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Syncing a Windows Phone to Surface

MHC48

Member
I've been using a Windows 7 (now 7.5) phone for two years and the Consumer preview version of Windows 8 since June. So I am very comfortable with the active tiles etc.

But if Zune is gone, how will I be able to sync my Windows Phone music, videos, podcasts and photos to my Surface? I've read that there is no Xbox Music for Windows Phone 7 and presumably Zune will not be installable on RT. Will I have to/be able to go through the File Explorer? Or do I also have to buy a Windows 8 Phone?
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
The idea of "syncing" media files through an independent program is a dead one. Although I understand what you are asking, you are being pushed to think about such activities in a different way. No longer will you have a program/app (Zune) on your PC that is used to manage media on other devices. There are cloud solutions for files which can be used to "sync" your music but really the future is being crafted another way. Companies are now asking you to buy music from them and they will keep it in the cloud for you to stream whenever you want. Xbox Music is basically a streaming service and that is where MS wants you to be.

Of course streaming is data intensive so your fall backs are cloud syncing through Sky Drive or Dropbox (which you would presumably do through wifi) or manual file management via explorer.
 

Mr.NK

Super Moderator
Problem is: We'd got all the updates via Zune. Also backups via the official are only possible through this. Downloading MP3s or Video via Skydrive is'nt possible yet. So only contacts, mail and pictures/docs could be syncable via cloud services.
If there's no modern-ui-app, WP7.5 seems to be abandoned on Surface. Other options? Adress a WP7.5 via MTP- or UMS-protocol seems unlikely.
I'm sometimes glad, that my main pc is running win7, so i'm able to get along with the drawbacks of winrt. Saying this, it's just clear, that surface rt isn't meant to be a full replacement for a pc. But i'm okay with that.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
Well, yes, you can take it as RT isn't meant to be a full replacement of a PC (it's not) for things like syncing a phone but I think the point about dropping WP7 is the larger one. Yes, you can officially say MS has abandoned WP7/7.5 (I'm pretty sure there will be no updates to worry about). Hopefully that just means better phones in the future.

I departed with my WP after a couple of months for a variety of reasons but hey I gave it to my mom and she loves it. Two years (assuming you are on contract) goes by pretty quick and you'll have Surface to keep you happy with updates and progress in Windows :big smile:
 
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Mr.NK

Super Moderator
[...]you'll have Surface to keep you happy with updates and progress in Windows :big smile:
Off: Sometimes, i've just got the bad feeling, that ms could also abandon WinRT in case of missing success pretty quick But it seems a common fate for early-adaptors. Just thinking of my MD-Walkmans :D
Anyway btt.
 

joeaux

New Member
Heh. Yeah, but you gotta admit, MD-Walkmans were freakin' cool. As a matter of fact, I dragged mine out about a month ago (just because I "found" it) and played it. God that thing sounded fantastic. Actually better than any iPod or iPhone. Back on topic; it'd be cool to be able to sync my Lumia 900 (got a 920 preordered) with my RT tablet but unless Microsoft has the Zune sync feature built in it probably won't happen.
-joe-
 
OP
MHC48

MHC48

Member
The idea of "syncing" media files through an independent program is a dead one. Although I understand what you are asking, you are being pushed to think about such activities in a different way. No longer will you have a program/app (Zune) on your PC that is used to manage media on other devices. There are cloud solutions for files which can be used to "sync" your music but really the future is being crafted another way. Companies are now asking you to buy music from them and they will keep it in the cloud for you to stream whenever you want. Xbox Music is basically a streaming service and that is where MS wants you to be.

Of course streaming is data intensive so your fall backs are cloud syncing through Sky Drive or Dropbox (which you would presumably do through wifi) or manual file management via explorer.

I don't think you do get what I'm saying. I understand the new paradigm. But you add music other media and OS updates (ATT still hasn't released the latest one) to a WP7 phone via Zune. There will be no Zune program or app on RT. So that means either keep a Windows 7 computer, or update to Windows 8 on an x86 machine and load Zune as a legacy program to use on the desktop. But you can't do that on Surface. As Mr. NK said some of the things you mention, like streaming music on a phone may well come in the future (though I cringe at the bandwidth and download charges now that all the carriers are limiting downloads), but are not possibilities in the present. And you can't save or copy those sorts of files on Skydrive. I probably will get a Win 8 phone but hoped to keep my Samsung Focus for travel, which means among other things loading and changing the music and other media on it.

It's just one more device added to the long list of those MS has abandoned.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
I don't think you do get what I'm saying. I understand the new paradigm. But you add music other media and OS updates (ATT still hasn't released the latest one) to a WP7 phone via Zune. There will be no Zune program or app on RT. So that means either keep a Windows 7 computer, or update to Windows 8 on an x86 machine and load Zune as a legacy program to use on the desktop. But you can't do that on Surface.

I actually do understand. I'll say it a little more clearly. Microsoft is aborting WP7 and Zune media software. There will be no more desktop application called Zune and there will be no more support for WP7. That means on regular PCs, laptops or tablets 8 or RT. So there is no reason for them to put a Zune application or way to interact with WP7 on a Windows RT tablet.Of course if you have Zune already on a PC you can continue to use it as a way to interact and backup your WP7 phone but really it is just a MS version of iTunes music/media management.

I sincerely doubt you will be getting updated to WP7.5 if you haven't already and AT&T is not interested in it. One of the reasons I ditched my WP because the carrier was getting in the way of even minor updates. Microsoft wants everybody to move on to WP8. MS does not want to support zune any more.

Microsoft wants you to use WP8, the cloud and Xbox music service. Like Android and modern iDevices you will not need to update, backup and restore your phone through PC software. This will all be done over the air and through the cloud.

Edit: I forgot to mention you can actually use SkyDrive, DropBox, Amazon or many other services to manage the files exactly as you are suggesting. Put the media file in your cloud storage (SkyDrive) from your PC. Open the SkyDrive app on your WP7 then download and save that media file on your phone. This is the new way of managing media and you can do it now. So you can update and manage your media for travel without ever connecting to a PC, just upload from wherever the media is saved and download on the phone.


As Mr. NK said some of the things you mention, like streaming music on a phone may well come in the future (though I cringe at the bandwidth and download charges now that all the carriers are limiting downloads), but are not possibilities in the present. And you can't save or copy those sorts of files on Skydrive. I probably will get a Win 8 phone but hoped to keep my Samsung Focus for travel, which means among other things loading and changing the music and other media on it.

This isn't the future it actually is now. Have you ever heard of any software you have to install on your PC for updating and syncing Android phones? Microsoft is forcing you to go this direction from now on with WP8. Yes, you would have huge data costs over the networks but the assumption is that you will do the heavy downloading and updating over wifi. In fact the devices have an option that says only download large files over wifi, so these issues have been though about.

Now all app purchases, movie purchases, book purchases and music purchases are saved in the could. Buy it once and put it on any device that you own that also runs that OS. Have to restore your phone? Guess what as soon as you log into your account everything is in the could waiting to reinstall on your device. This gets rid of the need to plug into a PC and use a program like Zune.

Music is taking it one step further instead of just backing up a receipt that you already own a piece of music that you can download to a device again if you need to, they are keeping a copy in the cloud for you and then letting you play it anyway you want. In other words, buy a song and then you are able to stream that song and the rest of your library on any device at any time through the cloud.


It's just one more device added to the long list of those MS has abandoned.

Not so sure about this. MS has a very good history of long term support for devices. These days it is very common for many companies to drop support of devices and you can look at HP, Palm, Blackberry and Motorola all as examples of companies who are worse about abandoning devices than MS. Sometimes it happens (zune and kin) and these days most companies choose to treat mobile devices and tablets as disposable.

I understand you may be frustrated by not being able to ditch your PC in favor of your RT tablet because it doesn't support Zune. If that is your priority you have two choices. 1) you can wait and get a Surface Pro or other Windows 8 tablet that will support zune or 2) you can update to WP8. This is why I made the comment that two years (the typical lock in for a phone) goes by pretty quickly because chances are you will be updating to a WP8 phone sooner or later anyway.

JP
 
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jerrys30

New Member
You can still download the Zune client on Windows 8 and sync your wp7 phone. I have been doing it since the RTM version came out. You can't however do this on the Surface since it does not allow you to install any apps that are not from the app store.
 

J515OP

Super Moderator
You can still download the Zune client on Windows 8 and sync your wp7 phone. I have been doing it since the RTM version came out. You can't however do this on the Surface since it does not allow you to install any apps that are not from the app store.

Right, that is what he is asking, about installing Zune on Windows RT which is technically not Windows 8 and cannot be done.
 

Twisticles

New Member
There is a Windows Phone app from MS in the Store.

Doesn't seem to recognize my L900 on Win8 Pro though...guess it must be for WP8 phones...
 
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