It displays apps as Live Tiles, which are rectangular panels that not only launch an app, but also show information or content from that app. The Start screen is not the canonical app-list instead, it’s a launcher, which you can configure as you please. For customisation, you’re limited to a background image. You can organise with folders and screens, reorder and delete apps, and that’s about it. On iOS, the Home screen hasn’t significantly changed since its first iteration: it’s static and utilitarian, offering the canonical (and only) complete list of the apps installed on your device.
#IBM NOTES TRAVELER WINDOWS PHONE 8 WINDOWS#
It’s one of my favourite features of Windows Phone. You’ll be seeing it a lot, usually for a brief moment or two as you launch an app. On Windows Phone, the equivalent of the iOS Home screen is the Start screen. The first thing you’ll see is the primary interface of a Windows Phone: the Start screen. In a minute or two, you’ll be up and running. The interface is simple and high-contrast, which is the platform’s hallmark. You’ll need a Microsoft (or Live) account, which you can create at the time if necessary.Īmongst other things, you’ll set the date and time, and choose a wi-fi network. There’s no SIM needed when setting up a Windows Phone, by the way, and no need to connect the device to a computer. It’ll be broadly familiar if you’ve used any other smartphone.
In short, it’s a simple process of a few steps, with on-screen guidance. The first thing you’ll probably do is setup your device. I’d like to thank Microsoft for noticing that I was interested in their mobile platform, and sending me a device to play with. It’s also about the platform itself, rather than any specific handset. You can think of it as a sort of traveller’s guide for iPhone users, who find themselves in the land of Windows Phone. This isn’t a review, or even a comparison. I’ll distinguish between the terms used on different platforms with colours and shapes, if you’re reading this article on the web. In this article, I’m going to talk about Microsoft’s Windows Phone. There are other options out there, and I decided to explore some of them. Some of that feeling is just because of familiarity I’ve never used a non-Apple smartphone for more than a few minutes. I find that in some ways it lacks character - and indeed a boldness of aesthetic.
I’ve been experiencing a growing restlessness with it lately. There aren’t many ways to customise iOS to your individual tastes, for example, and the hardware is extremely expensive. I take my iPhone everywhere I go, and for the most part, it’s a satisfying device to use. As an iPhone user, you probably have little interest in the other mobile platforms - but they do exist.