My post will likely be ignored, but either way...
I have the HTC HD7S, and I love the WP7 OS. It's UI is amazing, how apps are designed around the minimalistic Metro UI - tiles and simple lists with beautiful fonts - is really nice. This is how I want to use my phone. All information easily accessible through a dynamic 'home' screen, simple and beautifully designed apps that make it easy to scan through. Even the lockscreen, which is so *much* better than iOS' awkward lockscreen, is how I think a touch-based lockscreen should work.
However, I am returning the HD7S shortly, and getting the iPhone 4S. Even though I love the OS, there are certain features that I take for granted with the iPhone.
My biggest dealbreakers are:
IE9 is not webkit. Sad, but webkit's dominance in the mobile space means many webapps are designed with webkit in mind. Despite Microsoft's claims that IE9 is standards-compliant and rules the HTML5 roost, it simply doesn't hold up to Safari and the other webkit browsers. A example are the Google webapps for Gmail, Maps, Reader, etc. When I use Google's websites in IE9, I was thrown back into the stone age of the early 2000's. Completely useless.
Bing Maps, and no official support for Google Maps. If Google releases an official Google Maps app, or the surprisingly good Google Maps webapp works in IE9, I'll be happy for the time being. But right now, either of the above are true, so that leaves me Bing Maps. It's decent enough, but lacks one key feature: public transportation. I use that feature extensively, and to be without it is like going back to 2007. Even though Bing added public transportation to their web client back in 2010, it's still not in the WP7 app.
And the biggest of all: accessibility features. iOS has the best accessibility features, hands down. White-on-Black, easily accessed by three clicks of the home button. Zooming in with two taps of three fingers. Those are essential features for me. When using my glasses, WP7 is, other than web browsing, almost perfect, with it's large fonts and clean interface. But without my eyeglasses? I'm SOL. With the iPhone, I can get by without my glasses in a pinch by using the zooming feature. As for web browsing, the white-on-black is a lifesaver (or eyesaver?).
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to express my views on why I'm getting the iPhone 4S, despite my initial disappointment, and why, despite the wonderful and innovative OS Microsoft developed in Windows Phone 7, it's not good enough for me - yet.
Maybe in two years the scene will be different and I'll be able to switch. But for now, I'll remain an 'loyal' Apple customer.
I have the HTC HD7S, and I love the WP7 OS. It's UI is amazing, how apps are designed around the minimalistic Metro UI - tiles and simple lists with beautiful fonts - is really nice. This is how I want to use my phone. All information easily accessible through a dynamic 'home' screen, simple and beautifully designed apps that make it easy to scan through. Even the lockscreen, which is so *much* better than iOS' awkward lockscreen, is how I think a touch-based lockscreen should work.
However, I am returning the HD7S shortly, and getting the iPhone 4S. Even though I love the OS, there are certain features that I take for granted with the iPhone.
My biggest dealbreakers are:
IE9 is not webkit. Sad, but webkit's dominance in the mobile space means many webapps are designed with webkit in mind. Despite Microsoft's claims that IE9 is standards-compliant and rules the HTML5 roost, it simply doesn't hold up to Safari and the other webkit browsers. A example are the Google webapps for Gmail, Maps, Reader, etc. When I use Google's websites in IE9, I was thrown back into the stone age of the early 2000's. Completely useless.
Bing Maps, and no official support for Google Maps. If Google releases an official Google Maps app, or the surprisingly good Google Maps webapp works in IE9, I'll be happy for the time being. But right now, either of the above are true, so that leaves me Bing Maps. It's decent enough, but lacks one key feature: public transportation. I use that feature extensively, and to be without it is like going back to 2007. Even though Bing added public transportation to their web client back in 2010, it's still not in the WP7 app.
And the biggest of all: accessibility features. iOS has the best accessibility features, hands down. White-on-Black, easily accessed by three clicks of the home button. Zooming in with two taps of three fingers. Those are essential features for me. When using my glasses, WP7 is, other than web browsing, almost perfect, with it's large fonts and clean interface. But without my eyeglasses? I'm SOL. With the iPhone, I can get by without my glasses in a pinch by using the zooming feature. As for web browsing, the white-on-black is a lifesaver (or eyesaver?).
Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to express my views on why I'm getting the iPhone 4S, despite my initial disappointment, and why, despite the wonderful and innovative OS Microsoft developed in Windows Phone 7, it's not good enough for me - yet.
Maybe in two years the scene will be different and I'll be able to switch. But for now, I'll remain an 'loyal' Apple customer.
