WM Meet Win7

For some reason I think a large number of you have been using Win7 for a while now and I’m sure a lot of you have or are thinking of getting it. The question that’s always being asked is how Win7 will treat WM. The answer seems to be that it’s pretty much the same as Vista…which is acceptable. There is a notable joke on WM here though. On Microsoft’s list of top 10 reasons to upgrade Vista to Win7 they note “10: Manage devices more easily—manage printers, cameras, music players, and other devices from a single, consistent, place.” Sounds neat, let’s check the link out. The dedicated page for “Device Management” reads as follows

In Windows 7, working with cameras, cell phones, and other devices is easier than with prior versions of Windows, thanks to two new features: Device Stage and the Devices and Printers folder.

Device Stage

Device Stage provides a single place to check on and manage cell phones, printers, digital cameras, and other compatible devices.

Manufacturers can customize Device Stage to show relevant status (like the number of shots on your camera) and menu options (like picking a ringtone). Device Stage is usually tailored to your device—down to a photo of your exact model, so you can find what you’re looking for at a glance.

Ok sounds sweet. I wonder how good it works. Then I read this article from PCMag.com noting “Almost no mobile vendors are supporting Device Stage. Not even Microsoft!” Essentially phone manufacturers need to add custom files for the phones to be supported and Microsoft hasn’t done it with their own phones. Seriously, we’re not asking for much out of you…

Jamie Lendino of PCMag.com reports that the Fuze was detected and synchronized properly with Win7 even though it was detected as “Microsoft Mobile Remote Adapter #2”. If you’re running Win7  share your experiences with the community.