I disagree that Apple should ignore the competition and rest comfortably on its laurels. Advertising can be a powerful tool. They can use humor to cement the idea in people's heads that iPhone is not only the coolest, but also the best. And that pretenders are just that. Stay hungry, Apple.
People made up their minds about Apple based on what the company does in the real world, not the fake world of the commercial.
For example:
Real world: Oprah loves her iPad
Fake world: Oprah tweets how much she loves her Surface
Real world: Ellen takes selfie with her iPhone
Fake world: Ellen takes selfie with a Samsung phone
Real world: Gary Oldman uses an iPhone
Fake world: Gary Oldman says blah blah blah HTC M8
Real World: Olympic athletes in Sochi shown on TV using their iPhones
Fake World: Samsung asks athletes to cover the Apple logo for a gift bag including a free Galaxy Note 3
What is the 'Cue'? Doesn't Siri already alert you to traffic on daily travel, if you go to the same place a lot? Its on the screen when you pull down and check for weather. It knows the traffic and tells you it will take so long to get to where you go everyday (or so). It could be a little more location aware, but it works for me as it is most of the time.
Doesn't work for me. Cue's Eddie Cue's pet project
On a serious note, does Cortana actually sound like that on Windows Phones? I've never tried one physically.
The video is exactly how the Halo character sounds like. Siri still sounds robotic despite the improvements, Cortana in the vid sounds... organic
Hit and miss. They have Jen Taylor, who recorded Cortana in Halo, recording increasing phrases and lines, but you can still get a computer generated voice. Think they plan to make the computer voice sounds more like her when they can't get her voice
If you think about it, prior to the smartphone, which is really a computer. MS had 95% of the OS market. Now it is down to under 50% in 5 years. That is the reality for Microsoft and is the reason it is moving in the direction of cloud and business services just like IBM before it.
People made up their minds about Apple based on what the company does in the real world, not the fake world of the commercial.
For example:
Real world: Oprah loves her iPad
Fake world: Oprah tweets how much she loves her Surface
Real world: Ellen takes selfie with her iPhone
Fake world: Ellen takes selfie with a Samsung phone
Real world: Gary Oldman uses an iPhone
Fake world: Gary Oldman says blah blah blah HTC M8
Real World: Olympic athletes in Sochi shown on TV using their iPhones
Fake World: Samsung asks athletes to cover the Apple logo for a gift bag including a free Galaxy Note 3
While all that is true, you're forgetting that perception is reality.
As for SIRI, I've mentioned this before, but you should check out the female brit SIRI, that's the one that I use and like. I prefer it more than the US female SIRI. It just sounds better to me.
I use the male British Siri. He sounds like a dignified villain. It's very commanding.
Indeed. And if you're a married man, you should really have a manservant, not a mistress.
If you think about it, prior to the smartphone, which is really a computer. MS had 95% of the OS market. Now it is down to under 50% in 5 years. That is the reality for Microsoft and is the reason it is moving in the direction of cloud and business services just like IBM before it.
The Nokia 7650 was released 12 years ago, where are you getting your 5 year figure from?
Just looking at the screen on the windoze phone makes me dizzy. The scattered effect of different sizes and colors reflects a strategy of "just make it look different". What we get is a confusing cluster fk.
Hey, do what I did. Go hold that HTC thing that runs Windows Phone. Changed my mind about the size. But you’re right: it can’t be any larger than 4.7” and be usable. Then again, I have piano hands.
My hands are smaller than your; I can't hold a first gen iPad with one hand stretched out on the back. But yeah, while going back for the Shure earphones I'll hold that HTC phablet thing and see if it feels 'ok'.
I am going to have to call BS on that. I'm an iPhone user from the first one and still use a 5s, but also use a Windows Phone (recently upgraded to the HTC One M8). Siri vs Cortana isn't even close, with Cortana easily beating Siri on functionality and understanding, as well as contextual responses. This is the one area where WP really blows iOS out of the water. Not only is Cortana extensible ("Cortana remote desktop connect to XYZ Computer" to launch an RDP session to my desktop or server"), but also predictive and not creepy at all (like Google Now, which I dabbled with when I used an HTC One M7). I've been using Cortana since the developer preview was released in April (on a Lumia Icon) and it wasn't buggy at all. The voice was quite computer generated back then, but it's gotten specifically better with time as they seem to be recording more and more with Jen Taylor (voiced Cortana from Halo). The developers are also really open to feedback, I emailed them because it couldn't pronounce my girlfriends name half way decently (she's Iranian), and within a week I noticed Jen Taylor had recorded her name.
A couple of other points. There is an option you can tick to have Cortana work above the lock screen (I can even launch it through my phones case with a swipe of my finger). Additionally, I don't think I have seen the Cortana service down more than once for a few hours since I started using it. Cortana also works perfectly fine with a Wi-Fi only connection, so not sure what is going on with your phone.
I've been reading AppleInsider for years and never made an account to comment because I never felt it necessary, but on this one, I had to stand up for Cortana. It's an awesome service and I can only hope they bring it to iOS one day (hopefully after Windows has established itself as a big enough ecosystem - feels crazy writing that - so that we are assured 3 platforms that keep pushing each other).
That's fine - I understand your perspective. All I can say is that what you describe was not my experience.
I bought my 1520 right after Build 2014, which as you might recall was in April. MS hyped Cortana heavily during Build, and at the time I was sincerely jazzed by all the new stuff coming, not only for Windows Phone, but in particular by the convergence in terms of development tooling that would allow a single app to be written and hit everything from desktops to phone. So I went out and bought a 1520 primarily to serve as a development device. But a few weeks later, my iPhone 5S went swimming, and I switched to using the Windows Phone for about a month. And during that month, I too used the developer preview of 8.1. And as I said, my experience was not as you describe.
During the month that I used it exclusively, I found myself constantly frustrated by the phone in general. And my most common experience with Cortana was "I'm sorry, the internet and I aren't talking right now." And as I mentioned, that happened even when I had a great WiFi connection.
I do appreciate that you like Cortana and that you think it is a better solution than Siri, but I simply don't share that view. I had a negative experience with it, and like I said, I used it for a month. After a month, I got so sick of the device in general that I took my iPhone in and got it replaced.
Here is what I hope MS will realize with their devices: it is about the whole experience. Siri isn't great based only on the merits of Siri as a feature; Siri is great because of the way it is integrated with the experience of using the device as a whole. With Siri, I can be getting off a train with my headphones, and without breaking stride I can depress the button on the headphones and say "text my wife." And then I can dictate a text, and Siri will send it for me. And I can do all of that while walking across the parking lot to my car. My Nokia 1520 - the flagship phone of the Nokia line - didn't even come with a pair of headphones. For me to get that same experience out of the device, I would have had to go and spend $70 on a pair of Nokia Purity headphones, because that's the only thing Nokia was selling at the time.
What MS needs to understand is that the power of the device is a synchrony. It comes from how features reinforce and work together. They can male Cortanna awesomely powerful, but if it is hard to access that functionality, it erodes and even eliminates the usefulness of the feature for a huge majority of users.
I'll tell you what, though: since you called BS on me, I'll charge up the Nokia, update it, and I'll report back here if I still have the same troubles. That's fair, I think.
That's fine - I understand your perspective. All I can say is that what you describe was not my experience.
I bought my 1520 right after Build 2014, which as you might recall was in April. MS hyped Cortana heavily during Build, and at the time I was sincerely jazzed by all the new stuff coming, not only for Windows Phone, but in particular by the convergence in terms of development tooling that would allow a single app to be written and hit everything from desktops to phone. So I went out and bought a 1520 primarily to serve as a development device. But a few weeks later, my iPhone 5S went swimming, and I switched to using the Windows Phone for about a month. And during that month, I too used the developer preview of 8.1. And as I said, my experience was not as you describe.
During the month that I used it exclusively, I found myself constantly frustrated by the phone in general. And my most common experience with Cortana was "I'm sorry, the internet and I aren't talking right now." And as I mentioned, that happened even when I had a great WiFi connection.
I do appreciate that you like Cortana and that you think it is a better solution than Siri, but I simply don't share that view. I had a negative experience with it, and like I said, I used it for a month. After a month, I got so sick of the device in general that I took my iPhone in and got it replaced.
Here is what I hope MS will realize with their devices: it is about the whole experience. Siri isn't great based only on the merits of Siri as a feature; Siri is great because of the way it is integrated with the experience of using the device as a whole. With Siri, I can be getting off a train with my headphones, and without breaking stride I can depress the button on the headphones and say "text my wife." And then I can dictate a text, and Siri will send it for me. And I can do all of that while walking across the parking lot to my car. My Nokia 1520 - the flagship phone of the Nokia line - didn't even come with a pair of headphones. For me to get that same experience out of the device, I would have had to go and spend $70 on a pair of Nokia Purity headphones, because that's the only thing Nokia was selling at the time.
What MS needs to understand is that the power of the device is a synchrony. It comes from how features reinforce and work together. They can male Cortanna awesomely powerful, but if it is hard to access that functionality, it erodes and even eliminates the usefulness of the feature for a huge majority of users.
I'll tell you what, though: since you called BS on me, I'll charge up the Nokia, update it, and I'll report back here if I still have the same troubles. That's fair, I think.
That seems perfectly fair to me, and I'd love to hear back on your experience. I have never had a problem with any headsets (car or otherwise) telling Cortana to send a text message, etc.
As for the headphones, it's a decision made by the wireless carriers. Outside the United States, Nokia Phones come with headphones, but I think the wireless carriers in the US exclude them to cut costs. Kind of crazy, but it's a very US centric thing and not normal. Also, the Purity Headphones are not comparable to Apple's earPods (though the earPods are surprisingly good).
While I can't speak to your experience and why exactly it happened, just remember it was very much in Beta when you used it and most likely works much, much better now (I never had a problem, so I can't compare)
The advert is badly done. Poor graphics, it's advertising the hardware more than the software, that's not the actual voice for microsofts windows phone, Siri is smother in iOS 8 and has a more human response. Graphics are bad. They have a lot of time on their hands to use Siri.
Comments
People made up their minds about Apple based on what the company does in the real world, not the fake world of the commercial.
For example:
Real world: Oprah loves her iPad
Fake world: Oprah tweets how much she loves her Surface
Real world: Ellen takes selfie with her iPhone
Fake world: Ellen takes selfie with a Samsung phone
Real world: Gary Oldman uses an iPhone
Fake world: Gary Oldman says blah blah blah HTC M8
Real World: Olympic athletes in Sochi shown on TV using their iPhones
Fake World: Samsung asks athletes to cover the Apple logo for a gift bag including a free Galaxy Note 3
What is the 'Cue'? Doesn't Siri already alert you to traffic on daily travel, if you go to the same place a lot? Its on the screen when you pull down and check for weather. It knows the traffic and tells you it will take so long to get to where you go everyday (or so). It could be a little more location aware, but it works for me as it is most of the time.
Doesn't work for me. Cue's Eddie Cue's pet project
On a serious note, does Cortana actually sound like that on Windows Phones? I've never tried one physically.
The video is exactly how the Halo character sounds like. Siri still sounds robotic despite the improvements, Cortana in the vid sounds... organic
It won't save Windows Phone.
If you think about it, prior to the smartphone, which is really a computer. MS had 95% of the OS market. Now it is down to under 50% in 5 years. That is the reality for Microsoft and is the reason it is moving in the direction of cloud and business services just like IBM before it.
Like Blackberry, too, if they survive.
While all that is true, you're forgetting that perception is reality.
As for SIRI, I've mentioned this before, but you should check out the female brit SIRI, that's the one that I use and like. I prefer it more than the US female SIRI. It just sounds better to me.
I use the male British Siri. He sounds like a dignified villain. It's very commanding.
Indeed. And if you're a married man, you should really have a manservant, not a mistress.
The Nokia 7650 was released 12 years ago, where are you getting your 5 year figure from?
While all that is true, you're forgetting that perception is reality.
Bias is reality.
Perception is bias confirmation.
Worldview is bias supported by perception confirming bias.
My hands are smaller than your; I can't hold a first gen iPad with one hand stretched out on the back. But yeah, while going back for the Shure earphones I'll hold that HTC phablet thing and see if it feels 'ok'.
I am going to have to call BS on that. I'm an iPhone user from the first one and still use a 5s, but also use a Windows Phone (recently upgraded to the HTC One M8). Siri vs Cortana isn't even close, with Cortana easily beating Siri on functionality and understanding, as well as contextual responses. This is the one area where WP really blows iOS out of the water. Not only is Cortana extensible ("Cortana remote desktop connect to XYZ Computer" to launch an RDP session to my desktop or server"), but also predictive and not creepy at all (like Google Now, which I dabbled with when I used an HTC One M7). I've been using Cortana since the developer preview was released in April (on a Lumia Icon) and it wasn't buggy at all. The voice was quite computer generated back then, but it's gotten specifically better with time as they seem to be recording more and more with Jen Taylor (voiced Cortana from Halo). The developers are also really open to feedback, I emailed them because it couldn't pronounce my girlfriends name half way decently (she's Iranian), and within a week I noticed Jen Taylor had recorded her name.
A couple of other points. There is an option you can tick to have Cortana work above the lock screen (I can even launch it through my phones case with a swipe of my finger). Additionally, I don't think I have seen the Cortana service down more than once for a few hours since I started using it. Cortana also works perfectly fine with a Wi-Fi only connection, so not sure what is going on with your phone.
I've been reading AppleInsider for years and never made an account to comment because I never felt it necessary, but on this one, I had to stand up for Cortana. It's an awesome service and I can only hope they bring it to iOS one day (hopefully after Windows has established itself as a big enough ecosystem - feels crazy writing that - so that we are assured 3 platforms that keep pushing each other).
That's fine - I understand your perspective. All I can say is that what you describe was not my experience.
I bought my 1520 right after Build 2014, which as you might recall was in April. MS hyped Cortana heavily during Build, and at the time I was sincerely jazzed by all the new stuff coming, not only for Windows Phone, but in particular by the convergence in terms of development tooling that would allow a single app to be written and hit everything from desktops to phone. So I went out and bought a 1520 primarily to serve as a development device. But a few weeks later, my iPhone 5S went swimming, and I switched to using the Windows Phone for about a month. And during that month, I too used the developer preview of 8.1. And as I said, my experience was not as you describe.
During the month that I used it exclusively, I found myself constantly frustrated by the phone in general. And my most common experience with Cortana was "I'm sorry, the internet and I aren't talking right now." And as I mentioned, that happened even when I had a great WiFi connection.
I do appreciate that you like Cortana and that you think it is a better solution than Siri, but I simply don't share that view. I had a negative experience with it, and like I said, I used it for a month. After a month, I got so sick of the device in general that I took my iPhone in and got it replaced.
Here is what I hope MS will realize with their devices: it is about the whole experience. Siri isn't great based only on the merits of Siri as a feature; Siri is great because of the way it is integrated with the experience of using the device as a whole. With Siri, I can be getting off a train with my headphones, and without breaking stride I can depress the button on the headphones and say "text my wife." And then I can dictate a text, and Siri will send it for me. And I can do all of that while walking across the parking lot to my car. My Nokia 1520 - the flagship phone of the Nokia line - didn't even come with a pair of headphones. For me to get that same experience out of the device, I would have had to go and spend $70 on a pair of Nokia Purity headphones, because that's the only thing Nokia was selling at the time.
What MS needs to understand is that the power of the device is a synchrony. It comes from how features reinforce and work together. They can male Cortanna awesomely powerful, but if it is hard to access that functionality, it erodes and even eliminates the usefulness of the feature for a huge majority of users.
I'll tell you what, though: since you called BS on me, I'll charge up the Nokia, update it, and I'll report back here if I still have the same troubles. That's fair, I think.
That's fine - I understand your perspective. All I can say is that what you describe was not my experience.
I bought my 1520 right after Build 2014, which as you might recall was in April. MS hyped Cortana heavily during Build, and at the time I was sincerely jazzed by all the new stuff coming, not only for Windows Phone, but in particular by the convergence in terms of development tooling that would allow a single app to be written and hit everything from desktops to phone. So I went out and bought a 1520 primarily to serve as a development device. But a few weeks later, my iPhone 5S went swimming, and I switched to using the Windows Phone for about a month. And during that month, I too used the developer preview of 8.1. And as I said, my experience was not as you describe.
During the month that I used it exclusively, I found myself constantly frustrated by the phone in general. And my most common experience with Cortana was "I'm sorry, the internet and I aren't talking right now." And as I mentioned, that happened even when I had a great WiFi connection.
I do appreciate that you like Cortana and that you think it is a better solution than Siri, but I simply don't share that view. I had a negative experience with it, and like I said, I used it for a month. After a month, I got so sick of the device in general that I took my iPhone in and got it replaced.
Here is what I hope MS will realize with their devices: it is about the whole experience. Siri isn't great based only on the merits of Siri as a feature; Siri is great because of the way it is integrated with the experience of using the device as a whole. With Siri, I can be getting off a train with my headphones, and without breaking stride I can depress the button on the headphones and say "text my wife." And then I can dictate a text, and Siri will send it for me. And I can do all of that while walking across the parking lot to my car. My Nokia 1520 - the flagship phone of the Nokia line - didn't even come with a pair of headphones. For me to get that same experience out of the device, I would have had to go and spend $70 on a pair of Nokia Purity headphones, because that's the only thing Nokia was selling at the time.
What MS needs to understand is that the power of the device is a synchrony. It comes from how features reinforce and work together. They can male Cortanna awesomely powerful, but if it is hard to access that functionality, it erodes and even eliminates the usefulness of the feature for a huge majority of users.
I'll tell you what, though: since you called BS on me, I'll charge up the Nokia, update it, and I'll report back here if I still have the same troubles. That's fair, I think.
That seems perfectly fair to me, and I'd love to hear back on your experience. I have never had a problem with any headsets (car or otherwise) telling Cortana to send a text message, etc.
As for the headphones, it's a decision made by the wireless carriers. Outside the United States, Nokia Phones come with headphones, but I think the wireless carriers in the US exclude them to cut costs. Kind of crazy, but it's a very US centric thing and not normal. Also, the Purity Headphones are not comparable to Apple's earPods (though the earPods are surprisingly good).
While I can't speak to your experience and why exactly it happened, just remember it was very much in Beta when you used it and most likely works much, much better now (I never had a problem, so I can't compare)