On the fence: A few odd OS questions

[Armada]

Okay guys, I love WP8's design language and the dedication to keeping it secure, smooth, and stable. I didn't jump on at WP7 because, well, VZW wasn't offering a WP device at the time. I'm mulling over jumping ship when my contract is up if anything as cheap as the Lumia 710 comes out again with no contract. VZW has been rubbing me the wrong way, and even my Nexus cannot escape their taint. However, while the OS has matured a lot, there's quite a few things I'd like to know that I can't find out a clear answer about:

1. If you dismiss a toast notification, how the heck do you figure out where it came from if you don't have a live tile for it? This could be problematic. Though I figure I might keep anything that could notify me on the home screen.

2. Is Nokia Drive blocked by manufactures/carriers? I know you can't get Google Wallet through the Play Store on the VZW Nexus so I'm more than well aware of BS like this. I know turn-by-turn isn't available stock so this would be a valuable app.

3. Does Microsoft put up with this delaying updates forever crap? The biggest problem with update delays by carriers for Android is SECURITY. I fear for what could be done if I ever lost my poor Nexus... On the same token, how much more secure is WP8 really?

4. Are there many roving battery suckers? I know Facebook can drain a whole battery in a mere 3 hours if you feed it after midnight, get it wet, and/or leave it alone. Skype is out of the question on my Nexus, I'd like to be able to use that too.

 

[brmiller1976]

1) You should keep essential apps with notifications enabled as Live Tiles. Most apps ask for permission before sending toasts.

2) Not that I am aware of.

3) WP8 receives updates independent of carriers (supposedly). We'll see how that works.

4) There are a few... you have to experiment a bit. Facebook is not one of them on WP.