While we were allowed to play with the just-announced Windows Phone 7 Series operating system behind closed doors a few hours ago, it was a strictly no-photo, no-video deal.
We just left a slightly more public showing of Windows Phone, where representatives had handsets at the ready – and this time, video was okay.
Apologies for the slightly off focus – I was literally on my tip toes, camera turned upside down, reaching over the heads of the massive group of people crowding around the two devices Microsoft thought to bring.
Bing Search and People (Contacts) Hub
Xbox Hub and Photo Hub:
helo
Looking at the past, I must say this windows phone 7 series, is a very bold act from MS, its like they completely redesign everything in terms of technical and graphical aspects.. I think of the key feature of the winphone 7 is its ‘simplicity’.. Let’s see how this one plays out on the holidays..! Looking back at the concepts: http://bit.ly/windows-mobile-7-concept
Heck yeah, VCSY is in this technology, the missing flash is not missing at all patent # 6826744 ( aka “THE SITEFLASH PATENT” ) Go VCSY $$$$$$$
What about windows compatible viruses and Malware , Will they execute on this OS.
Seriously?
What about windows viruses , are they compatible on this,
No.
I don’t think Microsoft will do that well in mobile space to be honest, the fact that it wont be open source will put a lot of developers off working on making it a better platform for them. The first photo looks similar to Androids on screen key bored. I think the Windows phone will be like what Zune is to the mp3 player industry (Not anywhere near as good as Apple’s version)
The iphone is the living proof that nobody gives a shit about Open Source
Or, Android is living proof that open source is the quickest way to smash proprietary monoculture
Android is the living proof, that UI innovation by Apple also gets copied by opensource.
Android is living proof that even companies that claim the believe in Open Source actually don’t (Ask Cyanogen)
Google Open sources only the piece of code where they dont have a market share. Would challenge if Goog would open source their search algo and then preach rest of the industry about ‘dont be evil’
Symbian is living proof people do.
Thanks for playing though.
yeah i just heard on the radio that symbian moved to open source and i was like thank god. thanks symbian. i am so excited to see what people will do with the code.
Steve Jobs is the only executive who periodically has to prove he’s living for the stock not to fall.
Bad form, man. You should not make fun of people with a life threatening disease. No class.
I have to agree that the Windows phone will be like what Zune is to the mp3 player industry: a SUPERIOR product.
Sure you can bash Zune all you want but the fact is it’s just better. I originally switched because Zune had an FM tuner and have since decided that the product and software are superior to Apple’s fine devices and annoying iTunes. In fact most POD people who have tried my Zune were pleasantly surprised as their opinions had been based on the typical M/S hating. If I didn’t dislike iTunes so much and the PODs had tuner sooner I’d probably still use one but I got over the bias and am hopeful the M/S will pull it together.
Says you.
Millions of people would not agree with you.
awww…strike a nerve there, fanboy?
you are right, however. fact is, so many people are pre-biased and would never even pick up a M/S product that they didn’t have to. the iProducts are certainly great and extraordinarily well marketed. for some people it’s their freakin’ identity. some people choose to identify themselves with a product – or are they chosen?.
for those of us who, for whatever reason, find ourselves satisfied with our winprod very much look forward to progress, and this does definitely look like progress. will it attract pod-people? it might… will it keep M/S users and attract more? definitely.
If a bunch of stoners in Cupertino can do it, I figure a bunch of stoners in Redmond can do it too.
@jujubean
Have you ever checked out a Zune HD yourself?
I have 4 iPods (touch 2G, nano 2G, nano 5G, shuffle 2G). My Zune HD is way better all for of them, I promise you.
So does that mean PCs are better than Macs because more people use them? Flawed logic if you ask me. By the way, I heard Fords are better than Ferraris because more people own them.
OMG, he’s serious.
The bar for Microsux has been dropped so low, that if the damned thing can play without Norton Utilities, it’s considered a success.
hard to take this Eanes clown seriously. another fanboy with a Jobs shrine. boring. get over it. but I guess you just need to take a side…pretty typical.
Jefferson, look who’s calling who a fanboy? If you choose to delude yourself that Zune is a better product than iPod, then you’re living in your own distortion reality field. Apple didn’t get market share by dreaming it, unlike MS, they built a better product and are reaping the rewards. I know it’s tough for a MS fanboy to appreciate, but that’s the stats.
BTW, American stockholders agree; while Apple’s stock price is at $203, you can buy a cryptful of MS stock for $23 a share.
Rick, I’m calling YOU a fanboy. Had you actually comprehended anything I said you would understand that I am not. You, on the other hand, easily fall into the cliche of foaming at the mouth zealot. The vitriol you are spewing is just silly really. If you have not been able to figure out how to manage M/S stuff why not just get over it and shut up already? oh right, because you’re smarter and cooler than people who use m/s.
whatever.
I’ve using, developing for, and employed by both companies off and on for over 20yrs so have learned to love and hate both. my (apple) laptop boots three different os but I still use xp pro the most and I’ve never had a problem with it.
Have you really convinced yourself that the iPod is so much superior to the Zune? It really isn’t. yes, Apple got there first and have the market share, but so what? That’s how you base your decisions in life? Frankly, I still prefer my old iRiver iHP-140 to both.
Like I said, I don’t like iTunes and the Zune s/w is not perfect and the social stuff is not my thing but I think it works better for what I want to use it for. I had a hacked iPod for a while syncing to winamp that was way better than iTunes.
oh and thanks for the stock quotes; I made my profits off of m/s years ago and am currently reaping the rewards of apple’s success. (and google). were you trying to make a relevant point? I think you just love to complain…so boring. see ya, fanboy.
Yeah? Which one will cost me more if I buy all their shares?
Fuckwit.
Not quite an iPhone is it? Not that I want to join the iSheep but the iPhone appears the natural target for all these kinds of devices.
Strikes me that the race is still between iPhone and Android.
The race is between iPhone and Andriod because they are both out, and Windows Phone 7 has not even shipped. Give it some time and it might surprise you. Unlike the MP3 market, people are always looking for the next great thing. This may or may not be that thing, but at least they are innovating and keeping it fresh. Before the negative comments, this is from someone who has owned Windows Mobile devices in the past and now uses an iPhone 3G for work. Thus far it is the best phone I have ever used, but there is still room for improvement. If this version of Windows Mobile is good, then I might run from the iFlock and go back to Microsoft. In the end, open source or not, consumers want a good phone, lots of cool features, and something that looks great. Change is good and keeps everyone honest, Microsoft, Nokia, Google, and yes even Apple. Welcome back to the game Microsoft, it is about time…
If the only complaint that Microsux has against the iPhone is that it can’t run multiple apps at the same time, I’d say they are trying to nitpick a far superior product to anything they have ever come out with. Their cell phone OS will be, like everything else they create, clumsy and difficult to operate.
…difficult for YOU to operate…heh
Or if you prefer to use crazy metrics like ‘sales’ it’s between Symbian and RIM.
No wait, it’s between Symbian and Symbian.
Mark you still don’t get it do you?
What counts to businesses is PROFIT, and Apple is winning in “those crazy metrics” already.
lol. yeah they absolutely are winning, and the fact that your comment is absolutely not based in reality or on facts is simply astounding.
So what were Apple’s profits due to the iPhone over the year and what happens to them when something better comes out – which has or will happen depending on your POV – and there’s nothing for them to fall back on?
Hmm?
You just don’t get it do you, Steve?
Nice, been waiting for it for a long time.
There is a better Hands-on video available on Channel 9.
http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/LauraFoy/First-
Look-Windows-Phone-7-Series-Hands-on-Demo/
Big Fail.
This is Android 1.0
Seriously, Android 1.0 is a peace of shit
Go on. You are almost there to his point.
I would still Android 2.0 is PoS. There is no new innovative features, all copied from iPhone.
Atleast with Windows Phone, MS is thinking different
Agreed the UI in completely different !
Different is not necessarily mean better.
it’s a trap!
Another opportunity for Microsoft to lose a few more hundred million dollars. I wonder if the company will really start to care once the subsidizing cash cows of Windows and Office start to dry up.
Microsoft will continue their downhill course until the shareholders force Ballmer out. His “3 years behind the trend” style of leadership is their biggest problem.
Some people are so short sighted. You really think that there will only be the iPhone and some Androids in the future of mobile computing?? Grow a brain and realize that there’s still plenty of space for new comers in this truly emerging market. And MS has the money and resources to get it done.
Freakin iDolts
Except MS is *already* in the market, and was there *before* iPhone and Android. Both the latter are now kicking WinMo but. I hope MS fixes the WinMo6 bug which locked up my phone when I received an SMS while on a call. I now own an Android *and* and iPhone and develop for both. MS needs to pull off something epic to convince me to switch back.
Really, Steve? Why is Windows 7 consistently regarded as superior to Snow Leopard then?
Any thoughts on that one?
Dude, people have been saying that since 1999. They’re not going anywhere. Get over it. They lost money on Xbox for a long time before last year when it finally became profitable. They’ve done this with basically every product since the beginning of the company. Zune, despite being a superior product, remains their biggest failure due to the incredible market and mindshare of the iPod.
Well, if SteveB was such an effective, visionary leader for MSFT, how come their stock price has stayed flat for the last 8 years or so (click http://tr.im/OodF and change the ‘From’ date to 1/1/2004 for a treat).
Week of 5 Jan 2004: AAPL 11.50, MSFT 27.66
12 Feb 2010: AAPL 200.38, MSFT 27.93
Wow! SteveB’s fantastic leadership has brought the stock up 17 whole cents in 6 years! Actually, to get the true impact, DOUBLE that current value for AAPL; they had a 2:1 split on Feb 28 2005.
So explain to me why the executive leadership at MSFT still have jobs?
Jeff, please understand the concept of saturated markets because you make such a colossal tool of yourself in future.
Seriously.
Actually, Mark, I do understand saturated markets; my point is that Apple is executing across multiple markets, including the saturated personal computer market, more effectively than Microsoft is, and that effectiveness has consistently been reflected in the share price. Note that Apple wasn’t always the golden child of Wall Street, or of Main Street… I remember when the price was well below $10. I don’t expect it to get there anytime soon, except possibly for a few moments after Apple were to announce a hypothetical 25:1 split (which of course no sane company would do).
The point isn’t comparing one sacred cow to another, it’s trying to bring something more objective than “I like (whatever). So there!” to the discussion…. which would be a depressingly rare improvement for *any* AAPL/MSFT discussion.
That’s awesome. A professional looking interface that can easily access information in a number of different ways. Super sweet.
Now Microsoft just needs to find a partner to make a decent phone to go with it.
There are windows mobile phones around for over 10 years now. wake up!
I look forward to the release of this smartphone. Though it is not as good as the iPhone as of yet, but give it time it will get there soon, I believe anyway. Additionally, having seen some of the features, I do think it has potential, I made a blog post about the release displaying the six different hubs it has and what they actually do,
http://thecomputinggeek.com/microsoft-release-windows-phone-7-series/
Good work.
PINCH – does it have pinch capability? That feature in my mind sets iPhone appart. Not much faith in Windows as phone platform but it does look interesting and gives consumers another alternative.
rubiconn.com
yes it does have pinch to zoom
lol.. yes it does… like all other smartphones today do.
ummm…except the android?
Wrong. Android DOES have pinch to zoom and gestures. And if you’re reffering to the DROID in particular, its OS is being updated this week with those capabilites.
You mean other than The HTC HERO, Nexus One and Driod?
Ehh, as of android 2.1 update1 official google apps have pinch to zoom, and since 2.0 3rd party apps have had it. Also HTC’s Sense android skin has had multitouch since 1.5. Plus some other ways. So thats just not true.
Wrong android 2.1+ supports pinch to zoom and always has worked on the euro version of the Droid. Pinch to zoom is nothing special anyways.
then why does their demo show a user ‘double tapping’ to zoom in on a web page? I’m not bashing…just curious.
Looks decent but I can’t stand how the text is often cut off by the edge of the screen.
Everybody compares this to the iPhone. iPhone is great, but not perfect for sure. It can and will be beat by something. More people don;t have iPhones than do.
Want to talk about subsidizing? If MS hadn’t pumped cash into Apple a few years back with the MS Office deal, Apple would’ve crumbled. Jobs himself said that Apple needed MS’ software.
Straw man and non sequitur at the same time.
iPhone set the bar because of the astounding numbers it has put up, why? Because it is an easy to use, solid product, with its only obvious short coming being its network, or lack there of (AT&T). And as far as any single device beating the iPhone, highly unlikely, iPhone cornered the market at the right time, and left everyone else, including Microsoft and Google playing catchup! With any mobile OS (the exception being the iPhone), there are variances in manufacturer models, software overlays by different manufacturers, and distinct hardware differences. When a new iPhone is released, like Blackberry, is nothing more than an reiteration of a previous model, same capabilities with minor hardware improvements, nothing spectacular. So, no ONE device will surpass the iPhone, at least not in the next 2-3 years. However, the possibility of a mobile OS surpassing iPhone in popularity IS possible. Heck, the number of people using iPhone only recently surpassed the number of people using Microsoft based phones (like within the last 3 months). If that sounds weird, consider that Microsoft has been in the smart-phone business since before these devices were referred to as smart-phones. Hope that clears up some confusion.
..and Microsux needed Apple alive and well just so they wouldn’t run the risk of coming a monopoly.
the first rational thing you’ve said…
Geez, you two get a room already.
The “lame things” around mobilecrunch continues to impress me, thank god this time they are only in the comments.
First of all MS will not release smartphone, they will release new OS for smartphones. Only blind man can call this android 1.0, clearly there is nothing commonly in the design.
There will be no such thing like “windows compatible viruses and Malware”. But for brainwashed people about security in Windows maybe is not an easy task to understand that Windows Phone 7 Series is complete different platform from Windows PC.
Windows is Windows is Windows.
Same company, same engineers, different line of B.S.
People who continue to keep Microsux in business have got to be the thickest people in the world. No matter how many times MS slaps you upside the head with crappy, half-baked products, you guys keep going back for more abuse. And then make apologies for their crap.
Rick Eanes: Apple Super Fanboy.
I read a lot of articles with idiotic comments but I was just horrified to see the comments floating arount here. For those wondering, a virus for windows will NOT run on windows mobile. A virus can be written for a mobile OS, as apple is finding out with the iphone.
As to it looking like android, you have obviously never used android. I am currently writting this on my droid and I intend to drop it as soon as I can get my hand on one of these Windows phones. I should also point out I previously used WinMo and ditched it because it was so painfully old.
It is possible that this won’t ever catch on, although I think it will, but to those compairing this to the iphone, the iphone looks painfully dated in compairison. Honestly, it should this is several years newer.
As to why Microsoft is dumping money into windows phone, mobile is an important space for Microsoft to try to make money and gain mindshare. If Window Phone 7 is successful it will make Zune successful (profitable), bring lots of search to Bing (and thus cash), promote Xbox Live (likely also make that more profitable) along with dozens of other products in the online space (hotmail for example). Additionally I know lots of people who love WinMo because of Office for WinMo. They use WinMo and Office for pc/mac because they work well together. Microsoft dumps money into projects like this in order to build new very large profitable businesses and to support other products.
Keep in mind that companies the size of Microsoft often dump large amounts of money into unprofitable projects to try to hit the next big thing and more often than not they will NOT hit the next big thing. And before anyone says Apple hits it big every time, they do not. The newton and Apple T.V. are a few examples where they sucked it up.
Anyway, I’m happy for Microsoft, this looks like it will be a good product for many people and the compition is good for the industry. After this Apple and Google will come out with the next big innovation and then Microsoft will hopefully follow that up again by one upping it. In the end the consumer wins.
you said it.
that is just plane awesome! Out goes my android which was only a stopgap anyways for the Win device i knew was bound to come sooner than later :)
Well done MS
anyone notice the battery life on there?
Perhaps the reason iphone only places one app at a time is because of battery power.
Looks like the battery life on the Windows Phone will go all the way to the end of this sentence…maybe longer…maybe…
Is it me, or does the guy in the 1st video look like he’s using an invisible stylus when typing on the keyboard?
I think this brings Microsoft back to mobile world. It looks great, but it can be seen that it’s unfinished product (like where is the phone function, how to write mail/sms, keyboard looks crappy ….). Still, it looks awsome and can’t wait what MIX10 will bring for developers. In the mean time, I wrote a little bit of what can developers expect from this platform on my blog: http://shelastyle.net/blog/windows-phone-7-and-developers/
a stylus? seriously?
and did anyone else notice the lack of response from the phone when he clicked “directions” 2 or 3 times?
He’s using his nails to tap..! I wonder why..
iPhone 4G > Widoze Phones
This could be interesting. Seems microsoft have sorta taken a step out of their comfort zone to try and make a major mark in a market that was being taken over by Apple and Google.
Although it may not be to many people’s liking – simply because it has the Microsoft tag – this will be a hit. Sometimes we have to step out of trying to destroy the big corporations and appreciate a thing of beauty when we see it.
cant wait – and since I’m an HTC user – this is just perfect. Holding off upgrading the TYTN 2 till – well – November..thats a mile away – worth the wait though.
That… is actually a gorgeous looking UI, I’d love to play with it a bit even though there’s no chance of me getting one. I highly doubt they’d be compatible with my macbook. And until I’m no longer a poor college student I’m stuck with it.
On the bright side, I’d hate being stuck with Bing instead of Google search
and for the record….the layout for this phone/OS seems too busy
This is SO laughable.
As are you
Oh God how many times is that guy going to say the word ‘experience’…?! Windows is still waaay out of it’s league …
I think Microsoft has done a great job. This is exactly what people wanted. A sleek interface with connectivity to other Microsoft products, the 360 in particular. With that said I don’t see me buying a phone with this OS. I, unlike a lot of people, wanted a faster WinMo 6.5. They’ve made the OS way too Apple-like for me. I don’t care about sleek animations and an OMG UI. All I want is speed, a steeper learning curve and hackability that was nearly native to the OS. All WinMo 6.5 needed was some help in the speed department at times. What a shame. Android here I come.
Looked like a good platform. Highlighting the single threaded OS of apple and references to apps like pandora that should be able to run in background was good as well. What is it with Apple and version 1.0 multithreaded OS anyway?
* more work is needed in carrier differentiation space
* the free business model was a great question, and the response needed a bit more to be satisfying.
Net, I was seriously thinking about buying a iPhone – I am not thinking about doing that anymore. I want to wait to see Windows 7 Phone before I plunk down $300.
You’re kidding, right?
Another copy of iPhone OS/WebOS/Android glommed together. Oh, but with some big, stylish fonts thrown in.
Typical MS – come late to the party, announce arrogantly you’re going to be a “game changer” – and produce a lukewarm, unexciting me-too solution.
Will I be able to “squirt” my contact info to someone? ;)
Welcome to the Social, LOL!
The video is really cool..I’m sold!
Opinion: Does the VERY LARGE TITLES of their pages make you think you’re reading the Senior edition of Reader’s Digest?
wow. u guys get all lathered up about this video of a keyboard just like the iPhone. And the little letter pops up, just like the iPhone. And the little scroll bar on the right side of the screen…(wait for it) just like the iPhone. I’m sure the iPhone can be improved upon, and being able to stand on the shoulders of the guys who took the risk and jumped in first is a significant advantage…knowing before you do it what needs improving. But I’m more impressed with the guys who jumped in first and innovated, not copied, ’cause I bet they’ll do it again (just like these MS guys will copy that too ’cause that’s what they’re good at. Copying stuff.
Its a good redesign of a much needed product in business. If you love apple deeply, stay with them and continue giving them their 40% gross profit per dollar spent, among the highest in the industry.
If you want to support other innovators in the industry, look around and see what else is out there…apple can not be the only game in town and make the only products worth buying…what about Samsung, Toshiba, Cisco, 3com, Nokia, Microsoft, Google, Intel, LG etc etc
Apple can consistently shut out every other company in the world with mindblowing designs and technology? How is this possible? Are all the engineers in the world just hopeless fools who are just firing ideas at the wall trying to one up Apple?
I don’t think so, Apple does what it does very well and their business income and rabid consumer base is enviable for any company. More power too them, but it can’t go on forever. The one company they should be watching is Acer….those jerks are industrious as hell and are ravenous.
Ye Be Warned apple
Nice. I like it and will definitely get one if the performance is good. One thing for sure, you gotta have good data plans or else the bills will rock sky high. Pity the prepaid plans though…
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