back to article Microsoft: Cortana not exclusive to Windows – it loves Android, iOS too

Cortana, Microsoft's personal digital assistant that will be built into Windows 10, will also be available on Android and iOS devices, the software giant confirmed on Tuesday following rumors that have been swirling around since March. In a blog post, Microsoft operating systems veep Joe Belfiore said that most – but not all …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    how much more room

    Is there for nails in windows phone and surface coffins?

    Every week Microsoft inches further into desperation. What next? Lining up android tablets to bundle Microsoft office????

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      Re: how much more room

      Yes, because they have never offered Office on say the Mac or iPhone.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: What next?

      People start to realise that Windows is the only platform that actively ports it's apps to other OSs and it gains market share because of that interoperability?

      I guess that's what they're aiming for....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    Just say no.

    I wouldn't mind a concierge, but a personal assistant is right out. Android Google Now has a serious amount of nails in it here. Oh, Cortana and Windows 10? No fragging way. Monitoring the monitoring in Windows 10 has convinced me of that. Way TMI, but I've been on the business end of a proctoscope, it was about as pleasant as what Microsoft seems to have in mind. [Guess I'm just too damn old.]

    1. dan1980

      Re: Just say no.

      But . . . Jen Taylor!

      1. hplasm
        Happy

        Re: Just say no.

        "But . . . Jen Taylor!"

        Genny Talia you say? Sounds like bolloc... oh- Cortana...I see.

  3. king of foo

    nice...

    Fully embracing the "cross platform" approach, I see. Is this a "new" Microsoft?

    Perhaps windows 9 won't be shite after all...

    The thing is, they're skipping straight to 10 aren't they...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: nice... "cross platform" approach

      Seems so, but from the tone of their forums I fancy they're fully embracing the "cross user" approach.

      1. king of foo

        Re: nice... "cross platform" approach

        nice

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It will fit right in..

    .. with my GPS.

    I set that to use a female voice so it's easier to ignore when I need my attention on the road.

    (only kidding)

  5. Captain Queeg

    Insane....

    I'm not sure about Android but the limitations to non-native apps on IOS will be way too big to make Cortana anything but an also ran so why on earth take the time to produce something so pointless.

    A "digital assistant" will always need to have a level of OS bind in to make it (arguably) even half useful. Surely the time would be better spent throwing all engineering effort at making Cortana compelling on Windows mobile and desktop?

    Sir John Harvey Jones once made the point that the problem with big companies wasn't getting people to do things, it was about getting people to stop doing the wrong things and line up behind a well thought out agreed strategy - That seems very relevant here.

    1. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: Insane....

      No, it's not. From a consumer perspective it makes sense. As an events scheduler and search front end there'll be enough hooks for Cortana to work on iOS. Besides, MS would want to keep a few things Windows only to give them an angle when it's time to upgrade your phone.

      Their strategy with this and Office365 is to go cross platform. Given their market share that's eminently sensible.

  6. hplasm
    Coat

    MS need to partner up with the Auto industry.

    Ford and Cortana.

    That would have a certain retro charm...

  7. AMBxx Silver badge
    FAIL

    Just too many dependencies

    I don't know about the other versions, but on WP8.1, Cortana is a real pain.

    I want the ringer and email notification to turn off at night.

    That simple functionality is dependent upon Cortana.

    Cortana is dependent upon GPS.

    GPS uses too much battery.

    I miss my old Nokia candy bar. All this stuff used to be so easy.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Just too many dependencies

      Cortana is dependent upon GPS.

      No it's not.

      But if you expect it to remind you to pick up the eggs on the way home, get the local gigs, or to tell you top leave for work 30 minutes early due to a traffic jam, then yes you do.

      And if you don't like it, it's not exactly the hardest thing to stop using.

      1. AMBxx Silver badge
        Windows

        Re: Just too many dependencies

        Oh yes it is! Turn off the location settings and Cortana (on windows phone) won't do anything at all. Instead of Cortana, you get Bing search.

        I don't want to use Cortana, I just want my phone to not beep when I get an email at 2am.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

          1. Charlie Boy

            Re: Just too many dependencies

            Or just have the night settings set up so that it's silent at night

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Unhappy

        Re: Just too many dependencies

        OK humble pie time.....your right it needs location services on.

    2. sabroni Silver badge

      Re: I want the ringer and email notification to turn off at night.

      Well looks pretty straightforward, and certainly not GPS related: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-gb/how-to/wp8/cortana/quiet-hours-and-cortana

      Does this not work? What makes you think you need the GPS on to do this?

      1. sabroni Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: GPS related

        Oh, my bad. Further digging reveals:

        https://cortana.uservoice.com/forums/249009-general-cortana-feedback/suggestions/5875392-cortana-running-with-gps-turned-off

        Long and the short of it: Cortana does have to have the location services on. Some argue that as this is Windows phone that won't make any difference to battery consumption: "Disabling location services on the OS level doesn't really conserve power in a noticable way." Hmmm, surely it takes more power to check location than it does to not check location...

        So sorry for doubting you!

        1. h3

          Re: GPS related

          Battery Saver does more than enough when it comes to saving battery at least for me.

          (Lasts from Friday Morning to Sunday Night with moderate usage which is the longest I ever need.)

          Wish I could have more of the background rubbish disabled without making the screen dimmer though.

  8. Schlimnitz

    I never, ever, use the "Hey Cortana" functionality. In fact I avoid talking at all to my telephone. Partly because I often have to repeat myself, mostly because it makes me look like a dork. Or Captain Kirk doing his "computer, computer" thing.

    Apart from that, I must admit I find myself wishing Cortana could do more: "Can you go to the website for x, find out what their opening times are, get their phone number and put me through if they're still open? Failing that remind me tomorrow when they open."

    "Please find me that mail from X from yesterday, I want to dictate my answer in French"

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Apart from that, I must admit I find myself wishing Cortana could do more: "Can you go to the website for x, find out what their opening times are, get their phone number and put me through if they're still open? Failing that remind me tomorrow when they open."

      I have an amazing device which can do that. It's called an "intern". In many industries, you can even get them for free - though that always struck me as a bit exploitative.

      I remember when OS/2 Warp came out with bundled Dragon Naturally Speaking and OS integration, so you could perform shell functions by speaking. Cute, but I don't recall ever seeing anyone use that functionality. I've seen a lot of voice-recognition UIs over the years, come to think of it - real and fantasy - and none has ever struck me as appealing. But no accounting for taste.

  9. CAPS LOCK

    I will invite Microsoft services onto my devices when...

    ... hell freezes over. Several times bitten, forever shy...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Meh

      Re: I will invite Microsoft services onto my devices when...

      Ok thanks for sharing that. Feel free to choose your alternative Global power abusing Corp to run instead.

  10. Pete4000uk

    poor Cortana

    Sold on the street corner like a common 'lady of the night'.

  11. danbi

    What does this stuff have to do with Windows?

    Cortana, Siri, Google's assistant -- they are all a front-end for an voice recognution/search/"intelligence" backend that runs in some datacenter. It has absolutely nothing to do with the operating system the front-end runs on, other than the programmer being aware of the available hooks (they all provide those hooks) to run other applications, play sounds, display things etc.

    It's just like web browsers. Ok, after seeing that other companies built web browsers, Microsoft built their own? Haven't we already seen this movie? We even know how it goes...

    PS: Staying on the topic of the title. But do the other platforms love Cortana? ;-)

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Indeed. I have to say, if I found this sort of thing at all appealing, I'd be far more likely to build my own. OpenNLP plus CMU Sphinx would take care of most of the back-end code. It'd be a good end-of-semester project for an advanced undergrad in CS.

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