After Using A Lumina 928 With Windows Phone 8 For Two Days, The iPhone Feels Very Outdated Hot

 

I’ve been using an HTC Thunderbolt Android phone for two years and I liked it. Along with way, I’ve had an iPad and liked it. But my early impression is that Windows Phone 8 seems easier to use than either of those two mobile operating systems.

 

Then, last night, I was helping my wife set up Flickr on her iPhone and I was shocked at how old it felt. iPhone is still a good operating system and works fine, but it’s dated. The look and feel is now passé. I am amazed to be saying this.

 

It felt like I was using a telephone with a rotary dial instead of a tone dial. I know that sounds harsh to Apple fans, but that’s honestly what I felt.) There was something anachronistic about it. Maybe it’s the look and the fact that iPhone software uses a lot of metaphors from the real world to access digital information, like knobs and buttons for controlling features. This kind of interface is increasingly condescending in the digital age. (There’s even a word for it: skeumorphism.)

 

Windows 8 is not without problems. If you do not use it with a touch device, it’s got some bad issues. I would not recommend switching a computer with no touchscreen to Windows 8. But the Windows Phone 8 operating system is great and so is Windows 8 for computers with touch screens. The big question is whether people will give Microsoft another chance.

 

For advisors, my guess is Microsoft will remain the most-used operating system and office productivity suite, and advisors who try out one of the new Microsoft ultra-portables, phones and tablets will stick with the Windows operating system. That’s why I am writing this post. If your on the iPhone now and try a Windows Phone, you’ll probably like the simplicity of using the same interface on your phone that you use in your office.