Is an unlocked Nokia Lumia 9000 a good Windows 8 test machine? - See one on sale for $199

TomCoffee

Today's Woot is a Nokia Lumia 900 for $199. That's about the cheapest I've been able to find any Windows 8 tablet/phone for testing... Is this a decent phone for testing purposes? Do all Windows 8 machines more or less act the same - just with different resolutions? Is it analogous to iPhones and iPads working about the same?

Here's today's woot: http://www.woot.com/offers/nokia-lumia-900-16gb-unlocked-cell-phone-1

Thanks in advance! I figure I could pick this up for $200 and then publish two WIndows 8 apps with the $100 promotion and pay for it in a month or two...

EDIT: Wait.. this only runs Windows 7.8... not sure if that's close enough to Windows 8 or not. Yeesh. Anyone know for sure?

-Tom

jujutouch

Hi @TomCoffee, before you purchase this device let me point out it is a "Windows Phone" and not the "Windows 8" type of device you may be thinking that GameSalad can publish too.

http://www.cnet.com.au/nokia-lumia-900-339340407.htm

In this review I found for you is a statement:

"Recently, Microsoft revealed the next iteration in its mobile OS, Windows Phone 8, but it also announced that the current Windows Phone handsets will not be eligible for an update. This includes the brand new Lumia 900. Microsoft intends to release Windows Phone 7.8 at the same time as 8..."

From another discussion:

http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/373607/#Comment_373607

@Wirelesstkd - no, not exactly. The Windows 8 implementation does, in fact, cover these bases in terms of working on all Windows 8 tablets and PC's... but the Windows 8 phone works on an entirely different framework, and is thus a different implementation.

Xbox (in this case Indie games) also run on a separate framework that doesn't directly correlate to the Windows 8 experience.

I hope this gets to you in time...