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Windows Phone |OT2|

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BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
One thing that's driving me crazy is that I can't dial in exposure compensation with the built in camera software. Are there any apps that deal with photos at capture? The built in one leaves so much to be desired.
 

PG2G

Member
WP peeps....

It seems like MS is aiming to cut off WP7.x units that have less than 512MB for the Apollo update. Any truth to this?

I don't think anyone knows what the upgrade path will be for the Tango handsets. They run an extremely cut down version of Mango, I'd don't be surprised if their version of Apollo wasn't even more cut down.

Don't buy a 256 meg phone
 

frontieruk

Member
I don't think anyone knows what the upgrade path will be for the Tango handsets. They run an extremely cut down version of Mango, I'd don't be surprised if their version of Apollo wasn't even more cut down.

Don't buy a 256 meg phone

I noticed browsing windowsphone.com things like local scout aren't supported in 256mb devices, guess ms is saving money by not having to scrape for info in developing markets.
 

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
One thing that's driving me crazy is that I can't dial in exposure compensation with the built in camera software. Are there any apps that deal with photos at capture? The built in one leaves so much to be desired.

Is exposure compensation the EV setting? I'm not a photographer so I don't understand your question.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Is exposure compensation the EV setting? I'm not a photographer so I don't understand your question.

Yep, EV. With the built in camera you get different metering modes but its still all very dependent on what your pointing at. Being able to dial in the EV would help immensely with backlight and scenes with lots of shadows.

Googling it it seems like an app called Fhotoroom allows users to dial in various EV.
 

PG2G

Member
I noticed browsing windowsphone.com things like local scout aren't supported in 256mb devices, guess ms is saving money by not having to scrape for info in developing markets.

I always wondered why they removed Local Scout considering it seems to just be an app. Though, I don't think your reasoning is right because, as far as I know, there are a fair number of markets where Local Scout isn't supported even on Mango phones.

Maybe it is just part of the Bing app and it (Bing and associated apps) are kept in memory all of the time? Who knows I guess.
 

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
yeah that is the only reason i can think of for no local scout. I don't think developers have less RAM access for their applications , something like 90MB. (the OS does though, but not the apps).
 

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
Yep, EV. With the built in camera you get different metering modes but its still all very dependent on what your pointing at. Being able to dial in the EV would help immensely with backlight and scenes with lots of shadows.

Googling it it seems like an app called Fhotoroom allows users to dial in various EV.

Fhotoroom is a nice app, it was free recently, not sure if it's still free.

But what do you mean when you say "dial-in" the EV? I know the camera app allows you to change the EV setting, but I'm guessing you mean something other than that.
 

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
But what do you mean when you say "dial-in" the EV? I know the camera app allows you to change the EV setting, but I'm guessing you mean something other than that.

Just lingo for changing the setting. I'm used to using the term with DSLRs where there's a scroll wheel of some sort.
 

dorkimoe

Member
for 99$ tempted to go buy the lumia to tide me over until the iphone5. Really want to try the windows os. Can you turn off that dumb thing where words appear above you when your texting? I really love that the iphone doesnt do that. Where it tries to predict what youre saying.
 

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
for 99$ tempted to go buy the lumia to tide me over until the iphone5. Really want to try the windows os. Can you turn off that dumb thing where words appear above you when your texting? I really love that the iphone doesnt do that. Where it tries to predict what youre saying.
you are willing to pay $99 and i assume a upgrade fee for a phone that you will use for about 6 months?
 

frontieruk

Member
What an odd way to think... The 256mb devices are to target a lower manufacturing price for developing markets...not because of laziness.

Did I say lazy? I said cost saving, and the argument over the value cutting 256mb has been discussed to death in OT1, but just to point out, most of the hardware savings will come from lower Spec cmos sensors, lower quality lenses, no fm radio, gyroscope, compass and using lower spec processors.

I can see features like being unable to manage podcasts being no big deal as no one apart from the US has official access anyway, not being able to upload pictures automatically to SkyDrive makes sense, it reduces data usage for the end user.

No visual voice mail. Meh

But local scout is a major selling point of wp7 it's the main go to of the #smokedbywindowsphone campaign other than the take a picture and post to multiple social networks, it makes no sense cutting the feature due to ram limitations when it's basically a web scrape based of GPS locations, the only reason to not include the feature is if their information isn't up to scratch, you can see from the list of regions it is available in (Australia, France, United Kingdom and United States) isn't great and they'd want to aim expanding services in regions where data usage is higher, but IMO its short sighted as the expanding markets they are aiming these handsets at are where inclusive services are going to define a OS.

I always wondered why they removed Local Scout considering it seems to just be an app. Though, I don't think your reasoning is right because, as far as I know, there are a fair number of markets where Local Scout isn't supported even on Mango phones.

Maybe it is just part of the Bing app and it (Bing and associated apps) are kept in memory all of the time? Who knows I guess.

It's a case of Microsoft not having enough data to make local scout work how Microsoft wants it to in those markets, but as with Podcasts you can activate the feature just by changing your region in the handset, but YMMV with the results, I know I wouldn't rate pizza hut as a 5 star establishment but according to local scout it is but it can't provide me with the reviews to prove it.

yeah that is the only reason i can think of for no local scout. I don't think developers have less RAM access for their applications , something like 90MB. (the OS does though, but not the apps).

Devs do have less ram to play with, that's why some apps can't be deployed to tango handsets and developers were asked to reduce the memory footprint of their apps.

for 99$ tempted to go buy the lumia to tide me over until the iphone5. Really want to try the windows os. Can you turn off that dumb thing where words appear above you when your texting? I really love that the iphone doesnt do that. Where it tries to predict what youre saying.

Nope you can't, and I prefer it to iOS thinking it knows better and changing misspelt words with very little notification.
 
for 99$ tempted to go buy the lumia to tide me over until the iphone5. Really want to try the windows os. Can you turn off that dumb thing where words appear above you when your texting? I really love that the iphone doesnt do that. Where it tries to predict what youre saying.

Not that I know of, though it's really there as a sideuse. You never have to actually use it, and it never gets in the way...
 

frontieruk

Member
Awesome. I just wish I can participate in the Smoked by WP. I'm pretty sure 2nd gen phones can beat my 1st gen Focus.

you're not really missing a lot performance wise between the gens, the 2nd gen phones seem a bit snappier and load apps a bit quicker but the overall experience isn't as diminished as going from a iPhone 4s to a 3g both running the latest version of iOS
 

Sean

Banned
It's absurd how much better this looks as an advertising direction than whatever the Betaphone thing will likely turn into. My fingers are crossed, my expectations low.

Yeah, a condensed/shorter version of this ad would be pretty much perfect imo. Keep it simple and show what the phone is like in every day use.
 

user_nat

THE WORDS! They'll drift away without the _!
Nothing in that ad was overly unique though.

It lets people know the product exists, which is important obviously. But other than that it's just another smart phone, based on the ad.
 

frontieruk

Member
I'd agree, and IMO it's probably the type of ad I think they should have gone with. The issue here is the fact that I'm still not sure that ad would do anything to gain market or mindshare in the smartphone space that both Nokia and MS want.

Nothing in that ad was overly unique though.

It lets people know the product exists, which is important obviously. But other than that it's just another smart phone, based on the ad.

OK so would GAF market the 900/WP7? Not asking the quoted guys specifically, but how do you differentiate and create interest in a platform that has the Microsoft/Windows tarnish on it?
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
OK so would GAF market the 900/WP7? Not asking the quoted guys specifically, but how do you differentiate and create interest in a platform that has the Microsoft/Windows tarnish on it?

Honestly I'm at a loss here at least in the US. Just look at the thread about Instagram going over to Android Land. iOS and Android dominate the hearts and minds of people here. I'm not sure an attack ad would do anything but ruffle feathers ala the Instagram thing. I also don't think a sophisticated ad like the one above will really move the meter either.

The key here is the ad we are getting will ruffle feathers and not move the meter. At least the other ad doesn't bring any ill will to the platform. Plus they smartly chose the Cyan version which IMO really stands out both cause of the amazing industrial design as well as just color being used that isn't black or white. That should at least garner some interest in the platform.

Then when the phones out and people see a few in the wild it could gain a little more at least thought from the general public. That'll keep the platform going forward even if the marketshare isn't exactly booming which gives MS time to really get up to speed with Apollo. Then we can really see where we are at when the epic fall battle begins.
 

frontieruk

Member
Honestly I'm at a loss here at least in the US. Just look at the thread about Instagram going over to Android Land. iOS and Android dominate the hearts and minds of people here. I'm not sure an attack ad would do anything but ruffle feathers ala the Instagram thing. I also don't think a sophisticated ad like the one above will really move the meter either.

The key here is the ad we are getting will ruffle feathers and not move the meter. At least the other ad doesn't bring any ill will to the platform. Plus they smartly chose the Cyan version which IMO really stands out both cause of the amazing industrial design as well as just color being used that isn't black or white. That should at least garner some interest in the platform.

Then when the phones out and people see a few in the wild it could gain a little more at least thought from the general public. That'll keep the platform going forward even if the marketshare isn't exactly booming which gives MS time to really get up to speed with Apollo. Then we can really see where we are at when the epic fall battle begins.

so was HTC's approach right with this advert for the Radar?
 

Anno

Member
Well, what draws all of you to Windows Phone that isn't just a bullet point? For me it's the fluidity of the OS, its simple elegance and how well everything is integrated. To a man everyone who has messed with my ugly ass Surround has at least come away surprised and impressed by how fluid everything is. It seems like that's something that could be conveyed very well in a normal length add. Some examples of the animations between screens, how quickly new things pop up in live tiles, all of the moving pictures in the People and Music hub. The one throne WP can definitely claim, one that no third-party app or advertising can every truly replace, is providing a distinctly personal and unique interface with which to interact. The screen of my iPad tells me nothing about myself except that I like this app or that. Just looking at the screen of my phone tells you who my friends are, what they're saying, what my girlfriend looks like, what music I'm listing to, what the weather is like outside. That seems like something that could resonate with people turned off by the cold mechanics of icon grids. That won't be everyone, but I'm sure it's quite a few people.
 

PG2G

Member
If comparative ads weren't effective then they wouldn't be used so frequently in some of the most competitive industries. Not sure why some of you guys are against this form of advertising.

Suggesting that little AT&T video would be more effective is kind of like saying some artsy foreign movie is going to be more popular than the latest summer blockbuster
 

Sean

Banned
Nothing in that ad was overly unique though.

It lets people know the product exists, which is important obviously. But other than that it's just another smart phone, based on the ad.

The most unique thing about Windows Phone is the software/OS which is barely ever shown in their ads. They should be demonstrating that more, like the original iPhone commercials which was simply a floating hand and phone screen.

Something like "This is the People Hub, and this is how quick you can post photos to social networks... Windows Phone"
 

Cipherr

Member
The most unique thing about Windows Phone is the software/OS which is barely ever shown in their ads. They should be demonstrating that more, like the original iPhone commercials which was simply a floating hand and phone screen.

Something like "This is the People Hub, and this is how quick you can post photos to social networks... Windows Phone"

Goddamn watching those early iPhone ads gives me chills. They were so good. Just, near flawless.

Alot of things were going for those ads though. We hadnt seen anything like that at the time, at least not mainstream. Can a similar ad these days dazzle the way those did? Im not so sure. I say they go all out, simple ads, attack ads and everything in between.

i say stick to boring ads. anything is better than attack ads.

Attack ads can work.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
If comparative ads weren't effective then they wouldn't be used so frequently in some of the most competitive industries. Not sure why some of you guys are against this form of advertising.

Suggesting that little AT&T video would be more effective is kind of like saying some artsy foreign movie is going to be more popular than the latest summer blockbuster

I don't disagree, but usually in those comparative ads you aren't dealing with a bunch of fiercely loyal or already bought into a certain ecosystem people. Sure a comparative ad on which brand of towels is better works because nobody really cares. I feel this situation is a tad bit different.

I might be totally wrong here though.

PS: The bigger thing is beyond just ads you need reps in the actual stores promoting the product. This is the bigger key issue that MS is really trying to address.
 

bedlamite

Member
MS needs to play up their services as well, Zune Pass is unbeatable but it never seems to get much advertising love from MS. MS has killed the Zune hardware but is still keeping the service around so it has to be making money for them, so why not push the service aggressively? I recently got ICS on my old htc Sensation and I really like it, I've brought the Sensation out a few times since then but I keep coming back to the Lumia as my daily driver, I listen to music on the go all the time so I've just got to have that ZP. Everybody assumed that Xbox Live would be awesome on WP7 but it's been pretty ho-hum so far. The service has been gathering a little bit of steam recently (Splinter Cell, Dodonpachi, CivRev) so I suppose MS is slowly, very slowly building on that.

If I may bring the conversation back to Civrev for a little while, yeah it's a pretty shit port but Majesty, another RTS, also just got released on WP7. The game is well regarded on Android and the WP7 port is a few dollars, I'd say this is well worth a look at for an RTS fix.
 

Complex Shadow

Cudi Lame™
Goddamn watching those early iPhone ads gives me chills. They were so good. Just, near flawless.

Alot of things were going for those ads though. We hadnt seen anything like that at the time, at least not mainstream. Can a similar ad these days dazzle the way those did? Im not so sure. I say they go all out, simple ads, attack ads and everything in between.



Attack ads can work.

they can but they make the company look petty.

edit:
also apple has always good with ads. just look at the ipod touch ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53LEFjxcMts
its downright amazing. makes me want to go out and buy 5 ipod touchs.
 
Is anyone else having trouble viewing GAF on their phone? When I try to view the forums I'm getting on a desktop view with everything zoomed out like it's formatted for a desktop. The problem seems specific for GAF because I've viewed other forums such as AVSforum without any issue. This started a few days ago. If I can fix this then viewing GAF on the go is pretty much dead because if I try to zoom in it won't fit to screen, and I'll have to keep scrolling to read anything.
 

Sean

Banned
Goddamn watching those early iPhone ads gives me chills. They were so good. Just, near flawless.

Alot of things were going for those ads though. We hadnt seen anything like that at the time, at least not mainstream. Can a similar ad these days dazzle the way those did? Im not so sure. I say they go all out, simple ads, attack ads and everything in between.

I personally think so. Apple still does similar types of commercials today (showing how Siri works etc) to great success.

I bet the vast majority of people don't even know about the People Hub and stuff like that. It can't hurt to do a few "simple" ads like that, showing how easy it is to use a Windows Phone. I think they should also do a few commercials advertising third party apps like Apple does. Probably would be a lot cheaper and much more effective than Microsoft's previous ads.
 

VanMardigan

has calmed down a bit.
If I may bring the conversation back to Civrev for a little while, yeah it's a pretty shit port but Majesty, another RTS, also just got released on WP7. The game is well regarded on Android and the WP7 port is a few dollars, I'd say this is well worth a look at for an RTS fix.

The reviews are good and the screens seem nice, but no trial. :( I'm just really hesitant to blind buy right now. CivRev should have been a slam dunk and they somehow screwed it up. My confidence in 3rd party apps is pretty low, I need a demo.
 

Windu

never heard about the cat, apparently
Is anyone else having trouble viewing GAF on their phone? When I try to view the forums I'm getting on a desktop view with everything zoomed out like it's formatted for a desktop. The problem seems specific for GAF because I've viewed other forums such as AVSforum without any issue. This started a few days ago. If I can fix this then viewing GAF on the go is pretty much dead because if I try to zoom in it won't fit to screen, and I'll have to keep scrolling to read anything.
secondapps.com/neogaf

(the real mobile site will be up in a few days though)
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
secondapps.com/neogaf

(the real mobile site will be up in a few days though)

Need the real mobile site up cause second apps still has the old board formatting. It makes finding things now that they split stuff up a pain in the @$$.
 

strata8

Member
Is anyone having issues with 'Reserved space'? I've deleted all synced media on my phone and I've only got 2.8GB free. I find it hard to believe that my paltry selection of games and apps is taking up 4GB.
 
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