Poll for Mic Usage on Home PC's (data for Cortana usage on PC)

[b23h]

I am interested in doing a poll to see if my experience is widely shared or if it is unusual.

While I have multiple home computers my main home computer is a desktop with a webcam/mic that I rarely use and do not have plugged in. Given my concerns about privacy issues around webcams/live mics (from way before the NSA issue, but certainly relevant to that), I am curious as to whether or not I will want to have a live mic for the purpose of running Cortana. I am curious as to what other people's setup and expectations are on this issue.

 

[Laura Knotek]

That is a good question.

I rarely use Cortana via voice on my Windows Phone, so I doubt if I'd use voice on desktop PC.

I'd probably use Cortana via typing on desktop PC, just like I do on Windows Phone.

 

[b23h]

Thanks for voting. The poll will be up for a month. I certainly hope people vote on the poll. The results will be there for anyone to look at. I cannot say that I will be doing a scientific analysis of the results, but with luck enough people will vote for us to get a general idea of the situation. Of course if Cortana ends up to be an excellent product and has a lot of buzz, then the situation can easily change.

I hope people take the time to vote on the poll.

There's kind of three sections:
1. desktop or laptop
2. the different permutations of having a mic and usage
3. intent to use

 

[b23h]

That is a good question.

I rarely use Cortana via voice on my Windows Phone, so I doubt if I'd use voice on desktop PC.

I'd probably use Cortana via typing on desktop PC, just like I do on Windows Phone.

Most of the time I use Cortana it is by voice, and she is decent at doing her voice recognition. Late at night I tend to type stuff in.

Personally I know that to some degree I contradict myself on this issue. Having a phone is like having an open mic with you all day long. I have a Xbox 360, and while at first I was kind of freaked out about having an open mic and camera in my living room I've gotten used to it. When I get an Xbox One that's even worse as the mic is open even when the console is "off". However I'll probably get used to that too and just HOPE that I am insignificant enough to where the NSA isn't looking and that such things haven't been hacked like the webcams on PC's have been.

Clearly though webcams on PC's are a security risk. I run antivirus programs and am security conscious so I probably shouldn't have to worry too much about it, however I normally just have it unplugged because I so rarely use it.

 

[b23h]

Oh, and if anyone thinks the poll is missing something important please tell me and if possible we can see if an ambassador can change it.

 

[b23h]

This is my first poll and I'm certainly no pro so I probably could have worded it a bit better. I'd like to suggest that for the laptop users, even though there is no such thing as an "unplugged" mic on a laptop, I do suggest still voting in the second part (the different permutations of having a mic and usage) under the "plugged in" part of usage; occasional/often/always live.

 

[b23h]

So far 217 views and six entries into the poll results in an .0276 response ratio.

Come on people, it's not a long poll. I should take under five seconds to read it and vote.

 

[Laura Knotek]

This is my first poll and I'm certainly no pro so I probably could have worded it a bit better. I'd like to suggest that for the laptop users, even though there is no such thing as an "unplugged" mic on a laptop, I do suggest still voting in the second part (the different permutations of having a mic and usage) under the "plugged in" part of usage; occasional/often/always live.

Many laptop users do place a piece of black tape over their webcams.

I've had two different laptops with webcams in the past 6 years, and I've never used the webcams other than to see if they worked on the first day I've used the laptops. I've never had a reason or desire to do video chatting. Even when I've used Skype, it's been voice only.

 

[b23h]

Keep on voting!!

I am a little surprised at how many people are using a laptop as their main computer. So far the intention to use Cortana (implied with voice input) is tied.