We’re all over the place now in this thread. Getting back to the subject matter for a bit. Why is any company thwarting forward in the phone/pad/cellular/mobile/WiFi-related/Cloud/App/and the likes industries? There is and will be huge revenues to be made. We have just reached the tip of the iceberg with “Internet of things”. $Billions$ in red ink happened and continues to happen in any company due to mistakes from time to time. No one company is immune to it. MS NEEDS to push ahead to get and keep in the game. Besides, a $billion or two to companies this size is like pocket change to most of us.
Here are 50 items smartphones have or are replacing:
50 Things Your Smartphone Replaced [ Or Will Replace In The Future ]
actually trying to FIND an app for Windows phone really needs to be sorted out
I can't believe the lack of functionality of this search app compared with the Android one.
Admittedly MS App Store has a way to go, but they have come a long way since introduction.
Now on the whole I LIKE the Windows phone OS - but say I'm looking for one of the best IMO Weather apps around - the BBC weather app (also very accurate) It's almost impossible to find it for Windows -- on Google and for iPhone -- no problem at all.
It depends on what search engine and which country/region one is searching in. Bing is integrated in MS/Windows world everywhere now. Their Stores (Windows App Store, Windows Phone App Store, and Microsoft Store online), 8.x integrated search, Cortana, Bing Desktop, and all of their online sites such as TechNet, MSDN, Help, Safety, Corporate, and the likes. Of course you're going to get different results if using Google or any other search engine.
Even performing searches using Bing on different devices got me different results > Why? > Because the results might not pertain to that particular device within a region, country, and even different cellular carriers. The problem here in the U.S. is that we have locked and/or branded devices in which a carrier might not allow an app for they want people to use theirs, therefore an app may not be offered. In other words there are variables.
Let's turn this around > How many WP apps cross-written will we find in Google Play or Apple Stores? In Google Play I found Lync app, OneNote, OneDrive, and Office Mobile (in which you have to have Office installed somewhere and lynched) all published by MS. There may be more, but that’s all I looked for. No result for BBC Weather in Play Store either. Why? Probably not allowed in the U.S.
Not familiar with Apple products or services, but what the heck is this? >
Apple - Creativity and Productivity Apps One store for iOS and one for Mac? Not really familiar with Apple world, but do not the apps run across different devices? Seeing that and having had an Android device I'd say that Google is ahead of the game, but with time MS will come around. Personally I'm waiting for Windows apps for my bank and one for a certain jukebox company where I can pay, play songs, and add favorites to my account so not to get my lazy rear off the bar stool to do so.
This search engine needs to be completely updated. You shouldn't have to have a Windows phone already to see what's available for it --otherwise how can you do sensible comparisons.
You don’t need a WP to find an app. Did you use the search on within the WP App Store page as you show above? Or is that a Google result page?
(I think it's only available for Android and iPhone - but at least you can search and get descriptions without even OWNING one of these phones).
I think you’re referring to the Lync app. There are Lync apps for 8.x, WP8, Android, and iPhone. The screenshot of my phone I posted earlier, which was from within the WP App Store, has the install button. I didn't want to desecrate my system by opening a Google page again so here's results from within 8.1 search:
BTW, once one purchases a Windows app, one can install it on all their devices without paying for each individual copy for each device. Last I heard that’s not true with the others.