Posted on 01/28/2015 12:25:20 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Microsoft sure does like to change the way things are named! Windows CE gave way to Handheld PC and Palm PC, then to Palm-Sized PC, then Pocket PC was replaced by Windows Mobile Standard, Professional, and Classic. Windows Phone came along when Microsoft rebooted the platform in the wake of competition from Apple and Android. Windows Phone 7 was followed by Windows Phone 7.5, then 8.0, and most recently 8.1. Did I miss any? Are you confused yet? Then again, one could argue whether or not Microsoft’s naming has been more or less confusing than Android’s “sweet tooth” classification (it hasn’t been as fun, that’s for sure). The official name for the next version of Windows to run on smartphones isn’t “Windows Phone 10″ as you might assume (though that would be an easy mistake to make). Microsoft is calling it “Windows 10 for phones”.
You may have heard my story before. When Apple spun Newton back in, then killed it off, I switched to a Palm PC from Casio – powered by Microsoft’s mobile OS. I stuck with Microsoft through the “rapid-fire renaming” all the way up to Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional. That’s when I finally admitted that Windows Mobile was dead. I jumped ship to Android and haven’t looked back – until now.
Microsoft has been promising us a “unified” experience across desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, and even TV (via XBOX) for some time now. It’s been fumbling miserably all over the place. The jump from Windows 7 to Windows 8 was one that I just couldn’t stomach on the desktop PC. After using Windows 8 for weeks on my desktop computer, I did something I can’t recall ever having done before: I uninstalled the latest version of an OS and put the older one back on. That’s something even Windows Vista couldn’t get me to do. Some people loved Windows 8. I didn’t. I’ve heard that Windows 8.1 fixed some things, but I haven’t had the stomach to invest the time that it will take to acquire and install a fresh copy on my primary computer.
Having seen Windows 10 presented last week, I’ve got to admit: I’m impressed. The unification between platforms seems like it’s finally here – except XBOX, but that’s almost expected, right? Windows 10 has this Android Guy feeling pretty envious. Here are my reasons why.
Siri and “OK, Google” have changed the way we interact with our phones. Instead of finding the app we’re looking for, then inputting data, instead we just press a button or say a key phrase, speak whatever it is we’re after, and our phone takes care of the rest for us. Siri is a bit more “human” than Google’s solution, allowing for more natural questions and responses. Google’s is more conversational, allowing follow-up questions to be asked and answered. Google’s is also faster than Siri (don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself).
Microsoft’s solution is Cortana. In case you don’t know, Cortana is Master Chief’s AI (artificial intelligence). Anyone who’s played any of the Halo games has loyalty and respect for Cortana. (If you haven’t played the games, you can’t fully appreciate what I mean by this.) Cortana has gotten countless gamers out of innumerable pinches for over a decade.
Now, Cortana has been brought to smartphones, tablets, and with Windows 10, even desktop computers. Shedding the scantily clad, Tron-esque hologram from the video games, Cortana in the Windows 10 family is a simple circle, but Microsoft used the same voice actress for the digital assistant as it did in the video games. With the “10” update, Cortana synchronizes your searches and things she thinks you’re interested in between your phone, tablet, and PC. The voice recognition engine has been improved and can tell when you’re refining your search or action, similar to “OK, Google”.
The deep integration of Cortana, not to mention the inherent trust that Halo-players will have for her answers puts Microsoft’s voice assistant far ahead of what Google and Apple are offering.
Using an Android means using Google’s software solutions. From Gmail to Drive, Docs to Sheets, Hangouts to Calendar, everything you do on an Android is Google. Of course you can install third-party apps, Microsoft even has more than a couple apps for Android, but the tight integration here revolves around Google services. That’s just the way Google wants it, and who can blame it.
The computer I’m using to write this article with is running Windows 7. The computer I use at my day job is running Windows 7 as well. The servers that run the websites I develop for are running Windows Server with Microsoft IIS and Microsoft SQL Server. The IDE I use to develop my websites is Microsoft Visual Studio. The enterprise uses Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, CRM, Dynamics AX… need I go on?
Why do so many enterprises standardize on Microsoft Solutions? Is it because they’re the best at doing any given thing? Usually not. They are, however, usually the best at talking to one another. Standardizing on Microsoft Technologies generally means that things not only look and feel the same, it means they talk with each other very, very well.
I have Chrome installed in both places, and use the web browser as my Gmail and Calendar clients. I have the Drive and Hangouts plugins running, but all of that seems like a hodgepodge of software and services cobbled together. Sure, on Android it all looks uniform and unified, but that’s the only environment in which it does. Not even Chromebook, Google’s own laptop environment, looks like Android.
Microsoft will now have a unified look and feel, optimized for the environment on which its OS is being run, with “Universal Apps” that look, feel, and function the same across the several platforms. Combine this with the tight integration of Microsoft services in the enterprise and we’re poised to see Microsoft take the reins once again.
Will Windows Phone 10 (or “Windows 10 for phones”) be the platform that finally woos me away from Android and back over to Microsoft? It’s too early to tell. I’ll be loading up the Windows 10 preview on my laptop later this week, and will get a taste of the progress Microsoft has made so far. Once Windows phone hardware is available I’m sure I’ll get my hands on it to see just how tight the integration really is. Until then, I’ve gotta say, I’m feeling pretty green with envy… or should that be “blue”?
SeekandFind, shame on you. You have just caused me to lust...and over a blue lady no less!
Makes me wonder.... are they going to use that Mystique-like lady as the Symbol for Win 10? Creepy.
What does the lady have to do with the article?
I could see that if they had branded the product “Windows X”…
As soon as it’s viable, I’ll probably port my new Windows 7 laptop to V10.
I have a Windows 8 phone and had 8.1 laptop which just died.(5.5 y/o Dell, started on Vista) With SkyDrive everything is seamless. Maybe I’ll wait for the 10 to come out before I get another computer. The only thing I can’t do on the phone is certain types of video and live streaming.
She is Cortana.
My primitive Tracfone works just fine thank you.
I wouldn’t put it past Microsoft to fork over some bucks to bloggers. Just say’in...
In December, I finally got an iPhone 6 Plus, which has been a wonderful experience.
Here are a few observations.
Many of the things the iPhone can do can also be done by the Android phone. However, almost every one of them comes with some little "fine print" on the Android; with the Apple, there is no fine print at all.
On Android, roll-to-voice-mail never worked. I had to buy a third-party voice-mail app (called YouMail) which never worked. They also never charged me their $2.99/mo fee, so they were a disappointment but not an outrage.
On Apple, of course, high-quality voice mail is built in.
On Android, you couldn't send or receive text while on a phone conversation, at least until recently.
Apple's multitasking seems to be extremely robust, and you can do anything you want, any time you want.
Android's notepad app didn't work with its voice recognition software.
Apple's Siri voice recognition works with everything, including their notepad (called "Notes").
Android's voice recognition is kind of a toy. Not terrible, but not really ready for prime time.
Apple's voice recognition is incredibly accurate and reliable, with a surprisingly advanced ability to recognize technical terms, as well as family names, which it seems to "get used to" over time. It can tell the difference between my daughter (Mae) and the fifth month of the year (May) by context. This is with no training by me, other than by using it.
There are many other small- and medium-sized issues in which the Apple is just miles ahead of Android.
Android (and Microsoft) tend to make the user feel dumb.
Apple makes you feel smart.
Also, I would add that the Apple iPhone 6 Plus has an incredible camera. More than eight megapixels, with extremely bright colors. Also it has built in motion compensation (which is very good), and, most remarkably, slo mo to 240 frames per second. And that's with no limitations. You can shoot as much as you like in slow motion, at least as far as I can tell.
The low-light capability of the camera is most impressive also.
There are many other features that are very cool; too many to bring to mind off the top of my head.
The thing about Apple is everything works with everything, with no ifs, ands, or buts. On Android, that was sometimes true, but usually not true.
Of course, Apple does cost more. But you get what you pay for in life.
I run a Surface Pro Tablet PC, a Lumia 1520 Windows Phone and an XBox 360. Already, I have good functionality across the platforms.
I am testing Windows 10 on a Lenovo X201 laptop.....it works nicely with the old hardware.
What I love is I can login to any device, access my contacts, emails and files, then logout and have total security. If I get a new device, I login and it downloads everything, even setting up my screen the way it was on my last device...including all apps and files.
MS has been heading this way for a while and are poised to nail it.
Apple and Google might currently have the market, but the giant is stalking them.
The public will decide.
Kripke using Siri on his iPhone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA5Zhir8rbc
Everything you said is true, in my experience.
Except you need to swap the names around. The apple devices have always made me feel helpless, like they know better than I who owns the device. Same with Apple OS X, etc. They know better for connections, where files go, etc. Windows? I know that files I download are in Download. That files I create are in My Documents. Software I install are in Programs.
Just use whatever you like.
/admitted cisco ios and junos guy who works on wireless and carrier class university networking.
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