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Microsoft Launches Official 'Cortana' App for iOS and Android Devices
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They are, they are web based so they are available to any platform that supports HTML5
Is this Cortana thing supposed to play audio cues or have a voice? I installed it and it makes no sound whatsoever (phone's not muted, volume up, etc.) Just trying to figure out if i'm missing something.
Because 10 or so years from now, platforms may be irrelevant. Put another way, Siri/Cortana/Alexa/etc may in fact be the ecosystems that we access from various devices and the internet of things.
We won't search with Bing or Google, but with Siri or Cortana
We'll ask Alexa to make a phone call, or Siri to send an email, regardless of what service we use for those communications
Alexa and Siri will be how we manage and find our work data and entertainment, across a multitude of platforms
Cortana and Siri will be in our communications, shopping, and productivity workflows
the names above are interchangeable, but whoever grabs the lion's share of that ecosystem will have considerable leverage over the other providers of hardware, software, and services that they enable.
Maybe I'm getting it wring, but I'm guessing that's in the minds of these vendors. They're fighting to see who owns the glue that will cobble together the Internet of Things. Whoever owns that will have leverage, in the coming decades. Or maybe I just watched too much sic-fi, or sat through too many tech conferences?
We won't search with Bing or Google, but with Siri or Cortana
We'll ask Alexa to make a phone call, or Siri to send an email, regardless of what service we use for those communications
Alexa and Siri will be how we manage and find our work data and entertainment, across a multitude of platforms
Cortana and Siri will be in our communications, shopping, and productivity workflows
the names above are interchangeable, but whoever grabs the lion's share of that ecosystem will have considerable leverage over the other providers of hardware, software, and services that they enable.
Maybe I'm getting it wring, but I'm guessing that's in the minds of these vendors. They're fighting to see who owns the glue that will cobble together the Internet of Things. Whoever owns that will have leverage, in the coming decades. Or maybe I just watched too much sic-fi, or sat through too many tech conferences?
The main problem with something like this is that on Android you can maybe replace the "Ok Google" command with this app (though I'm not sure, so don't quote me on that).
However on iOS you can't replace Siri with Cortana, so therefore you would miss out on the OS integration of Siri if you were to "switch" to something like Cortana.
I think the only real purpose of this app is possibly if you have a Windows 10 PC/laptop along with something else like the MS Surface and you wanted to keep Cortana on those devices in sync with your iPhone.
The rest of us however will just stick to Siri, no different than how iOS users have ignored the "Google Now" capability built into the Google app.
However on iOS you can't replace Siri with Cortana, so therefore you would miss out on the OS integration of Siri if you were to "switch" to something like Cortana.
I think the only real purpose of this app is possibly if you have a Windows 10 PC/laptop along with something else like the MS Surface and you wanted to keep Cortana on those devices in sync with your iPhone.
The rest of us however will just stick to Siri, no different than how iOS users have ignored the "Google Now" capability built into the Google app.
I think you're right on the money. At some point people will want a Siri, or a Cortana, not an iPhone or a Windows Phone. The os will be irrelevant except for playing games, and the personal assistant will do everything else.
Comparing the three that I use:
Siri
Pro - Overall, seems the best at understanding what I want to do. Also great at providing some answers, vs just websites.
Cons - Only on iOS. Also, IMOHO, seems to have gotten a bit "dumber" in the past few months?
Alexa
Pro - Good at media stuff, and reasonably good at understanding me. Bonus points for being the best at understanding my woman, who has a thick African accent.
Cons - Only on my Echo, offering limited capabilities
Cortana
Pros - Integrated in PC OS. Accessible via voice or text. Great for popping up control panels or apps.
Cons - Limited range of understanding. Usually sends you to a website, vs providing answers.
That's how I see them. Siri is my most often used, but does seem to have mysteriously gotten dumber in the past few months. No idea why this is the case, or maybe it's just me?
Siri
Pro - Overall, seems the best at understanding what I want to do. Also great at providing some answers, vs just websites.
Cons - Only on iOS. Also, IMOHO, seems to have gotten a bit "dumber" in the past few months?
Alexa
Pro - Good at media stuff, and reasonably good at understanding me. Bonus points for being the best at understanding my woman, who has a thick African accent.
Cons - Only on my Echo, offering limited capabilities
Cortana
Pros - Integrated in PC OS. Accessible via voice or text. Great for popping up control panels or apps.
Cons - Limited range of understanding. Usually sends you to a website, vs providing answers.
That's how I see them. Siri is my most often used, but does seem to have mysteriously gotten dumber in the past few months. No idea why this is the case, or maybe it's just me?
Agreed! Why get this for iOS. I read that it is only available in the US and China to start with.