This is summer and we are all enjoying mangoes and ice cream! I am not the exception! Only difference is that for a gadgets fan like me, Mango is actually the latest version of the Windows Phone OS and Ice Cream Sandwich is the latest Google Phone OS (Android). I am using two phones and trying to find out which OS is more exciting. This post is an account of my experiences with both.
Mango wins a user's trust with its Microsoft tag. We all use windows and whether we like it or not, we have to use it. And once you get used to it, others just seem non-user-friendly.
Mango is very intuitive with the most obvious things in the most obvious places. Phone, messaging, mail are right on top where you expect them to be. Live tiles continue to provide you updates. It integrates contacts from facebook, google once you sign in, gets the photos, updates right onto the tile if the contact has his/her personal tile.
Mango has many famous apps on the marketplace. Though there are not as many as Android / Apple, it surely is catching up. Actually, the lack of apps makes it a 'My' phone rather than the kids' phone!
The most important feature that I like about WP7 is that even if my wi-fi modem is on but is not connected to the internet (service provider glitches!), the phone internet does not die. It gets the data from the EDGE network instead which Android does not. Windows has also got a good battery management which is just pathetic in Android, all versions.
Another point where Mango scores is contact management. You can group the contacts and have all their updates at one place. And mind you, it's the updates for only the members of the group. Sure, Android has the group feature but it has not been given its due importance as it has been in Windows. (I found out that Android has this feature as I was writing this blog...that shows how much importance it has been given.) And it really is useful!
Mails is another cool feature.Outlook for Windows Phone is really good with its Conversation view feature. All the mails in a conversation are grouped together and are easily accessible. It's really good when you have to refer to the old emails in the same thread.
Here I cannot resist mentioning 'Courier' the concept which did not pass through Microsoft's filters. It really 'was' exciting! To know more, follow this link: Microsoft Courier
Ice Cream Sandwich also has the equally intuitive interface and has things in proper place. It has 5 screens where you can have shortcuts and widgets. Live tiles are widgets in a way, but the 3 screens really win (Though I never use the two extreme screens, they are useless) against a long vertical list of applications to scroll through. They let you have an amazing number of shortcuts and live updates. And to add to that, on all these screens, you have the 5 most important things 'always accessible'. The 4 shortcuts on the bottom along the menu icon and the search bar.
Android Play Store is one point where Android scores over Windows. There are so many apps available! My kids love the Talking friends, the ninja jumping off the walls etc. etc. Another thing I love about android is it integrates seamlessly with all essential Google services. I cannot live without the GMail or the GTalk.
How Mango scores over Ice Cream Sandwich
It's fast! Very responsive. That is what everyone wants a phone to be.Mango wins a user's trust with its Microsoft tag. We all use windows and whether we like it or not, we have to use it. And once you get used to it, others just seem non-user-friendly.
Mango is very intuitive with the most obvious things in the most obvious places. Phone, messaging, mail are right on top where you expect them to be. Live tiles continue to provide you updates. It integrates contacts from facebook, google once you sign in, gets the photos, updates right onto the tile if the contact has his/her personal tile.
Mango has many famous apps on the marketplace. Though there are not as many as Android / Apple, it surely is catching up. Actually, the lack of apps makes it a 'My' phone rather than the kids' phone!
The most important feature that I like about WP7 is that even if my wi-fi modem is on but is not connected to the internet (service provider glitches!), the phone internet does not die. It gets the data from the EDGE network instead which Android does not. Windows has also got a good battery management which is just pathetic in Android, all versions.
Another point where Mango scores is contact management. You can group the contacts and have all their updates at one place. And mind you, it's the updates for only the members of the group. Sure, Android has the group feature but it has not been given its due importance as it has been in Windows. (I found out that Android has this feature as I was writing this blog...that shows how much importance it has been given.) And it really is useful!
Mails is another cool feature.Outlook for Windows Phone is really good with its Conversation view feature. All the mails in a conversation are grouped together and are easily accessible. It's really good when you have to refer to the old emails in the same thread.
How Ice Cream Sandwich scores over Mango
Zune, seriously? To sync your Windows Phone with your computer, you need Zune. Windows Media Player is passe. Good ol' media player... Zune UI is amazing, no doubt, but too heavy. Media player fares better in my books, anytime! As against this, I just connect my Android phone to computer and manage it the way I want! And I am talking about plain simple Android OS here on Nexus S and not some flavor modified by OEMs.Here I cannot resist mentioning 'Courier' the concept which did not pass through Microsoft's filters. It really 'was' exciting! To know more, follow this link: Microsoft Courier
Ice Cream Sandwich also has the equally intuitive interface and has things in proper place. It has 5 screens where you can have shortcuts and widgets. Live tiles are widgets in a way, but the 3 screens really win (Though I never use the two extreme screens, they are useless) against a long vertical list of applications to scroll through. They let you have an amazing number of shortcuts and live updates. And to add to that, on all these screens, you have the 5 most important things 'always accessible'. The 4 shortcuts on the bottom along the menu icon and the search bar.
Android Play Store is one point where Android scores over Windows. There are so many apps available! My kids love the Talking friends, the ninja jumping off the walls etc. etc. Another thing I love about android is it integrates seamlessly with all essential Google services. I cannot live without the GMail or the GTalk.
Conclusion
Overall, both Mango and Ice Cream Sandwich are good in their own ways and both lack a few useful features. And another important finding is that I am still waiting for an iPhone to add to the mix. Somebody gift me an iPhone!
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