Windows Phone 7 Series will have themes... sort of
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 16th 2010 11:11PM
posted March 16th 2010 11:11PM
posted March 16th 2010 11:11PM
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Still more than you can change via an options page in both the iPhone, and HTC Sense for WinMo.
@Luxury Guy THIS WILL BE HAXORED TO DEATH >:D
@Bowsa W00t FOR TEH HAXORZ!!
@Luxury Guy
you will be brainwashed to be believe wp7 is in fact inferior to the icrap by the time it releases...
@Luxury Guy
Have you heard of Winterboard?
@Luxury Guy
Dear Windows,
Hello, Microsoft. You've gotten people to become enthused about your mobile OS. This is quite a feat considering the vocal criticisms many people offered regarding previous iterations. Job well done. Please give yourselves a round of applause.
Now that we have returned from the festivities, let's get down to business. Below is a concise yet thorough tutorial called "You've Acquired the Hype, Yay! Now to Keep It" or YATHYNTKI.
Yesteryear, criticizing Windows 6.X was one of the big things to do, like watching Slumdog Millionaire after their Oscar win, going green and coming out as a bisexual female celebrity - confirmation and introduction of the next generation of Windows' mobile OS was necessary. Accordingly, you introduced the world to Windows Phones 7 Series to great anticipation and general positivity and optimism. It was obvious to everyone, it was still in its fetal stage and there were still big decisions to be made. What you are currently doing is making this painfully obvious. YATHYNTKI says STOP! Learn from another successful company (I'm not going to mention Apple by name): remain publicly unaware of any of your product's flaws. If this becomes too great a task, then market your flaw as a feature. Then charge more. Sounds arrogant. Sounds ridiculous. Proven lucrative.
YATHYNTKI then goes further to tell you to keep some mystery. WP7S is still a fetus. Let people believe in its potential. Your baby's inability to do copy and paste is inexcusable - telling people it cannot so early is even worse.
Finally, YATHYNTKI would like to conclude with reminding you you're the world's #1 OS. By far. REMIND PEOPLE OF THIS. People don't shop with iron-clad logic all the time - this explains my phone choice. We are fairly easily convinced by the "sounds logical enough" series of arguments. Great computer OS = great mobile OS. Tell them this. They'll believe it. (This isn't to say I don't think both are great.) For the more logical of us, informing us of the synergy of your pervasive platforms should effectively do the trick.
Again, I should not know WP7S lacks copy and paste. I better not hear of any other flaws. YATHYNTKI would not be happy.
@mattluiz
he's talking about official theming.
@derX
Absolutely brilliant. Would read again.
@derX
Bravo.
@derX Nicely done. Yep, Microsoft isn't good in communication, why is that, it's not like they haven't enought money to pay good marketing people.. What was their last ad by the way ? Oh yes... "windows 7 was my idea"...
@Darkigo "Microsoft isn't good in communication, why is that[...]?
Because their real, paying customers aren't the end users that post on Engadget. Ballmer makes license deals with big corporations, he couldn't care less what you think about the feature set of this phone OS.
@Ed T Feeling smart-assy? How ignorant of you to say that Ballmer doesn't (or shouldn't) care what end users say! If MS makes money selling its products to big corporations, who do they sell it to then? Thin air?
If end users don't matter, why was Vista a flop and why are they scrapping away WM 6? As far as I know, those products were selling fine.
@Luxury Guy
Really? Cuz the iPad runs OS 3.4... The next iPhone will probably have customizable backgrounds... Alot more attractive than
Red
Yellow
@derX
I agree. They made modifications to Windows 7 on the back of feedback so here's hoping they do the same here.
Which, if you think about it would be really clever - they can do the whole "Windows 7 was my idea" thing if they do.
@arke
Vista was hardly a flop from an adoption and revenue standpoint. It didn't perform as well as MS had hoped but it also wasn't nearly as bad as the media (and MS bashers) made it out to be.
@Luxury Guy yeah, but at least those platforms offer some sort of 3D forms. I'm sorry, but the flat unicolored squares are abhorrid! But then again, Microsoft is known for lacking aesthetics (save Win7)
@Ed T
You nailed it. Apple is also selling to the same customers. Considering how many people bought the 1st and 2nd generation of the iPhone, which didn't have copy and paste or multitasking, the majority of people don't care. Or at least they are blissfully ignorant that they are missing functionality. Unhappy enthusiast < mass market consumer. That being said, I really hope MS will add copy and paste into wp7 before it launches.
@arke
I didn't say Ballmer shouldn't care about the opinions of end users, I said it's not his main concern, and right or wrong, that is the situation today. His customers for OS license revenues are the companies that sign on the dotted line. They have more influence than the end users who buy the stuff at retail.
@derX Put a smile on my face. Very well said.
Still more flexibility than you get from the options on both the iPhone and Sense for WM
You going to report on it producing sounds next? Let go already.
Gawd, What is with all of the Windows Phone 7 Series posts? Rabble rabble rabble.
That was sarcasm but it should sound familiar to some of you.
Well, that's 3 more choices then you get from Apple....
@Edobe
Why would you need choices on an Apple product. They are perfect in every way.
@max1001 correction, they are "magical". In that douchy black turtle neck kinda way.
@Edobe
Uhh.... why even mention iphone? iphone's like the most restricted useless phone of them all. Nexus is where it's at!!!
@nubbily
looks at Nexus sales figures vs. iPhone..."Hey, check this out..."
@Wesscoast
looks at Nexus ad campaign figures vs. iPhone..."Hey, check this out..."
Hold on. That thing was known since MWC (check Joe Belfiore hands-on on Channel9, he clearly talks about the white background/blak text option in the settings). and...just try the emulator to check it out (go to settings then change the theme)
@Vigo And here is the news of tomorrow: The providers will be able to add their own color for branding.
It's in the WP7S UI guide that everyone can download and read.
I never change my themes anyway, I leave everything exactly as it comes. No theme changes, no cases.
Looks very nice I'd say, I like that you can customize the home screen with your own "hubs" and colours.
The idea of WP7S was cool, because it meant MS was ditching legacy support and starting new. But as we find more and more about it (no multitask, no copy paste, no customization), it is becoming less and less like a groundbreaking new platform and more like a half-assed job to copy the iPhone. Xbox live integration is the only thing that is appealing to me.
They have about 6 months to complete this. I wonder how much they can improve in that time...
I lost all interest in Windows Phone 7 Series yesterday.
@Peter F
thats ok because I FOUND all of your interest and added it to my already sky high interest... circle of life
Its sad how much positive news and vibes I was getting from MS earlier in the day and yesterday...
And now I'm back to not caring once more.
I wish Engadget had reported more on Palm from the last conference. I'm dying to know if theres another webOS device or has Palm just given up on the hardware end? I mean I'd like to know what the Pre 2 will look like. HOPEFULLY Palm's team will come up with a better name than "Pre" or "Pixi". Or at least have options for both sexes....
@TheLondonExchange
Palm wasn't even at MWC, Engadget just has nothing to report on them, becomes there's no actual solid information from Palm. I even have a hard time trying to find rumours on Palm devices!
I'm with you though, I'd love to new a new Palm device.
@month
Don't get me wrong. I'm not angry at Engadget unlike the other trolls. I know Palm's been kinda quiet lately (aside from the 3D gaming announcements).
It's just kinda getting to the point where the less you hear about them the more worried I am about the company as a whole. Plus out of sight means out of mind. I'd really like webOS to be dominant over Symbian or android cuz I think it deserves it. It's wells polished, pretty to look at, efficient, and does multitasking.
I just think Palm needs to advertise more (and umm no more freaky white lady Palm).
Much as I hate it sony is def on it's game right now with the current set of ps3 ads. Palm should def take a sip of w/e koolaid sony is drinking if they want the mass market out there to take notice of their amazing mobile os.
@TheLondonExchange definitely agree with you. Ive always admired palm, had a Zire 72 once, it can still do somethings my iPhone 3G can't do, and I was really excited about the Pre, kindof let down when it came out, but it just kepps getting better software wise but now my contracts almost up and I think I'll endup getting android because there's phones with good hardware, but still really would prefer WebOs.
@TheLondonExchange have you see the new Life Moves Fast palm commercial and ad campaign? Definitely a step in the right direction (more like a leap). But yes, I agree with everything you said.
@TheLondonExchange
it's almost cute how we're all so worried. I watched the new commercial, and it definitely is better.
Ugh is their a Microsoft free verison of this website?
@Gabanagirl0192
Yes
http://www.engadget.com/exclude/microsoft/
*beating lazy attempts at humor with an obvious hammer.
Joe did say this in a video on Chanel 9. These things can be chnages
Accent Color : only Black and White I guess
Live Tile Color
Tile Pics
http://www.wmArcade.com/
Em guys at Engadget the guy from Windows Mobile (you know the one with the long hair, the leader of the project, i forget his name) He demo it on Monday how to change the colour. He also added that there will themes in the hub from the different companies. Also the tiles can change size and there is no limit of the tiles.
He said that the start screen is not customisable because it's like the hub in a train station that takes from one stop to another. Which was nice as a idea. It gave a good reason for the not much customisability of the home screen.
But still I CANT JUSTIFY why the hell no copy paste...
I could care less about themes. What about downloaded movies and TV shows from third-party services (Amazon, iTunes, ect.)?
@SonicGA
zune marketplace.
@SonicGA, don't forget netflix and most likely Grooveshark.
the only thing I think that is good on the phone is the UI.
other elements of the phone are rather depressing, aren't they?
but kudos for Microsoft for making me still want to buy a WP7 phone.
Wow, MS took me from kinda interested in the new OS, to not really interested, to completely and totally uninterested within just a few days. Is this thing running Vista? :P