Windows Phone 7 Is Cooler Than I Expected!

My ongoing experience with Windows Phone 7. To sum up: Better than I expected.

What I Like:
-Day 1 - text-to-speech search is just plain cool
-Day 1 - The UI is soo simple I think something is missing--but I can do a ton more than my old phone!
-Day 1 - Pinning important people on my home screen makes so much sense.
-Day 1 - Merging of Live, Exchange, Google, Facebook contacts & calendars just works too smooth!
-Day 1 - Single handed adding of appointments has me very impressed.
-Day 2 - Playing podcasts over the speaker phone keeps me legal in Pennsylvania ...
-Day 2 -My iPod nano uneeded.
-Day 3 - Speech Recognition surprises me again: Just say "call" and some phone #!
-Day 4 - Hey! Samsung Focus does tether! click here or click here
-Day 4 - Speech to text is better than I thot: You can say "Call xxx-xxxx" and it will dial any number.

-Day 4 - Ah...I like that number of new emails is number since last checked. Nice
-Day 9 - Nice smooth video with Samsung Focus "no shake" feature turned on
-Day 10 - Virtual keyboard audio feedback is "just right" even in quiet room doesn't annoy others
-Day 10 - Twitter client is better than I thot: Very simple to post a picture. Still a little choppy UI though.
-Day 11 - Wifi works totally without my thinking about it--I like.
-Day 11 - You can use WindowsPhone as a USB drive click here
-Day 12 - Click on a Calendar | Meeting and press "Late": All attendees emailed automatically!
-Day 12 - OneNote integration & Syncronization to skydrive is incredible
-Day 13 - Ah! Kindle app coming! click here
-Day 18 - Your on a call on your mobile and another one comes...Wp7 handles this great!
-Day 19 - NO problem seeing if your wp7 is on Mute, Hold or speakerphone.
-Day 19 - Battery goes all day with 3G and lot of use (Samsung Focus)
-Day 22 - Pinning a OneNote page on Home Screen is cool

Samsung Focs DOES Tether.

-Day 32 - Sync Zune over Wifi is great! No fuss!
-Day 59 - Kindle for Windowsphone is Here. click here

Cons:

-Day 1 - No RDP Client click here There is now. Search Remote Desktop on the Marketplace.

-Day 1 - No VPN click here

-Day 1 - Outlook Tasks Don't Sync click here There is now an app to sync Exchange tasks.

-Day 2 - Only OneNote Office App Syncs with skydrive. That is a big surprise to me. click here

-Day 2 - No simple way to sync desktop files with WP7...hmmm

-Day 3 - No Direct Outlook to Wp7 USB Sync (doesn't bother me--but others)

-Day 3 - Sometimes Samsung Focus screen doesn't respond to touch when lying on soft surface
-Day 9 - Would be nice if camera settings could be saved and screen tap would take picture.
-Day 9 - Would be nice if linkedin, twitter contacts could show in contact list. click here
-Day 23 - Would be nice if you could lock phone screen in portrait mode sometimes.

Features I would like:
-Day 3 - I wish phone could act as a Wifi Hotspot (helpful ATT lady said they will allow it ;-)
-Day 3 - Printing from phone via wifi or 3G. (option) (There is an app coming to do it click here)
-Day 18 - Bluetooth keyboard connectivity. No support for it.
-Day 93 - Folder concept to organize apps and people.
-Day 93 - Internet Explorer - folder concept to organize web shortcuts!
-Day 93 - Synchronize Zune podcasts directly over the air without going through PC
-Day

Quotes of the Day:
-Day 3 - I showed my Samsung Focus to an iPhone toting IT guy I had a meeting with today. His comments "Wow, I like the calendar view...much nicer than my iPhone. A radio is built IN? Zune?! wow! xBOX!! WOW!"

-Day 3 -  "Much lighter than my iPhone..."

-Day 24 - "Faster, easier, better UI, less screen touching to move around, better screen, better keyboard. Build quality might not be as good though..." --iPhone to Samsung Focus User

-Day 28 - "iPhone screen is much better than WindowsPhone. Much higher resolution and much brighter..." after holding iphone side by side with Samsung Focus: "[Silence...]"

Reviews I Thought Were Fair:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/11/windows-phone-7-doom/

Resources:
Also, a great place to get your beginner questions answered:
Windows Phone 7 Forum FAQ
Windows Phone 7 Forum
40 Best Apps (by Addictive Tips)

Even with all the limitations noted I need to admit it does that main things I wanted well. Perhaps not a power user phone--but then I didn't want to mess with my phone.

http://wmpoweruser.com/list-of-microsd-cards-confirmed-working-with-the-samsung-focus/

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