[miffed]

Well I have just taken the Plunge and bought an HTC HD7 :)

I had been pondering the idea ever since I noticed they were �388 on PAYG / o2 - Having owned previously owned an HD2 and loved the Hardware aspect , loathed the fact that phone calls could make the bloody thing freeze up !!
On the subject of the HD2 , I think its amazing that the community has now ported Android (Gingerbread no less !!) and WP7 to this device , making it on a parr with todays flagships ! An HD2 can be had for around �200 (less even) on eBay - install Gingerbread and you scuttle past the Desire HD !!

Anyhoo
This morning I went into town , and had a play with an HD7

I have to say I was blown away , in a similar way to how the iPhone / touch blew me away in 2007. this is something that Android completely failed to do - I am not suggesting the HD7 / WP7 is *better* than the iPhone , but from the small play this morning I feel Microsoft (of all people !!) have beaten the iPhone in the "slick UI" stakes !

I have no doubt that Apple will step up and regain the crown in terms of UI , but it is nice to (at last) see something you can even compare in this regard !

Of course , you can't make any real conclusions from a 5 minute play in a shop , but it certainly wet my appetite , and I don't know what stopped me leaving the shop with an HD7

..... And then , the icing on the cake (hopefully ) ...Do you believe in fate ?

I got home and searched ebay , there was a 2 month old HD7 in the next town , with the bidding at �246 , due to end in 45 minutes. from a seemingly careful owner , with excellent feedback.
I put in a bid , and 45 minutes later I won at �256 ! Picking it up tomorrow :)

Really looking forward to a brand new OS for a bit , I wonder if I can just sync with Google , or if I need to set up a windows live account ? - All good fun !

[3GScottishUser]

Looking forward to your feedback on this.

I was at my wits end with Windows Mobile 6.1 and have moved to Android (as have most of my work colleagues) but I still think a Microsoft phone OS is needed and has a place in the market for those who are big users of Windows PCs. My only concern is that MS might have moved so far from the familiar Windows platform to make it user friendly that it ceases to be friendly for Windows users, if that makes sense!

[Hands0n]

Looking forward to your experiences Miffed.

As you know, I tried out a Samsung Omnia 7 loaned to me by Three and had a bit of a ball with it. The UI is certainly "interesting" and for a first outing it is quite good really. It has a certain Wow! factor. As I recorded in my review, there were a few things that I did not like about the UI, essentially tripwires that kept catching me out and continue to be a source of irritation. But overall, WP7 shows a lot of promise. The next version/s should be exciting, I am left wondering how frequently we can expect WP7 updates to come along. And what will Microsoft do with major versions? Will these be chargeable as they were with Windows Mobile 6?

Thats a pretty good price you got there for a WP7 device. A nice find :)

[miffed]

Looking forward to your feedback on this.

I was at my wits end with Windows Mobile 6.1 and have moved to Android (as have most of my work colleagues) but I still think a Microsoft phone OS is needed and has a place in the market for those who are big users of Windows PCs. My only concern is that MS might have moved so far from the familiar Windows platform to make it user friendly that it ceases to be friendly for Windows users, if that makes sense!

I know what you mean , I liked Windows Mobile more than most , and in some ways the HD2 was brilliant , but simple things like (as mentioned) freezing up when dealing with phone calls made it all a bit futile !

I also agree MS may have strayed a little too far WRT the expectations of their loyal customers , I have noticed plenty of disgruntled 6.5 users who feel the "old" windows mobile was totally what they wanted. Hopefully something brilliant can bloom from this though.

[miffed]

Thats a pretty good price you got there for a WP7 device. A nice find :)

I was pleased to find it , but I can't help wishing I'd held onto the HD2 ! which can seemingly , having served its own "flagship life" can now be flashed into "being" a desire HD or an HD7 !!

[Hands0n]

You know, I was seriously contemplating getting an HD2 to have some serious hacking around with after I read about XDA equipping it with dual OS. But after a moment of sanity prevailed I shut down the browser from eBay :D Mighty tempting though.

[miffed]

Well , this is my first post from the hd7 !

Have to say so far I am loving the thing , the UI is a little quirky in places , but very pretty all around to be honest. Typing on the keyboard is easy , possibly even better that the iPhone ? There is a "popping" style key click sound , which you instinctively want to turn off ! But then you realise that the pitch varies on the non letter keys and it is very useful for getting used to the keyboard .
browsing is lovely on this 4.3" screen , far more usable than the iPhone , and arguably more fluid ?

Google integration was simple ! Which was a concern for me .

Early days yet , but so far I am VERY pleased , in fact I'd have been pleased with it at the full £400 , getting it for £256 has made me feel exceptionally pleased with myself , as the unit is pristine !

Going to see how I fare putting the WP7 sync software on my iMac now :)

[Hands0n]

Cool stuff, miffed. Have you run into the problem I had with the X (cancel) key being perfectly placed to be accidentally hit, thereby wiping out the in-prep message irretrievably? That, I have to say, was probably the only thing about WP7 that really got up my nostrils. :)

Everything else, as you say, felt quite "slick" in a somewhat imperfect (i.e. version 1.0) way.

[miffed]

Ah ,

I was ready for that one after reading your review ... But as it turns out it is not a problem on the HD7 !

If I hit the X I am presented with a 3 option "Save/Discard/Cancel ?" menu , not sure if this is something HTC have added , or something that Samsung omitted for some obsure reason ?
...Or maybe it has had an update since then ? I am very pleased it has been dealt with though !!

[Hands0n]

Wow, thats cool! It was my one major "hate" of WP7. I could not believe it, such an oversight in 2011 that you may have expected back in 1987. Perhaps you're right, Samsung possibly screwed up.

Have you switched over to the HD7 completely - parking the iPhone - or are you running the pair together? Also, which network are you using?

[miffed]

Running them side by side , My iPhone is on 3 (and what a surprisingly adequate job they are doing !!)

I have put the my (original , from 2007 iPhone 2G ) o2 SIM in the HD7 , giving me true "all you can eat" data , I changed the APN to the iData one just to be sure , this was simple , despite what I had read on the internet about the settings all being hard coded
AFAIK the HD7 is O2 exclusive at the moment , the only branding is (similar to the Dell Streak) an "o2 skyline" wallpaper , and a colour scheme , both of these are instantly removable though

I was told the unit is SIM locked when I bought it , but I do not know if the previous owner simply assumed this was the case ? I planned to use it on o2 anyway , so it wasn't really an issue.

[Hands0n]

Interesting - if it is SIM locked to O2 the giffgaff SIM will work in it also. I'm not sure if other O2 MVNO SIMs will work though.

Unlocking does not seem to be a problem for the HD7 according to XDA forum http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=816869

Great shout getting that APN change to use the iPhone one :)

[Hands0n]

Blimey! That was a close call. All this talk of HD2 set me looking on eBay again ... I'm now going to shut down the browser, retire to Sky Anytime+ and forget all about mobile phones, Internets and other such stuff until I get over the itch :D

[solo12002]

So is an HTC windows mobile worth buying? What apps are out there for it and how does microsoft update it

[miffed]

Yes , I think so
Personally I have found that while some of HTC's older designs may have been a bit bland and tacky , Their build quality is actually better (in TRUE terms , i.e. less failures) than , for example , Nokia's , my friend made a fortune out of replacing Nokia LCD's, I remember having to jam bits of foldled paper in the battery compartments to stop the battery cutting out .... bruised screen on an N90 , rattly slider on an N95 , Dodgy design on E90 making the keys mark the screen , uneven feet on the E90 so it wobbled around on the desk .... As for HTC I cannot recall a problem
...Yet people will always praise Nokias build quality and slate HTC's - Go figure ?

The HD7 is a lot of phone for £388 IMO - I don't think you can go wrong !

[gorilla]

Where are the Apple and Android police?
We need this sort of thread shut down. Remember folks, windows is bad :-)

[Hands0n]

LOL, naughty Gorilla :)

I am actually quite warm to WP7 myself, having spent some time with a Samsung Omnia 7 loaned to me by Three. Lets not forget that WP7 is on its first outing and has done quite well so far. Give it a few more versions and we should see some polish to the OS look, feel and functionality. That is, if Microsoft can create a release that does not brick the handsets as is currently going on with their first OTA update.

[miffed]

The irony is , this 7008 update is not the "proper" update ! it is just preparing the device for the later update , so even if you are successful , it brings no new features as I understand it .

What a funny 6 months its been ! People like myself , have been accused of being "anti Nokia" and "Anti Microsoft" & "Pro Apple" , and the accusers simply WILL NOT ENTERTAIN the notion that my preferences are based on who is making the best product ! - Oh no , it is all down to "brand bias"
The trouble is , they all now look a bit silly , when Microsoft then make something worthwhile , and I give it the thumbs up ! or Nokia dump the thing that was dragging them down (Symbian) and I am 100% supportive and enthusiastic about the move .

I think the last few months have made it pretty clear that people will simply go where the best devices / experiences are , brand loyalty / fanboyism in reality counts for very little !

[Ben]

Yes the WP7 update schedule hasn't quite found its feet yet, has it? Lol, it will though, hopefully, in time.

I'm all for Windows Phone 7 doing well. I don't think monopolies will benefit anyone, and the furious competition that exists in this new paradigm of computing is yielding unthinkably rapid advancement out of what had been a decade of stagnation.

My first Windows Phone 7 will likely be a Nokia, though. I hear what miffed is saying about HTC actually being 'better', but I've never had or used a HTC that had soul.