The Official Windows Phone 7 (WP7) Thread

[Fidatelo]

I picked up a Samsung Focus this week and I'm absolutely loving it! The interface is fantastic and I love the live tiles. Anyone else have a WP7 device yet?

[lordscarlet]

If you golf, check out Varmint Golf. It was developed by a buddy of mine (I was supposed to help but didn't really do any code).

I used it for about a week. Its a good device, but when the app store is this new and I just got an iphone 4, I won't be switching anytime soon.

[Fidatelo]

Ya, the app store is pretty weak thus far, but I am reasonably confident that it will grow substantially over the next year. As a Silverlight developer myself a small part of the allure of the platform is that if a void is too annoying I can always fill it myself

I'll check out Varmint Golf when I get a chance, although I'm not much of a golfer so it may not be up my alley.

[Fidatelo]

I checked out Varmint Golf on the weekend, not for me as I don't golf but I will suggest it to any WP7 friends that do.

Still loving my new phone a few days later, I showed it off to my friends over the weekend and everyone seemed pretty impressed. I have to say I'm not regretting it over an iPhone yet at all, and considering it cost me all of $30 after various incentives I think I won't be changing my tune any time soon.

[Blade]

My co-worker and I both were given LG Optimus phones at work...I am liking it so far, though I do have an iPhone as my personal phone.

One game to check out is Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst. It is a tower defense game, but it uses Bing Maps and actually uses the terrain pretty well. So, you could set up a base at your house and the freaks would come at you using the road-ways in your neighbourhood.

My co-worker has wasted many a personal hour playing that game, I am told...

[Fidatelo]

As an update, one of the friends I showed my phone off to on the weekend has already picked one up.

I think for anyone that isn't really tied into the Apple eco-system or otherwise unable to set aside any MS prejudices WP7 will be a really compelling option. The interface really has leaped ahead of iOS in my opinion, although I can understand the draw to Apple's hardware, the iOS integration with iTunes, and the litany of app store options.

I struggle to see an average consumer choosing Android over WP7 if all other variables were relatively equal (hardware options, pricing, etc).

[lordscarlet]

Many artsy people think the metro interface is hideous. That alone will keep them with Apple.

[Logan]

What are live tiles (first post)?

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Logan

What are live tiles (first post)?

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphon...een-live-tiles

[MikeVic]

No opinion on WP7 yet, but my Windows Phone 6.5 experience was so bad that I switched to an iPhone and can't see giving WP another shot unless the iPhone starts to suck.

[Fidatelo]

WP7 is a total break from previous WinMo efforts, which were all horrible in pretty much every way.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Many artsy people think the metro interface is hideous. That alone will keep them with Apple.

I haven't heard that complaint but certainly it could be the case. I personally love it, although I do dislike many of the 'themes' that can be chosen, opting for the default blue. For example, the green that I often see in screenshots looks terrible to me, as does the red, and if those were my first introduction to the interface I could easily see developing an immediate distaste.

[Fidatelo]

Great game came out for WP7 recently called "Zombies!!!". It's a board game that has been translated quite well into a single-player or local pass-and-play multiplayer video game. I'd never played the board game but friends had recommended it so I picked up the digital version and I'm having a blast.