from apple to microsoft ecosystem

[iPadLifes]

Having always used the mac and ios with my icloud account, I loved the ecosystem. especially when I could reply to sms on my mac and other handy cross device features.

Now I've been given a very nice PC which is a good experience but I'm struggling to get my iPhone and icloud lifestyle in sync with windows. I've added icloud for windows which is great for photos and icloud drive but the other apps are just links to the browser.

I've been tempted to sell my iPhone SE for a windows phone of some form. one, to save some money but mostly for the cross ecosystem benefits.

Everyone I say this too says I'm an idiot for going to Windows phone because no apps and a poor user experience. But to be honest I like Windows 10 it's just having my content across the ecosystems I dislike.

My alternative which is also controversial to most people is sell the PC and buy an ipad which I see a lot of people on here have done but unlike those people I don't have the money to make a bad choice. I also don't think it'd go down well selling this PC when it was given to me.

Is it such a terrible idea? can someone tell me at least what to expect if I go Windows phone

 

[raqball]

I've had several different Windows phones over the years and currently have a Lumia 950 that I rotate into use every so often...

Apps in the Windows Store are lacking but most of the popular ones are there.. For the ones that are not, many have 3rd party options. There are some exceptions where there are no options at all.

I really believe MS missed an opportunity with Windows Phones as I personally prefer the OS over Android and iOS. It's fast, snappy and very user customizable...

If you are a gamer then I'd seriously recommend you pass on Windows Phone as there are little to no options available game wise..

If you want a fast, snappy and very customizable device and the apps you need or want are available then give it a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised with the Win 10 phones..

Make a note of the apps you use daily on your phone then do a search of the Windows Store and see if what you need and want is available.

 

[iPadLifes]

I've had several different Windows phones over the years and currently have a Lumia 950 that I rotate into use every so often...

Apps in the Windows Store are lacking but most of the popular ones are there.. For the ones that are not, many have 3rd party options. There are some exceptions where there are no options at all.

I really believe MS missed an opportunity with Windows Phones as I personally prefer the OS over Android and iOS. It's fast, snappy and very user customizable...

If you are a gamer then I'd seriously recommend you pass on Windows Phone as there are little to no options available game wise..

If you want a fast, snappy and very customizable device and the apps you need or want are available then give it a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised with the Win 10 phones..

Make a note of the apps you use daily on your phone then do a search of the Windows Store and see if what you need and want is available.

I'm not a gamer by any means, not even on my PC. I thought going back to Windows I would be on games more but I am glad to have the ability even if I don't use it. My iOS devices have some boredom killer games, but nothing I'd miss

Fast, good battery, reliable in what it does do. I wonder how the camera compares to the SE. I've never worried about specs because Apple are good at allowing you to forget that stuff but not regret it when living with the device.

I do email (iCloud), calendar, contacts, camera, YouTube, iMessage (could easily be moved to WhatsApp), calculator, edit the odd excel file with one adjustment, read some articles, use Google Maps (not sure if that's on Windows phone).

In all honesty, I don't tend to browse the app store or be taken away by apps since the iPhone 3G days. I was a big adopter of the Palm Pre back in the day too despite it's lack of apps, but it was HP who killed it in the end. The community was great online and it sort of felt cool to be the underdog device. I feel like Windows phone could be the same.

My SE isn't that old, really it could last another year and a half easily. But if a Windows phone could last the same time and not require any new money to go towards it then maybe I could regain that smooth ecosystem. the reason I'm here is because yes I could ask on a windows forum but they'd all be biased and say do it, whereas you know what I mean on here about the seamless Apple experience.

If I had the money I'd go to Apple again but i'm at that stage in life where my money is probably best spent elsewhere and hardware upgrades / fandom has to be put on hold

 

[raqball]

When I bought my Lumia 950 about 5 months ago it was like $249 -- full price!. I got it from Walmart and I just looked and it's now down to $209..

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Microsof...G-Smartphone-Unlocked-Version-White/437304719

Granted it's a 2015 phone with 2015 specs. SD 808, 3GB RAM blah, blah but it's fast and snappy.. There are other options but this was the last flagship (at the time) spec phone released by MS..

The camera was considered on par with the camera in the iPhone 6S and it's stellar.. Look up reviews on the 950 camera and you'll see it's highly rated..

If you decide to try the Lumia 950 then there are 2 versions of it.. Dual SIM (international) and AT&T. Mine is the AT&T version but it's unlocked to work on GSM carriers.. They also sell the XL which is larger and has a SD 810. I never had much luck with the SD 810 and every phone that ran that processor had heat issues..

As far as flow across devices, Apple has that nailed and you won't find anything better than what they do. For Win phone to PC it's good but not at Apple level.. Photos, email, calendar, contact, docs ect will all seamlessly sync between PC and phone.

I don't use WhatsApp so I do not know if Win 10 has an app for that.. Also not sure about Google Maps on Win 10 but the phones do come with MS Maps.. It works fine the few times I used it for navigation..

I'll have to pull the 950 back out and plop my SIM in it as it's been a month or so since I last used it..

 

[iPadLifes]

When I bought my Lumia 950 about 5 months ago it was like $249 -- full price!. I got it from Walmart and I just looked and it's now down to $209..

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Microsof...G-Smartphone-Unlocked-Version-White/437304719

Granted it's a 2015 phone with 2015 specs. SD 808, 3GB RAM blah, blah but it's fast and snappy.. There are other options but this was the last flagship (at the time) spec phone released by MS..

The camera was considered on par with the camera in the iPhone 6S and it's stellar.. Look up reviews on the 950 camera and you'll see it's highly rated..

If you decide to try the Lumia 950 then there are 2 versions of it.. Dual SIM (international) and AT&T. Mine is the AT&T version but it's unlocked to work on GSM carriers.. They also sell the XL which is larger and has a SD 810. I never had much luck with the SD 810 and every phone that ran that processor had heat issues..

As far as flow across devices, Apple has that nailed and you won't find anything better than what they do. For Win phone to PC it's good but not at Apple level.. Photos, email, calendar, contact, docs ect will all seamlessly sync between PC and phone.

I don't use WhatsApp so I do not know if Win 10 has an app for that.. Also not sure about Google Maps on Win 10 but the phones do come with MS Maps.. It works fine the few times I used it for navigation..

I'll have to pull the 950 back out and plop my SIM in it as it's been a month or so since I last used it..

Will it continue to get updates every so often and new versions of Windows 10 mobile or is this sort of unknown atm. I hear Microsoft might be working on a surface phone. So they might pull an Apple and unsupport the 950 etc to help that launch? Or am I speculating too much?

I wish they would release a 2017 Windows phone so at least we could have a bit more faith.

It sounds like its not a bad idea

 

[raqball]

Honestly, there is no telling what MS is going to do, The Surface phone has been rumored for 2 years now and nothing. I am starting to think it does not even exist...

My 950 got the creators update via the insider program and it gets minor monthly updates from MS via the insider program.. For how long, and if MS will continue to support what many feel is a dead project, is really unknown..

 

[Phil A.]

I have used a windows phone in the past and enjoyed it but found the lack of apps a pain. Yeah, the obvious ones are there such as facebook, twitter, etc but it's a very sparse experience compared to Android and iOS.

If your main concern is about cross device features, the next update to Windows (coming in the autumn) is bringing in a lot of continuity and handoff type functionality and will work with iOS and Android phones so you may find your problems go away then anyway...

https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/11/the-microsoft-graph-will-soon-cast-a-wider-net/

 

[raqball]

Another option is to download OneDrive from the Apple App Store.. I don't have an iOS device but I assume it works the same as it does on my Android..

I take a photo on my Android and OneDrive uploads it to my account. It's almost instantly available on my PC. I assume you can also sync contacts and calendars in the mail and contacts app to use the MS ones and of course all docs done in Office on iOS will sync to OneDrive as well and be available on the PC instantly..

My Office subscription comes with a TB of OneDrive space so I am not worried about running out of cloud storage..

 

[SteveJUAE]

Having always used the mac and ios with my icloud account, I loved the ecosystem. especially when I could reply to sms on my mac and other handy cross device features.

Now I've been given a very nice PC which is a good experience but I'm struggling to get my iPhone and icloud lifestyle in sync with windows. I've added icloud for windows which is great for photos and icloud drive but the other apps are just links to the browser.

I've been tempted to sell my iPhone SE for a windows phone of some form. one, to save some money but mostly for the cross ecosystem benefits.

Everyone I say this too says I'm an idiot for going to Windows phone because no apps and a poor user experience. But to be honest I like Windows 10 it's just having my content across the ecosystems I dislike.

My alternative which is also controversial to most people is sell the PC and buy an ipad which I see a lot of people on here have done but unlike those people I don't have the money to make a bad choice. I also don't think it'd go down well selling this PC when it was given to me.

Is it such a terrible idea? can someone tell me at least what to expect if I go Windows phone

Whilst windows mobile promise some interesting features in truth if you want everything other than you cant answer your phone on your Laptop then you need to go W10 and Android

All the continuity is replicated to some extent (maybe not natively) and with WhatsApp on phone and on desktop other than occasional sms via Cortana you should be covered easily

There are so many pros with Android customisation and availability of apps with Cortana controlling cross synch for notifications you should enjoy the experience along with synching your apple account via Icloud for windows and outlook you should be covered

Even some of the exotic feature of Windows mobile of having access to MS Office full screen is mimicked by the new Samsung S8's with a Dex station

As for Ipad just don't go there IMO it's just digging you deeper to a restricted ECO of mainly trivia conviences

 

[KGB7]

You are crazy going with windows.

 

[raqball]

You are crazy going with windows.

Some would say the same about paying for overpriced fashion statements that the MacBook Pro has become.. Or the iPhone that is more and more getting directed to the teenager crowd with all it's emojis and gimmicks that most adults do not have a need, desire or want for..

My .02

 

[raqball]

Pulled out my old Lumia 830 today and updated it to the creators update.. Dang this thing is fast and snappy for only having a Snapdragon 400 and 1GB of RAM..

Scoots right along and I actually think I am going to keep using it for the next few weeks.. I really do like Windows Phones but the app gap is real. Everything I need and use is there but some are lacking. I cycle daily and have a Garmin Edge cycling computer. The iPhone and Android apps are good and sync the rides just fine and phone notifications come over the Edge as they should. The Windows version is hit or miss on both... I don't think Garmin (and other developers for that matter) keep the Windows apps as up to date and fix bugs as fast as they do on the other platforms..

 

[raqball]

I was going through my storage locker yesterday and stumbled across what's basically a brand new in box Nokia Lumia Icon from 2014... I had it on Verizon and only used it for a few weeks before I boxed it back up with the intent to sell it.. At that time I had changed over to the HTC One M8 because it got Windows 8.1 and Verizon was dragging their feet on the updates for the Icon..

Charged it up and it booted to Windows 8! LOL

It took several updates and about 6 hours (windows phone updates take forever) to get it on the Win 10 Creators update but wow... Super impressed with this phone on Windows 10 and it flat out screams! I slapped my AT&T sim card in it (no longer have Verizon) and everything is working fine. I do not get LTE on AT&T with it but it is HSPA + which is close enough for me...

I also found several other phones (iPhone 3GS, an iPhone 5, an iPhone 5S, a Galaxy S3 and a BlackBerry 7290) in my storage. Maybe I need to put them all on eBay but I don't think they'd be worth the trouble for what I'd get for them.

My Lumia 950 and 830 are boxed back up but my Windows Phone usage continues on the Icon. I really do prefer the OS over others.

 

[KGB7]

Some would say the same about paying for overpriced fashion statements that the MacBook Pro has become.. Or the iPhone that is more and more getting directed to the teenager crowd with all it's emojis and gimmicks that most adults do not have a need, desire or want for..

My .02

Fashion Statement and gimmicks??? Do tell more.

My mother, who is the least computer savvy person I have ever met ( she was a Dentist), learned to use her iPhone in less time (1 month), than it took her to learn Windows OS (5 years). Do you know what she used her her pc for? Send emails, MS Word and Internet.
Do you know how much grey hair I have from trying to teach her how to use a pc? Too many for my age and my gene pool.

So please, tells us how Windows environment is better than Apple eco system or Apple iOS/OS X?

My Galaxy s7 keyboard has emojis, yet my iPad has no emojis...anywhere.

Speaking of teens and adults. US Government has chosen Apple products as a replacement for Blackberry; iPhones and iPads. Not Windows phone and not Android tablets. I have personally deployed iPads and iPhones, during a 9 month project for OPM (US Office of Personal Management) back in 2011.
Now Uncle Sam does use Windows computers on a large scale, because they are so much cheaper. 5,000 Dell laptops are far more cheaper than MacBooks. But, they need Windows computers, because of the software used and designed for Windows only. A software that is very simple and does very little.


Windows Phone is dead. Nokia is coming out with Android phone. Windows 10 is a pain in the ass to navigate around and designed for gamers in mind with its dx 12 and Xbox connectivity.

I've been a Windows user since 3.1, and I would rather use Linux for the rest of my life if couldn't afford Apple product, just as long as I don't have to look at another Windows based machine.

Am I still crazy? Oh yeah, I'm crazy alright and I love it.

 

[raqball]

Fashion Statement and gimmicks??? Do tell more.

What exactly would you call the new Macbook Pro's? To me they are gimmicks and fashion statements, nothing more. Apple is obsessed with thinner and lighter. So much so that they removed key and important features and functions.. Oh wait, they added the touchbar right? Pure gimmick that's been tried by others before and failed miserably..

They slapped one of the worse KB in history in the new machines all in the name of thin and light. They removed every port on the planet all in the name of thin and light..

My mother, who is the least computer savvy person I have ever met ( she was a Dentist), learned to use her iPhone in less time (1 month), than it took her to learn Windows OS (5 years). Do you know what she used her her pc for? Send emails, MS Word and Internet.
Do you know how much grey hair I have from trying to teach her how to use a pc? Too many for my age and my gene pool.

Sounds like a Chromebook would be perfect for her..

So please, tells us how Windows environment is better than Apple eco system or Apple iOS/OS X?

Ports, options, pricing. Maybe consider a company that's more in touch with their users and not so much on thin and light?

Windows Phone is dead.

Of course it is.. Has anyone here said it was not?

Windows 10 is designed for gamers in mind

Uhhh, ummm there is also that super tiny market (sarcasm) called businesses..