I’m a huge fan of mobile computing. Especially when it comes to opportunities to leverage personal devices in the classroom. So, I thought it would be fun to give the Windows Phone 7 a shot. I’ve been an iPhone carrier for about 3 years now and love the experience. Having said that, I’m certainly always open to new ideas and designs that are improvements. So the sim card comes out iPhone 4, and it gets sidelined for a while. Let’s just say – for some much needed rest since I’ve pushed it to it’s limits over the past year. I have all intensions in the world at giving a fair shake to the Windows device.
This is the first post of a series over the next several days highlighting some comparisons and experiences with the Windows Phone 7 OS and device. The Device I’m trying out is a Samsung i917.
First thoughts… This afternoon I downloaded the beta connector software for Mac OS. ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=1fe7ea0f-3ad6-4137-8397-d412a3792c33 ).
Windows Phone 7 Connector (for Mac) – Beta
Generally, on a Windows PC all connections with mobile devices would be handled through the Zune software (much like iPhones/ iDevices are handled through iTunes). I’ve got to say that I love what Microsoft has done for Mac users working with Windows Mobile OS devices (Windows Phone 7). Essentially, the connector software acts as a media browser for your stuff housed in your iLife suite. I connect the phone, and I get a very VERY familiar iTunes look and feel. I can sync my music from my iTunes library, I can sync my movies, my podcast, and even my photos from iPhoto. It is nice. My early fears when deciding to test this device and OS out was that I wasn’t going to really get the full experience because all of my media was located somewhere else. I was concerned that I was going to have to establish some kind of Zune presence. Not that that is a bad, just didn’t want the hassle.
For now, the experiment is going well. My Windows Phone 7, after syncing with my Mac, now feels like it belongs to me. Now I just need some useful Apps. More to come…
Image Source: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4435367457_19758aa0ef.jpg