When it comes to the battle
for new technology, the rivalry between Apple and Windows is arguably
unparalleled. In recent years, this rivalry has reached an all-time high when Apple
introduced the iPhone, which has left Microsoft woefully in the dust when it
comes to smartphone technology.
As promising as the Windows
8 Phone may seem, unlike the iOS6, this operating system has yet to be tested
in the actual tech market. People have learned their lesson with the numerous
bugs in the Windows 8 OS to be wary of buying the new smartphone until they
have read reviews from more knowledgeable techies that the device is just as
good as it claims.
However, Microsoft remedied
this with the release of their own operating system for mobile devices, known
as Windows Phone 8. The question that begs to be asked is this: How does
Windows Phone 8 measure up against Apple's mobile device operating system, Mac
iOS?
The Mac iOS6
If there is anything that
can be said about Apple is that, unlike Microsoft, they design new tech and do
improvements on existing ones with the user in mind. This characteristic can be
seen in their Mac iOS6.
Although the hardware
specifications have yet to be disclosed, it is reported that Mac iOS6 comes
with a quad core processor and 4G LTE. The current buzz is that the iPhone with
this OS will also have a much bigger screen size.
If there is one feature of
the Mac iOS6 that has loyal Apple users raving, it is the voice recognition
system Siri. The early version of Siri allows the mobile to do a number of
tasks under the direction of the user's voice command, including calling or
texting someone listed in Contacts, surfing the web, opening apps, and
answering simple questions. In the latest iOS6, Siri is capable of
understanding several languages, find and quote sports information and
statistics, allow the user to make reservations at restaurants and similar
establishments, and launch apps.
Another favorite among Mac
iOS6 users is its maps. The latest OS provides highly detailed, high resolution
maps, including a panoramic or 360 degree view (also known as the
"flyover" feature) and turn-by-turn directions. With just a flick of
the wrist, the user can be able to rotate, tilt, pan and zoom on specific areas
of the maps.
For the traveling
businessman, iOS's Passbook feature enables the user to store cards, a variety
of coupons, and boarding passes. It can even remind the user of when a
particular coupon is close to expiring so that he or she can use it
immediately. Businesses that also promote their products and services heavily
on Facebook (and fans of the social networking site) will be very pleased with
iOS's full integration with the site, which will allow them to post
announcements on events and status reports straight from their mobile phone.
Let us also not forget that
iOS6 is fully supported by its App Store, which contains an extensive library
of apps, including those for business.
Windows 8 Phone
The Windows 8 Phone is
planning to give Apple's iOS6 some pretty stiff competition when it is
released. Whereas before only Apple and Android have been supporting multi-core
chips, Windows 8 phones will function on dual core Qualcomm processors and will
be supportive of multi-core chips.
Since the upgrade to Windows
8 is in partnership with Nokia, the new phones will stop featuring Bing maps,
but will instead use Nokia maps, the sophisticated features of which include
turn-by-turn directions, Global NAVTEQ map data, and offline support.
While old Windows desktop
users are currently complaining about the user interface of Windows 8, the
tiled start screen is more at home on the Windows 8 Phone. Each of the tiles is
customizable, so that the user can open their favorite apps with just a touch
of the screen. In addition, it also comes with its own, as yet unnamed, voice recognition
system, which will allow users to read ebooks, browse through audiobooks, play
movies, and search the web with simple voice commands.
For the mobile businessman,
the Windows 8 phone has its own version of Apple's Passbook. Called
"Wallet", the user can store his/her credit, debit, and membership
cards information, and coupons. To make this feature even more appealing, the
SIM card on this phone is secure, so that the user can transfer it from one
mobile device to another without compromising data and security.
For this reason, it is not surprising
that techies are gravitating more toward the iOS6. At least with Apple, they
have tech reliability to back them up.
Maria writes for Geeks Mobile USA, a leading computer support company that
specializes in helping non-technical users solve their technology problems.
