing).

3) Yes. Toast notifications always show up (and Live Tiles always update) so long as there's some sort of data connection. If you're not connected via WiFi, you'll get the notifications over the GSM network via GPRS, EDGE, HSPA/HSPA+ or LTE. The only time you WON'T get notifications is if there's no connectivity at all -- e.g. airplane mode or underground in a secret volcano lair.

4) Several ways. If you have the photos on your SkyDrive account, you can move 'em over straight from the phone. If you have the photos on your PC, you can drag and drop them via a USB connection. If you're feeling old-fashioned, you can e-mail them to yourself and get them on your phone.

HTC question 1) The bottom seems very similar to that of the Radar 4G, HTC's comparable WP 7.5 phone. If so, that thing is a beast to take off -- it takes some real grip and force. You'll probably be more concerned with opening it up than with having the cover fall off, I'd imagine.

Enjoy your phone! And I'd love to read more about your experience with the entry level devices.