Cortana itself is NOT a navigation app. It is nothing more than a personal digital assistant. Just like Siri and Google Now. Neither actually give you turn by turn directions. They answer your query (i.e. "How do I get to the Microsoft Store?") and send the results to whatever default navigation app you use.
I understand that.
Android/Google Now/Google Navigator = Tight integration (all three are owned and controlled by Google)
iOS/Siri/Apple Maps = Tight integration (all three are owned and controlled by Apple)
WP8.1/Cortana/Navigation app of choice = Not quite so tight integration (WP8.1 and Cortana are owned and controlled by Microsoft, but there is no integrated (i.e. Microsoft owned and controlled) navigation app).
I also understand this.
The Band DOES show turn by turn directions... just not on Windows Phone; at least not yet.
Right, which is exactly my point. It doesn't work on Windows Phones. It is pretty cool that it works with Android phones, though!
As far as why anybody would want that. I suppose it would come in handy if you are using the pubic transit system and/or walking and you want to keep your hands free for other reasons (like carrying bags or something). Having the haptic vibration would help if you are in a noisy downtown environment where you may or may not hear the voice prompt. It also allows you to walk and focus on what's going on around you while en route to your destination. The haptic vibration will prompt you to look either at the Band or the phone. I've seen so many people walking head down looking at their phones walk into poles and other people because of that.
So yes, I do see a use for turn by turn notifications on the Band for non-driving situations.
Yes, I totally agree. I think there are very real and practical use cases for the band delivering directions. Maybe not as practical for driving...although I think one could find a use if you didn't have the phone in an area that is easy to see/hear, or someone wanted to use your phone while directions ran in the background.
But the best scenarios I could envision (which was what I was looking forward to trying out) would be biking and walking directions. When I'm biking I don't want to have to pull out my phone at every intersection (talk about annoying). And if I'm walking in a busy area, it would be great to be able to keep my phone in my pocket. These are very good uses where directions on the Band could be an awesome addition.
You can also ask Cortana to give you the current weather. And Cortana will happily fetch it for you. And display it on your phone. Almost any interaction with cortana is just going to fire up the results on your phone, because the band isn't going to be able to show the results.
I know this. See below.
Honestly, I read all the same things you pointed to and I never expected driving directions on my band. :\
I don't think it's unreasonable to read that and think "hey, this might deliver directions to my band". Kind of like how when you ask Cortana for weather, it actually displays the weather on the band. Or when you ask to send a text, it lets you send a text. There are a lot of things that work this way on the Band, and considering everything that was listed with "driving directions" on that page works this way, it's not an unreasonable conclusion to come to when reading that. And if you read some of the articles I posted on the first page, it's easy to see that other people came to this conclusion, too.
We can go ahead agree to disagree on our interpretation, but this is not a far-fetched assumption based on what they wrote.
Also, as a side note, I honestly don't see the point of saying "get me directions to" on my band and then having to go to my phone. Yes, other commands bring up the info on the phone, too, but they also bring up info on the band.
Talk about being a useless "feature" if I have to go to my phone. I may as well as start Cortana from my phone to begin with! And this is my point. Why would they even bother to list it if it's that really what they're talking about. Cortana can do a lot of things where it'll bring up stuff only on the phone (like say search for something that'll bring up internet results), but you didn't see those features listed. They specifically chose to actually say "Driving direcitons", which I find/found a bit odd.
Before or after the HealthVault integration? :wink:
(Something else that was promised as fact in the ads and still not delivered.)
Haha, at least this isn't the only feature that's been talked about and not available.
EDIT: I'm sure if everyone sits tight we'll see navigation prompts on the Band with Windows phones sooner or later.
Yea, I hope so. I would like to try something like this feature out eventually. It makes sense that they'd make it work.