Keep throwing shade, Mr. Moderator.
What is all boils down to is that Windows Phone 8.1, regardless if we call it a preview or not, shows us all what direction Microsoft is taking the system. This includes the removals of many unique features that many of us all loved. Whether it be the messaging integration or the use of the hubs, these things are now missing are possibly will not be making a return. This is coupled with a seriously abysmal music playing experience and the fact that this update didn't fix the myriad little quirks Windows Phone 8 already had. If this is an update, regardless of preview status, it should at least fix the problems users had with the previous version. 8.1 does not do that. It has added some new features, some of which are skin deep (background images and three-tile column layout) and some are much needed additions (notifications bar), but I find that much of the complaining is based around what Microsoft decided to remove. And when Microsoft removes something (see Zune), they don't tend to put it back no matter how hard people complain about it. At this point, I personally see 8.1 has a major step in the wrong direction towards becoming a deficient form of Android. It no longer does anything more efficient than its competitors except that Windows Phone always has been snappier than iOS or Android. But with its personality stripped away, including less and less of the inspired Metro design, what's left to like?
In downgrading back to Windows Phone 8, I did find that I really missed the new notifications bar and lock screen with the smaller text. I missed the sexy new animations and the new layout of the Microsoft Store (although I do miss its integration to the Xbox Music Store). But these things just are that important in comparison to a functioning music app and possibly the best messaging integration out of any current mobile operating system has. I thought the use of the Hubs was a majorly forward-thinking method of organization, particularly when it came to messaging. I understand that now they will able to update the Music and Games apps more often (and have already planned to release scheduled updates), but it's still a change of direction I think a lot of users weren't particularly happy about. Let's compare this to Android and iOS for a moment. On Android, music is an app easily ignored and replaced. That's great, and you're at the mercy of whatever app you choose for how integrated your experience will be. iOS, however, is a system-baked feature they pretty much got right the first time in using the same methodology used in their iPod line. The Music feature on the iPhone hasn't changed much over its existence and there's a good reason for that. They got it right the first time. Microsoft, for some stupid reason, decided to erase all traces of Zune and replace it with an inferior product. The Zune's failure is due to a lack of trust in the Microsoft corporation, proprietary formatting in the Marketplace upon initiation, and some ****-poor marketing (why was it brown and why was it named Zune?). The technology itself was not the problem. Rebranding would have been a far smarter move. The fact that Microsoft does not listen to its users, no matter how casual or committed, is very alarming. They took our suggestions and did the complete opposites, actually removing more features than they added (they added... none). In my opinion, the Music+Videos Hub on Windows Phone 8 did not need to scrapped. It just needed to be improved and fixed. Making it a separate app that is going to receive constant updates is a little alarming. It sounds like they are just starting from scratch all over again, and they still haven't gotten it right. I'm sorry, but it's not rocket science. Why is it that everybody else can get it right, but the biggest computer company on the planet cannot? Rudy Huyn writes better apps than the Microsoft team does. Maybe they should just employ him to write the whole thing in one night by shoving chocolate-covered espresso beans down his throat for twelve hours. I'm sure we'd end up with something more functional than what we have now.
Forgive the rant, but our complaints are not without merit, and they are so potent because we actually care about the future of this operating system. I've had two people switch from Android as a result of my insistence. I'm disappointed in the direction Microsoft is taking, and I'm tired of waiting and twiddling my thumbs. Microsoft should have had this right on Day 1, and it's alarming that they still have not learned from their mistakes.