gdp's Comments

WMPoweruser.com : WMPoweruser.com Giveaway! :TrueCaller, now with Facebook integration

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:22:33 +0000

How do I get a registration code? I installed it and I went into the config, but don't see where I get that to post here. Also, does this work on CDMA where 3G goes bye-bye when the phone rings? If it doesn't work, then it's pretty useless to me. heh.

WMPoweruser.com : XKCD for Windows Phone

Sat, 7 Aug 2010 23:50:57 +0000

I don't think an app that simply visits one non-configurable feed should even count as an app for the purposes of "app counts." This plagues the Apple store. RSS Hub sucks in many ways, but I still am able to read XKCD (minus alt-text) among 20 other feeds every day on WM 6.5. It seems most WP7 developers getting attention right now are making tiny single-purpose apps as some sort of get-rich-quick scheme (ZOMG I can be the first to write this tiny hack in four hours and make a million dollars selling it at 89 cents!) rather than developing big, powerful, innovative apps. How about a 'web comic reader' that's an RSS reader geared to web comics, supporting alt-text, full navigation, etc.? Most web comics behave about the same, and you could even get really fancy and scrape the web feeds looking for words like first, next, previous, last, etc. if they don't have a good feed source. I mean let's get creative here! This app, as is, is nothing new. It's just yet another lame app on the level of 99% of iPhone apps.

WMPoweruser.com : Do You Bing?

Sat, 7 Aug 2010 23:42:10 +0000

Bing's value-added services (maps, shopping, etc.) are better than google IMHO, but I still find that I get better search results from Google. This especially true when I'm searching for information to diagnose some really obscure error I'm getting in my daily life as a sys admin. I don't know what it is about Google's secret searching sauce, but it just seems to know exactly what I'm looking for. That's not to say Bing's searches aren't good. Sometimes when I can't find what I'm looking for on Google, Bing comes to the rescue. But this is usually not the case. I think over time Bing could supplant Google as my primary search engine, but that's not yet the case.

WMPoweruser.com : UI Centric announced tablet user interface for Windows 7, Windows CE 7 OEMs

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 01:59:09 +0000

I wish WP7 looked more like this. I really really like the layout and graphics. I think it's clean (as WP7 clearly is), but without going overboard into the two-tone bright color style that Metro does. Again, my opinion is apparently irrelevant to the universe, but I like how this has an Aero sort of feel to it, but still has an overall dark theme, with clean lines. I especially like the calendar. I think that looks amazing. I wish my phone looked like that!

WMPoweruser.com : UI Centric announced tablet user interface for Windows 7, Windows CE 7 OEMs

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 01:55:31 +0000

I think its a good "hybrid" between what is more like the iPad, but still has the ability to run Windows 7 underneath it. Think of it as an organizer dashboard, but underneath you can still run normal Windows apps (the stuff you are currently doing with a pen). Really, I'm not looking at the page turning effect at all. I'm looking at the dashboard layout, where you have a nice organization of widgets and what looks to be a pretty cool easy finger friendly launcher. But, apparently, what I want is not what most people want, so my opinion doesn't matter. lol.

WMPoweruser.com : UI Centric announced tablet user interface for Windows 7, Windows CE 7 OEMs

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 01:52:49 +0000

Sigh. I'm getting really tired of posting a comment saying something looks cool (or not) to me, then having some smart ass explain to me that what I want is irrelevant because "most people" want something else. Maybe -- just maybe -- there is more than one market for tablets? Maybe some people want an iPad and maybe some people want something more powerful? Maybe? It's possible.

WMPoweruser.com : UI Centric announced tablet user interface for Windows 7, Windows CE 7 OEMs

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:48:52 +0000

Screw the "mobile" OSes for the tablet devices. Windows 7 + tablet-optimized shell is the best combination. I've been wanting that combo for the longest time. I kept reading people wanting CE or WP7 or Android on their tablets, and I kept thinking, why the hell would you want that? If you are spending as much (more!) than a laptop, you should get a full mature OS like Windows 7. Windows 7 (and Vista, and to a lesser extent XP) have had touch controls forever. Windows 7 has mutlitouch. This native support for touch and the fact that you can run the full MS Word, OneNote, Outlook, etc. -- this is the shiznit here. Frankly, I'd be happy with a decent tablet with just the standard Windows 7 shell, but something like what is pictured above gives you a more touch optimized shell, so I can see how that would appeal to the general user more. Either way, it's Windows 7! Screw the mobile OSes hwen you can have a full desktop OS and all the gazillions of apps already available! If they have a decent 'sync' app, so you can get stuff to and from your desktop/laptop really easy, this is a winner.

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:40:31 +0000

Just realized that some poeple might thing I am advocating HTC beign able to sking WP7. Frankly, I don't care if they allow that or not. If it makes more people happier to NOT have that, then fine. But why shouldn't the user, the one spending money, not be allowed to customize their system? This is the same argument for multitasking. Sure, have it disabled by default. But give me the ability to turn it on, as the user. Not HTC, not MS, not the carrier, me. Allow ME to make that choice. But so many are against that, and I don't understand why?

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:38:10 +0000

Why do so many WP7 fanboys think customization is a zero sum game? Giving me the ability to skin WP7 will not detract from your ability to keep it plain and simple. It never has before, and there's no reason why it would in the future. The fact that you can change your WIndows 7 background, icon sets, color theme, size, and so forth, or even go as far as to install something really custom like WindowBlinds, does not in ANY way impair a purist's ability to have a single color background and the 'classic' non-Aero theme.

WMPoweruser.com : For Developers: Easily integrate Admob ads in Windows Phone 7 apps

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 21:34:21 +0000

VS2010 is fantastic, no doubt, but I wouldn't call Eclipse painful. It's gotten pretty good. But that's a moot point really, because the strength of the IDE does not offset the cost difference. WP7 Marketplace is $99 per YEAR. Android is $25 one time. That's a pretty significant difference for hobby developers. The only way to offset the WP7 cost is through ads. You can offset $25 with a just a handful of donations. Keep in mind that most developers on XDA that have been making awesome apps for years cannot afford $99 per year. It remains to be seen if 'jailbreaking' WP7 will lead to a big free hobby market, but out of the box, WP7 is not hobby developer friendly. But then again, iPhone isn't either, so I'm not singling out WP7 as worse than the competition (except Android). I just don't like this trending away from hobby development.

WMPoweruser.com : For Developers: Easily integrate Admob ads in Windows Phone 7 apps

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 20:06:58 +0000

On Android, this is pretty common. But since the cost to entry on their market is lower, you can still find a lot of free apps with no ads. On WP7 I think it will be far more common -- maybe even ubiquitous. It might becomem so common place, it will be like browsing the web. First, just a few banner, but eventually sounds will appear, crap will start pestering you with animations, and, this statement will lead to my being modded down on this post, SLOW PERFORMANCE. You think multitasking makes your phone slow? Wait until a year from now when you have to contend with ads!

WMPoweruser.com : For Developers: Easily integrate Admob ads in Windows Phone 7 apps

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 20:06:53 +0000

This will be very commonplace on WP7 for free apps. Be prepared to be absolutely bombarded with ads. The reason is that since there is no concept of loading apps outside of the marketplace and since the cost to entry on the market is expensive AND since you are limited to how many free apps you can release, the onyl way to recoupe the expense is by including ads. Am I the only one that doesn't see this as a good thing?! I'm a developer and I'm not exactly looking forward to ad-supported apps on my next device. So far the only app that does that (that I use) on WM 6.5 is Bing. I'm guessing Google probably does too, but i haven't used that in a while since Bing has voice navigation now.

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 20:00:52 +0000

Well that might be true if so many people didn't think it looks like Windows 3.1. By your definition, the pinnacle of UI design was 1992. See this picture and tell me this does not look like Metro: http://www.microsoft.com/msj/0899/logo/logofig06.... That's the high contrast theme for low visibility included in Windows 3.1. The only difference is that it's a desktop OS so it uses the desktop/window paradigm instead of the tile/full screen WP7 style. But the colors and layout are identical. But like a true fanboy, instead of agreeing that maybe JUST MAYBE one size doesn't actually fit all, you say I must be wrong. Typical. There's nothing wrong with Metro for those that like it. I'm merely asserting that not everybody likes it. But rather than think that maybe some skinning options (or whatever) might be nice to make everybody happy, the fanboys say that the opinion those who don't like it are wrong and MS is right. How can I win argue against that? lol. It's like trying to convince someone that their religion is wrong.

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 06:41:57 +0000

Word.

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 06:41:18 +0000

Maybe the idea of Metro is not a one size that fits all?

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD2 #4 Top Seller… After Almost 9 Months

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 03:21:50 +0000

That's interesting. And it's done it while being handicapped with all those features that ruin the phone experience, like multitasking, cut-n-paste, a file system, choice of third party media players, choice of third party browsers, background services, and support for unmanaged code. I can't figure out how it has done so well with all that going against it.

WMPoweruser.com : HTC HD3 & Sense 3 Concept

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 03:18:18 +0000

This is what Metro should have looked like! Gone is the boring, lazy, ugly two-color Windows 3.1 High Contrast theme, and back is slick gradients, gorgeous icons, and beautiful eye candy. Combien that with pointless (but pretty) animation that is so easy to do in WPF, and you got a home screen that all of the WP7 naysayers (myself included) would be excited to see. My props to the designer. But considering the limited way that MS is letting OEMs stylize WP7 phones, this will never ever happen. The only way would be to replace every single default tile, which you can't do. And I don't think you can have a background image either. So much for that.

WMPoweruser.com : AT&T To Be The Premier Windows Phone 7 Carrier

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:07:35 +0000

In other news, Sprint declares themselves ULTIMATE carrier for WP7, Verizon declares themselves SUPERIOR carrier for WP7, and T-Mobile declares themselves AWESOMEST carrier for WP7. How is AT&T calling themselves a 'premiere' partner news?

WMPoweruser.com : Sense On Windows Phone 7… What It Should NOT Look Like

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:26:35 +0000

"The color looks gross with the things added." LOL. I've always thought 2-color Metro tiles were ugly. I do agree that adding something rendered in detail on top of them makes it all look a lot worse. I think everybody is getting way ahead of themselves. I think to HTC "Sense" is just a brand now. it's not a product. It's just whatever widgets they develop for whatever platform. Sure, Android and WM share a lot of graphics. And I can see a similar full-width two-tile clock that looks familiar, but it definitely won't look like the above. lol. But it still will be within the constraints of the Metro home screen. Same with weather. I think you are just going to see five or six widgets that live in Metro tiles that do some things that aren't built into WP7. Like, say, stocks, footprints, "HTC clock," "HTC weather," and maybe some things we haven't heard of yet.

WMPoweruser.com : The First Thing To Kill Windows Phone 7 Marketplace

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:19:33 +0000

I want to add that I'm not dissing WP7's marketplace. I think they are doing a lot of things right (namely, demo apps instead of buy-then-refund) which the others are not doing. But it just never made sense to me how the restrictions they are putting on the market is going to offer more quality control than Apple. If anything, you are more likely to NOT see an app you mgiht want than to see this work as a fantastic crapware filter. Crapware makers and their email brethren, the spammers, have money. The hobby developer with a creative idea does not. So the cost of entry to WP7 marketplace is much more likely to exclude good stuff than bad stuff. I'd prefer a more android-like "anything goes" type of market, but that has its own problems. I just find the problems tolerable given the lower barrier to entry for hobbiests.