Microsoft announces Cortana for Android and iOS smartphones

[HEXUS]

To make them perfect Windows 10 PC companions.

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[shaithis]

Wish they would not refer to it as a personal assistant......it keeps conjuring the image of a certain talking paperclip........

[cheesemp]

Got to be honest and ask why I'd prefer this over Google now on my droid? It quite happily takes reminders and knows my route home to show me traffic updates. What's so much better with cortana? (Also I hate that name - why name it after an AI from a game. Doesn't shout professional to me - then again neither does Siri).

[shaithis]

I am sure there are a number of people that will use it over "Google Now" just because Google are evil and spying on them all the time.......

I will be sticking with Now though, I really like how it's evolved and like nearly everything mobile, Microsoft are a couple of years late to the party and have to play catch-up.....

As to why Microsoft decided to release it..........I don't know but then I had no idea why Apple released Safari for Windows, I am sure it sounded a good idea to at least one person in a board meeting.

[Percy1983]

To me Cortana is massively better, but thats purely as it actually seem to understand those of us who don't officially exist (live north of the watford gap).

Does seem odd to release it on other devices, reminds me of bbm going to other devices, bbm was the only reason many I knew had a blackberry.

[peterb]

Ive just been playing with Google Now - very frustrating - instead of opening an app or doing something useful, it just does a search. Much prefer Siri, although that has its flaws too. TBH, non of them offer a really useful hands free facility.

[cheesemp]

Ive just been playing with Google Now - very frustrating - instead of opening an app or doing something useful, it just does a search. Much prefer Siri, although that has its flaws too. TBH, non of them offer a really useful hands free facility.

It uses keywords a lot - if you can be bothered to learn them you can do a lot. I've not bothered. I mainly use it as a quick way to load my commute into google maps so I can monitor traffic and for finding interesting news stories. I do all that through the official now launcher left swipe - i rarely use voice control for it.

[shaithis]

Goggle Now just must be written for me

It has yet to cause me headaches, never had to say the same thing twice, it just works.

Siri on the other hand......it took me 12 (yes 12!!) attempts to get it to tell me the capitol of France. 10 of those attempts it tried to dial various people in my phonebook. Glad I don't have to carry a work iPhone any more!

[Saracen]

I am sure there are a number of people that will use it over "Google Now" just because Google are evil and spying on them all the time.......

....

Well, at least for my part, I don't think that at all.

Just because Google are evil and spying on us all, all the time, doesn't mean they're the ONLY ones trying to do that. I don't distrust MS, these days at least, much less than I distrust Google. And I trust ISIL more than I trust Google .... at least ISIL are open and straightforward about their intentions, however disgusting and despicable those intentions may be. Which is more than I credit Google with. And MS aren't far behind.

[DanceswithUnix]

Siri on the other hand......it took me 12 (yes 12!!) attempts to get it to tell me the capitol of France. 10 of those attempts it tried to dial various people in my phonebook. Glad I don't have to carry a work iPhone any more!

I once found my kids playing a game of "Siri":

One of them had to ask a question, the other had to come up with the most stupid answer possible based on mis-hearing or misunderstanding the question

Anyway, this smack to me of an attempt at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace...and_extinguish

[Rob_B]

Google now location history always worried me, a guy at work cycles in with his tablet (wifi only) in his bag. Google now figured out his general route and even told him he was cycling, now don't get me wrong I think it's amazing it can do that but it was a step too far for me. "Now" won't work without location history afaik (?)

Does cortana offer any of the benefits with the option to disable the scary tracking?

[peterb]

Goggle Now just must be written for me

It has yet to cause me headaches, never had to say the same thing twice, it just works.

Siri on the other hand......it took me 12 (yes 12!!) attempts to get it to tell me the capitol of France. 10 of those attempts it tried to dial various people in my phonebook. Glad I don't have to carry a work iPhone any more!

I have yet to dictate a text message successfully with Google Now, and saying send text or text as often as not sends it into some search. If I wanted it to search, I'd say search!!!

I suppose I don't like applications that try to second guess what I want to do, especially when they consistently get it wrong!

[crossy]

Wish they would not refer to it as a personal assistant......it keeps conjuring the image of a certain talking paperclip........

I must be the one person in the world who actually liked the Office Assistants - but in my case it was the wizard and the cat I liked.

To me Cortana is massively better, but thats purely as it actually seem to understand those of us who don't officially exist (live north of the watford gap).

Might want to go to elocution lessons then old boy - GN has no problem with my mangled Nottingham brogue. LOL
Joking aside though, I know what you mean - missus and kids have local accent and GN doesn't work reliably. Then again Siri just balks completely.

Ive just been playing with Google Now - very frustrating - instead of opening an app or doing something useful, it just does a search. Much prefer Siri, although that has its flaws too. TBH, non of them offer a really useful hands free facility.

Hmm, I haven't found the voice search part of GN that useful, by the time you've unlocked your phone etc, it's just as easy to swipe a query etc. I also find it restricted - be great if you could say "Compose new email to Jo Smith home address" but that doesn't work. The Now cards on the other hand I do use - mainly for tracking websites and topics I'm interested in. Especially now that GN doesn't completely drain your phone if you switch it on.

Getting back to the article, I've got to wonder why you'd want another assistant app on your devices unless Cortana is bringing something new to the party. I'm sure that Google and Apple will make darn sure that it won't compete with GN/Siri, so the only real use is if MS can persuade Cyanogen, LG, Samsung, etc to bundle it in (at a low level) as well as, or even instead of, Google Now. And I can't see Google being happy about that...