I love the new WP 7 platform, the development kit is great and I am fond of the emulator. I am looking forward to get a real phone to test some of my apps (hint to Microsoft) but I have to admit it's a steep curve to code professionally for the new operating system.
Some simple things I can do on Silverlight full blend are not possible directly with the framework.
I miss for example a kind of Listview control, for instance if I want to display a list of photos contacts from a RSS feed. No such things exist not even a datagrid or a gridview.
It show for me how much I am used to databinding easily in Asp.Net any kind of data!
The only info I found on the subject is this article "Building a Datagrid for Windows Phone 7".
I assisted today to a great webcast hosted by Lidnug and with Scott Guthrie answering all sort of questions. I asked about the missing Gridview and it seems that it will be there sooner than later, probably with the first refresh of the development kit. Scott was quite vague about also a series of mysterious user controls, so surely good things will be there hopefully soon.
It's just a pity that we can't have those controls now.
Other things are missing or not complete like some kind of databases (aka SQL CE). I know that people are working on the subject, it will make my life more easy if I need to develop some enterprise app.
Well I can confirm that in Ireland the official answer from Microsoft reps on the number of Windows Phone allocated for developers is.....
(drum rolls)
2 !!
Yep that's true, if I need to test an app I am building, I was told that I have to register for a lab session, then I have to drive miles to the Microsoft Atrium (the other side of Dublin for me) to debug and test in a 'lab' setup.
Obviously if I forgot few bugs back to square one.
The phone emulator on VS 2010 don't let me testing everything I need (acceloremeter, etc...) and it's really frustrating to not be able to see an app running on real hardware.
Microsoft you sucks big time
I am a big fan of the Amazon Kindle but their business model is really flawed! Today they launched a UK version. Sadly Irish customers are excluded from the store!
What I find funny and irritating in the same time is their lack of respect.
See the Irish Times is only available for UK customers!