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No Zune Connector on Windows Phones

Mar. 31, 2010 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

I just posted this to my Windows Phone Secrets blog, but I thought it would be interesting to SuperSite readers as well:

I received word back from Microsoft on my connector query. It turns out that Windows Phones will not use the Zune connector as some had hoped. Indeed, the otherwise rigid Windows Phone 7 Series hardware specification does not stipulate a physical interface of any kind, even mini-USB. So device makers are free to implement their own device-to-PC/charging solutions, and we’ll likely see a mix of mini-USB, micro-USB, and even (shame) proprietary connectors on Windows Phones.

Discuss this Article 17

Waethorn
on Mar 31, 2010
What you know as "mini-USB" isn't even a universal standard anymore now that the EU ratified their new proprietary "standard" (what they call "micro USB") as the defacto on mobile phones. Mini-USB was fine, but the EU wanted to be different.
Backup77
on Mar 31, 2010
@Waethorn O\T Just wondering if you have sold any new Motherboards with USB 3.0. I have heard that its supposed to be 10 times faster than USB 2.0 and will be backwards compatible with USB 2.0.
maati
on Mar 31, 2010
Actually, anyone, even you, Paul, should know by now that all cellphone makers (except for Apple, of course) have agreed on using micro-USB on all of their handsets. Thus, no, we're NOT going to see a mixture of connectors. Micro-USB is a standard and it would be a huge failure if Microsoft tried to force something different. Proprietary connectors should disappear as soon as possible (iPod/iPhone and Zune) and be replaced with micro-USB.
Dr. Daniel Jackson
on Mar 31, 2010
The shortest book in history: 29.99 at Amazon.com Paperback, 19.99 Kindle Edition. Windows Phone Secrets, By Paul Thurrott Windows Phone Secret #1 Windows Phones Suck. Don't buy one. Use an iPhone like me or if you hate AT&T get a Droid. The End. Although the 7 series does look pretty promising, albeit way too late to the market.
Waethorn
on Mar 31, 2010
Chapter 1 should read: Windows Phone: Cheaper and with more functionality out of the box than the iPhone, with more variety of carriers and form factors. BTW Paul, the reason why they use resistive screens, which are more accurate for stylus input, is because of the legacy of stylus input for Windows Mobile/Pocket PC's. One of the key uses for them is to keep handwritten notes, you know, for those users that actually want to pull it out of their pocket and think of it as a pocket electronic notepad, instead of typing on an inaccurate soft keyboard, or on a tictac keyboard. For the times that you need to convert handwritten notes to text, they have this awesome thing called Transcriber. For all of these programs coming out for capacitive screen phones that give you handwritten notes or drawing capabilities, using your finger is like smudging charcoal on paper to sign your name.
Dr. Daniel Jackson
on Mar 31, 2010
I would agree with the cost and function argument, but no one can deny that the UI on ANY 6.1 device without the aid of SENSE or manila or whatever is cool this week, doesn't totally suck for anyone trying not to use a stylus, I have a AT&T Tilt and use Haret to boot into Android 1.6 and I would never go back to WinMob, I did flash a 6.5 and it is certainly better, but it is no Android, and yes I do realize that exchange support is much better with WinMob, I get it.
Waethorn
on Mar 31, 2010
"no one can deny that the UI on ANY 6.1 device without the aid of SENSE or manila or whatever is cool this week, doesn't totally suck for anyone trying not to use a stylus" Agreed, but then the stock WinMo UI that predates 6.5.x wasn't designed or touch input, now was it? That's why phone makers were permitted, and even recommended to create differentiated user experiences that complement their hardware designs. The OS wasn't just about creating a UI. It was also about creating a unified software development platform with a standard API set. There are other platforms that also have this as a key goal. Moblin is one. Android is another. Applications might, or might not, have a similar look and feel to others on the same platform depending on if they use baseline API's. Whether they do or not is up to the developer. As you've seen, there are some good UI overlays for WinMo, and the same is true of Android. Android is just a variant of Linux though, and Linux's roots (Unix) predates Windows CE by a few decades. I can see Android not going that far, due to the splintering effect that Google will cause with phone developers. In fact, I can see the same thing happing to Android as is happening to Windows Mobile before WP7S, unless Google standardizes on certain aspects of the OS and hardware. Android is in its infancy though, but it's only a matter of time. It's happening though. You only have to look at what each phone developer is doing with the platform: Motorola, HTC, Google itself....
Dr. Daniel Jackson
on Mar 31, 2010
but then the stock WinMo UI that predates 6.5.x wasn't designed for touch input, now was it? I disagree my HTC 8125 shipped with winmob 5 and had a touch screen, my tlit shipped with 6.0 and updated to 6.1 and has a touch screen, while gestures are not as smooth as say an iphone or newer gen touch screen, both of those devices are vastly more usable without a stylus on android, your right though android is becoming very splintered, AT&T just shipped that Moto Backflip thing with 1.5 the Nexus has 2.1, we'll see if Froyo and Gingerbread help shore things up, one of the things I see being a problem with Android is that it is a me too iphone clone, which is one thing that makes the new winmob look promising
Logjamming
on Mar 31, 2010
"Chapter 1 should read: Windows Phone: Cheaper and with more functionality out of the box than the iPhone, with more variety of carriers and form factors." No, in true Windows 7 and Zune form it should read something like this. Chapte 1 Window Phone: Cheape and with mor functionalit out of the box tha the iPhon, with more variet of carriers and from facto It's a laughable UI if you cannot even get your words to fit on a single screen. Let alone, this comes much too late. I have two unlocked iPhones (free to unlock after 1 year) which I now use on three different carriers. I can copy paste (which your Mobile 7 can't), I have access to a zillion apps (which your Mobile 7 hasn't) and I can do things out of the box plain and simple without having to read thru 100 pages of text because the UI is as intuitive as masters course in quantum physics. And if iPhone 4.0 is set to deliver half of the rumours, Windows 7 will be thrown back another 18 months before it is even released. Enjo your Windows7 Mobil phon and its patheti ecosyste
Grannyville
on Mar 31, 2010
I heard that Apple were thinking of implementing micro-USB into their deivces despite the fact they didn't sign any agreement for it. Or did I just completely dream that up?
cgdams
on Apr 1, 2010
@Waethorn: "Mini-USB was fine, but the EU wanted to be different." You're actually wrong about that. The EU tried to establish a standard for charging devices for mobile phones, which, by the way, is not the worst idea. It left the choice of an actual plug to the phone makers themselves, who chose microUSB as the new standard. Given the fact the microUSB is indeed noticeably smaller than miniUSB, this choice has it's merits.
Waethorn
on Apr 1, 2010
"I disagree my HTC 8125 shipped with winmob 5 and had a touch screen, my tlit shipped with 6.0 and updated to 6.1 and has a touch screen" Yes, and the OS wasn't designed for capacitive touch screens, which is my point. It's easier to design it for touch, and adapt it to stylus input than to go the other way around, which is why 6.5.x looked somewhat half-baked, and why they broke free for WP7S. "I can copy paste (which your Mobile 7 can't)" Wrong. Microsoft already said it'll be there in an update shortly after release. You, on the other hand, had to wait several revisions before it was available for the iPhone, and then only because us WinMo users pointed (and laughed) at a flaw in the iPhone OS that you scorned iPhone users wimpered so badly to the mighty Jobs to add it in, that he decided to reverse course on his initial decision not to have it. Now it's a me-too feature in the iPhone. " I have access to a zillion apps (which your Mobile 7 hasn't)" How many third party apps did the iPhone have when it came out again? Oh ya, see above. We already have access to numerous applications, because Silverlight and XNA is already in use on desktops (and Xbox 360) and allows apps (and games) to be easily ported. When was the last time you saw an iPhone app running on a Mac desktop again? Or how about on an Apple TV? Oh, right....
whiplash55
on Apr 1, 2010
I have to agree with cdgams the EU got the connector right, they standardized it, As long as I can sync the phone to the Zune software though, that's all I care about. Actually the 6.5 software on the the new Touch Pro2 is as nice as any Android phone out there.
Logjamming
on Apr 1, 2010
"Wrong. Microsoft already said it'll be there in an update shortly after release. " Ah, yes: the old Microsoft-said-so-so-it'll-be-there. Just like the zillions of features stripped from Longhorn/Vista, just like the Courier (some mockup designed to keep you fools believing Microsoft has a future) and just like Mobile 7. You know, there's an ad for that: http://movies.apple.com/media/us/mac/getamac/2009/apple-mvp-broken_promi... "How many third party apps did the iPhone have when it came out again? Oh ya, see above." Ah yes, the old 'Back-in-2007-Apple-did-not-have-that-either. Was that around the same time that OSX could do searches on the fly with Spotlight, when OSX was able to use multiple desktops out of the box, when your Apple came bundled with iLife software, while you still had to deal with non-functional drivers, Vista crashes, Vista viruses, Vista ancient search facilities, and dozens of spammed software that could not do sh*t or stopped working after one month. Thanks for the trip back to memory lane. It's good to see you know what OSX and iPhone users felt like in 2007 when you get your shizzle in 2010.
Waethorn
on Apr 1, 2010
" just like the Courier (some mockup designed to keep you fools believing Microsoft has a future) and just like Mobile 7" Right, because a concept piece, and an unreleased product are really indicators of stuff that's promised and not delivered. How about all of the Mac rumours that the iPad would run full OS X, and include 3D graphics? Or how about the 27" iMac's that would "just work" but were delivered with greenish or cracked screens, or just wouldn't even turn on? "the old 'Back-in-2007-Apple-did-not-have-that-either. Was that around the same time that OSX could do searches on the fly with Spotlight" Oh you mean like MSN Desktop Search released years earlier? "Apple came bundled with iLife software, while you still had to deal with non-functional drivers, Vista crashes, Vista viruses, Vista ancient search facilities, and dozens of spammed software that could not do sh*t or stopped working after one month" Ah yes, lets look back at Leopard, which didn't even work out of the box with a repeated reboot scenario that left users the inability to get access to their files, and similarly, Snow Leopard, which was released a year later and had the same problem, by automatically deleting users files if there was a Guest account. Broken promises, indeed.
Logjamming
on Apr 1, 2010
"Right, because a concept piece, and an unreleased product are really indicators of stuff that's promised and not delivered. How about all of the Mac rumours that the iPad would run full OS X, and include 3D graphics? " So now you're confusing webbased rumours with press releases from Microsoft. Great. Did you follow the same 'Selective Arguments 1.0' course Paul took. This is not even the same ballgame, turd. "Or how about the 27" iMac's that would "just work" but were delivered with greenish or cracked screens, or just wouldn't even turn on?" Very few cases which were addressed within 4-6 weeks with firmware updates. Recall the hardware Microsoft made, for instance the famous Red Ring of Death on the X-Box? Btw...what other hardware does Microsoft make, apart from some keyboards? "Oh you mean like MSN Desktop Search released years earlier?" Clearly, if you're mistaking MSN DS with spotlight's searching on the fly you have just disqualified yourself in any discussion on OSX searching abilities. "Ah yes, lets look back at Leopard, which didn't even work out of the box with a repeated reboot scenario that left users the inability to get access to their files, and similarly, Snow Leopard, which was released a year later and had the same problem, by automatically deleting users files if there was a Guest account" Ah yes, the 62% install Windows 7 bug (http://mcpmag.com/articles/2009/11/03/fix-it-released-for-windows-7-upgr...) which still affected users whilst Windows 7 obviously was tested by millions in the Windows 7 beta problem. At least that wasn't caused by third party software, like the Leopard install. Which wasn't tested by a trillion users in a beta program. Clearly, if you cannot have these users identify such a basic installation problem, it speaks volumes of the intellect of Windows users. - Or the 'lets not address the W7 security issue', discovered by German researchers. - Or the French and German government advising their citizens NOT to use IE. - Or the 'not so free-upgrade after all' Windows 7 upgrade which made you pay up to 25$ for shipment. - Or the Word infringement, leaving Microsoft to pay millions in patent violation: can you say software theft? April 1, 2010 12:46 PM
Waethorn
on Apr 1, 2010
"So now you're confusing webbased rumours with press releases from Microsoft." And where did Microsoft announce anything in Windows Phone 7 that has been subsequently announced as being cut? Also, you're the one confusing press releases with concept videos (of Courier). There's a huge difference, but you're obviously too stupid to recognize that. "Very few cases which were addressed within 4-6 weeks with firmware updates" Considering that 1 writer on Gizmodo had to replace his 27" 3 times, I'd say that's a pretty good indicator. "what other hardware does Microsoft make, apart from some keyboards?" Microsoft doesn't make anything themselves - they contract out the hardware manufacturing to likely a Chinese ODM (just like Apple does). But as far as stuff that carries their name, there's the entertainment products, Zune and Xbox, as well as very popular mice (notably popular with the Mac crows), very good quality webcams, keyboards, and laptop accessories: http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/ " if you're mistaking MSN DS with spotlight's searching on the fly you have just disqualified yourself in any discussion on OSX searching abilities." Actually no. MSN DS had instant search before OS X did. "Ah yes, the 62% install Windows 7 bug (mcpmag.com/.../fix-it-released-for-windows-7-upgrade-problem.aspx) which still affected users whilst Windows 7 obviously was tested by millions in the Windows 7 beta problem." Yes, Microsoft released a fix for it. What did Apple do to get users back to a working computer without having to wipe everything and start over? Hmm?? But lets not address the recent Apple update that fixes a whopping 88 bugs, or Apple software being pwned 3 years in a row at Pwn2Own within record time, or Apple charging $129 for every service pack....

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