Are WP fans holding WP from evolving

[Andre-Omari John]

Totally agree with the OP. People cried about Win 8 nonstop. What happened? Msft made some changes. What was wrong with win8 anyway? It wasn't great for touch but everything else was fine. But as far as the question is concerned, no, I don't think so. WP's evolution is dependent on how well win10 desktop does. If all goes according to plan and the world realises that they cannot do without cortana in their life then we'll be better able to gauge what 'fans' contribute.

 

[12Danny123]

My point was that Metro is the design language. Flat, sleek and simple in other words. W10 is supposed to be the thing brings everything together finally but still a starting point.

I wasn't suggesting for a moment that WP8.0 or WP8.1 was the pinnacle of that design either.

I agree with the date and time picker!

Oh that's what's you're talking about by Metro. The metro I mean is the one in WP8.1 where there are circled buttons, and no hamburgers and a total black theme with nothing else.

Basically the Metro in WP8.1 was form over functionality but of course the DNA of Metro concept is still in Windows 10

 

[runamuck83]

Fact of the matter is that anyone on these forums is not your "average Joe" user. So, pleasing one loud group of people vs. the silent masses - which one should they choose? Marketshare is king...

 

[psudotechzealot]

Maybe I just remember it wrong but wasn't it the WP users in first place that requested the notification center for years?

Not on this website. Well, a select few did, but the majority of the posters here were Anti-notification center.

 

[psudotechzealot]

If you read reports from a couple years ago, pretty much everyone thought that WP would be holding a 10%, 15%, or even 20% market share by now. It would be hurting Apple big time, and even making a serious dent in Android's grip on the market.

Sigh, I was one of those guys.

 

[iyae]

The thing is, Microsoft needs to have a UI that people will be easily able to adapt to. Given that Windows Phone has a small market share compared to Android and iOS means that most new Windows Phone users will be coming from Android or iOS, not folks who never had a smartphone.

A totally different UI will only confuse people and turn them off.

I remember when I tried BlackBerry Z10 for the first time in a T-Mobile store shortly after it was released. I spent about 15 minutes fumbling around, since I had no clue how the gestures worked. I had no issues using iPhones/Androids at that time, even though I never owned either back in 2012. Eventually, I just put the BlackBerry Z10 down, and I never picked one up again. I wasn't new to smartphones, and I wasn't even new to BlackBerry (I used legacy BBOS devices from 2009-2012).

Something too different has a danger of being too unfamiliar and driving away potential customers, rather than attracting them.

This is 100% true. Its exactly what happened when I gave my mum my old 920 to try out (she had an iPhone and was considering a windows phone as her PC was also windows). She gave up after a Day as it was too unfamiliar. I know we will say "well that's because shes old, or stubborn, or not tech savvy"...well, welcome to most of the mobile market!

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Those that own shares of Microsoft disagree. They want ROI. In other words, uniqueness and exclusivity isn't selling. Fix it.

And once again, the UI is usually the least of the complaints with windows phone. Microsoft released a half baked os that lacked the ability and features of android and ios and people dislike that because it can't do this.

And the app thing. Had Microsoft released an OS that wasn't so handicapped aka windows phone 7......and had they put more effort in refining the os and marketing it, I do think that this os wood be higher than it is. I sell windows phones for a living and I rarely here, it looks confusing and hard.

It's usually

Parents:
Some random bank or app I never heard of doesn't exist

Teens:
I can't snap chat my friends or this app sucks compared to my iPhone.

So you can be exclusive and unique with your design while still offering a compelling product. Lets be real. Windows phone 8.1 is where android and ios were like two or three years ago.

For once it appears Microsoft is actually entering 2015 and the os doesn't seem to be as handicapped.

Both android and ios have their unique style and mentality and they continue to lead not only on market share but in the fact that they are offering compelling products without sacrificing their identity.

 

[Zoolok]

If they're going to make it like Android or iOS, then we all might as well switch to Android or iOS. Same looks and feel, same hardware, ten times more apps.

The UI in Windows 10 TP is inconsistent - sometimes you swipe, sometimes you press something, sometimes it's the hamburger menu. Sometimes the back button works, sometimes not. Sometimes swiping does one thing, sometimes another. Jeebus.

 

[Protocol Rahul]

She gave up after a Day as it was too unfamiliar

Oh c'mon, if it was windows phone she was using before that would have been a similar reaction towards other OS.
On to the original topic then, One thing that bugs me is how we are able to speak for others, like saying people clinging on to old metro design, or the introduction of hamburger menus. I mean all we see is a very small group of people going for and against each other on a site used by 4,748,076 people. For example, now If I were to say with the people around me hated live tile concept, that would not mean everyone does. Its millions of users using windows phone, but one compares their own locality (which in my case is only 10 windows phone out of probably 1000 androids), cannot justify the statement. I cannot simply say the livetile should go based on what, 10 people around me.
I still believe this is a evolution of metro/modern not a copy of something. One can take inspiration from others. You compare cars from today and 2 years back, some have changed drastically, some have remained same, which doesn't essentially make it a bad thing.

 

[iyae]

Oh c'mon, if it was windows phone she was using before that would have been a similar reaction towards other OS.

Oh cmon, windows phone has like TWO PERCENT MARKET SHARE. The fact you have to wake up to is you can "OH CMON" all you want, that's the reality of the situation so most of the damn time people will be coming FROM ios and android TO windows phone. If you cant see that then I cant help you.

 

[Protocol Rahul]

Oh cmon, windows phone has like TWO PERCENT MARKET SHARE. The fact you have to wake up to is you can "OH CMON" all you want, that's the reality of the situation so most of the damn time people will be coming FROM ios and android TO windows phone. If you cant see that then I cant help you.

Ha, I agree with you for the fact of 2% market share, no doubt about that. I am sorry you got offended in some way(seeing you got a bit cocky). I was stating that particular reaction anyone can have and still be different for other people. But how can you tabulate what those other people coming from IOS or android would hate and would like to have some familiarity with their older OS. with 98% share of others how can you state that?
That is what I explained later in my comment above. You cannot justify based on your own personal experience or your opinion. I can just easily call a group of 10 android people and have them say that they wouldn't want any similar experience from their own OS[when considering a new OS], WHICH will still not justify the fact that I or group of 10 won't have similar expectations. and yeah Oh c'mon. because I will.

 

[sumton]

I haven't installed W10TP on my phone they can do what ever they want my judgment reserved for the final product if i like it I'll use it if don't well there is always other options but by looking at some screenshots it look promising... Can't wait for the final release

 

[etad putta]

A pig is still a pig no matter how you dress it up. If the apps aren't there for the end user to be able to use the phone easily this OS will fade away.

 

[onysi]

The only thing that's inconsistent to the look of WP that defined and separated itself from IOS and android are the rounded profile pictures and buttons. It looks retarded and a straight up copy. I prefer windows phone 8 and below for its LOUD personality. Now its just falling in line following a trend.

 

[oviedofreak82]

The UI in Windows 10 TP is inconsistent - sometimes you swipe, sometimes you press something, sometimes it's the hamburger menu. Sometimes the back button works, sometimes not. Sometimes swiping does one thing, sometimes another. Jeebus.

This is why it's a TECHNICAL PREVIEW. It's not the final product, it needs refinement however you as an insider can provide first-hand valuable feedback to make it better. I have it on my Lumia 521 & yes it's buggy as hell but it's promising and I've sent feedback several times in the past 24 hours. You can always revert back to an earlier version if this I've doesn't suit your needs.

Everyone needs to see the glass as half full and not half empty or completely empty. I for one have no plans to leave the Windows/Microsoft ecosystem even if Windows Phone market share drops down to 0.5% worldwide.

 

[fatclue_98]

A pig is still a pig no matter how you dress it up. If the apps aren't there for the end user to be able to use the phone easily this OS will fade away.

It depends on how you use your phone. Each ecosystem has its pros and cons. You wouldn't use a Corvette to pull a boat no matter how fast it is or how technologically advanced it is.

Sent from my Passport using Tapatalk

 

[byobg]

I don't remember anyone hating the notification center who "wanted it to go away."

I remember hearing a lot of demand for the feature from the day WP7 launched, and I remember hearing a lot of happiness when 8.1 implemented it, and yes, I remember some carping about how it should have been implemented BETTER or DIFFERENTLY - but I literally can't remember ever reading even one person saying anything like "This feature should not exist."

So unless I'm REALLY misremembering (and you can show evidence of that), I'm going to have to say "nope."

 

[Kram Sacul]

I don't remember anyone hating the notification center who "wanted it to go away."

I remember hearing a lot of demand for the feature from the day WP7 launched, and I remember hearing a lot of happiness when 8.1 implemented it, and yes, I remember some carping about how it should have been implemented BETTER or DIFFERENTLY - but I literally can't remember ever reading even one person saying anything like "This feature should not exist."

So unless I'm REALLY misremembering (and you can show evidence of that), I'm going to have to say "nope."

Actually I wasn't too thrilled about it. I had no problem using the lock screen and live tiles for notifications so a busy Android style notification shade at the top of clean and minimal WP bummed me out. Luckily it was designed well and didn't look too bad. The action center is definitely a more welcome addition for me though as going into the settings page each time I wanted to switch something was really tedious.

I'm still not happy that's it at the top of the screen and it's presence inadvertently took away one of my favorite features of WP, the auto-hiding system tray. I really wish MS would've give an option for that (and games in the app list) in the final build of 8.1 but I guess they're too busy screwing up W10.

 

[Sonu K]

Feel free to tell me when & where I said "I hate live tiles"? Live tiles are great for getting a glance view of current news headlines, seeing the current song playing, seeing stocks & seeing weather. But a notification center brings ADDED functionality that Live Tiles simply don't have at the moment. A live tiles shows that I have a new message available, great...but it opens me up to the SMS app with all of the SMS messages. The notification center takes me directly to the new message --- and with Windows 10 Mobile, you can reply to the new message directly from the notification center. Live Tiles for items such as a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, screen brightness toggle is wasted space on the home screen for myself personally, I much prefer being able to swipe down a hidden menu to access such toggles. My home screen is dedicated to apps I frequent use or tiles I frequently look at for quick info.

FYI, the "random info" comment was an exaggeration, but it was in reference to the fact that when you tap a live tile, you aren't taken to the item that was just displayed on it --- extremely annoying for news headlines that are no where to be found once you open the app.

Now i understood what you meant. I love both notification center and Live Tiles.Only thing i hate about notification centre is if i tap a new email notification, it takes me directly to the mail.That's fine. But then when i tap back, instead of going to INBOX, it goes back to start screen. There were times i wanted to see another mail related to the new mail and i had to go back to start screen and then come back. It was annoying. May be they should give us an option to choose.

//the fact that when you tap a live tile, you aren't taken to the item that was just displayed on it --- extremely annoying for news headlines that are no where to be found once you open the app//
Agree with you here partially. It happened with me many times in other apps except MSN News. MSN news always shows old or previous editorial news. Sadly Live Tiles are late to update in my case.