I’ve been rocking a Surface Pro 3 for a while now. Other than Windows Hello, I haven’t felt like I’ve been missing out on anything by not getting a newer model. Considering that it’s 5 years old now, it hasn’t really shown its age. It’s a damn tank. The screen isn’t cracked, the body is in good shape and it doesn’t even breath hard while playing Portal 2. No, this isn’t a craigslist ad to sell it. But it is a testament to two things. 1: Microsoft has made a great piece of hardware. It’s well crafted and engineered. The Surface line should be the benchmark of what a good PC/Tablet should be. 2: They’ve done almost nothing to compel me to buy a replacement. If it weren’t for the fact that I want the Surface Book 2 just so that I can have a portable Xbox One, I’d have to run this Surface Pro into the ground before I ran out for a new one. That’s not the fault of the Surface line at all. The blame rests squarely on the shoulder of Windows 10.
Windows 10 just passed Windows 7 for market share. A threshold it really should’ve crossed last year. Instead it’s kind of grinded to that achievement. Because Microsoft has dropped the ball on making Windows 10 something people want and love instead of just need. Don’t believe me? Fine! Pay no attention to the fact that Windows 10 only just now beat Windows 7 for market share. How about the fact that Cortana is officially the dumbest assistant? When Cortana launched, she was the bell of the ball putting Siri to shame in many respects. Maybe you can blame it on Windows Phone imploding (abandoned by Nadella). But considering that Cortana is also available on Android and iOS, I don’t see this as an excuse. She’s also available with the Invoke speaker and the Surface Headphones. So, there shouldn’t be a reason for her to have languished. She has even lost features considering that they lit Groove music on fire. So now she can’t identify a song. One would think that the left hand would know what the right hand is doing here. Maybe buy Soundhound before you cripple your AI of what’s become a basic functionality.
Apple does a great job of two things. One is forcing you into new hardware and the second is making you get new software, and no one cries about having to do either. I know Microsoft can’t force updates on their customers the way Apple does. They’ll be crucified. For god’s sake, Apples iPad Pro folds like superman on laundry day and people are still buying it. But Microsoft could at least make Windows 10 something people want to get, starting with Cortana. I’m not expecting her to be K.I.T.T from Knight Rider. But she should do more than just be there for sake of being there. Let the user create skills for her. Let us choose the wake word for here and even change her name & gender. Why is it that she can’t scan anything? Search in Windows Phone 7 used to do this. Now it’s noticeably absent. Nor can she unlock a Windows device, screen calls and messages, give you a run down of the news or sports, send a voice message (she’s in skype. Why not?), make purchases, vocally call up reminders, set multiple timers for different tasks, in fact often, she brings up Bing via edge.
There are things that should be just obvious. For instance, Cortana is in Skype. Why is she reminding me of things in there that I already have Cortana for in Windows or Android? Why can’t I have her remind other people of things? Hey Cortana, remind Steve when he gets home to take out the garbage. Or send automated messages. Hey Cortana, When I get home, text Natasha thanks or diner. Or be helpful in scheduling things using outlook and Bing maps. At best she creates tasks, not appointments. She can’t even read or send messages from skype. Seriously, Alexa can make skype calls, but Cortana can’t. I applaud Microsoft for putting Cortana on IFTTT. But this doesn’t make up for her deficiencies in so many other places. It seems like Microsoft is more than content to pawn off as much of the work on Amazons Alexa rather than improve Cortana. But Cortana is hardly the biggest failing. Tablet mode on Windows 10 isn’t winning any prizes either. To say it’s been skating by for the past 5 years would be kind.
Windows 8 and 8.1 was an awesome tablet OS. The start screen had gestures. Pinch to compress all the tiles to get to the tile group your looking for faster. Sort between the apps you use the most to the least. Universal sharing via the charms bar. Windows phone is an awesome is an awesome tablet OS. It has custom notification sounds, live folders, transparent tiles & a virtual joystick on the keyboard. The tablet mode on Windows 10 at this point it just there leaving much to be desired. The Action Center could stand to learn a few things from Microsoft next lock screen app from Android. Hell, it’d be nice if it was available on the lock screen. Picture password hasn’t been updated since Windows 8.1. The keyboard is SwiftKey in name only. You can’t change the way it looks, can’t add gifs or search from Bing. There’s not even a joystick. It’s not bad… for 2 years ago. Microsoft has put more work into making Android more usable as a touch OS than they have Windows 10. If they spent more time leaning into what they got right with Windows 10 Mobile than running away from it, maybe Windows 10 would be more compelling on a touch screen.
Not to long ago we were told a great story of there now being one Microsoft. Not nearly as disjointed as it once was. Yet it seems like they haven’t put the team that makes Launcher for Android, the team that made Windows Mobile and the XBox team that did the dashboard in a room with ANY surface device minus the keyboard and told them to make the OS usable and modern. Seriously Microsoft, what’s the point of making touch screen devices while doing nothing about the touch screen part of the OS? Let’s do what’s obvious here: Add universal sharing to the action center replacing the redundant setting button. Bring the action center to the lock screen and add shortcuts to it. From the lock screen, give us back the ability to take pictures either by adding a camera button or swiping down from the drop shade. From anywhere in Windows, swipe the left side of the screen, you get timeline, but from the top of the screen, you get buttons to get glance (with frequently used apps, Cortana/Your phone text messages/travel/weather, recent mail and events, tasks, sticky notes and screen time) and news. The Start screen needs Live folders keep tile groups and add compress tile groups. Learn from the Xbox one. Pinned apps on one pane as it is now. But swiping to the right should give you other things. Take the store out from the app and put it start screen. Another swipe takes you to people. This pane should be extensible (think hubs) so that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc can plug into it. Add custom notification sounds, transparent tiles, a virtual joystick and put Windows 10 up on IFTTT for automated tasks.
Furthermore, Windows 10 users are the second-class citizens of the computing world. We get ignored by developers and companies all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked for an app and have been told to use their website instead. But do you also have to be in that group? How many of your apps that you have on iOS and Android do you also have on Windows 10? Seriously? I’d rather use Outlook on Android than use the Mail or Calendar app on Windows 10. I remember When Satya Nadella said Windows 10 Mobile is for fans and enthusiasts. We were up for anything. We were ready to be Microsofts guinea pig for apps and features but instead we got tossed aside. I’m getting that feeling with Windows. If this is how you treat fans and enthusiasts, why should anyone be a casual customer. Bring your apps to Windows 10. It’s been said a million times by millions of people: If you’re serious about software, you make your own hardware. Microsoft, you make great hardware. I look forward to my Surface Book 2 and I may well get the Surface Headphones. You NEED to take the software seriously.
Windows 10 just passed Windows 7 for market share. A threshold it really should’ve crossed last year. Instead it’s kind of grinded to that achievement. Because Microsoft has dropped the ball on making Windows 10 something people want and love instead of just need. Don’t believe me? Fine! Pay no attention to the fact that Windows 10 only just now beat Windows 7 for market share. How about the fact that Cortana is officially the dumbest assistant? When Cortana launched, she was the bell of the ball putting Siri to shame in many respects. Maybe you can blame it on Windows Phone imploding (abandoned by Nadella). But considering that Cortana is also available on Android and iOS, I don’t see this as an excuse. She’s also available with the Invoke speaker and the Surface Headphones. So, there shouldn’t be a reason for her to have languished. She has even lost features considering that they lit Groove music on fire. So now she can’t identify a song. One would think that the left hand would know what the right hand is doing here. Maybe buy Soundhound before you cripple your AI of what’s become a basic functionality.
Apple does a great job of two things. One is forcing you into new hardware and the second is making you get new software, and no one cries about having to do either. I know Microsoft can’t force updates on their customers the way Apple does. They’ll be crucified. For god’s sake, Apples iPad Pro folds like superman on laundry day and people are still buying it. But Microsoft could at least make Windows 10 something people want to get, starting with Cortana. I’m not expecting her to be K.I.T.T from Knight Rider. But she should do more than just be there for sake of being there. Let the user create skills for her. Let us choose the wake word for here and even change her name & gender. Why is it that she can’t scan anything? Search in Windows Phone 7 used to do this. Now it’s noticeably absent. Nor can she unlock a Windows device, screen calls and messages, give you a run down of the news or sports, send a voice message (she’s in skype. Why not?), make purchases, vocally call up reminders, set multiple timers for different tasks, in fact often, she brings up Bing via edge.
There are things that should be just obvious. For instance, Cortana is in Skype. Why is she reminding me of things in there that I already have Cortana for in Windows or Android? Why can’t I have her remind other people of things? Hey Cortana, remind Steve when he gets home to take out the garbage. Or send automated messages. Hey Cortana, When I get home, text Natasha thanks or diner. Or be helpful in scheduling things using outlook and Bing maps. At best she creates tasks, not appointments. She can’t even read or send messages from skype. Seriously, Alexa can make skype calls, but Cortana can’t. I applaud Microsoft for putting Cortana on IFTTT. But this doesn’t make up for her deficiencies in so many other places. It seems like Microsoft is more than content to pawn off as much of the work on Amazons Alexa rather than improve Cortana. But Cortana is hardly the biggest failing. Tablet mode on Windows 10 isn’t winning any prizes either. To say it’s been skating by for the past 5 years would be kind.
Windows 8 and 8.1 was an awesome tablet OS. The start screen had gestures. Pinch to compress all the tiles to get to the tile group your looking for faster. Sort between the apps you use the most to the least. Universal sharing via the charms bar. Windows phone is an awesome is an awesome tablet OS. It has custom notification sounds, live folders, transparent tiles & a virtual joystick on the keyboard. The tablet mode on Windows 10 at this point it just there leaving much to be desired. The Action Center could stand to learn a few things from Microsoft next lock screen app from Android. Hell, it’d be nice if it was available on the lock screen. Picture password hasn’t been updated since Windows 8.1. The keyboard is SwiftKey in name only. You can’t change the way it looks, can’t add gifs or search from Bing. There’s not even a joystick. It’s not bad… for 2 years ago. Microsoft has put more work into making Android more usable as a touch OS than they have Windows 10. If they spent more time leaning into what they got right with Windows 10 Mobile than running away from it, maybe Windows 10 would be more compelling on a touch screen.
Not to long ago we were told a great story of there now being one Microsoft. Not nearly as disjointed as it once was. Yet it seems like they haven’t put the team that makes Launcher for Android, the team that made Windows Mobile and the XBox team that did the dashboard in a room with ANY surface device minus the keyboard and told them to make the OS usable and modern. Seriously Microsoft, what’s the point of making touch screen devices while doing nothing about the touch screen part of the OS? Let’s do what’s obvious here: Add universal sharing to the action center replacing the redundant setting button. Bring the action center to the lock screen and add shortcuts to it. From the lock screen, give us back the ability to take pictures either by adding a camera button or swiping down from the drop shade. From anywhere in Windows, swipe the left side of the screen, you get timeline, but from the top of the screen, you get buttons to get glance (with frequently used apps, Cortana/Your phone text messages/travel/weather, recent mail and events, tasks, sticky notes and screen time) and news. The Start screen needs Live folders keep tile groups and add compress tile groups. Learn from the Xbox one. Pinned apps on one pane as it is now. But swiping to the right should give you other things. Take the store out from the app and put it start screen. Another swipe takes you to people. This pane should be extensible (think hubs) so that Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc can plug into it. Add custom notification sounds, transparent tiles, a virtual joystick and put Windows 10 up on IFTTT for automated tasks.
Furthermore, Windows 10 users are the second-class citizens of the computing world. We get ignored by developers and companies all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked for an app and have been told to use their website instead. But do you also have to be in that group? How many of your apps that you have on iOS and Android do you also have on Windows 10? Seriously? I’d rather use Outlook on Android than use the Mail or Calendar app on Windows 10. I remember When Satya Nadella said Windows 10 Mobile is for fans and enthusiasts. We were up for anything. We were ready to be Microsofts guinea pig for apps and features but instead we got tossed aside. I’m getting that feeling with Windows. If this is how you treat fans and enthusiasts, why should anyone be a casual customer. Bring your apps to Windows 10. It’s been said a million times by millions of people: If you’re serious about software, you make your own hardware. Microsoft, you make great hardware. I look forward to my Surface Book 2 and I may well get the Surface Headphones. You NEED to take the software seriously.
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