A few questions for those who oppose WP and WM10

[Mark Baker3]

Given some of the ****** bait posts on these forums I think you'll find that people pop over from apple and android forums to bait the people here. If people bite then more fool them. Reality is that this place is for information and feedback. Anything else is usually ****** nonsense and just amused the adults who sit back shaking their heads at the responses.

 

[TheLumiaExperience]

Why I'm here?

I don't think your opinion on the products and the platforms amounts to that of the trolls on this site, even if you are sorely disappointed and considering switching phones.
In fact, I agree with you about 8.1 vs 10.

You do seem invested in WPs and related products, so opinions like this are worth the contributions.
I like reading healthy debates about Windows - it's what makes the community stronger.

Truthfully, what adds to this site is the many users, in addition to the mods, who have years of experience with the products, and insights that even the mods may not have.

 

[realwarder]

An OS that was once the poster-child for uniqueness is gradually conforming to the norm. I can understand that. As someone that makes a living as a data analyst (in the mobile industry, no less) I get it. It makes sense. But as a fan of the platform for almost 8 years, I am shocked at how little MS is paying attention to details. Windows Phone has always been super minimalistic - mainly text on a solid background with images here and there all wrapped up in an efficient pivot. Perhaps they simply aren't used to working with a more "complex" UI on handsets. I'm not sure what it is, but something is very wrong. At least, in my opinion there is. The Preview defense is thrown around a lot, but as time passes, I'm not sure how much longer we can use it. Think about how long we've been dealing with "loading" and "resuming". Even on flagship devices on a rock-solid OS... it was still there. Maybe far less often, but present nonetheless. Are we really able to write off the continuation of this ever present annoyance on the preview program? Can we blame the design changes and missteps on a preview program?

Reportedly "Loading" has gone on the very very latest preview we don't have.

UI design changes have been required because of several goals: UI Compatibility with Android apps coming to Windows Mobile. UI familiarity for users who might look at WM10 from Android. UI compatibility with the desktop. Yes, this does break some of the simplicity of WP but I think ultimately it is for the better.

My biggest fear, as someone that adores WP, is that Microsoft may think that these shortcomings are "good enough" for something they don't get much return out of. I think some of the gross hyperbole can be explained by trolls, but I'd be willing to bet that there are just as many people in my shoes. People that are simply scared, or maybe even angry that this is what we're going to end up with after years of allegiance, and they don't know a better way to voice that frustration.

They do get it. They are listening. Thinking back to earlier preview builds we couldn't pivot through the Alarms app. Edge had address bars at the top. Apps were slower to load. Changes were made to feedback. They know when things are not good enough. It's a preview!

As you say, the Preview has caused some frustration because people see how long software development really takes. We're used to jumping to the end of an OS release development or app and magically massive changes appear and we think it happened instantly. I'm sure Microsoft will be reviewing the Insider program, however it is core to Windows As A Service, where we receive step changes throughout the year. Users need to realize this is the start of new journey. One where we gain continuous improvements. And get to preview them. Hopefully Microsoft will not find that too stifling as people inherently dislike change and yet advancement comes from change. Even when sometimes it doesn't quite work out (e.g. Win8). Oh well, time will tell. Personally I like seeing the evolution, but as this thread shows, some don't and some get frustrated seeing the step changes.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Now, I get this site is for those who are users and POTENTIAL users. But it seems that some posters are neither current users nor potentials. It seems their main aim is to criticise, point out every flaw (in a tech build!) and urge others to switch to competing OS.

You don't fall for it. Do you worry others are dumber than you and believe it?

 

[Jazmac]

I personally find myself using this site and the reddit less. The community itself is turning me off of windows phones.

Exactly my feeling dude. So much so, I'm entertaining the idea of actually buying an iPhone but at this point I can't get past what I would give up in this platform. But this community is a head scratch and those charged to protect it... let me stop right there.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Exactly my feeling dude. So much so, I'm entertaining the idea of actually buying an iPhone but at this point I can't get past what I would give up in this platform. But this community is a head scratch and those charged to protect it... let me stop right there.

Or find a 12 step program for Windows Central addicts.

Just use the ignore option for the trolls if you don't find them as comical as I do.

 

[Dietrich Cleijne]

** I never post replies like this... but this one felt like it needed to happen.

Well, you should do that more often, i don't share your scares, but your arguments ar valid.

 

[Steve Thackery]

My question is; why are you here?

I'm here because I'm a massive fan of WP8.1. As soon as I tried it I thought it made Android and iOS look like clunky old carry-overs from the last century.

I was excited to try the W10M technical previews because I was looking to an even more polished version of WP8.1. There was also one very important feature I wanted that Windows phones can't do (but Android and iOS can).

I couldn't believe what I saw: an Android look-alike but with live tiles instead of icons and widgets. All the rest is almost indistinguishable from Android. I vented my frustration and disappointment. A moderator explained it's a deliberate choice by Microsoft to make it easier to port iOS and Android apps over to W10M. Furthermore, it didn't (and won't) have that feature I wanted.

I unrolled my Lumia 1520 back to WP8.1, and it felt wonderful again, except for that missing feature. So now I'm looking on eBay for a good secondhand Samsung Note 4. It's just so sad, but it's goodbye to WP / W10M for me.

That's what I've been up to on this forum.

 

[slivy58]

Why I'm here?
I had the perfect combo with SP1&2, W8.1, and L925/930.
I had office on my phones, OneNote and everything was in sync via Skydrive/OneDrive.
The touch/pen experience on the SP was perfect w fullscreen metro IE etc.

The package was unique for Microsoft. It was not possible to get this on any other ecosystem. Any invested money (as a customer) was well spent money.

Now, W10 has ruined the touch experience of the SP, OneDrive is just a shadow of what it was, W10M will make the phones bleach Android copies and the Office package is better on ios and Android. I.e, I feel I did chose the wrong system. MS seems to give up what they accomplished with W8.1, SP and WP.

The best product mix today seems to be a boring iPhone (fastest, most polished, the best office and less "will come in the future" BS) a SP with the mediocre W10 or "old W8.1" OR if you can live with it, iPad pro and an iPhone.

Add to that that WP/W10M is so extremely slow adding features and that the new stuff (Cortana etc) is not even available but Siri is (Sweden). And no new interesting hardware has been released for ages.

I feel betrayed by Microsoft/Nadella.

I feel your frustrations yet we are met with "leave if you don't like it" or along those lines as the solution, as if it was our fault, I guess because we were silly enough to invest in them it is LOL.

Many seem to be irritated that some of us dis MS for messing things up, people fail to realize "where they are going" and "where they are at" are two different things, I want a platform that is going to sustain itself over time but with these reboots it is tough to see, not sure how you couldn't be sceptical because, once again we are starting at the bottom. Last I looked if something is going to succeed in the techno world you need a good fan/user base that entices investors and developers, in other words, something people rush through the door to get and that is making a splash in the marketplace, not just a dull roar... Some say it won't need it but I beg to differ.

As it stands now I see no way that W10M/WP will make a big presence for some time to come, it has to go through the trials and tribulations to "prove" itself first and until it is deemed solid, that could be a while. Was that what most of us were expecting or told when we jumped in a few years back, how many feel "riding it out" will result in that pot of gold in the end?

Here's my arsenal which clearly shows I'm invested in the Windows ecosystem and why I am here:

Five Desktops:
2 - Win10 Pro
1 -Win10 Home/Linux x2 (triple boot)
1 –Win7 Home
1 - Linux x3 (triple boot)

Seven Laptops:
1 – Win10 Pro
1 – Win10 Home
1 – Linux
1 – Win XP
1 – Win 2000
1 – Win 98
1 – MacBook Pro w/OS X Yosemite

Five Tablets:
2 – iPads (ver 1&4)
2 – Android (4.4)
1 – Win10 Home

Eight Phones:
3 – WPs w/Win 8.1
2 – Win Mobile 6+
1 – iPhone
1 – Android
1- BB

 

[anon(123856)]

Otherwise you create a MS based distortion field.

You can't create a MS based "reality distortion field". Apple created the "reality distortion field" years ago and holds the patent and would most certainly sue. :smile:

 

[rayf888]

People who oppose W10M are mainly those enthurists coming from WP7/8.....

And people who oppose WP are usually those iOS/Android users.....

Suggest you spiltting it into different posts...

 

[Francis Amar Singh]

The os may not be dead but without new exciting devices what the hell an OS will do... I was a hard core windows phone now moved to android...

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Muralidhar Parimi]

Excellent Questions those who hate our OS.

Thanks for writing this ...

 

[Muralidhar Parimi]

Don't use a word called 'Hard Core' fan... Because if your really a fan you wont switch here and there.!

 

[AmanBhullar]

Well windows phone is not doing good so things need to change in a big way, windows phone by it self will never be able to grow and people need to realize that its just a part of much bigger picture. So criticizing without understand or caring about bigger picture is not constructive. Universal apps running on a core windows 10 platform with adaptive UI are a very compelling story to bridge the app gap, if you don't like the new UI then either propose a better way and let users vote on it in usersvoice forms or move on and one always has choice not to upgrade. The performance will be improved because that's how software development is and that's what happened when windows 10 was released.

 

[tgp]

Windows Phone has always been super minimalistic - mainly text on a solid background with images here and there all wrapped up in an efficient pivot. Perhaps they simply aren't used to working with a more "complex" UI on handsets. I'm not sure what it is, but something is very wrong.

I use Android and iOS extensively, and I used to use WP8.1 extensively. I still use WP8.1/W10M some, but WP is no longer my primary device.

Being quite familiar with all three OS's, here's my take concerning the minimalistic UI: it was great, but it was too simple as features were added. WP was originally minimalistic in feature & capabilities. As features were added, the UI could not remain simple. As a result, the UI designed for simplicity became quite complicated to use. I mean, it looked great, but I found that when I started using it, it soon became apparent that it was convoluted (Settings menu anyone?).

I found myself doing a lot of swiping and tapping compared to performing similar tasks on iOS and Android. WP had too many features for a UI designed to be simple. It reminded me of a quote I read somewhere (I cannot find it at the moment, but this is the gist of it), "From over simplicity comes great complexity."

While icon filled screens are not as pretty as tiles, I believe that there is a reason Microsoft has used icons in Windows since Windows 2.0, released in 1987, and has returned Windows to primarily that after trying to push tiles in Windows 8/8.1. It would probably be the same reason that iOS and Android use icons. Icons are what seem to work in our current paradigm. Microsoft appears to have no plans to abandon icons in Windows anytime soon.

Maybe the rejection of tiles by consumers in Windows 8/8.1 and on WP is because we do not want to change. We as humans tend to feel most comfortable following tradition. OTOH, we are also very adaptable if something better comes along. I believe that if Live Tiles actually worked better, they would have been embraced by consumers.

 

[NatKingColeslaw]

Live tiles are a very interesting idea. It provides more information than a simple number counter (or nothing at all) on the icon. If the idea is the idea to provide enough information to prevent having to go into the app though, then I'm not sure live tiles really work. ON OCCASION I will have enough information from a live tile that it saves me from having to go into the app to "work". Often though I still need to go into the app because of not enough information. The perfect example is the calendar. Perhaps it's my specific usage, but I often need to glance at how many workers I have off on a given day, which could be 10 different calendar events. Sad to say, my scrollable Android widget handles this wonderfully. I would love for 10 to have this type of functionality.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[chuckdaly]

You are correct that Live Tiles don't offer as much information as some of Android's Widgets. Live Tiles do strike a great balance, of keeping the home screen neat and organised, Offering varied amounts of info based on the size of the tile, and the ability for the user to place more tiles on the screen than one can with widgets.

 

[tgp]

You are correct that Live Tiles don't offer as much information as some of Android's Widgets. Live Tiles do strike a great balance, of keeping the home screen neat and organised, Offering varied amounts of info based on the size of the tile, and the ability for the user to place more tiles on the screen than one can with widgets.

Live Tiles are a good concept that is poorly executed. They border on useless the way they are. Information seemingly displays at random, which means that it may or may not be useful. And the fact that if the app does need to be opened, the Live Tile is no more than an icon. The app should be opened to whatever is showing on the tile at the moment of tapping. They should also be actionable, which in a lot of cases would eliminate the need to open the app.

Basically, Live Tiles should be turned into widgets. Android's weakness in this area is that not all apps have widgets,and that the widgets are somewhat irregular in appearance.

 

[chezm]

Why is it such a bad thing for people to discuss what they dislike about the Platform, whether they own a phone with the OS or not? Android forum is full of negative feedback about the OS and its taken in strides, then you come to the Windows Forum and i see a lot of "why is everyone picking on us??". Listen, people would like things to evolve in different ways...some like where MS is going with WP10, others dont. I was a big fan of WP7/8, adored the platform...moved away when 8.1 came and all the videos i see of WM10 it hasnt changed a lot (outside prospective).

Much like others i invested a lot of $$$ in Microsoft products (owned a Samsung Focus for WP7, Lumia 920/1020...own a SP2) and ya thats my fault.

I dont come here to complain, especially since I moved to Android for my mobile and people on this forum are super defensive (even some of the writers for the site get their panties in a twist over peoples comments about WP, its pretty hilarious). But this topic, come on...get over it. There are "trolls", there are fans of mobile devices (like myself) and there are owners...the forum is for discussion, that includes negative and positive. Every platform has its problems, Microsoft is sometimes a bigger target because its MS...if you havent learned this yet welcome to the last 20 years.