Windows Phone 8 Rage

[Night]

So my boss gave me a Nokia Lumia 520 to play with and figure out how to use it on a day to day basis.

I'm a Galaxy fanboy, I've been using this thing for most of the day and I'm starting to hate it.

What do you guys think? Will I adjust or is this a waste of time? An infuriating waste of time...

[allthatremains94]

You may adjust after awhile, but you may not even like it, you'll just be used to it.

[typetheed]

So my boss gave me a Nokia Lumia 520 to play with and figure out how to use it on a day to day basis.

I'm a Galaxy fanboy, I've been using this thing for most of the day and I'm starting to hate it.

What do you guys think? Will I adjust or is this a waste of time? An infuriating waste of time...

 

If you're not integrated into microsoft sevices, then it's not the ecosystem for you. My girlfriend loves her HTC 8x because WP8 has everything she already uses on the PC. Zune, Skydrive, Skype, Live apps, Office, etc... If you use google services, then WP8 just won't work for you.

[dalekphalm]

I have an HTC HD7 (WP 7.8), and WP8 is more or less more of the same, and I love the phone and love the OS. Though if you like Android for it's uber customization then WP8 isn't the right OS for you. Think of WP8 as halfway between Android and iOS, with similar features of both, but neither as locked down as iOS nor as customizable as Android.

 

A Phone OS and and mobile phones in general are very personal things. Despite whether the OS is "good" or not, some people just won't like a certain type of OS, or will want some key critical feature.

 

The lack of better integration with Google services IS really annoying, but that IS Google's fault. They didn't want to write proper WP8 apps for a lot of things that older WP versions had. Yes, WP has a smaller marketshare, but a big reason for that is a lack of apps, since the OS in my opinion is just as good as iOS.

[Whiskers]

I doubt you will adjust.

I hate Microsoft's so called 'modern' UI. And even Nokia are getting fed up with how little Microsoft seem to care about improving Windows Phone...

[heineygoat]

I have always hated Windows phones. My HTC Touch Pro was the worst phone I've ever had and its RRP was 1300. The OS was just so unstable. Sure, Windows 8 may be more stable but I've still only heard mostly bad things about their UI and app support.

[codytappen]

If you're not integrated into microsoft sevices, then it's not the ecosystem for you. My girlfriend loves her HTC 8x because WP8 has everything she already uses on the PC. Zune, Skydrive, Skype, Live apps, Office, etc... If you use google services, then WP8 just won't work for you.

Agreed. At this point phones are so heavily integrated with other ecosystems that your OS choice on the phone would be based mostly on what services you use and what desktop OS you have.

My Map:

GNU/Linux users, and Windows users: Android is the common choice, as it allows excellent integration with; all Google's services, many other internet services, and user run services.

Windows/Xbox/Zune users: WP8 is a legitimate choice, offering proper Zune integration, and Xbox integration.

OSX/iTunes users: IOS is a good choice, it offers iTunes/Appstore integration that you just can't get come close to elsewhere.

While the map only covers ecosystem integration (no hardware, software, legal customization, or expense), it's still very important to enjoying any device.

[Night]

I am going to attempt to upgrade the software to the latest version tonight and put some of my music on here.

I think my boss wanted me to try the system and see how good it could be. Instead its just making me rage at it in general.

Thanks for your input guys. Makes me feel better about not liking this OS. I still think this phone is the best Windows phone we sell at the moment. Its just not for me.

[Lyons]

The hardware is nice, but Windows Phone is USELESS in comparison to Android. 

[Torg73]

Last year I had a Nokia 510 I think for a month when I was waiting on my Galaxy S3, it was a OK smart phone with a nice camera, but the experience was of windows phone 7.5 was it potentially good but was found lacking, not sure if window phone 8 is a better experience but there's nothing of what I seen that seems that much of an improvement.  

 

As Google improves the Android experience even more and IOS doing the same with the iPhone is there a need for windows phone now, it might be best for Nokia to try Android and see if their hardware suits it better.

[typetheed]

The hardware is nice, but Windows Phone is USELESS in comparison to Android. 

 

Come on man, don't start. We were all contributing insightful opinions here, not derogatory remarks.

[Lyons]

Come on man, don't start. We were all contributing insightful opinions here, not derogatory remarks.

To quote the OP:

'What do you guys think? Will I adjust or is this a waste of time? An infuriating waste of time... '

Think I was pretty much on topic :P I really don't think WP is a contender. It lacks the most basic of features like a notification centre, social media sharing, the ability to disable screen rotation, a real voice assistant and search (Google Now), real multitasking and Google Maps (Sorry, it IS better than Bing maps).

[pcman2000]

Remember the Lumina 520 is the lowest end Nokia smartphone... It's like $150 unlocked

[Salik Ali]

People actually bought windows 8 phones....whahahahahahhaahaha, Windows 8 in general is a fail, at least i believe it is.  :P

[allthatremains94]

People actually bought windows 8 phones....whahahahahahhaahaha, Windows 8 in general is a fail, at least i believe it is.  :P

Windows 8 is actually fairly decent once you know what you're doing. Yes there are some drastic changes, especially with the start menu, but that can be easily done without after a week, or you can just put it back. Most of the hate is just from it being different, as well as bandwagon hate that trickled down from prosumers and tech knowledgeable people to those that are touching a computer for the first time.

[HK6]

The lack of better integration with Google services IS really annoying, but that IS Google's fault. They didn't want to write proper WP8 apps for a lot of things that older WP versions had. Yes, WP has a smaller marketshare, but a big reason for that is a lack of apps, since the OS in my opinion is just as good as iOS.

Pretty much this. If you are knee-deep in the Google ecosystem, a Windows Phone is probably the worst choice.

 

I doubt you will adjust.

I hate Microsoft's so called 'modern' UI. And even Nokia are getting fed up with how little Microsoft seem to care about improving Windows Phone...

This is a good read that explains what Microsoft are doing right now. Basically, they are improving the hardware support of the OS to gain more marketshare, to attract more app developers (namely apps like Instagram), and are then going to work on feature updates for the OS. (see: "Blue" features possibly being backported to GDR3)

I have always hated Windows phones. My HTC Touch Pro was the worst phone I've ever had and its RRP was 1300. The OS was just so unstable. Sure, Windows 8 may be more stable but I've still only heard mostly bad things about their UI and app support.

HTC Touch Pro ran Windows Mobile 6.X. That is a completely different OS to Windows Phone.

 

I really don't think WP is a contender. It lacks the most basic of features like a notification centre, social media sharing, the ability to disable screen rotation, a real voice assistant and search (Google Now), real multitasking and Google Maps (Sorry, it IS better than Bing maps).

Agreed on the notification center, though that is all-but-confirmed to be coming in the first feature update for WP8. Social media sharing and integration has been an integral part of Windows Phone since it first launched... Rotation lock is also rumoured to be in the first feature update, but it really should have been in WP8 at launch. A voice assistant would be nice, but there are some great apps that do a good job of that. The native search in WP is actually fairly good, I use it very often to find places to eat. "real multitasking"? Nokia Maps is actually very good, and you can also get Google Maps.

 

Remember the Lumina 520 is the lowest end Nokia smartphone... It's like $150 unlocked

This is definitely something to keep in mind. AT&T are currently selling the phone off-contract for $99. It might be worth looking at something like a Lumia 92X (920, 925, 928) when comparing to the Galaxy flagship phones. Also, Lumia*.

[Lyons]

snip

 

I sincerely think it is too late for them get a significant foot hold in the market. The volume and following just isn't there, and it's taking THIS long to get basic features and apps that people really want (well they still don't even exist yet). I want Windows Phone to succeed, it'll bring in more competition and the hardware is nice, but it's just too late. The complete failure of Surface is basically a mirror image.

 

Rotation - COME ON

No notification centre - this is so basic, why wasn't it there from the start?

Media sharing - it's there, but it is very much lacking compared to Android and iOS

Google Maps - news to me, but there's still no other Google services that I know of

Multitasking - No 'true' multitasking that I know of besides for maps. Dehydrate-rehydrate is not real multitasking

 

We've had this conversation before. WP is too late to the party, regardless of what they do to improve it. Microsoft has always sucked at listening to customers and providing what they really want.

[HK6]

I sincerely think it is too late for them get a significant foot hold in the market. The volume and following just isn't there, and it's taking THIS long to get basic features and apps that people really want (well they still don't even exist yet). I want Windows Phone to succeed, it'll bring in more competition and the hardware is nice, but it's just too late. The complete failure of Surface is basically a mirror image.

 

Rotation - COME ON

No notification centre - this is so basic, why wasn't it there from the start?

Media sharing - it's there, but it is very much lacking compared to Android and iOS

Google Maps - news to me, but there's still no other Google services that I know of

Multitasking - No 'true' multitasking that I know of besides for maps. Dehydrate-rehydrate is not real multitasking

 

We've had this conversation before. WP is too late to the party, regardless of what they do to improve it. Microsoft has always sucked at listening to customers and providing what they really want.

I completely disagree. Windows Phone has been gaining a lot of traction in some countries, and even going as far as to outsell the iPhone in some. I agree that the wait for features is rather long, but if you read the article I posted regarding their strategy, it does make sense as to why. If you want to look at something that is too late, look no further than BB10. Surface was a first-gen product from a company not known for making hardware beyond peripherals. I think the second generation, if priced and specced appropriately, stands a good chance of being a hit.

 

Rotation - I agree.

Notification Centre - Live Tiles alleviate a lot of the need, but it should have been in shortly after the launch of WP8 IMO.

Media Sharing - How so? From my experience, iOS was lagging very far behind in this department prior to iOS 6.

Multitasking - "true" multitasking for every single app would do nothing but drain the battery. Even so, WP8 allows location, VoIP, and audio applications to utilize "true multitasking" to run in the background. Live Tiles also update in real-time or poll automatically every 30 minutes, depending on the type of application.

[heineygoat]

 

HTC Touch Pro ran Windows Mobile 6.X. That is a completely different OS to Windows Phone.

 

 

Ya, I know?

[Samdb]

I doubt you will adjust, it's way too big of a gap from Android.

[watts]

I personally love windows phone 8, I don't have the time to mod my phone or play games on it any more. I find windows really great for quickly looking at my phone and grabbing the data I want. Its a lot faster to set-up also. If I did have more time I would have grabbed a android but we all have to grow up eh!