No Jen Taylor in the UK

[paulsalter]

It is a shame we are not getting this, but I would much rather get proper uk terms in the voice instead of American ones

Not sure what voice we are getting (not sure if it's been mentioned and I have missed it), but if it's the typical posh public school accent we see on films or the type of accent they spoke on the bbc around the 1950's then perhaps I would rather have the US accent

 

[Pete The Penguin]

Or Brian Blessed. You can get him on TomTom as well.

I wouldn't want Brian shouting down my ears!

 

[Racxie]

I just read this over at Engadget and was about to post it here. I honestly can't believe Microsoft is even considering this. I mean no one has any issues with Siri, why would they with Jen Taylor? Ridiculous.

I've already tweeted Joe Belfiore with the hashtag #JenTaylorForUK saying Jen Taylor better -at least- be an option for us Brits or I'm boycotting Microsoft's entire ecosystem. A bit extreme I know but will hopefully make a point.

 

[nicfromwales]

On a side note, I would love the welsh version to get rob brydons voice, that would be quality

The people's choice, surely, but no doubt they'd shaft us with gravel-voiced Bonnie Tyler.

 

[David P2]

The people's choice, surely, but no doubt they'd shaft us with gravel-voiced Bonnie Tyler.

Would you rather Charlotte Church or Cheryl Cole?

 

[Sport Driver]

Yup my bad, your completely right sd

to Americans and young people Cortana is a completely fine as a name but to older people like me Cortana is just too close to Cortina, not that anyone gives a flying cr*p what I think, I do think the name will get some ridicule in the uk though should it ever become a mainstream item

It's quite similar indeed. When I fired heard name Cortana two memes came to my mind Cortona and Cortina .
Cortina was also on sale here but they didn't sell many of them because of import taxes in Yugoslavia. But in UK out must have been one of the best selling cars back in the day since its Ford's D class sedan.

 

[Brad and Ellen]

Cortana to have a different voice actress on handsets in the UK

For every negativity about Windows Phone I have always said "well at least we'll have Cortana". Being a Halo fan in the UK, nothing is more awesome than having Cortana in my Smartphone... Except now we wont; to me, Jen Taylor IS Cortana, and without that iconic voice, it might as be called Clippy.

It's not just the UK, Jen Taylor will only be the voice of Cortana for US customers. Blows goats, doesn't it? We have to agree, Cortana will not be Cortana without Ms. Taylor as the voice.

 

[nicfromwales]

Would you rather Charlotte Church or Cheryl Cole?

I'd take Mrs Fernandez-Versini over Charlotte Church, but I'd rather another Welsh voice to be honest. Anthony Hopkins would be brilliant.

 

[David P2]

I'd take Mrs Fernandez-Versini over Charlotte Church, but I'd rather another Welsh voice to be honest. Anthony Hopkins would be brilliant.

In full Hannibal mode? That'd be pretty cool.

 

[neo158]

It's not just the UK, Jen Taylor will only be the voice of Cortana for US customers. Blows goats, doesn't it? We have to agree, Cortana will not be Cortana without Ms. Taylor as the voice.

I have to disagree, if this was Halo 5 then I could understand getting pissed off about this but we're talking about a Digital Assistant on WP so it really doesn't matter who does the voice for it. The only similarity to Halo is the name, Cortana.

 

[travis_valkyrie]

Wouldn't it be cool if Microsoft used different AI voices for different countries? If Cortana speaks US English, there's also Serina (from Halo Wars) and she's got an English accent. (clip at 0:45 mark)

Open Sesame Part Two (Halo Wars Cutscene) - YouTube

 

[David P2]

It could be taken in some countries (UK for example) as false advertising - calling the service Cortana implies the service will use Jen's voice in all regions as she is the voice of Cortana. From the outlay it was assumed by everyone that Jen was the sole voice artist at work on the project - nothing was ever said about different people being used. It's only now that the reverse appears to be true. I don't think Talderon even knew until recently - the OP's link shows a screengrab of one of his tweets and I've double checked on his Twitter feed, and there it is.

Having Jen's voice is what differentiated the digital assistant on WP from Siri and Google Now. The UK voice of Siri is some guy nobody has really heard of, and I can't speak for Google Now as I've never heard it. Having some random person nobody has heard of doing the voice just makes it more of the same, with nothing to make it unique.

If they instead based it on say, the computer from Star Trek, people would expect to have the same voice globally (not possible now I know, since Majel Roddenberry has long since passed away), but that's the iconic voice people would expect - and the Cortana service is no different in that regard. Another example - HAL. People would expect the voice of HAL9000. Or there's KITT from the original Knight Rider. All iconic voices which wouldn't be same with a different voice attached to them.

 

[Pete The Penguin]

It could be taken in some countries (UK for example) as false advertising - calling the service Cortana implies the service will use Jen's voice in all regions as she is the voice of Cortana. From the outlay it was assumed by everyone that Jen was the sole voice artist at work on the project - nothing was ever said about different people being used. It's only now that the reverse appears to be true. I don't think Talderon even knew until recently - the OP's link shows a screengrab of one of his tweets and I've double checked on his Twitter feed, and there it is.

Having Jen's voice is what differentiated the digital assistant on WP from Siri and Google Now. The UK voice of Siri is some guy nobody has really heard of, and I can't speak for Google Now as I've never heard it. Having some random person nobody has heard of doing the voice just makes it more of the same, with nothing to make it unique.

If they instead based it on say, the computer from Star Trek, people would expect to have the same voice globally (not possible now I know, since Majel Roddenberry has long since passed away), but that's the iconic voice people would expect - and the Cortana service is no different in that regard. Another example - HAL. People would expect the voice of HAL9000. Or there's KITT from the original Knight Rider. All iconic voices which wouldn't be same with a different voice attached to them.

I doubt anyone would try to sue MSFT for false advertising, though I bet the German government would have a good go.

 

[David P2]

I doubt anyone would try to sue MSFT for false advertising, though I bet the German government would have a good go.

This is true - but the EU is generally quite pedantic with this sort of issue in general, and they would happily throw sue-balls at MS.

 

[Pete The Penguin]

This is true - but the EU is generally quite pedantic with this sort of issue in general, and they would happily throw sue-balls at MS.

We tend to be; if this falls under 'false advertising', MSFT deserves to be sued.

 

[Motel75]

I hope they give us a choice of what voice to use (sort of like you can do with a navigation device), rather than force us depending on our "region" settings.

 

[Keith Kerswell]

It is all about choice. I believe WP users should be able to choose from a few different voice actors and not be forced to use just one.

 

[Jonnie LasVegas]

It is all about choice. I believe WP users should be able to choose from a few different voice actors and not be forced to use just one.

That would be way too time consuming, as well as too expensive. Also schedules, etc.

It would be nice, but then we'd have to wait even longer for the service to hit all markets.

Plus Jen Taylor is a huge part of a Microsoft product in Halo, (and now WP). Who better to have than her. No one.

I do feel for the people who wanted Jen Taylor in other markets, though.

 

[Lumiamike]

If its cherl coles voice im smashing up my phone, I do not want that voice on my phone... Norfolk and chance

 

[switch side method]

Knowing our luck we will get dot cotton or janet street porter