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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Try the Windows Phone UI on Your iPhone or Android Handset


rating: (35)

Attention, iPhone and Android users: Windows Phone is better than what you're using. But now you don't have to take my word for it, you can find out for yourself by trying a decent web-based Windows Phone simulator on your own phone. You're going to have a hard time going back.

Released with absolutely no fanfare--I guess the point was for this to spread by word of mouth--the Windows Phone demo site lets you run a reasonable approximation of Windows Phone inside of your phone's HTML 5-based web browser. This Windows Phone experience is pre-populated with data, so you can get the feel for how it works in the real world, and even supports taps and swipes.

wp_simulator_0

A good portion of Windows Phone is in there, including all the major hubs and apps, and you can view photos, listen to music, read email (which will make you want to shoot your own mobile email dead), and perform other Windows Phone goodness you've only dreamed of 'til now. There are even some handy tap hints so you can start thinking outside the box: Don't worry, Microsoft seems to be saying, we know your phone is lame, so you've forgotten how good this can be.

The only bad part of this demo is that you have to go back to your static grid of icons when you're done. Have fun with that.

Thanks to everyone that wrote in about this. You're right, it is pretty awesome.


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  • Posted @ December 04, 2011 08:57 AM by pjs_boston

    Tried it.

    The eye candy is pretty, but beneath the Metro veneer it is just a copy of iOS. Moreover, it offers nothing new that is meaningful to the user experience.

  • Posted @ December 01, 2011 09:16 AM by yoshipod

    @ Mustang17

    I think you are fairly spot on, but it works both ways.

    A grid of icons is not inherently faster than tile or hubs. But neither are tiles and hubs inherently faster than a grid of icons.

    You can pin a favorite app to the start screen on WP7, and you can also put an app icon the home screen of iOS or even on the dock at the bottom.

    Is finding an app via its text title quicker than an easily recognizable icon, or vice versa?

    I bet in most cases the number of clicks/flicks it takes to get to an app is not significantly different in iOS, WP7, or Android.



    "One more thing, because of the hub system you dont have to open so many apps, and within the hubs you find related apps. It is a whole new way of looking at things."

    If I was a developer, I would find that unappealing. I want people to think of my App, not a hub. You can't build brand recognition when users don't think of your product, but rather think in terms of a generalization, such as people, or pictures, etc.

  • Posted @ December 01, 2011 04:11 AM by Mustang17

    I have to question the grid of icons being faster, yes they are if they are not too many of them, but screen after screen of them and you spend a while trying to find something. They don't seem to be sorted in any particular order. Through use yes, you know where the apps are. I can get into apps on the windows phone system quite quickly simply because they are in alphabetical order or if you click on a letter you get an alphabetical grid, which takes you to the right place. Alternatively you can pin your favourite apps to the start screen. I could see a reason for categories in a future update if you have dozens and dozens of them, but at the moment I can flick between the very quickly.

    One more thing, because of the hub system you dont have to open so many apps, and within the hubs you find related apps.

    It is a whole new way of looking at things.

  • Posted @ November 30, 2011 01:25 PM by glonq

    In recent months, I picked up Android phones for two of my kids.

    First thing they did was change their animated wallpapers.
    Second thing they did was change their ringtone and SMS tone.
    Third thing they did was install a bunch of apps and widgets and stick them in "just the right place" on the home screen(s).

    People love to customize/personalize their phones. WP7 is way too limited in that regard. It's no damned fun.

  • Posted @ November 30, 2011 12:30 PM by twangisKahn

    A couple of points why I won't buy WP7 despite the nice design.

    People want to get into their apps as quickly as possible. "Grid of icons" does this faster.

    Apple realized an interface for interface sake is the wrong approach. The device *becomes* the app. It's not an iphone anymore. It's the Angry Birds game, or Garageband, or the Pages app. Microsoft, not surprisingly, is thinking with the PC in mind and not the future. There are no files systems or save as commands required in the future. Interfaces were important, but no longer.

    Live tiles are simply not as efficient at identifying the apps, since the tiles, while dynamic, look similar to one another. Sorry but old school is better here. Icons identify apps and require no reading.

    Now 5 to 10 years ago the dynamic quality of the tiles would of great interest. Unfortunately for Microsoft the *dashboard* aspect of the tiles, where you can get snippets of information more quickly than going into the apps themselves, has utterly failed every time it's been tried. Can you even get gadgets anymore? Widgets are still available, but never reached critical mass and the dashboard in Mac OX X has failed miserably. This is simply another example of a company building to the demo instead of the usefulness. Apple has realize this. Dashboard continues to be de-emphasized, while full screen mode of apps is being embraced on all their products.

    Lastly and more important: why would I embrace Microsoft? Even if you believe the product is better and better should always win, what about the time lag? iPhone user have been using a modern phone for nearly 5 years. Buying into Microsoft is betting on a horse that is woefully late to the future. I'm not thinking in terms of phones, but the next device that no one has thought of yet. Who is more likely to give it to you? Apple or Microsoft? I thought so.

    Buying Apple products isn't about being a fanboy, but being onboard for the future and who is more likely to get you there.

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