Cortana vs Google Now

Kasey Pierce

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I apologize if there is already a similar thread, i could not find one before i made this post!

First off i would like to say that i can not wait to get a Nokia Lumia Icon. I have unlimited data still and am buying an upgrade from a friend in a few weeks, have not been more excited to get a new phone. My current phone (HTC Droid DNA) recently got an update for Google search to be able to have the device "always listening". The limitation to this over lets say the Moto X is it does not listen when the phone is off, only when it is on the charger or the screen is on. At first i thought this was pretty gimmicky, but found it to be AMAZING in the car. I live in a small town in Oregon and was driving to Portland. Not a fan of big cities... it was so nice to be able to just say "Ok Google...navigate me to so and so" or say "Ok Google, what does the traffic look like up ahead?" and not have to unlock the device and press any buttons, kept both hands on the wheel, it really gave the feeling of a personal assistant.

Long story short, i am fine with Cortana being in beta, and i understand it still has time to mature, but the always listing function (optional of course) I would find to be leaps ahead of Siri and better on par with Google now, what do you guys think? does that sound appealing?
 

AKaTheGeek

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Google now has the power of Google spying behind it and thus Cortona will never be as of good yet... Until the new CEO. Pushes ms more into the cloud
 

Maitrikkataria

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Google now has the power of Google spying behind it and thus Cortona will never be as of good yet... Until the new CEO. Pushes ms more into the cloud

Google Now assumes everything it knows to be true, and performs little verification, Cortana keeps a tab on a Notebook. Interests can be edited or removed with a user permissions. While Google now keeps on assuming, Cortana will always ask if "you are interested" in an information.

Whenever I think of Google Now, I think it as a search engine rather than an assistant. Because it will never speak back, the deafness is an issue!
Cortana is regularly updating, and most of the updates are at backend, it will be powered by Adam learning in future. Adam is claimed to be far superior that any of Google based AI technologies (still need to wait to get this confirmed).

Cortana will even go cross platform and won't be limited to Microsoft based technologies, which will make it universal and will allow Microsoft to receive feedback from a million users. Which they lacked earlier, As a lot of contribution in developing Siri and Google Now is partially due to feedback that they receive from the masses.

The new CEO is indeed pushing this, universal Operating system with universal user experience. :smile:
 

scallawag

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Google Now assumes everything it knows to be true, and performs little verification, Cortana keeps a tab on a Notebook. Interests can be edited or removed with a user permissions. While Google now keeps on assuming, Cortana will always ask if "you are interested" in an information.

Whenever I think of Google Now, I think it as a search engine rather than an assistant. Because it will never speak back, the deafness is an issue!
Cortana is regularly updating, and most of the updates are at backend, it will be powered by Adam learning in future. Adam is claimed to be far superior that any of Google based AI technologies (still need to wait to get this confirmed).

Cortana will even go cross platform and won't be limited to Microsoft based technologies, which will make it universal and will allow Microsoft to receive feedback from a million users. Which they lacked earlier, As a lot of contribution in developing Siri and Google Now is partially due to feedback that they receive from the masses.

The new CEO is indeed pushing this, universal Operating system with universal user experience. :smile:

I don't know about others but on my Moto Droid Maxx Google Now would always speak back. I am amazed how will Google Now works for me. Never did like Siri as well.
I have only had my Icon for about a week running 8.1 Cortana has so far performed about as well or almost as good as Google Now for me. Considering the short time I have had my Icon I think as I learn to use Cortana it will equal or surpass its usefulness to me.
The always listening was a mixed blessing because background noise would sometimes activate Goggle Now and that was a pain in the neck, I never heard of others having this problem so it may have been the way Google now learned my voice. I did try having GN relearn my voice several times to but it did not help.
 

Maitrikkataria

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I don't know about others but on my Moto Droid Maxx Google Now would always speak back. I am amazed how will Google Now works for me. Never did like Siri as well.
I have only had my Icon for about a week running 8.1 Cortana has so far performed about as well or almost as good as Google Now for me. Considering the short time I have had my Icon I think as I learn to use Cortana it will equal or surpass its usefulness to me.
The always listening was a mixed blessing because background noise would sometimes activate Goggle Now and that was a pain in the neck, I never heard of others having this problem so it may have been the way Google now learned my voice. I did try having GN relearn my voice several times to but it did not help.

But you are missing the point, the famous "Google Brain" is still under development and likely wouldn't be any helpful this year. Google Now has a very few basic problems that Google needs to improve upon.

First of all, it only recognizes only two important places 1) Work, and 2) Home. Lol it never looks like they expect us to have "Favorite places", which Cortana does.

Second, I am fed up with the assumptions Google Now makes. Recently, I was doing some work around apple and was looking for the recent trends and share values of AAPL. I did that just once, and now GN thinks that it is the only most important thing that I care about. And now they have a customized card place almost upfront on me!

Thirdly, Google Now is not learning contextually. And it is quite understandable. I mean it might be seamless with integration, but it is nothing like Cortana when it comes to personalization. Try asking Google Now "How is the weather at New York?" It will give you a result, then in succession ask GN "How about Salt Lake?" . I am sure that Google Will not even realize the connection between the two questions. Whereas Cortana can do it.

There are a multitude of things that I like about both of them, but the thing being when it comes to being personal Google Now fails to beat Cortana. :smile:
 

z33dev33l

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I go for a run after work. Cortana asked me when I left work if I was going home or to Rose Park. When I selected rose park, she asked if she should play a particular playlist I often run to. I can't even tell Google now to play music for me.
 

Maitrikkataria

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I go for a run after work. Cortana asked me when I left work if I was going home or to Rose Park. When I selected rose park, she asked if she should play a particular playlist I often run to. I can't even tell Google now to play music for me.

Yes, that's why I prefer Cortana for any personalization related topics. She's the best, and above all, she'll learn and be more helpful after future. :smile:
 

Jonas_H

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I only used Google Now a bit on my sisters Nexus 5 but for me it just feels like a 'voice search'. It's just nothing really special.

Cortana is something completely different as she really tries to be your personal assistant. I think it's cool that she has a personality! It makes the experience more complete! :)
 

RumoredNow

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I will say this.

When Google Now came out everyone was like, "Ohhhh, look at that! *poke, poke, poke*" I just did not get it. Could not be bothered to fight through learning how it works and what was needed to get going on it. Went so far as to disable it to reduce background usage, RAM hoarding and the intrusive feel of it.

When Cortana came along I embraced it and started using it right away. It really is growing on me and I'm becoming dependent.

What's the difference? Personality and ease of use.
 
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blue1k

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I use both and Cortana is so much better for setting appointments and reminders. In Google Now you can only set 2 favorite locations. Not helpful at all.
 

roni09riku

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I briefly saw what Google Now can do with my aunt's phone. Seems that it's more of a knowledge database. You can ask it almost anything and it'll give you the search results as if you've actually googled it.

Now Cortana, is different. She seems to have more personality and she's geared to helping you with tasks, rather than information searches. She usually ends up with searches when you ask her some stuff but she can be like your own secretary. That's why she's called a personal assistant.
 

D M C

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Google now is better because Cortana isn't available in my country lol!

There are certain thing which Google now can do but Siri and cortana can't.
Example - you can have a conversation with GN but not Cortana.
If you ask GN who is President of Lets say USA.
It will tell you.

Now ask.... How tall he is? Or what his age.
GN will understand who you are referring by "he".
And answer.

Cortana can't do that.

And I totally love touch less voice control. It's totally awesome.
 

z33dev33l

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Google now is better because Cortana isn't available in my country lol!

There are certain thing which Google now can do but Siri and cortana can't.
Example - you can have a conversation with GN but not Cortana.
If you ask GN who is President of Lets say USA.
It will tell you.

Now ask.... How tall he is? Or what his age.
GN will understand who you are referring by "he".
And answer.

Cortana can't do that.

And I totally love touch less voice control. It's totally awesome.

I just asked Google now who the president of the US is and it pulled up Obama's wiki page. Said nothing. I tried the same with Cortana, it said, "Barack Obama." I asked how tall he is and it informed me that he's 6'1" Google Now didn't come close. I believe you have the two reversed.
 

smoledman

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I will say this.

When Google Now came out everyone was like, "Ohhhh, look at that! *poke, poke, poke*" I just did not get it. Could not be bothered to fight through learning how it works and what was needed to get going on it. Went so far as to disable it to reduce background usage, RAM hoarding and the intrusive feel of it.

When Cortana came along I embraced it and started using it right away. It really is growing on me and I'm becoming dependent.

What's the difference? Personality and ease of use.

I think Google seriously underestimates how important personality is to a digital assistant.
 

lizziej

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My most used part of Cortana isn't really a part of Cortana at all: Quiet hours conjoined with calendar. My phone has to be on silent at work and I'm always forgetting. With quiet hours I have it set so that when the calendar says I'm at work, quiet hours come on. I have no idea if Google can do that but I don't think Siri can.

Ideally I wanted quiet hours by location but that's not available (yet?).
 

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