Discussing the three big operating systems

[AaHaa]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently using an iPhone, but I can't wait to ditch it and get a Lumia. With the coming of Windows Phone 8, I guess I'm quite a Windows Phone fan. My mom is an avid iPhone/Apple user and both my little brothers are Android/Google-fanatics. Meaningless to say, whenever we're together it's only a matter of time before the big "which of the operation systems is the best"-discussion ignites.

Both me and my brothers don't like iOS, so it's a pretty unfair competition for my mom, because she has to "fight" against three very well informed tech-nerds. Most of the time we make a few remarks about Apple (preferably in the cocky British accent Apple uses in their commercials) and that's that.

HOWEVER! When I'm just with my brothers, it's a lot more interesting. With Windows Phone 7.x they positively slaughtered me during WP vs. Android discussions, but with Windows Phone 8 I've been able to hold my ground pretty well.
A few things I often use to explain why Windows Phone is better then Android are:
1 - The look and feel of the OS
2 - The neatless integration with SkyDrive, Windows 8, Outlook, etcetera
3 - NFC
4 - Wireless Charging
5 - The Super Sensitive Touch of the Lumia's
6 - The superb low-light photo's the Lumia makes
7 - Google (personal reasons, long story)

However, they don't have a lot of trouble to counter these arguments:

1 - "Android is customizable, you can make it as pretty as you want"
2 - "Android integrates with Google +, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Chrome and all the other Google X services"
3 - "Android has got that too"
4 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
5 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
6 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
7 - "You're just a big Microsoft ****** who is too proud to accept the fact that Google does everything Microsoft does but better!" (Most of the time, after argument #7, the discussion transforms in a discussion about Google)

This is just a very general and over-simplified example of how these discussions often look. Long story short, I'm curious how you guys fare in discussions like this and if you guys have any other strong arguments to explain why you love Windows Phone (and ways to counter counterarguments! ) and reasons why people should choose Windows Phone over Android/iOS.

 

[Guzzler3]

Don't forget:

Android has more maleware than iOS and WP

I also just found this, this morning:
Android fix-it flowchart

WOW!!! :straight:

 

[ImmortalWarrior]

1 - "Android is customizable, you can make it as pretty as you want"
2 - "Android integrates with Google +, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Chrome and all the other Google X services"
3 - "Android has got that too"
4 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
5 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
6 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
7 - "You're just a big Microsoft ****** who is too proud to accept the fact that Google does everything Microsoft does but better!" (Most of the time, after argument #7, the discussion transforms in a discussion about Google)

1- So is windows phone. The difference is that it doesn't lag like a mofo when you load 50 tiles onto the homescreen. Try putting that many active widgets on Android. Also, don't download a widget if you rooted your phone.
2.- Ew, Google. When they aren't sharing your personal information for advertising they pester you with messages trying to merge your youtube and google+ accounts.
So Google+ - who cares?? you and the other 4 people who use it?
Google Drive - decent, but Nokia Drive will be available on all Wp8 handsets and there are other navigation options
Google Maps - Probably the best point in its favor. Bing still holds it's own (features for the mobile version could use a bump up) and Nokia Maps is excellent and will be available for all Wp8 handsets.
Google Chrome - Chrome is meh, I don't use my mobile browser enough to care. IE10 works fine but with native code support, expect other browsers to become available.
Google Services - Sure, if you're into that. Not that Windows Phone doesn't already support youtube and gmail perfectly fine. I find Google to be distasteful, while Microsoft makes positive changes to EULAs that protect your information when complaints arise, Google was actively making many poor decisions around that when Google+ came out. I don't trust them. Couple that with the fact that my gmail is the only account I actually have trouble with in regards to imap and outlook 2010. Seriously, the way it handles flagging is awful. I'll spare you the lengthy explanation.
Google Googles.... This service/app is not nearly as nice as the integrated bing vision. It requires that you take the picture first, then interpret. Translation, bah, the way Microsoft's own translation app works is 1000 times better. I was in Italy in May and I could live translate text with the bing vision style camera. I was also able to speak into the phone in English and have it speak Italian to people when we had trouble. communicating.

3 - True
4 - Actually the 8X is reported to have it as well. The SG3 can have a wireless charging backplate as a separate third party purchase. The point of this is that it's being pushed strongly which means that it could become a standard when people see how handy it is.
5 - Yeah, but it has it, and no Android devices do.
6 - So? What about the lenses and how they work seamlessly with the camera on all WP8 devices? Google Goggles is another thing to note, already explained above why it sucks compared to the same feature on WP
7 - Privacy. Google tries to force their services to merge and they use your information more so than microsoft seems to for their own purposes (ie. advertisiing etc). I get this one completely. Everything Google does is better?? My *** it is, gmail's Imap is terrible, I have syncing problems with it all the time on my desktop. Maps is the only thing they kind of do better now that bing is catching up but since Microsoft's maps are powered by NavTech, it's Nokia's maps we should be comparing against.



There are plenty of reasons why WP is better and a few why it isn't. It my eyes, it's a net plus. One of the things they may say is it's customizability and how you can even program python scripts with it etc etc etc, to which I say, nobody cares! I'm extremely familiar with unix systems and I have zero urge to code on my mobile phone. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[AaHaa]

1- So is windows phone. The difference is that it doesn't lag like a mofo when you load 50 tiles onto the homescreen. Try putting that many active widgets on Android. Also, don't download a widget if you rooted your phone.
2.- Ew, Google. When they aren't sharing your personal information for advertising they pester you with messages trying to merge your youtube and google+ accounts.
So Google+ - who cares?? you and the other 4 people who use it?
Google Drive - decent, but Nokia Drive will be available on all Wp8 handsets and there are other navigation options
Google Maps - Probably the best point in its favor. Bing still holds it's own (features for the mobile version could use a bump up) and Nokia Maps is excellent and will be available for all Wp8 handsets.
Google Chrome - Chrome is meh, I don't use my mobile browser enough to care. IE10 works fine but with native code support, expect other browsers to become available.
Google Services - Sure, if you're into that. Not that Windows Phone doesn't already support youtube and gmail perfectly fine. I find Google to be distasteful, while Microsoft makes positive changes to EULAs that protect your information when complaints arise, Google was actively making many poor decisions around that when Google+ came out. I don't trust them. Couple that with the fact that my gmail is the only account I actually have trouble with in regards to imap and outlook 2010. Seriously, the way it handles flagging is awful. I'll spare you the lengthy explanation.
Google Googles.... This service/app is not nearly as nice as the integrated bing vision. It requires that you take the picture first, then interpret. Translation, bah, the way Microsoft's own translation app works is 1000 times better. I was in Italy in May and I could live translate text with the bing vision style camera. I was also able to speak into the phone in English and have it speak Italian to people when we had trouble. communicating.

3 - True
4 - Actually the 8X is reported to have it as well. The SG3 can have a wireless charging backplate as a separate third party purchase. The point of this is that it's being pushed strongly which means that it could become a standard when people see how handy it is.
5 - Yeah, but it has it, and no Android devices do.
6 - So? What about the lenses and how they work seamlessly with the camera on all WP8 devices? Google Goggles is another thing to note, already explained above why it sucks compared to the same feature on WP
7 - Privacy. Google tries to force their services to merge and they use your information more so than microsoft seems to for their own purposes (ie. advertisiing etc). I get this one completely. Everything Google does is better?? My *** it is, gmail's Imap is terrible, I have syncing problems with it all the time on my desktop. Maps is the only thing they kind of do better now that bing is catching up but since Microsoft's maps are powered by NavTech, it's Nokia's maps we should be comparing against.



There are plenty of reasons why WP is better and a few why it isn't. It my eyes, it's a net plus. One of the things they may say is it's customizability and how you can even program python scripts with it etc etc etc, to which I say, nobody cares! I'm extremely familiar with unix systems and I have zero urge to code on my mobile phone. Thanks, but no thanks.

Wow, thanks!
I personally dislike Google because I think technical growth and innovation comes from competition. There should be multiple big companies who constantly improve products to keep ahead of the competition. Google is kind of too big and too powerful.
I feel like Google is telling everyone: "You should use Chrome. You should use Android. You should use Maps. You should use Gmail. You should use Google +. Hey, why don't you throw away that Windows laptop and buy a Chromebook. It runs on Google after all! We don't do evil!". And almost everyone is falling for that.
And that scares me a bit. What if, in the future, everything is made and controlled by Google? Why would they try to improve anything then? It's not like they have to, because no one can compete with the almighty Google.

 

[brmiller1976]

Google does do several things better than Microsoft, including:

1) World's fastest-growing and most comprehensive library of malware;
2) World's most frequent crashes;
3) World's most egregious violations of user privacy, including resale of private user data to advertisers for targeted marketing;
4) World's most aggressive theft of intellectual property...

 

[stmav]

Google does do several things better than Microsoft, including:

1) World's fastest-growing and most comprehensive library of malware;
2) World's most frequent crashes;
3) World's most egregious violations of user privacy, including resale of private user data to advertisers for targeted marketing;
4) World's most aggressive theft of intellectual property...

It's nice to see you using your powers for good instead of evil.

 

[brmiller1976]

My powers serve chaos!

 

[Laura Knotek]

I would add that Microsoft Office is better than Google Docs.

 

[ImmortalWarrior]

I would add that Microsoft Office is better than Google Docs.

This x1000

I absolutely love it when someone rants about how good Google Docs is and then I whip out Office 2010 and skydrive and show them how it's done. With webapps to go along with it too!

That's not even Office 2013 which will be even better.

 

[AaHaa]

How about navigation software? Does Nokia/Bing maps hold its ground against Google Maps in terms of functionality and user friendliness?

 

[Reflexx]

How about navigation software? Does Nokia/Bing maps hold its ground against Google Maps in terms of functionality and user friendliness?

I'd say they are comparable. Neither really stands out as much better.

Nokia supplies the map data for Garmin.

 

[socialcarpet]

This x1000

I absolutely love it when someone rants about how good Google Docs is and then I whip out Office 2010 and skydrive and show them how it's done. With webapps to go along with it too!

That's not even Office 2013 which will be even better.

Absolutely. Google Docs is like amateur hour compared to Office on the phone and the web version of Office.

 

[socialcarpet]

How about navigation software? Does Nokia/Bing maps hold its ground against Google Maps in terms of functionality and user friendliness?

Yes. Nokia owns NAVTEQ, which provides maps and data for most of the GPS devices out there.

 

[robinleck]

It's a no-brainer for me...

This
View attachment 22380

Or this
View attachment 22381

I rest my case

 

[jwinch2]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently using an iPhone, but I can't wait to ditch it and get a Lumia. With the coming of Windows Phone 8, I guess I'm quite a Windows Phone fan. My mom is an avid iPhone/Apple user and both my little brothers are Android/Google-fanatics. Meaningless to say, whenever we're together it's only a matter of time before the big "which of the operation systems is the best"-discussion ignites.

Both me and my brothers don't like iOS, so it's a pretty unfair competition for my mom, because she has to "fight" against three very well informed tech-nerds. Most of the time we make a few remarks about Apple (preferably in the cocky British accent Apple uses in their commercials) and that's that.

HOWEVER! When I'm just with my brothers, it's a lot more interesting. With Windows Phone 7.x they positively slaughtered me during WP vs. Android discussions, but with Windows Phone 8 I've been able to hold my ground pretty well.
A few things I often use to explain why Windows Phone is better then Android are:
1 - The look and feel of the OS
2 - The neatless integration with SkyDrive, Windows 8, Outlook, etcetera
3 - NFC
4 - Wireless Charging
5 - The Super Sensitive Touch of the Lumia's
6 - The superb low-light photo's the Lumia makes
7 - Google (personal reasons, long story)

However, they don't have a lot of trouble to counter these arguments:

1 - "Android is customizable, you can make it as pretty as you want"
2 - "Android integrates with Google +, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Chrome and all the other Google X services"
3 - "Android has got that too"
4 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
5 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
6 - "That's just Nokia, not Windows Phone!"
7 - "You're just a big Microsoft ****** who is too proud to accept the fact that Google does everything Microsoft does but better!" (Most of the time, after argument #7, the discussion transforms in a discussion about Google)

This is just a very general and over-simplified example of how these discussions often look. Long story short, I'm curious how you guys fare in discussions like this and if you guys have any other strong arguments to explain why you love Windows Phone (and ways to counter counterarguments! ) and reasons why people should choose Windows Phone over Android/iOS.

You make some good points and do a nice job of breaking down the pros and cons of each of the big 3 systems. Frankly, I would argue that we should talk about a big 4 as Blackberry still has a large footprint despite their many issues in recent years.

I am in the process of making the switch from android, I got my 920 last Saturday, but have also used BB, Palm, Web OS, etc. I cannot speak for iPhone other than the time I have messed around on others' device.

One of the things which I found frustrating throughout the time I was using Android is the difficulty of syncing basic things such as contacts, calendar, to do list, etc. from my desktop outlook to my device. It could be done, but you had to jump through some hoops to do it, and it was often spotty in terms of its reliability. The ability to have a smooth interaction between my device and my pc was one of the major drivers to my switching to WP8.

Since I have been with WP8, there are certainly some things I miss with Android. I have already run into things I want to be able to do, that I cannot, such as force the phone to go landscape on the home screen, find a decent media player that will air sync and has a car mode, etc. There are several apps I used on my droid that I cannot find a decent replacement for at this time.

Having said all of that, I see WP8 as going in the direction that I am comfortable with and the area which was the most important to me seems to be what the phone does best. So, I am sticking with WP for the time being in the hopes that some of this stuff gets figured out going forward. In the more recent versions of android, they have made no effort towards improving in the areas that I have been frustrated over, so that does not seem like a viable option going forward. Apple seems to be resting on past achievements at this point.

I think that WP has a ton of potential and is already quite good in many ways which are important to me.

 

[brmiller1976]

It's a no-brainer for me...

This
View attachment 22380

Or this
View attachment 22381

I rest my case

That would be a lovely print/banner ad...

 

[lancguy]

Well, my take on this is:

1. How many desktops are running android?
a. At least with iOs you get tight integration with Apple Desktops
b. And with WP8 you get tight integration with W8 desktops.
1 Under windows, you get integration with the phone, xbox, desktop, and tablet through skydrive and Microsoft accounts. And it's all in a similar interface with shared settings.

2. Google doesn't really support the OS. Sure they come out with new versions, but supporting existing versions falls on the device manufactures and ultimately more so on the carrier. Hence why AT&T and Verizon would love to get out of the droid line; and, also why I only ever got 1 update to my HTC G2 from T-Mobile. Microsoft is pushing updates out to the device directly. So does apple.

3. I had an HTC G2 for 2 years. In that time, I only got one update. And I had to suffer through constant random reboots for no reason that I could tell. I also had countless apps pinned to various screens simply disappear. I couldn't edit or even view my office documents. In the week that I've had my 920, I haven't had a singe restart and none of my aps have disappeared. And I can view and edit my office documents. I won't even bring up malware here.

4. Office is still king! I love how I can view and do simple editing of an excel document on my phone and then continue working and updating it at home.

5. Google never really synched up well with my desktop and laptop. For pictures I had to use photobucket or facebook. Now I don't need either apps separately. It all synchs up flawlessly through skydrive and the windows phone ap on W8.

6. Google doesn't integrate well with other social networking services. Sure, there are the FaceBook, Twitter Apps, etc. But WP8 brings it all together under the people ap. And it works incredibly better then any of the individual aps could hope to.

7. Microsoft isn't tracking everything I do on my phone. ie10 opt's out of any tracking features automatically. You have to actually opt in to it.

8. WP8 is just sleek and sexy. I really can't say that about droid and certainly not about iOS. Can Droid be customizable? Perhaps, but why do I have to go out of my way to figure out how to do so?

9. While I can't speak for ICS...WP8 seamlessly pulls information and updates from Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and others together into one Ap - the people Ap. Under Jelly Bean, you had to have each app installed separately. I don't need to do that under WP8. That alone is revolutionary! (So I might have already mentioned this)

All in all, having used iOS on my iPod, and Android on my previous phone, WP8 is incredible!

 

[jwinch2]

Well, my take on this is:

1. How many desktops are running android?
a. At least with iOs you get tight integration with Apple Desktops
b. And with WP8 you get tight integration with W8 desktops.
1 Under windows, you get integration with the phone, xbox, desktop, and tablet through skydrive and Microsoft accounts. And it's all in a similar interface with shared settings.

Good point. This was one of the main drivers from Android towards WP for me. The integration across platforms is something that has been lacking in my Android experience and something I was looking for in anything else I was going to leave it for. If Apple had not gotten rid of the 17 inch macbook pro, I might have already been on that platform, but they did, and i'm here instead.

2. Google doesn't really support the OS. Sure they come out with new versions, but supporting existing versions falls on the device manufactures and ultimately more so on the carrier. Hence why AT&T and Verizon would love to get out of the droid line; and, also why I only ever got 1 update to my HTC G2 from T-Mobile. Microsoft is pushing updates out to the device directly. So does apple.

Agreed again. I've been sitting around with Gingerbread for a long time watching all the new phones sporting ICS even though my phone could have handled it just fine.

4. Office is still king! I love how I can view and do simple editing of an excel document on my phone and then continue working and updating it at home.

Agreed again. I don't do a ton of office editing on my phone, but I tend to make some small tweaks here and there which this certainly makes easier.

5. Google never really synched up well with my desktop and laptop. For pictures I had to use photobucket or facebook. Now I don't need either apps separately. It all synchs up flawlessly through skydrive and the windows phone ap on W8.

I have actually had problems with the WP desktop app, but the drag and drop function is very nice. As for the rest, this was another main driver for me to the WP platform and one reason I strongly considered apple.

7. Microsoft isn't tracking everything I do on my phone. ie10 opt's out of any tracking features automatically. You have to actually opt in to it.

This was another major driver towards WP for me. I was well past sick and tired of the stories about googles violation of privacy.

9. While I can't speak for ICS...WP8 seamlessly pulls information and updates from Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn and others together into one Ap - the people Ap. Under Jelly Bean, you had to have each app installed separately. I don't need to do that under WP8. That alone is revolutionary! (So I might have already mentioned this)

I am still getting used to this feature, but am growing to like it at this point.


Nice job on the review!