Windows Phone 8.1 improved WP, but it may have also killed it.

Chregu

New member
Feb 14, 2012
7,504
0
0
Visit site
Sheesh, I hope the people here promoting being completely without criticism towards Windows Phone are not the same people calling Apple users "iSheeps".
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site
Sheesh, I hope the people here promoting being completely without criticism towards Windows Phone are not the same people calling Apple users "iSheeps".
There is criticism like, it lags now or the messaging hub has been deprecated Skype sucks. Things mike oh noes people might have ugly transparent tiles are not
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site
That doesn't have to be the case. Tiles, particularly large one, make it possible to convey lots of status information quickly. The Start screen is a dashboard, not just an app launcher. The Action Center provides a recent history of changes, but it isn't a dashboard, unless it's being misused by developers.

Here's an example of some informative wide tiles from our app. (We also have a tile that updates with photos.) It might make sense to note some of this information in the Action Center, but it doesn't make sense to keep it there -- that's what tiles are for.
View attachment 69172
View attachment 69171

what app is that? Looks sick
 

manicottiK

New member
Nov 24, 2011
660
0
0
Visit site
what app is that? Looks sick
DrexelOne, the portal app for students, faculty, and staff at Drexel University. We also publish it for Android and iOS and previously had versions for BlackBerry, webOS, and Windows Mobile. (We like use choice. ;) It works without an account, but obviously doesn't show your courses, grades, etc. It does still let you get a feel for the UI, pin almost every function as a secondary tile, and see the very cool way that we made panoramas usable in landscape (drag the header upwards).

I'll also note that the numbers in the small tile show the number of courses with recent Blackboard activity and the "6" in the schedule tile shows the student that it is week 6 of the academic term. The text shown on the main tile is up to three important messages, so it varies throughout the term and each day.
 

mrZoSo

New member
Aug 5, 2013
156
0
0
Visit site
Oh, be fair, Games got worse than that. While MS restored the Recently Used section, they implemented it differently (and worse) than it had been.

Try this: start a game from the Games app, back out of the game to return to the Games app, try to launch the game again -- where is it? It moved from the games list where it was to the Recently Used games list.
Hmm, I don't have this issue, I don't even have a Recently Used games list. All my games show up under the Collection list and stay there.
 

manicottiK

New member
Nov 24, 2011
660
0
0
Visit site
Hmm, I don't have this issue, I don't even have a Recently Used games list. All my games show up under the Collection list and stay there.
The recently used list might only show up I'd you have a lot of games, just as the jump list letters in the main apps list only show once you get to 45 installed apps.
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site
DrexelOne, the portal app for students, faculty, and staff at Drexel University. We also publish it for Android and iOS and previously had versions for BlackBerry, webOS, and Windows Mobile. (We like use choice. ;) It works without an account, but obviously doesn't show your courses, grades, etc. It does still let you get a feel for the UI, pin almost every function as a secondary tile, and see the very cool way that we made panoramas usable in landscape (drag the header upwards).

I'll also note that the numbers in the small tile show the number of courses with recent Blackboard activity and the "6" in the schedule tile shows the student that it is week 6 of the academic term. The text shown on the main tile is up to three important messages, so it varies throughout the term and each day.
Aww man. You guys should make apps for UK universities as well. I'd be sorted
 

mrZoSo

New member
Aug 5, 2013
156
0
0
Visit site
Try playing one and you'll see what happens.
I do play them, and they all stay there.

The recently used list might only show up I'd you have a lot of games, just as the jump list letters in the main apps list only show once you get to 45 installed apps.
That could possibly be. I've only had maybe a dozen games installed at one time.
I'll try in on another WP8.1 phone and see what happens.

UPDATE:
OK, so I installed a bunch of games(random) and played a couple I already had and one of the new ones I just got.
A 'recent' was created but it's still in the Collection, and just puts the recently played games at the top of the list.
 
Last edited:

manicottiK

New member
Nov 24, 2011
660
0
0
Visit site
Aww man. You guys should make apps for UK universities as well. I'd be sorted
Thanks very much. It's worth noting that in this case "you guys" IS Drexel, not some outside company or group of developers. You should ask your IT folks to do a mobile portal app. Note: it is not easy (and Windows Phone would likely be at the bottom of their priorities list). Universities are full of disparate systems that need to be brought together to make something like this work. DrexelOne coordinates data from about a dozen systems.)
 

manicottiK

New member
Nov 24, 2011
660
0
0
Visit site
OK, so I installed a bunch of games(random) and played a couple I already had and one of the new ones I just got.
A 'recent' was created but it's still in the Collection, and just puts the recently played games at the top of the list.
You are running 8.1, right? And are you saying that in the Games hub, the games that appear in the Recent section ALSO appear in the Xbox or Other sections, too? (The latter was true in 8.0, but appears not to be in 8.1.)
 

X0LARIUM

New member
Aug 11, 2012
1,799
0
0
Visit site
View attachment 69099 View attachment 69100

View attachment 69101 View attachment 69102



Here are the screenshots. You can tell it's 8.1 from the people hub design and the Icon placement at the top. Disabling the sharing extensibility framework removes the new style fb integration, which I think is better as the hubs were superfluous at best

This is still a mystery to me as to how is 8.1not forcing you to download the fB App. One reason could be you have not used the FB app at all. But beyond that ..it's beyond me..


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.
 

smoledman

Banned
Apr 17, 2012
1,303
0
0
Visit site
There's no doubt all the extra features, including the Action Center for notifications, and Cortana, improved the Windows Phone OS, with 8.1.

IMO, though, since the update focused on getting the platform *away* from the hubs model that it was created around (see: all those 'Smoked by WP' commercials), and towards needing to launch an app for everything, the only thing that now separates Windows Phone from iOS or Android, is a preferance over one company's ecosystem and store of applications over another.

Personally, I'm not a fan-boy of anyone one company's, and my contention is, if you now need an app for everything, I see no reason to not move full time to iOS, for example.

Aside from Microsoft losing a customer, I don't see the point of WP any longer.

Not trolling, or raising a dust-up, just trying to start a discussion about the move away from the hubs model, and the potential upsides/downsides, and what will be the chief selling point for the platform.

Guess what? "Smoked by Windows Phone" only brought ridicule because everyone BLEW BACK about how few features WP7.5 had compared to iOS/Android. It was a ridiculous campaign. What MS needs is more humility, less bluster, less FUD. Focus on innovation and the customer will come. Real innovation, not gimmicks.
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site
This is still a mystery to me as to how is 8.1not forcing you to download the fB App. One reason could be you have not used the FB app at all. But beyond that ..it's beyond me..


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.

Yeah. It also shows both facebooks in the me tile, so I can use both native and the other type of integration. Personally I don't mind the new version. Btw, I think its like this. Remember the twitter 8.1 app that leaked before being removed. That app replaced the native twitter integration (and was a better experience was well Imo). When the app was taken out though, the native twitter returned. I think it works similarly
 

X0LARIUM

New member
Aug 11, 2012
1,799
0
0
Visit site
Yeah. It also shows both facebooks in the me tile, so I can use both native and the other type of integration. Personally I don't mind the new version. Btw, I think its like this. Remember the twitter 8.1 app that leaked before being removed. That app replaced the native twitter integration (and was a better experience was well Imo). When the app was taken out though, the native twitter returned. I think it works similarly

I am not aware of any Twitter app. But how can I make my Me Tile independent again..? I don't want the FB app..it was much faster to just tap on the 'Post an update' ..and get your work done..rather than 3000 apps opening snd shutting.

Just one more question, have you ever logged in through the FB app?

I don't know how u get the native integration but I would love to have it.


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.
 

anony_mouse

Banned
Aug 10, 2013
1,042
0
0
Visit site
Guess what? "Smoked by Windows Phone" only brought ridicule because everyone BLEW BACK about how few features WP7.5 had compared to iOS/Android. It was a ridiculous campaign. What MS needs is more humility, less bluster, less FUD. Focus on innovation and the customer will come. Real innovation, not gimmicks.

You're right. I remember just how embarrassing that campaign was. It's not even possible to say the name without your voice dropping and the world seeming a more depressing place. And everyone knew it was rubbish. You could easily set up an Android phone to give you equally fast access to the same features if they were that important to you. And honestly (to reference Microsoft's current hilariously counterproductive waste of their marketing budget), how many people really cared anyway? I can post a tweet (or whatever it was they were claiming) in one touch? I still have to type in the 160 characters, genius. Thanks to Microsoft for saving me 1% of the effort. And yes, I'll take the iPhone please.
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site
I am not aware of any Twitter app. But how can I make my Me Tile independent again..? I don't want the FB app..it was much faster to just tap on the 'Post an update' ..and get your work done..rather than 3000 apps opening snd shutting.

Just one more question, have you ever logged in through the FB app?

I don't know how u get the native integration but I would love to have it.


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.

The screenshot I shows you, it shows the facebook app and its settings page which must imply that I'm logged in no?
The me tile, if set up that way now has two facebook options with the facebook app at the top and the native version at the bottom
 

Ebuka Allison

New member
Feb 19, 2013
1,391
0
0
Visit site

X0LARIUM

New member
Aug 11, 2012
1,799
0
0
Visit site
The screenshot I shows you, it shows the facebook app and its settings page which must imply that I'm logged in no?
The me tile, if set up that way now has two facebook options with the facebook app at the top and the native version at the bottom

Then just one question..why does it say in the second screenshot..'setup app' over the FB logo..also..what happens if you delete the FB app now? Every time I try to post something through thr Me Tile >FB> the app opens??I don't want that..


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
322,901
Messages
2,242,866
Members
428,004
Latest member
hetb