All oses look the same now

[aerosidinc]

I don't know how it looks and I don't care coz m not an Apple user. Just wanted to share that Lollipop didn't invent that button rather they borrowed from MS.

 

[aerosidinc]

IS windows 10 already out? oh wait its just preview

 

[tiziano27]

I've noticed. We're going from an incredibly clean, stylish and user friendly UI to awkward, disorganized garbage. Good progress there.

Those who really like the current UI could stay in 8.1 a couple of years, the update is not obligatory.
Besides, I'm not so sure if WP is going to survive much longer, so these heated discussions about the UI may be excessive.

 

[a5cent]

IS windows 10 already out? oh wait its just preview

If you have something to say about it... now is the time, BEFORE everything is set in stone. It is now that the UI is standing together with the OS at the altar. Any objections are to be raised now. Later, when it's said and done, is when it's better to accept, silently, and move on...

 

[a5cent]

Those who really like the current UI could stay in 8.1 a couple of years, the update is not obligatory.

That barely even qualifies as a fake choice. If updates are available to all handsets, newer apps and updates will be released only for W10M. You'd be cutting yourself off not just from OS updates but from app updates as well. Besides, not all UI changes are bad. Just those that significantly backtrack on Metro's principles.

 

[tk-093]

Just curious, what device do you find the most useful, entertaining, powerful?

It's hard to say. I'm pretty much a Microsoft ****** so I want Windows Phone to be the best when we're all said and done. The app gap is probably the only thing from me calling that the far superior platform of choice. But it's by far the superior OS for moving in and out of messaging/email... by far. I support our enterprise email app which is Good Mobile Messaging and our users are mostly Android and iOS so while I love Windows Phone, I force myself to use the other devices because that's what my customers use. Also Good on Windows Phone is missing many features the others have.

I really like the Moto X 2014 because it's pretty much running stock Android and not Sammy's customizing crap. The problem with the Moto X is the camera is really not good and they skimped out on the battery. The battery isn't that big of a deal, but the camera is because I have two small kids and I need to be able to capture some good pics when the situation arises.

I'm currently using an iPhone 6 and I really like the size of it. The iPhone camera is awesome and the battery makes it through the day no problem. It's easy to use but I just can't fricken stand the lack of customization. The grid of icons is just a killer..... TouchID is the killer feature for me. I never need to enter my unlock code on my device. We all hate pin codes and set them to like every 30 minutes so we don't need to unlock them all the time.. but with TouchID every time my phone is off, it's locked. It's totally amazing, IMO. It still makes it my 3rd favorite OS which tells you how much I hate the rest of iOS.

Once Lillipop drops for the Galaxy S5 (Verizon) I think that and the Lumia will be my two favorite devices. The GS5 has a way better camera then the Moto X and I like it's water resistance.

It's my hope that Windows 10 will help the app gap. We really need first party apps like Snapchat.

Long winded answer, the short version is, right now, I think an Android phone with a great camera and battery life is best choice right now, but if you don't mind the missing apps, Windows Phone is right after that.. I think Windows 10 will put it over the top... IMO.

 

[TheCudder]

I've noticed. We're going from an incredibly clean, stylish and user friendly UI to awkward, disorganized garbage. Good progress there.

What we're getting at is Windows Phone simply CANNOT stay in it's current design state app wise. They only have 3% market share and they have a store with filled with apps designed with a UI COMPLETELY different from Android & Apple apps. So listen, in order for WP to survive, they have to get dev support by any means necessary. One of those means are making it easier for apps to be ported from the two ecosystems that currently get ALL OF THE APPS and making the "money losing" WP OS irrelevant.

On a closing note, the new app design isn't disorganized or awkward. I personally love it --- and I think the billions of Android & iOS users would agree. But I suppose you would prefer the UI to remain the same? Keeping on the track they've been on will result in an OS that simply does not exist by 2017? Then what are your options? Blackberry, Android, iOS? Ha! A company that almost no one cares about can't run around trying to create their own app UI standard and expecting dev's to ump on board. The highlights of Windows Phone are Live Tiles, Cortana, Universal Apps & a lightweight/fast OS --- not the app UI design.

Take a step back, look at the situation Microsoft is in, that we're in as supporters ---- there's a bigger picture here than what you see.

 

[tk-093]

The highlights of Windows Phone are Live Tiles, Cortana, Universal Apps & a lightweight/fast OS --- not the app UI design.

This +1000

The Live Tiles, to me, are a perfect blend of iOS and Android. If you want just a grid of icons you can shrink all your icons and go with that. If you want "widgets" like for weather or calendar, you just make some of those icons bigger. That's what I love about it.

 

[a5cent]

What we're getting at is Windows Phone simply CANNOT stay in it's current design state app wise..

I'm not sure why you and a few others keep on arguing over this issue which simply isn't one. Nobody is saying that the current UI shouldn't change. We're all completely on the same page. For the hundredth time, YES, Metro must evolve! Please finally get it into your head (and that goes for the WCentral managing editor as well), that this has nothing to do with resisting change or thinking everything is perfect as it is. It has to do with not liking SOME of the specific changes MS made, and thinking there are better alternatives/approaches. A bit of searching on the internet shows there are many UI designers world wide, who are questioning the wisdom of side panels / drawers for navigation. It appears that since early 2014 we even have empirical data showing how bad of an idea it really is (in terms of user engagement). Many of the big name apps are abandoning that approach. And what is MS doing... ironically, making it the standard on W10M. That is called trailing the industry...

Nothing MS can do via the UI will change market share or developer engagement. They might as well use the UI as a means of differentiation (which OEMs are constantly yelling for), and as an opportunity to lead the industry, just as they did when they went anti-chrome and anti-skeuomorphisme.

The highlights of Windows Phone are Live Tiles, Cortana, Universal Apps & a lightweight/fast OS --- not the app UI design.

It's not up to you to decide which parts of an OS others should think are particularly important. I'd agree that the subtleties of good UI design are important only to a minority, but for many who liked WP, the principles of Metro (consistency across OS and apps, content over chrome, etc), not the visual design per se, but the principles are/were a highlight.
I'd include myself in that group. I'm not going haywire over it, but I do think MS can do better, and I'd appreciate a bit more forward thinking and originality.

 

[Kram Sacul]

What we're getting at is Windows Phone simply CANNOT stay in it's current design state app wise. They only have 3% market share and they have a store with filled with apps designed with a UI COMPLETELY different from Android & Apple apps. So listen, in order for WP to survive, they have to get dev support by any means necessary. One of those means are making it easier for apps to be ported from the two ecosystems that currently get ALL OF THE APPS and making the "money losing" WP OS irrelevant.

Again, it's not design. IT'S NOT DESIGN. It's the gigantic head lead that Android and iOS has that has kept WP in 3rd place. It's also other factors which are much more complicated. Stop trying to blame this on Metro which attracted many users to the platform in the first place. Also last time I checked a lot of apps in the store are a mixture of styles, just like on other platforms.

On a closing note, the new app design isn't disorganized or awkward. I personally love it --- and I think the billions of Android & iOS users would agree.

Cue the laugh track.

 

[TheCudder]

Again, it's not design. IT'S NOT DESIGN. It's the gigantic head lead that Android and iOS has that has kept WP in 3rd place. It's also other factors which are much more complicated. Stop trying to blame this on Metro which attracted many users to the platform in the first place. Also last time I checked a lot of apps in the store are a mixture of styles, just like on other platforms.

I guess you're misunderstanding my post. I'm not saying that the "Metro" app design is the reason for WP's lack luster sales and app gap --- we all know Microsoft killed off Windows Mobile, and came back into the space with Windows Phone 7 with too little too late. So I am saying that it certainly isn't helping them gain any new attention from developers. And I'm also saying a design language that is more similar to what actually is popular may help with the app gap issue --- by making it that much easier to port Android & iOS apps over to W10. I'm not saying one design is better than the other. That is all.