WP 8.1 = YES, Cortana = NO

[lancorp]

While I am very excited about the upcoming features of 8.1, I have practically ZERO excitement about Cortana.

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something? Maybe Cortana can tell me what it means when I get 8.1. i-Pad was bad enough with all the jokes about that name. Can't wait to hear what the iSheep will come up with for Cortana.

Second, it looks very complicated. I want easy. As much as I like my 1520, my iPhone is my work phone that I use all day, and I never even use Siri (unless I press the home button too long by mistake).

Personally, I don't see many people, day-to-day, using Siri. Maybe they do, but I never see it. Maybe it's because they don't want everyone around them knowing their business? Maybe I'm just too old.

I think we should have a Poll on who expects to be using Cortana and how often. I'm curious.

 

[ians18]

Google Now is more than two syllables and Cortana is from Halo.

 

[Fiann]

Cortana is the name of Master Chief's AI companion in the Halo series of games. It was most likely supposed to just be a code name but there was SO much positive buzz around the name that they obviously decided to run with it.

 

[Jazmac]

Simple answer, don't use Cortana. Just Bing it. If polled, I'll be using it. Based on what I'm seeing from it. Yes, I'm using it. I'm not sure how it will fit in my smart phone future, but yes I expect it will get a workout from time to time. At least more than I used Siri..

 

[StevePT]

Great. You don't like it. There's a simple toggle to turn Cortana off or on. I'm sure your's will be off.

 

[mobile divide]

A nice difference between Siri and Cortana is that you can type in your request. Natural language search is the big thing. Think Search button> type "wake me up on Saturday at 7pm." Instead of Windows button>alarms>new alarm>scroll through date and time settings>save, or search button>type "Skype call John" instead of windows button>swipe>scroll>open skype>find john>call.

You don't have to talk to your phone to enjoy the benefits of Cortana and Bing.

 

[Jazmac]

Great. You don't like it. There's a simple toggle to turn Cortana off or on. I'm sure your's will be off.

 

[MicrosoftFoLife]

While I am very excited about the upcoming features of 8.1, I have practically ZERO excitement about Cortana.

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something? Maybe Cortana can tell me what it means when I get 8.1. i-Pad was bad enough with all the jokes about that name. Can't wait to hear what the iSheep will come up with for Cortana.

Second, it looks very complicated. I want easy. As much as I like my 1520, my iPhone is my work phone that I use all day, and I never even use Siri (unless I press the home button too long by mistake).

Personally, I don't see many people, day-to-day, using Siri. Maybe they do, but I never see it. Maybe it's because they don't want everyone around them knowing their business? Maybe I'm just too old.

I think we should have a Poll on who expects to be using Cortana and how often. I'm curious.

you're obviously not a Halo fan.

 

[Talderon]

While I am very excited about the upcoming features of 8.1, I have practically ZERO excitement about Cortana.

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something? Maybe Cortana can tell me what it means when I get 8.1. i-Pad was bad enough with all the jokes about that name. Can't wait to hear what the iSheep will come up with for Cortana.

Second, it looks very complicated. I want easy. As much as I like my 1520, my iPhone is my work phone that I use all day, and I never even use Siri (unless I press the home button too long by mistake).

Personally, I don't see many people, day-to-day, using Siri. Maybe they do, but I never see it. Maybe it's because they don't want everyone around them knowing their business? Maybe I'm just too old.

I think we should have a Poll on who expects to be using Cortana and how often. I'm curious.

I, personally, use Cortana every single day. There is not a day that does not go by that I don't use it in one way or another. The reminder options are fantastic, especially being location based. The organization capabilities are staggering. It keeps me from double booking appointments and other activities I track on my calendar. Reading my text messages as they arrive. Totally awesome for driving. Letting me ask her "Where is the closest grocery store?" and have her reply with the name and address. I can tell her to "Navigate There" and she opens my GPS app and navigation is going. Once I told her to "call the store" and she asked me if I wanted to call the store or the pharmacy. I actually wanted to call the pharmacy so she connected me. I told her to remind me about something when I got to work. 3 days later, after I had forgotten, I got a reminder as soon as I walked into my building reminding me to do the task I requested.

It is a LOT easier to use that it looks like. There are some initial setup steps to get her tuned, but it's well worth it.

I know you can't please everyone, but know that you CAN turn her off.

 

[lancorp]

A nice difference between Siri and Cortana is that you can type in your request. Natural language search is the big thing. Think Search button> type "wake me up on Saturday at 7pm." Instead of Windows button>alarms>new alarm>scroll through date and time settings>save, or search button>type "Skype call John" instead of windows button>swipe>scroll>open skype>find john>call.

You don't have to talk to your phone to enjoy the benefits of Cortana and Bing.

That could be useful. Thanks.

 

[lancorp]

Great. You don't like it. There's a simple toggle to turn Cortana off or on. I'm sure your's will be off.

Did your feelings get hurt because I don't like Cortana?

 

[lancorp]

you're obviously not a Halo fan.

You are correct. Not much of a game-player at all. Don't have the time nor the patience. The only Xbox game I do enjoy is the new(er) Geometry Wars 2. Kinda old school.

Now, had they named it HAL, I might have gotten it.

 

[Luis Carlos Ruiz Paternina]

I just can't believe there's people complaining at Cortana. I think it's human nature to complain for the most senseless reasons. If only they'd know that Microsoft is more concerned about our privacy than google is. Google now was released and everyone was saying how good it was but they never said anything about how intrusive it was. Anytime I asked google now something my gmail inbox was flooed with adds and offer of that same kind. Furthermore Cortana is beta so don't expect it to cook for you.

 

[John20212]

What a pile of BS; not sure if the OP is serious or just another troll; nobody is forcing you to use Cortana and you can disable it. Plus how the hell can you judge something you have not even used.

Cortana is among the best known Video Game characters and MS has done a great job with using the name as it will automatically attract millions of Halo fans to WP.

 

[Jas00555]

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something?

Win-dows-sev-en(7)
Win-dows-8
Win-dows-x-p
Mac-book-air
I-o-s
Win-dows-phone
X-box-one
Play-sta-tion-4
Sur-face-pro
Sur-face-2
Goo-gle-now


*sigh*.... Some people just like to complain

 

[machzk]

While I am very excited about the upcoming features of 8.1, I have practically ZERO excitement about Cortana.

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something? Maybe Cortana can tell me what it means when I get 8.1. i-Pad was bad enough with all the jokes about that name. Can't wait to hear what the iSheep will come up with for Cortana.

Second, it looks very complicated. I want easy. As much as I like my 1520, my iPhone is my work phone that I use all day, and I never even use Siri (unless I press the home button too long by mistake).

Personally, I don't see many people, day-to-day, using Siri. Maybe they do, but I never see it. Maybe it's because they don't want everyone around them knowing their business? Maybe I'm just too old.

I think we should have a Poll on who expects to be using Cortana and how often. I'm curious.

1. I have an iPhone and I use SIRI and Google Search (kinda like NOW) a lot. I especially find Siri useful for reminders, calendar appointments, making calls, setting timers, checking the time, sending messages and emails etc etc. I work in an area where I usually have gloves on my hands and I can?t really use my phone, other than take the control piece on my headset cord press it between my fingers and activate SIRI. So yeah there are people that use SIRI. I also know people who use Android phones and find Google Now exceptionally helpful. I have an iPhone and I also find it helpful.

2. Cortana looks awesome, now on the three major platforms there is something related. Things can only get better.

3. If you don?t like it, disable it. That goes for any of the three platforms in fact.

4. Did I mention that Cortana (name included) looks awesome?

 

[Ankit Nawlakha]

While I am very excited about the upcoming features of 8.1, I have practically ZERO excitement about Cortana.

First, who came up with that name? First rule of naming, like pets, is keep the name to TWO syllables. COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something? Maybe Cortana can tell me what it means when I get 8.1. i-Pad was bad enough with all the jokes about that name. Can't wait to hear what the iSheep will come up with for Cortana.

Second, it looks very complicated. I want easy. As much as I like my 1520, my iPhone is my work phone that I use all day, and I never even use Siri (unless I press the home button too long by mistake).

Personally, I don't see many people, day-to-day, using Siri. Maybe they do, but I never see it. Maybe it's because they don't want everyone around them knowing their business? Maybe I'm just too old.

I think we should have a Poll on who expects to be using Cortana and how often. I'm curious.

Cortana is a good name.. And there's no LAW stating that it should be whether two syllables or three..

 

[hermantj]

The 2 syllables thing is really a small detail. when you use Cortana, you actually don't have to name it. You say "way me up at 7am", you don't say "Cortana, please could you wake me up a 7am tomorrow morning?".
Second, there's been a lot of poll here and in other websites about how to name it. Cortana won almost all of them.

Finally, you say that if it was named Hal (or Halo, 2 syllables), you'd use it. What it the difference? Why?

 

[mparker]

COR-TA-NA. Three syllables. Is that Spanish for something?

Cortana is a named sword from several French epic poems; the most famous is probably "Le Chanson de Roland" aka "The Song of Roland". Cortana was one of three related named swords in that poem -- Joyeuse, the sword of Charlemagne; Durandal, the sword of Roland; and Cortana, the sword of Holger Danske, so presumably the word Cortana is some mashup of medieval Frankish, Latin, and Danish, or at least what some medieval bard thought might be an appropriate mashup. Cortana was the least famous of the three swords - according to legend it was inscribed "My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendal", so clearly a johnny-come-lately trying to acquire some of the glow of it's other siblings' fame.

 

[jswantek]

The 2 syllables thing is really a small detail. when you use Cortana, you actually don't have to name it. You say "way me up at 7am", you don't say "Cortana, please could you wake me up a 7am tomorrow morning?".
Second, there's been a lot of poll here and in other websites about how to name it. Cortana won almost all of them.

Finally, you say that if it was named Hal (or Halo, 2 syllables), you'd use it. What it the difference? Why?

I believe that was a reference to the HAL-9000, from Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey".

The generation gap sure shows with the name of this assistant thing. Since I don't play video games, and I have no idea what 'Halo' is like, I'm going to join the camp that says Cortana really doesn't make much sense as a name here. Now I know everyone with an Xbox is lining up to write awful, nasty things about me and how stupid I am, so don't waste your time. You won't change my opinion on the name. That said, it does sound like a functional and useful personal assistant, so I could see myself using it. I just don't like the name is all.