I still have some love for my iPad

[InspectHerGadget]

Lol!! For me, the whole Windows ecosystem is the best. So, yup, I am all in with Windows. Windows Surface, Windows 8.1 gaming desktop, and Windows HTC 8x phone. Office 2013 on all devices so I can access any Note, Doc, Excel, etc from any device. OneDrive is on all devices to storing and retrieving files is simple. Xbox music gives me music on all of them. HARDCORE!! (anyone else?)

Does it get any better??

My Verizon upgrade is in Nov so trying to decide between Icon, M8, or 1520. But, that's for another forum.

In other times, early on I hated Windows 8, mainly on behalf of all the users of the desktop who found it so difficult.

I think Windows 9 will hopefully lay these ghosts to rest for good. In the meantime Microsoft have improved Windows 8, not only that but their services such as OneDrive, XBoxMusic, Live.com and other stuff.

It is finally an appealing alternative to Apple stuff, which is fantastic in it's own right but Microsoft is countering in all sorts of ways.

I agree the ecosystem is looking pretty good.

I think the iPad is great in it's own right but certainly some people will use the Surface in place of a dedicated tablet and laptop. I still prefer the iPad as a tablet though, as much due to the operating system and browser, as the hardware itself.

The Surface though has pretty much replaced my MBA 11 as a laptop.

 

[Moonsurface]

I can't say I'm a convert to microsoft as I've always used PC and never mac, but I'm going more into the "ecosystem" now - as MS is making improvements with their cloud strategy twhich should make everythign become more cohesive as an ecosystem rather than just an OS for varying bits of hard ware that wasn't joined up with other bits of hardware and cloud based services.

I got my little Nokia 635 back from being repaired to day, I thought about it for 5 minutes and then took the SIM out of my Nexus 4 android phone (which is far superior in spec) and put it in the Nokia... just because I prefer the feel of the Win Phone OS, and how it integrates with my Surface. My Desktop PC is a little left behind but I will probably upgrade it to 9 when it comes out. I never had the displeasure of using win 8 original on a normal desktop type PC so I wasn't put off by the experience thankfully.

 

[GreyFox7]

I have an iPad and a MBA, neither gets much use anymore though my mac mini still gets used for some very specific stuff I keep segregated from everything else on an isolated subnet; its just a one off.

Re Apple: I came, I saw, meh... much ado about nothing... UNIX in sheep's clothing. Great marketing though, I believe they could sell snow to an Eskimo in a blizzard.

 

[Gary.M]

You guys have Windows phones? That's seriously hardcore!

I just sold my Lumina 930. It was a great phone but alas the app store leaves a lot to be desired compared to Apple. I have tried several Android phones but I really detest Android and although there are plenty of apps their quality is on the whole rather poor compared to the Apple equivalent - IMHO. A pet peeve I had with iPhones was that they were too small and looked like toys in my largish man hands. Now that they have brought out larger iPhones I have upgraded to the 6 plus. I just have to wait for them to make mine and ship it.

At the end of the day use whatever suits you.

 

[kristalsoldier]

I just sold my Lumina 930. It was a great phone but alas the app store leaves a lot to be desired compared to Apple. I have tried several Android phones but I really detest Android and although there are plenty of apps their quality is on the whole rather poor compared to the Apple equivalent - IMHO. A pet peeve I had with iPhones was that they were too small and looked like toys in my largish man hands. Now that they have brought out larger iPhones I have upgraded to the 6 plus. I just have to wait for them to make mine and ship it.

At the end of the day use whatever suits you.

Yup...and after that you have to be careful that you don't bend it (like Beckham!)...Mods...seriously off topic, but I could not resist. See below:

I found this here: http://www.zdnet.com/iphone-users-report-bending-issue-7000033990/

 

[Kif]

Yeah. Why? Is that a problem? I could respond at length to this, but that would be off topic in this context.

No insult intented. They're fine phones with a fine phone OS. Just late to the game maybe too late.

 

[Buelligan]

Lol!! For me, the whole Windows ecosystem is the best. So, yup, I am all in with Windows. Windows Surface, Windows 8.1 gaming desktop, and Windows HTC 8x phone. Office 2013 on all devices so I can access any Note, Doc, Excel, etc from any device. OneDrive is on all devices to storing and retrieving files is simple. Xbox music gives me music on all of them. HARDCORE!! (anyone else?)

Does it get any better??

My Verizon upgrade is in Nov so trying to decide between Icon, M8, or 1520. But, that's for another forum.

I'm right there with you! My only problem is my carrier, USCellular. I'm stuck with the only one WP choice, Samsung Ativ Odyssey. It's ok but with only 8GB of on board storage I'm running out of space all the time. I wish they would release 8.1 already so I can transfer Apps to the SD card.

I'd switch carriers but I have been with them since 1998 and get some nice preferential loyal customer treatment plus they have the best signal of all the carriers around here.

 

[hughlle]

More intuitive and requires less gestures. Pinch to zoom seems off to me on Win 8.1. I also have issues selecting items to cut and paste in Windows 8.1. Maybe it's just me since I've been using iOS much longer.

I cannot copy and paste without either a mouse, keyboard, or the pen. I am used to the concept that in a touch interface, you can hold down, and you'll then be able to select your text and copy. With windows, holding down does nothing other than copy cut and paste. I cannot select a word let alone a line. I have to drag and select with the pen. I love this machine but for touch, MS still have a LOT of catching up to do.

For instance I have a university login portal, and the machine/page won't allow for the username and password to be saved, but unless I have my pen or keyboard, then I cannot simply paste my very long and uppercase, lowercase, numbered name and password. I have to type it all in manually. This is the case whether copying from an email or copying from a text file. My android tablet definitely has its purpose until things like this are sorted, which I doubt they will now that its all steam ahead on windows 9

 

[jnjroach]

See Below....

 

[hughlle]

See Below....

View attachment 3776

Many thanks! However like with a lot of windows things, it seems like a case of them simply expecting you to know this. It would never have occurred to me to simply touch once, seems utterly illogical, and as such, I've never tried that before. With mouse or pen, you hold and drag, you naturally expect the same thing to be the case with finger, except like other systems, holding down to indicate you're about to do more than a simple single touch input. Unify your operating system MS! Not all of us simply have the time to chance across this stuff.

 

[jnjroach]

Many thanks! However like with a lot of windows things, it seems like a case of them simply expecting you to know this. It would never have occurred to me to simply touch once, seems utterly illogical, and as such, I've never tried that before. With mouse or pen, you hold and drag, you naturally expect the same thing to be the case with finger, except like other systems, holding down to indicate you're about to do more than a simple single touch input. Unify your operating system MS! Not all of us simply have the time to chance across this stuff.

This method is consistent with all Microsoft OS's that are current (RT, WP8.x and W8.x). Touch is different than iOS and Android...

 

[hughlle]

This method is consistent with all Microsoft OS's that are current (RT, WP8.x and W8.x). Touch is different than iOS and Android...

That may be so. But how many people who picked up a surface of any variety have used touch on a Microsoft device before, most likely a tiny fraction, how many people have used android or ios before, almost all. How many have never used any touch device other than android and ios, most likely the cast majority. Microsoft have an appalling market share for this kind of device, they need to make it easier for people moving to their touch system, they are not doing this. I have been set on this device since it was released, and even I am finding it frustrating, now consider a shopper who just happens to have been swayed by Microsoft to grab a sp3 instead of somethethign else. Ive been reading everything I can about it, and I get frustrated to the point of wondering why I didn't just buy an ultrabook, so imagine the frustration of people who just bought one without any real knowledge. Most likely they'd just return it and buy what they know works for them. Microsoft is the underdog right now, they need to do whatever they can to make a transition away from other devices easy, not confusing. They are not doing tensely any favours.

It is to each their own, but the truth is few people actually know of how Microsoft touch features work in windows, but they almost all know how touch works on their android/ios devices. This is one more instance where I feel android and ios have done things very right, and Microsoft just isn't there yet.