MS says W10M is ready, I call that BS

[vtm]

You definitely have some valid points here. One thing I dont understand is why you and many other people oppose the burger menu. I've be winMo user since 8.0 with L920, then 1520, then iPhone 6 Plus, now I'm test driving Winmo 10. I dont have any issues with burger menu. The thing that i'm missing is the horizontal swiping within the app instead of vertical, that was real cool. I loved the 8 and 8.1 email client, but the latest Outlook client I dol like as well, in fact I like it better than iOS mail client.

 

[Federico Turban]

I don't want MS to fail in the Mobile space because I really want them to continue suporting the OS and evolve it and you get the idea. I don't like Android at all, hell no. I don't like the way Apple is with their devices (if you want to have all our services, you need to own all our products).

The new Lumias are out there now, but certainly they are not going to arrieve globally, I even believe it's not ever gonna came to Mexico, right now the choices are the Lumia 435, 530 (some places are still selling this piece of junk!), 532, 535, 630 (they should stop selling this too) and 640 (in some places even the 640 XL), but all of those are far away and behind from the competition. A Telcel floor seller told me a Lanix Windows Phone was going to be out, but haven't see it in stores (but their web page show it some months ago, don't know now). The new Lumia 550 is the same story, is a nice low-end device, but those low-end customers just want the popular apps, they aren't looking for OS perks, devices perks, they are looking for something cheap and that makes the work.

But on the higher end of the spectrum, just read the entire web f?rums, a lot of users opted to go with Android or iOS because they weren't out there nice replacements or follow-ups of their flagships or even olders devices, with some of the most common cases saying they didn't want to sidegrade, but to upgrade was impossible right now on the platform with so little to none choices.

And now, the app gap. Well, that is one of the most damaging points of the platform. Not only in the apps selections, but it also lacks quality from many first party apps (and you can see it clearly well in the comments section of the store). A lot of third party apps are just amazing, but I really believe a lot of people are not going to pay for, let's say, a nice YouTube App to get all the functions and stuff, when a first party app is on iOS or Android and it's free (even if the third party YouTube app on Windows is better compared to the first party app on Android or iOS).

I put all of those things on the table and the future is still very grim on the mobile side of Windows. Windows 10 is having a great time right now, with a lot of new apps, updates ones, UWA on the way and stuff, but Microsoft really needs to put a lot of effort the next year, if not, they are going to miss one of their "Universal Windows, Windows on Everything and Made you to love Windows" limbs and the "app" format-like of the UWA is going to fail, big time, even if HoloLens, Xbox One, Tablets, etc. etc. can have them. Geez, this is sad as a fan of something with so little spark left.

 

[mdmk]

You definitely have some valid points here. One thing I dont understand is why you and many other people oppose the burger menu. I've be winMo user since 8.0 with L920, then 1520, then iPhone 6 Plus, now I'm test driving Winmo 10. I dont have any issues with burger menu. The thing that i'm missing is the horizontal swiping within the app instead of vertical, that was real cool. I loved the 8 and 8.1 email client, but the latest Outlook client I dol like as well, in fact I like it better than iOS mail client.

I think you had put it better than I can in terms of the Hamburger menus - I *loved* the horizontal swiping (pivots) in 8/8.1, and I can at most only try to like the apps on 10. Being able to switch between sections/tabs with just a horizontal swipe is so much easier than stretching my thumb towards the top left, look for the item and tap of it.

 

[Canjok]

I think Windows doesn't get market share, because they don't keep whats good on the os. A good example is the Music Hub/App. On Windows 8, managing playlists was really difficult. On 8.1, the app was simply crap. On Windows 10, the App looks Ugly if it doesn't find the artist images (on my lumia, it finds 3/20 artist images, but nearly every album cover). Also, on Groove there could be a few small accent Color tweaks.
Other stories are for example the status bar on top (the one with wifi, clock etc.), missing Accent color elements (like the volume from 8 to 8.1), Facebook integration, diverse Live-Tile animations (on 10, Fotos is smooth, but boring), etc.

Basically Windows Phone is like a continous experiment where other companies can take ideas from.

 

[photographerdan]

The problem is actually not the lack of apps anymore, IMO. WP81 has most of the apps I need, just not the fancy new hyped ones.

The real problem is what made Windows great back then: Support of devices. I'd call this the Device Gap.

Back then, Windows was great because you can plug in anything to your PC, and it would just plug and play - just works. It supports all types of printers, monitors, USB gadgets, high end graphics cards, biometric sensors and anything you throw at it. Mac OSX is still nothing compared to Windows in this aspect.

And then I look at Windows phones, and the devices I have around the house. There had been lots of new home automation and wearable devices in the past decade, and Windows - both phone and desktop - support very selected few of them. I have Insteon, Roku, Logitech Harmony, Philips Hue, Wink devices, Amazon Echo, Chromecast, Xbox, FitBit scale, MS Band, Pebble watch, a handful of Trackr devices, some toy drones, musical instruments that only work with iOS, etc (yes, my router is overloaded). While there are apps for half of them, they are all way behind the iOS / Android counterparts in terms of integration.

I ended up buying a cheap Android tablet that acts as a makeshift 'home automation hub', just so I can connect and configure them. Not having consistent Windows support for these devices limits what I can do with them, e.g. IFTTT automation, Tasker, etc. For example, I cannot have my geolocation of the phone inform my lights to turn on, or change the volume of my receiver since Harmony doesn't have a Windows app. And forget about buying any smartwatches - there is only one choice, the MS Band. It's the little things that grind my interest down little by little...

Having tried out the new Windows 10 Mobile on Lumia 950XL extensively on Device Nights, Microsoft Store and on the Oct 4 #Windows10Devices launch event, I am seriously concerned about the future of this OS. The UI is a few steps back, and the Hamburger menus are truly aggravating to use. I hope they listen to the feedback and fix them soon, like what they had done to the Photos app on the mobile recently.

The reason why you don't have support for your devices is because you don't have the apps to them. . .hence app gap

Your problem is directly related to the "app gap"

 

[vtm]

I absolutely agree with you and I miss it dearly as well! Ms probably thought it's ok to go away from it to make it easier to design the apps and since they added the functionality to tap and hold the windows key to minimize the whole screen to make it reachable with your thumb.

It's really not bad and would take a little time to get used to. Either way, Winmo is better user friendlier than other OS's. My mom inherited my L920 and earlier this year, I wanted to switch her to iPhone, thinking it would be easier for her to use. Well after 2 week trial, she asked for 920 back ), I was amazed.

 

[DrewLumia900]

The entire UI of W10m is botched in my opinion. WP8 and even WP8.1 was much more aesthetically pleasing with the Metro Design style. I couldn't bare to look at the UI and "grey screens" on the Insider Preview so I flashed my phone back to WP8.1. My Lumia 1020 was being strangled to death by W10m.

This is Microsoft's last chance to gain marketshare. They are bleeding at the seems putting out lackluster devices that have only 30% of the App selection of iOS, Android &BlackBerry which now also runs Android. I believe even Tizen is close to catching Microsoft's dismal marketshare.

 

[London Jr]

This guy was right, W10 Mobile is far from ready if this build (10586). Its a shame, because WP8 worked really well, hell, it was getting consistently better from WP7 and while some things actually got worse over time, it worked very well. W10 is what happens when you fix something that isnt broken. I'm frustrated with W10 Mobile, seriously.

 

[chuckdaly]

RTM has been released as well as the Lumia 950. There were more than a few here stating that we should hold judgement until official release. That day has come. Was the OP on point, or way off?

I think he was far more right than wrong. Besides some bug fixes and performance tweaks, not much has changed in the OS since the OP posted his message. The reviews for the 950 have been mediocre. Based on the reviews, nothing seems to standout about the 950, not even the camera. That said, not much was said in the reviews about the OS besides continuum, and the app gap.

 

[colinkiama]

RTM has been released as well as the Lumia 950. There were more than a few here stating that we should hold judgement until official release. That day has come. Was the OP on point, or way off?

I think he was far more right than wrong. Besides some bug fixes and performance tweaks, not much has changed in the OS since the OP posted his message. The reviews for the 950 have been mediocre. Based on the reviews, nothing seems to standout about the 950, not even the camera. That said, not much was said in the reviews about the OS besides continuum, and the app gap.

Yeah the OP was mostly right. But we shouldn't think of this as the finish line, think of this as a starting point unlike WP7.0 -> WP8.1.2, things will actually get better over time with windows 10 and I don't mean that we have to wait a whole year for a major update, updates are happening every week where we've been getting more and more features. (I know something like this was happening in 8.1 but this time Microsoft are actually updating their apps frequently)

 

[HoosierDaddy]

There isn't one answer to "was the OP right". Nothing is ever perfect and every customer has a different definition of what's good enough.

For this customer it's not even close to ready on the 1520.s and 640 I've installed it on.

 

[chuckdaly]

Yeah the OP was mostly right. But we shouldn't think of this as the finish line, think of this as a starting point unlike WP7.0 -> WP8.1.2, things will actually get better over time with windows 10 and I don't mean that we have to wait a whole year for a major update, updates are happening every week where we've been getting more and more features. (I know something like this was happening in 8.1 but this time Microsoft are actually updating their apps frequently)

Did you own a WP7 device? WP7, WP8, and WP8.1 were all more complete and polished than W10M is at launch. While it may be enough for a currently Windows Phone user, do you think its complete and polished enough to parade throughout the blogosphere? Tech bloggers rarely, if ever, go back and revisit a product after the developer/manufacturer irons out the kinks. You only get one chance to make a first impression.

 

[uselessrobot]

I got my 950 on Wednesday, so this is my first exposure to Windows 10 Mobile. I don't think that the OS is nearly as bad as is being made out here, but by the same token I don't think it's good enough for widespread release.

The OS reminds me of the launch of Windows 8; a lot of good ideas marred by inconsistencies, annoying little issues and a lack of clarity. What Microsoft really needed here was an OS at least as good as Windows 10 desktop and we don't have that. Microsoft is already fighting an uphill battle with the tech press, the last thing they need is to give the critics additional ammunition.

 

[missionsparta]

I think Windows doesn't get market share, because they don't keep whats good on the os. A good example is the Music Hub/App. On Windows 8, managing playlists was really difficult. On 8.1, the app was simply crap. On Windows 10, the App looks Ugly if it doesn't find the artist images (on my lumia, it finds 3/20 artist images, but nearly every album cover). Also, on Groove there could be a few small accent Color tweaks.
Other stories are for example the status bar on top (the one with wifi, clock etc.), missing Accent color elements (like the volume from 8 to 8.1), Facebook integration, diverse Live-Tile animations (on 10, Fotos is smooth, but boring), etc.

Basically Windows Phone is like a continous experiment where other companies can take ideas from.

You are dead on. Everytime they "fix" something, they remove three things they dod really well. Why in all hell do they keep insisting on doing this. And the whole time they are claiming they are listening to us and responding. Then when we said just keep things like the Zune/Music and Video hub and just rebrand it, do you tear it to nothing and slap us with a pile of garbage called Xbox Music and Video? Stop wrecking the things you did right, for crying out loud.

 

[missionsparta]

So going by this logic MS should also get rid of live tiles because they're too different from the other mobile UIs and just end up scaring away potential customers. MS should create a generic copycat UI with nothing too unique or far out there. Basically what W10M is except for the Start screen.

I'm actually surprised they haven't ditched live tiles yet. They've added an option in W10M to dial down the transparency so that the tiles are basically dull flat icons but the tiles are still there although cramped and minimalized.

Get rid of the live tiles?!?!?!? That is what Windows Phone is. Wow.

 

[colinkiama]

Get rid of the live tiles?!?!?!? That is what Windows Phone is. Wow.

You can already do that. Unpin every live tile and you'll only have an app list. Actually works pretty okay.

 

[Rafael Yousuf]

Hello everyone, OP here.
Was a bit busy with Uni exams and work but now i am back ( i know, it aint a big deal lol)

So now that the 950 and 950XL have been released and they are running the "glorified" build 10586.0 which is RTM i would like to hear from everyone who was telling me to wait for the release before judging. For me, nothing changed, but i want to know and hear your judgments.

I still believe the quality has dropped massively in every aspect of the OS and MS couldn't change anything before launch and they probably won't.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I still believe the quality has dropped massively in every aspect of the OS and MS couldn't change anything before launch and they probably won't.

I agree. But I think the decision to buy or not is easy for anyone who tolerates the latest Insider build on their daily driver. If you use it on your DD, why not buy the 950 now and enjoy the hardware advances while we wait. I know it rewards bad behavior on MS' part, but kids will be kids. As long as they share their drugs they can clean up their rooms later.

____________________________________

Yes I'm kidding.

 

[nekkedrunner]

The only things missing that keeps me from considering changing 'all' my equipment to Windows 10 is the
lack of a toggle for:

Do Not Permit Cloud Use
Do Not Permit FORCED Windows updates.
Do Not Permit FORCED apps.
FREE O.S. no option to stop ADS
Pay version of Windows 10 option to stop ADS.

I would rather Pay for my O.S. than have it throwing ADS at me. Yes the ADS are minimal now
but as time goes on, they will become ridiculous and frequent.
Besides, Windows O.S. will not always be free. Only FREE now to capture the market.

Happy on the only computer left on Windows O.S., Windows 7
Happy to have only 1 computer on Windows 10, for knowledge purposes only.
Happy all others are on Ubuntu O.S.

I've been in computers too long to be excited by Live Tiles, Edge, Cortana when at the same time
it is an O.S. that is so basically invasive on privacy, security and controlling.

Google was bad enough but at least it wasn't my Home and Business O.S.!!

 

[colinkiama]

I'm going to assume that this is a firmware issue....