Windows Phone 7 Needs Better Application Controls
I have been using both the Samsung Focus and HTC Surround as my primary phones off and on now for several months, trading between the two since there are some things I like with both. I really like what Microsoft did with Windows Phone 7 and think they finally listened and get a great deal right with this phone. However, I ran in to my first “disaster” over the last couple of days and realized one of my complaints is now a problem. So, here it is.
I’m not sure what they were thinking when they integrated the applications in to WP7. Here’s what I mean. If you attach a WP7 phone to your computer and use Zune to purchase and install apps, no harm no foul. It works wonderfully and should you need to hard reset your phone for any reason, or you need to wipe the phone and start from scratch (we have to do this when testing), getting the apps back is a snap. Attach the phone, log in to your Zune account, all the apps come back.
So far so good right? Here’s where the problem comes in. What they don’t tell you is that once you install an app FROM THE PHONE, you’re done. You must always use the phone to get the app back. You can’t transfer to Zune, you can’t install from Zune, you can’t download from Zune. Nothing, your done. I must have missed this in the instructions. So, happy as can be, once I got the phone I went crazy in the Marketplace downloading apps. There are a great deal of good, free apps. So, while sitting watching TV, sitting in a restaurant, sitting waiting to get my kids from school, I was searching the Marketplace and installing apps.
Well, disaster struck. The phone was wiped of all data and now I’m trying to get the apps back. I attached to Zune and there are about 10 apps that transferred back to the phone with no issue. There are LOTS of apps though that didn’t come back. Here’s the thing though. If you find them in the Marketplace again in the Zune client and click download, guess what happens? Here’s a screen capture:
What do you notice? Yes, that’s right. It’s “already purchased”, and there is no option to download again. Seriously? Once I download from the phone, I have to go back to the phone and download each app all over again? Why can’t I download and archive for restore within Zune? Do you have any idea how long it takes to search for apps (Marketplace Search is horrible and hopefully gets fixed) and download each app over again? I’ll bet I downloaded at least 25-30 apps directly to the phone, and now there is no way to get the app again except from the phone. I don’t have time to sit here and do this all over again. Yes, I can go to purchase history and see all the apps I’ve downloaded but there is no indication where it was downloaded, and no indication if it’s available in Zune so I have to go back and forth from the list of apps to the phone to see what’s there and what isn’t. Why would they do this? This almost makes me want to table WP7 rather than wasting my time re-downloading my apps all over again. What happens if I need to wipe the phone again? Start all over once again ? Where is the backup that allows me to do a simple restore and get everything back, including tiles and settings? Where is the option to “transfer” from the phone to Zune so Zune has the complete record?
I’ll be honest with you. I don’t need cut, copy and paste, I don’t need multitasking, I don’t need some of the other functionality being discussed. Yes, those are nice to have. But being able to get my phone back is critical for me. You shouldn’t have to struggle through a phone reset.
I’ll say in this area alone, Apple (with their iOS products) and Blackberry win this hands down. No contest, not even close. All the apps and settings come back once attached to a computer and once restored. I can wipe hundreds of time and within minutes my phone is back right where I left it. It shouldn’t be this hard.