Saturday, March 10, 2012

Window Phone 7.5 Reiew

I am a big fan of Windows Phone 7, I love the interface.  I find it easy to use and super clean.   

As a developer I really like the development tools for the Windows Phone.  I have found that WP7 development tools/language run circles around the tools for Android and iPhone. 

I don’t think that my application needs are that strange compared to other users but I have found that the application lineup for WP7 to be very lacking.

I have build a table here; it kind of mixes up categories and programs somewhat, but I think that you will get the general idea.


App/Category
iPhone
Android
WP7
Comments
Stitcher
Great
Great
NA
Promised forever for the WP7
Podcast Player
iCatcher and Downcast are great programs
DoggCatcher and PodCatcher are both great
WP7 Apps are just awful.  None of them allow you to make a playlist.

Audible.com
4.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
NA
Who knows when
Facebook
2.5 Stars
3.5 Stars
3.0 Stars

Twitter
2.5 Stars
Tweetbot
4.5 Stars
4.0 Stars
3.0 Stars

ESPN ScoreCenter
3.5 Stars
4.2 Stars
4.0 Stars
I think this app is much better on the WP7
Yahoo Sportacular
4.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
NA
Best sports app is not available on WP7
News Consolidators
FlipBoard and Currents are great
Google Currents only, but good.
NA

Weather Apps
Lots of good choices
Lots of good choices
Lots of good choices

Navigation
Paid apps are good
Free Google Navigation is good
No good choices

Yelp
3.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
2.5 Stars very weak

Spotify
3.0 Stars
4.0 Stars
Not even usable

Evernote
4.5 Stars
4.6 Stars
3.5 Stars

Flixster
4.5
4.5
5.0

Google+
2.0
4.5
NA

GMail
3.0
4.5
No app but you can use the integrated client.

Dropbox, SkyDrive, SugarSync
Yes, Yes, Yes
All work great
Yes, 3rd party app, Yes.  All work great
No, Yes, No Skydrive works well

Email Client
Integrated Email Client is good.
None of the Email Clients are as good as iPhone.  Interfaces are clumsy.
Integrated Email Client is good; very clean.








A couple of conclusions you can make from this chart.
  • Windows Phone 7 is missing many important apps.
  • Many of the apps for the Windows Phone are sub-par as compared to both the Android and iPhone counterparts. 
  •  Android apps have increased in number and quality over the last 1-2 years. 
  • You can’t use the excuse of “lack of apps” to keep you from moving from the iPhone to Android. 
  • You can use the excuse of “lack of apps” to keep you from moving to WP7.
  
I would love to move to the Window Phone; but they have some work to do.