Microsoft fails again on Notification Center

[pjs37]

The notification center on iOS is badly implemented in that generally I don't even notice there was a notification for me there until I randomly checked. Typically I rely on the badge numbers on the app. Then I open the app and take care of what I need to. Android was a little better because at least you knew you missed an alert. On my iPhone I rarely used it and much preferred the jailbreak implementations of it rather then whatever Apple did. On Windows Phone the Live Tiles are so much better. Mainly because its a rather simple opt-in process of telling the app you want a Live Tile to begin with by pinning it. Its not enable by default which I like and helps me limit information to only what I want.

 

[TofuDelight]

I have a two year old so that kid's centre sounds absolutely brilliant. I wish there was a way to control the bottom three buttons so they aren't as easily pressed accidentally. (It's hard to tell a two year old "don't hold it this way, hold it this way")

As someone who's never used android or iphone, can someone please explain what is a notification centre and why it's so much better than the tiles we have now?

 

[Villain]

all this talk of android and ios notifications.... I think blackberry has the best notification system by large (the one think besides chat blackberry is good at)

 

[aubreyq]

Maybe we should all wait for Microsoft to reveal the rest of WP8 before we call the notifications a fail, mmmmkay?

 

[selfcreation]

I have a two year old so that kid's centre sounds absolutely brilliant. I wish there was a way to control the bottom three buttons so they aren't as easily pressed accidentally. (It's hard to tell a two year old "don't hold it this way, hold it this way")



As someone who's never used android or iphone, can someone please explain what is a notification centre and why it's so much better than the tiles we have now?

Its not better , its the same thing as live tiles except you get a little Icon up top that says you have notification then you slide your finger top down and a drop down menu with all notification pops up. Witch you then click on and opens the app in question.

Ms didn't fail , they did something new and innovative with the UI, instead of copying every one else..

I think in the end its just preference , i like the WP way better, i also use an android on regular bassist, specifically relying on notification for SMS, calls and e-mails , and id still rather use my WP if i could!

here is a example. ( WP7.8/8 vs Android)

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Its not better , its the same thing as live tiles except you get a little Icon up top that says you have notification then you slide your finger top down and a drop down menu with all notification pops up. Witch you then click on and opens the app in question.

Ms didn't fail , they did something new and innovative with the UI, instead of copying every one else..

I think in the end its just preference , i like the WP way better, i also use an android on regular bassist, specifically relying on notification for SMS, calls and e-mails , and id still rather use my WP if i could!

here is a example. ( WP7.8/8 vs Android)

Click to view quoted image

Actually, now that you think about it that way, I like it. Although it's WP7.8/8 vs iOS, not WP7.8/8 vs Android, I recognise the UI - plus, it isn't a dropdown for my Honeycomb tablet either, I also believe they changed it to be like the HC way of working on Ice-Cream Sandwich too.

 

[selfcreation]

well you get the idea, lol

 

[HerronScott]

My issue is apps that do not have any kind of support on their tiles for notifications like eBay and echoecho.

Scott

 

[selfcreation]

Not sure about Echoecho, but Ebay has live tiles!
make sure you enable it in the Settings for the app it self!!


Hows this for a Notification center! lol ( watch from 25sec to 50sec )
[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oALIuVb0NJ4[/YT]

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Hows this for a Notification center! lol ( watch from 25sec to 50sec )
Click to view quoted video

Drool! Would love that on my desk.

 

[vp710]

My issue is apps that do not have any kind of support on their tiles for notifications like eBay and echoecho.

Scott

Well, then it's not MS fault but lousy developers'.

 

[electricbopeep]

Perhaps people are getting too caught up in the current implementations of notification centers on ios and android. Microsoft needn't copy the implementation - and drawbacks - of current notification centers. Just as they brought a fresh approach to the mobile os, they can do the same with notifications. As it stands now, live tiles and toasts aren't cutting it - they aren't reliable and, even if they were, they aren't persistent. I don't see wp8's new locksreen and smaller tiles completely solving this. Bottom line, if wp8 doesn't offer a notification system that is reliable, persistent and suited for both frequently and lesser-used apps, I'm going to have to consider jumping ship. Which I really rather not do because I have major reservations with ios and android and their respective companies, and I love many aspects of wp.

 

[11B1P]

yeah but what about apps like Facebook? The fb app has some of the buggyest toast notifications I've experienced and rarely updates correctly. What if I was not near my phone, or couldn't view my phone at that specific moment, but someone sent me a message and I missed it?

Don't want to sound too critical, but FB messages? Really? You use FB for more than just a social media outlet? If making sure you get those messages is that important to you, you should be checking the app itself on a regular basis.

 

[11B1P]

What about the notification process from webOS.

Your screen is locked and you get a notification, whether its a toast, text or email, even if it's from an app you don't have pinned to the homescreen, you get an led blinking light for visual notification (with an option to turn off in each app). You unlock the screen and the individual notifications are listed along the bottom or top. Slide them away to dismiss them or tap on it to go directly to the notification. You could specify in each app whether dismissing the notification clears the Live Tile or it doesn't so you have a reminder later when you have time to look at them.

 

[smoledman]

I'm not going to say that the iOS/Android Notification shades are THE ultimate implementation nor are they bug-free. But I do want a view where I can see my missed toasts!

 

[1jaxstate1]

Well, you see, you're doing it wrong. You should have your phone with you at all times, and you shouldn't ever miss a message. Also, you should have all apps with notifications pinned at the top of the homescreen. Microsoft will be relasing a PDF on how you should have your tiles laid out when WP8 launches. /sarcasm

I actually agree with you 100%. The five seconds that you have to view your toast notifications is horrible.

As for even having to have apps pinned is a mystery. I have a few apps at the bottom because their tile looks horrible. Some use their own theme, some follow the color you choose with your theme. My main twitter app has a awful looking icon, I wish I could just unpin it.

I'm not going to say that the iOS/Android Notification shades are THE ultimate implementation nor are they bug-free. But I do want a view where I can see my missed toasts!

 

[anon(5335877)]

What about the notification process from webOS.

Your screen is locked and you get a notification, whether its a toast, text or email, even if it's from an app you don't have pinned to the homescreen, you get an led blinking light for visual notification (with an option to turn off in each app). You unlock the screen and the individual notifications are listed along the bottom or top. Slide them away to dismiss them or tap on it to go directly to the notification. You could specify in each app whether dismissing the notification clears the Live Tile or it doesn't so you have a reminder later when you have time to look at them.

I really want the LED. Nokia had a "breathing light" on five way navigation thingy of the E71, that would dim and brighten (as if it was breathing) and that would double as a notification light (it would start blinking).

Why can't we have the Windows "home" button double as a notification light?

 

[selfcreation]

Why can't we have the Windows "home" button double as a notification light?

that would be cool!!!

 

[smoledman]

Microsoft wants you all to drink the kool-aid that no Notification Center is "just fine" and that the pinned tiles somehow replaces it. Go ahead, drink deep.

 

[brmiller1976]

As I said before, if you want a screen that shows you your last 9,822 notifications in no particular order, including Grandma thumbs-upping that birthday photo from six years ago, Android is your dream OS. Go and grab it while it's hot!