| HN Mirror

if i had to pick one asset as my favourite it would be the one that got me hooked in the first place, the design. plain and simple. being, i’d say, a fellow ui junkie, it really is unlike any other interface (mobile or otherwise) that i’ve interacted with. and it’s because of the interface that, despite missing the occasional hot app of the day or some super-cool new feature available on another device, it never even crosses my mind to switch to another platform…

i know this probably sounds like total marketing bullshit, but it really does feel alive and in a very natural/real way, while also being super-slick and digital at the same time.

when people think of wp (if they know of it, lol), they think of big colorful tiles and blown-up (cut-off) typography; and while those are the most prominent aspects of the visual design, the way it all flows together puts that all in the background and what you experience using it on a day-to-day basis is what’s left, namely the content you’re interacting with. this is especially true as nearly every app is designed to fit-in, and in terms of usability, always function in a way you come to expect. this provides for a seamless experience switching between the os and apps that feels so unified you really forget there’s a difference.

beyond that (and actually, feeding into it), and why i really take offense to the original comment, virtually everything down to the smallest detail is incredibly well considered and implemented. there are so many little things you can’t pick-up on when looking at screenshots (or a spec sheet) that make the experience all the more alive… things like the gliding effect and acceleration/deceleration when sliding between screens (and the way that ‘blown-up’ test moves as you pivot); the lock screen animation that has a nice bounce to it; the way jump-list letters slide into one another as you scroll lists; and even the clicking noise when you lock/unlock your device, all just make it feel really satisfying to use. by contrast, using another device, no matter how slick and impressive it may be, just feels cold and boring to me.

..that aside, everything else works for me just the same as with any other device. pages load-up fine, wifi works (?), it runs great, and there are a lot of other neat features baked-in [1] that i don’t feel like rattling-off right now. biggest complaint i hear is the supposed lack of apps; it’s true that some big-name titles are missing, but the vast majority are there and there are many great third-party alternatives (and incredibly awesome devs) you come to really appreciate. it’s never really bothered me much, but if you’re an app-heavy user (or addicted to instagram or something) you may want to hold-off.

that’s my (very long take) on it. i’d just add that it is really worth trying out; no number of videos or screenshots or reviews or me rambling on can carry-across the experience of just picking one up. i had no ‘dog in this race’ when i first got on to wp, but now i’d say i’m firmly in the fanboy camp, so you never know..

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Phone#Features