CORTANA + iOS/Android and why you're WRONG!

[Keith Wallace]

Think about it this way, 3 years on and your Lumia 920 will run the newest software available and with probably no issues at all, while your flagship Android from this year will be 2nd in the queue for newest update a year from now because there is already hundreds more flagships there.

1 year, and I can upgrade to the newest Android device on AT&T Next. 2.5 years after getting my 920, and there's no AT&T successor. My battery life is getting rather paltry, and I could stand to get a newer device with microSD support. I'm a bit close to my 29-GB limit on my phone.

 

[dgr_874]

I'd like someone to tell me point by point how MS services are better on other platforms. No blanket statements, facts. I'd prefer screenshots if possible.

I know for a fact that Outlook is NOT better simply because the contacts are not synced from the Live account. This is Outlook for Exchange, not Windows Live or "Hotmail".

Any app on iOS only allows links from cloud storage because iDevices have no native file storage.

This notion of MS apps running better on other platforms is getting real old and real fast. If readers cannot provide proper proof, the posts will be deleted. It is not fair for casual readers looking to us for proper information to come here and find Kindergarten-style comments with absolutely nothing to back it up.


Sent from my ThinkPad 2 tablet

I can give you one right now. In the OneDrive app for iphone I can save PDF attachments from email directly to whatever folder I want. On windows phone, you have to do this strange workaround with sharing that is a pain. I don't have any screenshots yet, but anyone with ios can confirm what I said.

 

[fatclue_98]

I can give you one right now. In the OneDrive app for iphone I can save PDF attachments from email directly to whatever folder I want. On windows phone, you have to do this strange workaround with sharing that is a pain. I don't have any screenshots yet, but anyone with ios can confirm what I said.

You must have a special iPhone. I can only print, quick look or open in another app by long-pressing a PDF in Mail. I'm on 8.1.3 BTW.

 

[dgr_874]

You must have a special iPhone. I can only print, quick look or open in another app by long-pressing a PDF in Mail. I'm on 8.1.3 BTW.

Long pressing on a PDF attachment in email brings up the share menu. On there one of the options is to open it in OneDrive. From there I simply select what folder I want to save it in and I'm done.

Maybe I don't have a special iphone an you are just not doing it right?

 

[fatclue_98]

On windows phone, you have to do this strange workaround with sharing that is a pain.

Long pressing on a PDF attachment in email brings up the share menu. On there one of the options is to open it in OneDrive.

I can only print, quick look or open in another app by long-pressing a PDF in Mail.

Did I miss something? How's it a pain to open "share" in WP but not a pain on iOS? Correct me if I'm wrong but opening a PDF in WP involves 1 tap. On iOS, you have to long-press, then select the app to open in THEN save or do whatever you wish. I may be doing it wrong, but I'm sure as heck taking fewer steps.

 

[dgr_874]

Did I miss something? How's it a pain to open "share" in WP but not a pain on iOS? Correct me if I'm wrong but opening a PDF in WP involves 1 tap. On iOS, you have to long-press, then select the app to open in THEN save or do whatever you wish. I may be doing it wrong, but I'm sure as heck taking fewer steps.

Its a pain because you CAN NOT directly save a PDF to OneDrive on a windows phone. The only way is to open the pfd in reader, hit the share button, and then before sharing the link, you have to back out of reader. That uploads the file to just the root of your OneDrive and it also adds character in front of the file name. To put the file in the right place, you then have to close reader, open the OneDrive app, find your file in the root of the OneDrive folder, rename it, they select it to move, navigate over to the folder you want, then paste it in place.

On iOS, I open the PDF in mal, long press to select open in OneDrive, navigate to the folder I want to save it in, hit upload. Done.

I don't think you really read what I wrote when you asked for things Microsoft apps does better on iOS. I never said anything about OPENING an PDF, I said IT WAS EASIER TO SAVE. Sharing is about equal in both OSes, SAVING is not.

 

[fatclue_98]

I never said anything about OPENING an PDF, I said IT WAS EASIER TO SAVE. Sharing is about equal in both OSes, SAVING is not.

How does saving from email make OneDrive better on iOS. Saving docs on WP has been an issue since the dawn of WP7. Nothing new here. What does OneDrive on iOS do better than on WP?

 

[dgr_874]

How does saving from email make OneDrive better on iOS. Saving docs on WP has been an issue since the dawn of WP7. Nothing new here. What does OneDrive on iOS do better than on WP?

Really? Can't you just admit that its easier and therefore better on iOS right now? I'll try and make my argument a little more organized and clearer.

1. You asked someone to show you "point by point" and with "screenshots" so you could see how Microsoft apps were better on iOS. I provided all that information.

2. I showed you how you can much more easily save a PDF that you received in an email with the OneDrive app on iOS versus how difficult it is to do the same with the SAME ONEDRIVE APP on windows phone. The OneDrive app on iOS will let you save it wherever you want as an option provided by the app itself. That option is not available on windows phone at all! You have to do a workaround to even upload the PDF to OneDrive.

3. When something is easier to do, I (and I suspect many others will agree) generally consider that a BETTER way of doing it.

I don't know what else to say or show you. You seem bent on holding onto the viewpoint that Microsoft apps on iOS are not better even when shown evidence to the contrary. I didn't even bring up how horrible Office is now compared to the other platforms. I know its changing and will at least be equal if not better when Windows 10 drops. But that's a good 6 months away more than likely. The One Drive app is here and now. Hopefully you can just admit this one, tiny, thing (email PDF attachments) is easier on the iOS OneDrive app.

 

[fatclue_98]

I showed you how you can much more easily save a PDF that you received in an email

That's just it. It's not about OneDrive, it's about saving from email. I can save to OneDrive directly from email without opening the attachment on Mail on a WinRT or 8.1 tablet. Because the mail app allows it, not a feature within OneDrive. I've been railing about the uselessness of Outlook on WP since day 1. This was never a problem on WinMo and it's one of the many things that were taken out. But the fact remains that OneDrive is no better on iOS.

 

[dgr_874]

That's just it. It's not about OneDrive, it's about saving from email. I can save to OneDrive directly from email without opening the attachment on Mail on a WinRT or 8.1 tablet. Because the mail app allows it, not a feature within OneDrive. I've been railing about the uselessness of Outlook on WP since day 1. This was never a problem on WinMo and it's one of the many things that were taken out. But the fact remains that OneDrive is no better on iOS.

Now you are just being silly. This whole time we were talking about WP vs iOS. You only brought up WinRT and 8.1 tablets because you know you lost the argument. Everyone knows mail is better on RT and 8.1 and that was never in doubt. This is about Microsoft apps on other platforms, (and iOS is the platform I showed you on) like you requested.

The mail app on iOS can only do it because the OneDrive app on iOS allows it to, Not the other way around. The feature of saving a PDF from an email is not integral to the mail app on iOS otherwise people would not have been complaining about it for years to no avail. I deal with PDF's on a daily basis and know that WP is currently the worst for handing them.

I guess I am just not going to convince you. Or, I already have (since I posted the screenshot showing all the options you claim to not have) and you just wont admit it for whatever reason.

Just leave this thread up and we can let people try what I did for themselves. If they think I am right about saving PDF's in iOS let them up vote my threads. If I am wrong, then they can up vote yours. I am fine with that outcome, I know what is easier for me.

Either way ill just agree to disagree and leave it at that.

 

[fatclue_98]

The mail app on iOS can only do it because the OneDrive app on iOS allows it to, Not the other way around.

You're calling me silly? If you didn't have OneDrive you could do the same with DropBox, or do you have to download Onedrive first to get the mail app to function that way?

 

[FirstWatt]

Fact is that you can't save office (!!) and pdf attachments you are receiving with Windows Phone Mail app. Unless you are doing this workaround. And then, your file lands on OneDrive IN THE ROOT FOLDER. Is that really 2015 (or 2013, 2014 for instance)??

I really have a hard time understanding how anyone can defend MS about such poor work.
There are good things, but there are also extremely embarassing shortcomings with WP, especially for Business users.
Think how long they didn't have even a week view. Sic.

 

[FirstWatt]

About Cortana:
What about making it available to users in Switzerland, those of the German speaking part of Switzerland, around 60% of the population?
In Germany it's available....but not in Switzerland. Unless we are going to change location in the phone, with other shortcomings.

As if we in Switzerland wouldn't use the written german language....oh my.

Well, thinking about it, surely it will arrive when it's ported to iOS, as we have a huge iOS user base here.:grincry:

 

[paulxxwall]

​Yes it is.

Not for WP its not

 

[fatclue_98]

Fact is that you can't save office (!!) and pdf attachments you are receiving with Windows Phone Mail app. Unless you are doing this workaround. And then, your file lands on OneDrive IN THE ROOT FOLDER. Is that really 2015 (or 2013, 2014 for instance)??

I really have a hard time understanding how anyone can defend MS about such poor work.
There are good things, but there are also extremely embarassing shortcomings with WP, especially for Business users.
Think how long they didn't have even a week view. Sic.

I don't think I've read a single post defending Outlook for its inability to save attachments. I've been a vocal critic about this for years now and you're 100% right, it's unacceptable considering it was a staple of Outlook in the past. Another attempt to be like iOS instead of forging their own path. Whoever thought this was a good idea needs to have their head examined, along with the Einstein who thought it was a good idea to remove File Explorer.

Now that we got this out of the way, let's get back on topic.

 

[zhris]

Hello everyone,

So the news of CORTANA coming to rival platform is practically confirmed and there is just so much outcry that not many of you are even considering to look at it from the other side. This is MY point of view:

In the recent months Microsoft has pushed for their services to be available on other platforms (Office, better Outlook app, Xbox Music and OneDrive) and this is according to their new strategy that moves from software to focus more on hardware and services (and we knew about that for months now). However a thing to note is the fact that these apps are not always so great in the way of design and they do not feel as natural as on Windows (both on phones and PC) and therefore if you really want the greatest experience, look no further but back to Microsoft! Yes maybe Office apps are little better right now on rival platforms, but the universal Office that is coming with W10 will make them look bleak. Going back to CORTANA, here the story WILL again be the same, although available on other platforms, it will not be as good as at "home". Microsoft clearly is doing a great doing, by opening their services to others because this creates something that have never existed for this company, which is the physical ability to "demo" what they have to offer for free to everyone, no matter the ecosystem. I do not understand the silly anger without any after thoughts, Windows phones are selling better than ever since all above has happened and Microsoft is literally flooding us with innovation... Surface, Windows 10, Hololens, Xbox ONE. I know better after being under this ecosystem for years that whatever Microsoft is doing these days means great things to come, as long as you trust them as they trust you, senseless ranting is not needed.

Otherwise go ahead, chuck you WP and get your Android or iPhone and join parade of crying clowns there or maybe you fought their world is perfect ?

Many people seem to subscribe to this 'lure them to WP with apps' theory. I don't agree with it, for two main reasons;

1) Often, the non-native apps are better than thier native counterparts (already discussed ad nauseum, feel free to disagree), thus offering 0 incentive to switch ecosystems.

2) The WP appscape is becoming more barren all the time; one needs to look no further than the WC headlines here to see that app X has been pulled from the store; now not only do we not get app parity to begin with, existing apps are being pulled!

If your end-goal is to get someone to switch from using someone else's stuff to your stuff, you need to make sure your stuff is better; is WP better than iOS or Android? That's waaaay up in the air...

 

[HidingTrouble]

If you want to stick it to Google you would want Microsoft to bring Cortana to Android. Hit Google where it hurts, mobile search. Not a lot of Android users are going to download Bing and use it instead of Google, but I can see people trying out Cortana. I can even see them liking her and maybe using her to replace Google. I would also do with Skype what Google has done with Hangouts on Android. Make it so it can be your default text messaging app and have Cortana read text to you like she does on Windows Phone. Now people might consider this crazy but face it WP is never going overtake Android so lets at least hit Google where it matters most.

 

[tgp]

If you want to stick it to Google you would want Microsoft to bring Cortana to Android. Hit Google where it hurts, mobile search. Not a lot of Android users are going to download Bing and use it instead of Google, but I can see people trying out Cortana. I can even see them liking her and maybe using her to replace Google.

It seems to me that fans here overestimate Cortana's appeal to those not on Microsoft's platform. Saying that Cortana is an advantage to Android users is like saying that a certain hotel is better because it has an Otis elevator and the competition doesn't. Well, that may be true technically speaking, but the other hotel has a ThyssenKrupp elevator, which does the same job and there's no difference to the passengers. (Yeah I know; who thinks about elevator brands? :grin: )

My point is that Cortana is indeed wonderful, but it's got little, if anything over Google Now. I use them both so I'm familiar with both of them. Each has its advantages over the other, but overall they're pretty much equal. Few people are going to use something other than the default, even if it is actually better.

 

[HidingTrouble]

Your elevator analogy isn't really apt. People don't choose hotels based on elevators, they choose hotels based on location. I've stayed at a hotel that had crappy elevators, so much so that I've take the stairs, but it was significantly closer to where I need to be. But anyway, I'm not saying a mass exodus but maybe some users would change. Judging by the message Firefox users are getting to switch back to Google search, it seems like every little bit counts to them.

On another note, I find Cortana better. I've been using a Galaxy Note 4 for the last 3 months and so far Google Now has mixed up my home and work twice. I have no idea how this has happened but there is nothing like getting your traffic to work notification and getting the message that you are 1 minute away. I've had to go in and fix it and then it takes a couple of days until I start getting traffic notifications again. I've never had that problem with Cortana.

 

[FirstWatt]

Well, to me it's OK if MS brings own apps to the competition platforms, IF the apps are
- coming out for WP / Windows safely before serving the other platforms (which for Cortana it's NOT the case, Cortana not even arrived in Switzerland (German language))
- being at least as good if not better than on the competing platforms (something I cannot judge properly, but the Android Outlook App certainly has some things like design and functionality which is not there in the WP Mail app)

There is a suggestion out there, but with only few votes, wich addresses this:
https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/...0-microsoft-s-own-apps-should-target-wp-first