Windows 10 for phones: Stepping towards the One True Windows

Some interesting things - the blue dot arrow thingy could address one of my big annoyances with text editing on touch devices.

Winph8 is a far better OS than desktop 8.1 which is a mess on top of good foundations. I think I'd need a spare phone to try this on before committing my main device to it.

I'd be quite annoyed if MS's drive for universal apps made for universally crap apps. Universal apps will need to be flexible so they have a best fit for whatever device they are on. It'll be no use if they come to the phone with desktop input style. That's just back to what makes the W8 interface crappy.

Request for a test of the Music player?

Is that still pants? (actually it is ok, just I get irritated with the 'Latest Bands' thingummy being updated even though I have not signed up for xbox music)

What I would reeeeally like to know is the rumour of finally FLAC native support being available actually true? I would be very grateful if you could test this...

Also the email app - how does it improve? If at all?

Although I'm an Apple fanboi...

...I have to say, Windows Phone is looking pretty nice. At work we now have cheapo Nokias running 8.1 (Denim?) and there are some really nice touches: add words to dictionary from keyboard suggestions, downloads of maps to use offline, tiles - which I'm finding a lot more useful than I thought, and the interface is very clean. So, so much better than the BlackBerries we used to have.

Having the send email button just below the keyboard isn't a great UI mind you, and some of the explanatory UI text is rather patronising.

But on balance, looking good Microsoft. Interesting times ahead.

I'd be quite annoyed if MS's drive for universal apps made for universally crap apps.

It's a danger to be sure.

What it mostly demonstrates tho is the importance of separating the UI from the underlying actions, even when writing pretty basic apps. What they really need to be doing is promoting a Windows 10 API that defines how you write an abstraction layer. You write one back end, and then as many front ends as are required for different classes of device that just call your back end code.

It should be obvious to everyone that an interface for a 5" display with touch controls and an interface for a 24" display with a mouse+keyboard just _have_ to be different. "Write once run anywhere" isn't magic. Give us good tools to make crafting the UI easy on multiple devices and as long as the back end code compiles for all device classes we should be laughing.

So... what then?

Not enough changes to really put this a level above the failure of Win8?

Do you feel that highlander?

Its the quickening!

There can only be one...etc.

Oh my coat? Thanks?

"If the operating system is being rebuilt though, a shortage of new features is no surprise...

... The priority is to get the platform right."

That´s what they said with Windows Phone 7 -> Windows Phone 8... Have we actually got any further in the past two years apart from re-arranging the notification centre while the platform sinks?

Elephant dead?

I know a slew of regular users who have left Window's phone for the exact same reason...Ads. Apparently no one writes a review without actively ignoring this "feature" for some (all?) phones. If it can't be addressed, then any review seems like propaganda from a stock holder.

Should users that have left be impressed by a working calendar and calculator? Come on. Write a review that will get users back, not patch notes written by a shareholder. The active ignorance of common denominators is a large part of why Windows is in the situation they are currently in.

Evolution vs Revolution

I see MS biggest problem is every few years there is a revolution, the old OS is thrown out and new one takes over.

Apple and android tend to evolve. That way the user base is using a platform they are familiar with.

Plus users start to wonder why MS has to keep starting over and maybe they should wait for the "final" version.

I am very happy with 8.1 on my Nokia 735 thanks. The iPad mini is almost back working correctly since its upgrade to 8. It could be argued the Android option of only the latest devices having the latest software 'works' .... untill your old apps become incompatible!