yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
Quite frankly, I would seriously prefer to be able to turn this off on my iPhone. Most GPS apps simply don't work in background, some turn off after a short timeout (not long enough to write an email) and then annoy the user with intrusive popup asking whether to close them or resume (no option to stay in background). The most annoying case is apps that keep working forever though as they kill battery in no time (and no apps here have an Exit button).

In any case, this is certainly not the most important feature in satnav apps.
[Windows Phone 7 General] krjcook:
amb9800 what type of multitasking are you talking about? Do you mean you want every app you open to stay open until you close it? WP7 does the necessary multitasking:

*you can listen to music while fiddling with your phone.

*web pages load in the background

*Phones calls continue in the background if you navigate away

*If your texting and leave without sending it will be saved as a draft (EVERY phone does this)

*Calendar and mail update on there own.

What else do you need? Do you want a full game running in the background? Do you need GPS running in the background if your not using it? It's ok because the app isn't closed, its just paused. Need I remind you that you can only use one application at a time.
[Windows Phone 7 General] vetvito:
You forgot to add that IOS has real time, local and online multi-player games.

Android has been doing the pictures hub thing with Picasa since 2.1, it's rather nice.
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
not sure i see your point as the pictures hub looks to be pretty well put together to me and alot better than ios and andriods pictures, as far as the bing the vers. available for ios, andriod, and wm6.5 is not the same bing as the version in wp7 does not have tell me, and works quite differently as far as search results, maps etc.

navagation once again you do not get the same bing on your hd2 or ios, or andriod so as far as maps wp7s bing maps are most liky different.

the ff camera seems there is support for it in wp7 http://wmpoweruser.com/samsung-cetus-confirms-windows-phone-7-video-call-support/, just the oems have to build phones with them in it.
[Windows Phone 7 General] amb9800:
Those are all tasks that the iPhone, for instance, has been able to do since version 1.0-- that's not multitasking.

Multitasking is being able to run a Pandora app in the background while browsing the web, being able to go back and forth between email client and an open document to copy-and-paste over content to an email, being able to continue to receive GPS nav instructions while your passenger looks up movie timings while in your car. These are all things the iPhone and Android (and WM) can do today but WP7 cannot.
[Windows Phone 7 General] amb9800:
The map data is the same regardless of whether you access it from a WM6 phone, the web, or the WP7 client. I've tried using Bing on my HD2, and the biggest problem is not the interface but rather the map data-- it's just not quite there yet in many geographies (e.g. I'm typically in NYC and now in Mumbai-- Google Maps has much better POIs and such).
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
i gues what i am trying to say is that bing for wp7 has different data it access for everything even search results as it works on a different platform and is working from a different set of services than the one you get currently on allother bing clients i have tried it on both wp7 and wm 6.5 bing and they produce different results so i know first hand it uses different data... on your bing try searching for a airline flight strictly by the flight number with no other keywords like "airline flight" or "american" just the flight number and see if you get any information on it. on you hd2 it will not bring back any results on the wp7s bing it will tell you which airline flight schedule flight times and current statusof flight if plane is in the air. this is just one example...
[Windows Phone 7 General] amb9800:
Back on topic, it seems highly unlikely that MS will add back local sync support to WP7, as the OS has a pretty deep-rooted cloud-only philosophy. More thoughts here:

Windows Phone 7 and the End of Desktop Outlook Sync

Windows Phone and the Move to the Cloud

So the only options are to move to Hotmail or Gmail (though the latter will not sync contacts with Outlook, should you still use Outlook post-cloudization), or if you want to retain control over your data, set up your own Exchange server (or get a hosted Exchange account).
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
well maybe not your music client pandora but zune will play while browsing the web, and you do not have to copy and paste to include something in a email anymore, this is only because in iphone and android you have to leave one app to go to the other not nessary in wp7 you can just send what ever you need to send from word... maybe multi tasking will be nessary for other things but not this...
[Windows Phone 7 General] vetvito:
That second article is a good read. The cloud is great if you choose to use it, but sucks for those who want to handle and secure their own information.
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
setting up a hosted exchange server sounds like a good business for someone...
[Windows Phone 7 General] gb_r32:
Nice. Since my work does not expose our exchange servers externally for exchangeactivesync, I still sync locally to my PC at work for PIM data with my HD2. I'm sure my work would not look on it too kindly if I then used a hosted solution to put my work calendar on someone else's servers. This was a very deliberate decision by MS as EVERY version of WM/Pocket PC has had this since CE 1.0. This is also the reason I never kept Android on my HD2 for long as there was no good direct syncing solution that I could find. I'd bet money that the code to perform standard wired sync is buried in WP7. Maybe someone will find a way to fix this in the future. I'd like to choose how to sync, not be told.
[Windows Phone 7 General] tai4de2:
(I think you mean "moot" not "mute")
[Windows Phone 7 General] Humpe:
Will it sync with multiple google calendars? That was one of the largest improvments when switching to Android on my HD2.
[Windows Phone 7 General] RustyGrom:
It can sync with multiple calendar accounts, if that's what you're referring to. However, I don't think it will work if you have multiple calendars in one google account.
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
That'll work too.
[Windows Phone 7 General] amb9800:
Yeah-- according to Paul Thurrott's article linked above, WP7 will only work with the primary calendar from each account:
[Windows Phone 7 General] rgr81:
Will it be possible to sync multiple Exchange Account's on WP7 ?
[Windows Phone 7 General] The Gate Keeper:
i believe so.
[Windows Phone 7 General] addicus:
The one thing about syncing multiple calendars (even from one account) is that WP7 allows differentiation for the events.
[Windows Phone 7 General] janemanno1:
Damn I am in a limbo here. Offline Outlook sync is out of question and my WP7 purchase is out of question too.
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
Wait, I'm confused on this whole "syncing one calendar" thing. So let's say on my Google Account I have my main calendar, say "Brandon's Calendar", and it is all my personal things. I also have another calendar, another color, named "Chicano Studies", and so on for the rest of my classes. Does that mean WP7 only syncs with my first calendar? Is that the same for Windows Live?
[Windows Phone 7 General] launch:
I believe it only syncs the main one. I had the same concern with multiple calendars (birthdays, work, personal, etc.) in the same account - I don't think it syncs all those individual calendars.
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
If so, that's very lame, and most certainly a deal breaker. I live off my multiple Gmail calendars on my iPhone.
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
answer is here...http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2430181
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
You could have just answered my question instead of linking me to that. Which will lead to ask me the same question: Does the multiple account under my single Gmail/Windows Live account, sync?

Edit- doing a little digging, it does look like I can only sync my main calendar....which is absolutely, 100% ****ing retarded. Looks like I'm staying with iOS or moving to Android next year depending on what Gingerbread does. Microsoft, all I wanted to do was support an OS that does the good stuff good, but you managed to make the tiny stuff absolutely horrible.
[Windows Phone 7 General] makku12:
I'm currently developing a program to merge multiple google calendars into one for this specific reason. It's the same in WM6.5. Only your primary google calendar will sync. My method is a bandaid, but it works for me.

I believe that is Google's fault, not Microsoft's. Google is the one providing the sync tool and they're only translating the primary calendar data into the Microsoft calendar format. True, it has to do with different calendar data, but Google would have to fix this.

What Microsoft needs to do is provide their own Sync server. Then all you'd have to do is register your iCal feed and they'll translate the Google data to microsoft data. I have a feeling they might do this... it would be very stupid of them not to do this.
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
Even the Windows Live accounts are syncing with Google's tools?
[Windows Phone 7 General] vinodhegde:
I just wanted to know one more thing, i have been using black berry connect on HTC touch HD, any idea whether blackberry connect would be supported on WP7?
[Windows Phone 7 General] scoob101:
I`m gutted - I was all ready to buy a WP7 device at launch, and now I find I can`t sync my work laptop`s outlook calendar or contacts.

Its a complete dealbreaker. I`m going to be forced to either stick with WM6.5, go Android, or even worse, get a blackberry.

I`m VERY dissapointed :-(
[Windows Phone 7 General] RustyGrom:
Can you not sync it to Windows Live? My work blocks all that kind of stuff but last I checked the Windows Live Sync plugin for outlook still managed to work.
[Windows Phone 7 General] amb9800:
Android doesn't do local sync either (besides some not-too-great HTC migration tools), so the choices for local Outlook sync are WM 6.5, iPhone, or Blackberry.
[Windows Phone 7 General] scoob101:
Thats 2 sync events to get the appointments onto my phone. Won`t that be slow and awkward? And it also means messing with my work outlook configuration which im reticent to do in case I screw it up.

**EDIT**

Guys - am I missing something? can I achieve the sync I need by using a cloud provider of some kind?

I assume it will cause problems, but as I`ve never actually done it before, thats a big assumption on my part.

Oh, and another thing. we are still on outlook 2002 at work. Im guessing that will be an issue also.
[Windows Phone 7 General] RustyGrom:
Right but I bet they would frown upon you syncing work information to a non-work device. I know it's definitely against policy where I work.
[Windows Phone 7 General] scoob101:
I`ve got away with installing active sync and using a non work phone because I work in global IT, so I work with the local guys quite a bit. I just dont want to take the p*ss too much.

So far looks like migrating to WP7 is going to have some serious headaches for me. Right now I just have my phone plugged into USB on my work lappie and if I get a new appointment, its straight on my phone.

I hope I can find out a way to get something like that on WP7 or I`m stuck on 6.5.
[Windows Phone 7 General] devis:
Me too... since the powers that be decided that us IT folks must practice what we preach... so no more Androids or WM for us, except me who's still rebelling. BB Connect sucks, but it's better than me having to use an actual Blackberry. God... I shiver at the idea of having a portable dumb terminal in my pocket!!!
[Windows Phone 7 General] alijahg34:
think cloud storage its the future
[Windows Phone 7 General] greenbrd:
"Hi Grandma. Sorry your house got robbed. I stored your name, address, phone number and birthday in the cloud and I guess my account got hacked."

Anybody know anything about this: http://www.companionlink.com/android/. $40 bucks but if it works it would be worth it to me. I need a new phone badly and was planning on waiting for WP7, but cloud-only syncing is a deal-breaker for me too.
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
Remove birthday, and replace cloud with telephone book?
[Windows Phone 7 General] janemanno1:
I have tons of my contact's birthday and anniversary stored in my outlook PST file that is offline (i.e. Non exchange outlook setup with POP3 hosted domain email)

I don't really care about the whole social connectivity as I don't use it that much, I just want a phone that I can use as a phone that can sync with my outlook PIM data.
[Windows Phone 7 General] gmfeld:
No synching to Outlook?

I'm totally confused by this topic and discussion. I'm at a law firm, have been using my HTC Fuze and predecessors for years to wirelessly synch all my Outlook data (contacts, calendars, notes) via our Exchange Server.

Will I not be able to do that in WP7?
[Windows Phone 7 General] greenbrd:
Unlisted. I don't know many people who still have their personal info in the phone book.
[Windows Phone 7 General] rruffman:
yes through exchange server you can..
[Windows Phone 7 General] janemanno1:
All peoples I know have a birthdays and anniversaries attached to their contacts in Outlook. It's the most important part of socialisation.
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
It's actually instant, you don't even notice how it happens, just have the updated stuff on all connected devices and web interfaces. Syncing via USB is much slower and more awkward.

It's as easy as installing Outlook Connector and entering your Live ID there.
[Windows Phone 7 General] scoob101:
Its instant? I think with the windows live connector for outlook, getting appointments into the cloud is completley manual.

I.e. a new appointment comes into my work laptops outlook. I then have to find that appointment, and manually drag the appointment into hotmail (within outlook) in order to get it into the cloud, and therefore onto my phone.

I think this awkward situation is caused because I`m needing my work outlook calendar (which comes from exchange) on my phone and I can`t connect a WP7 device directly to my work`s exchange system (its not allowed of course, its not a company phone).

So: assuming all the above is correct, i will have to install google calendar sync on my work laptop (which can do an auto sync every 10 mins), and then get my outlook calendar up into the cloud that way.

Can you confirm this is the only method I have available?
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
Hmm, I didn't think about your scenario, I sync personal calendar via Live and work via exchange. I don't know if there are ways to sync your work calendar with Live or any other service, sorry. You might have a problem there.
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
That scenario is "a problem". Which should be quite a common scenario as well. I have the same issu:

-Using work Outlook on PC as main database for PIM

-Syncing with my phones

However, to get it to work with a WP7 phone, I need to install Outlook Connector, and then copy and drag all new calendar events and contacts from the main outlook calendar to my Windows Live.

A good thing is that you can just set it to sync every minute, and on the phone "as items arrive" so it doesnt take any time at all, its just the copy & drop that sucks.

Personally, I dont think MS should take back the USB sync, but rather just get a little plugin that syncs the Calendars and Contacts within Outlook. So if you add an event in Calendar 1 (Exchange) it automatically copies it to Calendar 2 (Live calendar), problem solved....
[Windows Phone 7 General] naplesbill:
I have a question about this thread. Everyone keeps stating that WP7 will not have any local sync to Outlook. If you listen to the Windows Phone Radio podcasts, specifically #2, you will hear them state that WP7 absolutely supports Outlook in addition to Exchange. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but it's possible that the Zune software might have some hooks into Outlook sync. This would be pretty much the same as the way iTunes handles it.

The question, why is everyone so convinced that there will NOT be an Outlook sync option? What have I missed?
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
Im testing a WP7 device now and can say that it doesnt support local Outlook sync. What they probably mean is that you can sync your stuff from Windows Live / Google etc to your outlook on the phone.
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
Outlook commector is a luxury. Windows Live Essentials are the optimal way to sync with Live. Connector is just an added goodie on top of it.

Essentials is optimized to work with Live. Outlook is optimized to work with Exchange.
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
Sure, but youre missing a big point then. Most people use Outlook for their work appointments so how do you get those appointments over to the Live Essentials app, so its sync to 1 and the same calendar.

Also, many large corp ITs do NOT allow the corp exchange to be synced to a private phone, hence you cant sync the first calendar stand alone.
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
Then ur issue is IT, not WP7. Don't expect MS to make ot easier to sidestep corporate policy. That's jusy ridiculous.
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
No, whats ridiculous is that MS removed one of the greatest functions on the WM platform, to sync locally, there is really no argument to remove that.
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
Yes there is. A large majority of users don't work like that.
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
Well, what can I say. Clearly, missing local sync is a problem in some IT configurations, and there's not much users can do about it.

I can think of workarounds like publishing your calendar on the internet (you can restrict access to yourself only) and then syncing that calendar with Live. Another possibility is using an intermediate server that'll sync with Outlook Web Access available at work and then syncing with the intermediate server via Exchange ActiveSync, but that'll require that there be a service that does it, and it may not be free. You can also try to set up a Live account in Outlook and make Live calendar default one, your appointment invites should then be saved there, and you basically stop using your work Exchange calendar at all. You can also periodically import your whole Outlook calendar with Live. These workarounds are somewhat difficult , messy, and none of them will give you instant push, but USB sync doesn't do it either unless your device is always connected.

I'm not trying to justify WP7 for you, just talking about options.
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
Eh, are you for real? Are you saying that not many people are using Exchange at work, and hotmail as a private email? No further comments then...
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
No need to justify WP7 for me, I totally love it! :) Its just that this is one function I really dont understand that they took away.

Ive published my Live calendar to internet, and if I pick my hotmail as default it will sync, I guess the only issue is that I need my Exchange as default since I use it in work when emailing.

Any thoughts on how to solve that? Highly appreciated.
[Windows Phone 7 General] vangrieg:
Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you.

As for why they took it away, I think they didn't. Zune doesn't have the capability, and they just haven't added it there (one fact of life is that it's done by a different team with its own priorities, resource constraints, deadlines etc.). Also, I'm not sure all the necessary protocols are on the device (although I don't see why they would be a problem because they are part of WinCE6).
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
My job uses exchange. IT says no we cannot pit our Exchange on personal phones. Use a corporate phone (only Blackberries allowed) and deal with it.

People who care do not put corporate onfo on personal phones. Not only is it against corporate polocy, it's downright insecure.

Most people do not put their corporate info in Windows Live. That's stupid, so no, I won't argue on a tinkerer's foru, about it. That is not a prevelent use case.

Even most small businesses can outsource exchange hosting for dirt cheap prices. Anyone forced to use Hotmail for work pirposes probably needs to ask their employer "why don't you care?"
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
WP7 supports multiple Exchange accounts.

Hotmail supports ActiveSynch.

Put two and two together.

WP7 will synch both calendars...

/facepalm

I think I may need to take a break from this forum. I feel dumber after having to answer so many rhetorical inquiries.
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
I think you misunderstood me a bit there. Im saying that Im using Exchange for workmail, and Live mail for private use.

However, I would of course like to have all my work appointments and private appointments into one and the same calendar, its much easier to overview by just using ONE calendar.

Therefore, there is a problem with WP7 compared to WM 6.X since it supported local sync.

Now, regarding security, Ive heard that argument for so many years, oddly enough no one ever could point out the big security risk. Its a bigger risk to allow USB sticks. Since Ive been working at IT departments on huge corporations, Ive heard it, and seen it all before. Funny though was that Active Sync usually got accepted by Corp IT after revising the "security issue".
[Windows Phone 7 General] montana:
It might only not be a feeling....

WP7 does NOT allow local active sync, that was one of the major points beginning this thread.
[Windows Phone 7 General] Intervenient:
Sorry that you find the need to help people such an excruciating task.
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
Read the post I responded to. Don't embarrass yourself...
[Windows Phone 7 General] N8ter:
It's 2010. I expect people to Google something at least once before asking a question.

There is also a WP7 blog where they delight in answering rhetorical questions.
[Windows Phone 7 General] chubnut:
I'm really struggling to find a solution to my situation that I'm happy with. Currently my WM device syncs contacts, calender, notes & tasks with Outlook at work. Rightly or wrongly, this includes my personal contacts and calendar entries. I guess most of you are like me and have busy work lives and sometimes we have to schedule personal events round work events, so they are all on the same calendar. I don't have 2 devices to do this as I personally can't stand BB's and because of my position, I'm given leeway so can get away with using my personal phone connected to a work PC. However, nothing is sync'ed over the air.

When I get home I sync my device to my home PC using Outlook again so all is sync'ed with Outlook. Personal email is not with GMail or Hotmail but with my ISP (O2). I'm happy with them and do not plan to move. Why should I?

So my problems are these. My contacts details are pretty complete and comprehensive and I make use of many fields that aren't present in My Phone or Windows Live (so 1 way sync). I also make use of categories within my calendar for "at a glance" sight of particular projects etc., and these tie into profiles which my phone uses (3rd party software). All of which (at least at the moment) doesn't seem to be supported or at least thought of. What about my notes and tasks?

So what are my options? Set up Exchange server at home? Could do but that will only take care of one part of my problem. How do I constantly keep my server at home up to date with my the contacts and calender at work? Continuously exporting and importing the pst file is ludicrous and unsustainable.

There must be tens of thousands of people in similar situations to me. If there is going to be any way to sync via the PC I can only imagine that it will be 3rd party. Of course....there is almost nothing in the market place (as I type 7 or so apps).... so why the hell should I get a WP7?

I think Microsoft may have just lost a loyal customer