UX Inconsistencies In Windows Phone 7 Mango
I’m biased when it comes to Windows Phone 7, I like it. It’s a fact. I’ve listed and written about my favorite features in Windows Phone 7 Mango and now here are some that bother me. In my first impression piece on the OS, I listed some shortcomings; in Mango, several have been fixed. However, here are some new ones.
- Unnecessary option in the Mail toolbar:
In Mango, the search inconsistency has been fixed. (Original design had the physical search button for searching mail and the Folders icon in the toolbar.) Now, we have Select, Refresh and Search buttons. The Folders icon is gone. But, here’s the thing, we don’t need the Select button and any heavy mail user will want the folders option up front.
Tapping on the left edge of the screen (next to the mail subject) it gets selected. No need for the option in the toolbar.
- Unnecessary Camera Settings option:
In the original release, camera settings have had an Anti-Shaking ON/OFF toggle. Having read a bit about the technology, it seems that it has to do with the shutter speed and low light. The phone cameras don’t have shutter speeds, aren’t half as powerful as dSLR cameras, so the option makes little sense. Why would I want any shaken pictures?!
In Mango, a new option was added under pictures+camera, titled: Prevent accidental camera launch when phone is locked. Here’s the thing, why would I ever want to turn this OFF?!
- Sharing Links on Facebook:
Facebook uses the webpage meta to pull in an image, description and the title. Unfortunately, when you share a link via Windows Phone 7, none of this meta information is used. The result is an ugly looking link.
- Obscuring indicators:
Surur over at WMPU talked about this issue and I agree with him. There is inconsistency when it comes to these indicators. In some apps a user can slide his finger on the top edge and indicators appear. Sometimes, they don’t.
- Posting through People’s hub:
Windows Phone 7 is natively social. Sharing and consuming data from social networks is fun. (Reading through the People’s hub, notifications and posting under the Me tile.) Unfortunately, the inability to post something via the People’s hub adds steps that shouldn’t be needed: Quitting the People’s hub, starting the Me tile, posting and then going back to the People’s hub. You can however, reply/retweet from the People’s hub; this makes the inability of posting anything new, weird.
Update: Just to be clear, even if you post by clicking on your image under the contact list, you go into the Me tile and after posting YOU’RE STILL IN THE ME TILE! After posting I have to still go back to the People’s Hub to read! Either by clicking the back button and swiping right or Home -> People’s Hub -> Swipe. Unnecessary to say the least. A ‘+’ icon to add a message eliminates all this!
- Limited access to SkyDrive folders:
SkyDrive integration in Windows Phone 7 is pretty good. But, as a Live Mesh user I can’t access the desktop folders I synced (devices.live.com). Not cool.
- No Screenshot support:
This isn’t new but still very frustrating. Writing this article wasn’t half as much a hassle as getting the screenshots. What irks me more is Microsoft saying nobody uses/shares screenshots. I disagree. Go check homescreen.me.
The sharing links problem is not with WP7, RWW mobile pages do not have the Facebook Graph meta in it
Used it as an example, it doesn’t work for even those that have meta. Check my wall.
Great points Manan. But disagree on the Mail point and the skydrive point as those are by design and do have a justifiable rationale on the why. One being simple fool proofing that don’t represents a problem and the other because it is a feature simply not yet supported. More than likely because it has not been thought how they want it to work.
SkyDrive – Mesh, is probably a limitation since they’ve got a few others too. But, the select option can be replaced by Folders. Makes sense because I can select without using the toolbar but I can’t go into Folders without opening the toolbar menu.
Some pretty good points there. The inability to post from Peoples hub always frustrated me when I used WP7.
Btw just to add a note about the Anti-Shaking, I’m pretty sure the Anti-Shake here refers to the use of accelerometers to get the steadiest shot.
Yea, could be something else, but I don’t see the need of the option. Who wants shaken pictures? Blur effects can and should be done via Photoshop.
I agree with the Mail/Folder issue… I always sort my emails in folders, and having to open the menu for every single mail is a hassle.
You can post from the people hub by clicking your own Tile at the top of the contact list. That takes you to the Me hub without having to go back to the Start Screen. It’s your best equivilant to posting from the People hub.
Camera Settings – as I understand it (could be wrong though) – it prevents the camera to start when in the pocket (read: in a dark environment). You wanna change that if you go into a disco or sth.
People Hub Posting – click on your own image and then on send massage. To go back click the back button.
So as I understand it two of you point ain’t valid. One hugely important point however is imho left out in your list: almost all changes to the internet explorer are really bad. I want my favorites and tab buttons right in the bottom bar. And not just that. I have engadget in my favorites – still when I enter “engad” in the address bar, it suggest not engadget.com. Sometimes after a second or so it will show up. iOS and Android have this figured out way better.
If it stays this way I have to use another browser… (lets hope the performance of third party browsers is not that worse than the native one).
i pin my favourites as tiles. that’s even more fast to access.
but yes, ie has too much text-menu options (why “add to favorites” and “favorites” in separate?)
Huh?! If I’m in a club why would I turn the accidental camera thing ON/OFF?! I can turn the camera ON if I want to! And regarding the second, you’re still going into the Me tile. You swipe to the left, click -> in the Me tile -> post -> then home button -> people hub. How does that fix anything? I still have to navigate unnecessarily. So yea, as you don’t understand, those points are still valid.
Jeez, no reason to be defensive
1. You want to turn that off so you can quick launch the camera app??! Is that so hard to understand? I know at least one thread over at XDA where people have seriously thought that their phone is broken because the camera wont always start when the click and hold. Maybe those people think they will not accidently press the camera button and therefore can use this option. Why is it a problem to make this as an option??
2. You are in the people hub: click me tile > click post > click back. its just ONE more step. And you have the other options of your me tile right at hand to, without taking up much space. So this step is a fair tradeoff I think. (I can see how other people think otherwise, but it is not that big of a deal like you make it up to be. You don’t have to go at no point over the homescreen for example)
So you’re saying the before I go into the club I am supposed to turn this option off and when I come out, I turn it on? This so that I don’t have to unlock my phone and press the camera button? Are you serious?
And it’s click back plus swipe to the right.
Regarding IE:
I would much rather set the “load/stop load” button to the hidden options, make the address bar a little shorter, and add favorites and tabs back to the bottom bar. I almost never use “load/stop load”. I basically use the tab button everytime and the favorite button also.
This is a touch phone, designed for the finger, not the stylus.
Regarding IE:
I would much rather set the “load/stop load” button to the hidden options, make the address bar a little shorter, and add favorites and tabs back to the bottom bar. I almost never use “load/stop load”. I basically use the tab button everytime and the favorite button also.
I cannot reply to your answers below so I reply here.
Close your eyes for a second and think not about yourself. Do you think there are some “crazy” people out there, who for example have their phones in a handbag or sth. and these people think they will not hit accidentally the camera button (pretty crazy those few, I know). Or some other people who want to make the tradeoff that once a month they pull their phones out of their pockets and the camera has launched, but have the ability to quicklaunch the camera at any point (those maniacs).
I think there are some of those people out there. So I don’t see why giving users choice is a bad thing. I love that WP7 is simple, but I would also like some more options here and there (emm… does your blog entry not also point in that direction?)
And for IE:
I meant you could make the addressbar shorter that both circles fit in there in their the normal size. If that takes up too much space at least give us one of the two (fav or tab) and not “load/stop load” (or the choice between the three)
Still not seeing a reason why anyone would want to turn it off. You say people have their phones in the bags and accidentally turned the camera on, and that is what the option is to avoid. So why not have it ON and remove the option? You talked about clubs but now you renegged on that argument seeing how fallible it is.
No I said it is unlikely that you hit the camera key by accident if the phone is in a bag, and therefore people could want to make that decision. Or that someone who has it in his pockets, wants to make the tradeoff.
As for the camera in a disco – I never neglected it I just added some use-cases.
With them in mind you just cannot argue, that giving users choice is a “UX Inconsistence”. Are you afraid people are overwhelmed by the available decisions? (well I’m not – I want more options) What other reason can there be that you want to take options away from the OS?
I really don’t understand why this bothers you – you don’t have to use it. Obviously some people have raised the issue over at microsoft, otherwise it would not be implemented.
Use cases? Turning the camera ON when it is in the bag is a use case? Really? Use case to what that can’t be done by unlocking and clicking the camera button? And yes, I can argue since there is no rationale behind accidentally turning something ON.
Okay I see. You apparently still don’t understand what this is about.
Let me draw the picture for you:
-I’m a happy owner of a WP7
-I like the option to shoot photos really fast without unlocking the phone, just tip and hold
-I’m often in the nightlife, and make photos and videos in the dark
-I carry my phone in a place where I assume the camerashutter will not be hit by accident, or I want to make the tradeoff.
-I’m happy Microsoft gives me choice :D
You see the picture above? Nobody is taking pictures of their bags. On the other hand people will shoot photos so fast “the” moment is not gone (and on facebook in 5 minutes ;) )
It’s about using Microsofts genius camera-quick-launch-feature in the night as in the day – get it now? Can you admit your wrong now?
So why not change the option to “Use Quick Shoot in the dark – ON/OFF” as opposed to asking me whether I want to do something accidentally? I’m intrigued as to where did you study your HCI principles.
Ahh now we’re there:
You now too are saying that statements like: “There is no use case”, “make this go away” make not that much sense. But now you are trying to make this into a different topic – rename this option.
I never said that I think they named it in the best way. Actually I think your suggestion is better. But that was not the point of our argument. It never was. You said there is no use case for it, and wanted the option to go away forever. I argued against it, and you responded in an unfriendly way.
BUT, by insulting me you don’t make it better. Your wrong and you have not the guts to admit it.
Funny :)
Wrong, if I was I’d be the first to admit it. The option makes no sense. It should be ON by default and shouldn’t be under settings. That’s my argument, still is. But in order to end this little pointless discussion I found a compromise. And I never insulted you, in fact if you were to dig into my past forum activities my comments are not even close to insults.
Also, I tested your theory. It takes the same amount of time for the camera to turn ON whether I’m in a completely dark room or I’m in sun light irrespective of the option.
Lol I think you still don’t know what the option does, or it is not working on your phone. When the option is off you can even in a dark environment hold the camerashutter and the app will start EVEN WHEN THE PHONE IS LOCKED. On my Phone it works exactly like that, I tested it with the option on and off. (hold your finger over the sensor) Apparently Microsoft did a bad job in explaining what it does (We agree on that).
To your not admitting that I was right: You say you are not wrong. Yet you said you see no point in this option. I named a few use cases, you still said you see no point. I explained it even further. Now you see that it can be usefull to some (you did at least in one of your previous posts). You explicitly wrote in the blog post “why would I ever turn this off?” I named you a few scenarios. If you now changed your mind about that you were wrong in the first place and foremost wrong in not believing my posts were wrote that this is usefull to some. That is the time when someone usually says that the opponent were right. You did not do that. In fact you try to make it into different discussions, in which you are not false, but our discussions weren’t about your new introduced points. Ergo you have a problem with admitting when you are wrong (a sign of a bad character in my opinion)
Or are you no saying again the named use-cases are not legit? In that case you are even more weird and can not see something from a different few point then your own.
Your use cases make no sense to me (nobody would turn this OFF before entering the club and turn it ON as opposed to simply unlocking the phone and pressing the shutter). And since the camera takes the same extra time to launch in a dark room or in sun light irrespective of the option, I don’t see your use case. Your in the bag use case also makes absolutely no sense since I’ve been saying the option should be ON by default & removed thereby I don’t have to worry whether the camera has “accidentally” launched or no.
My use case makes no sense because you say it should be removed? What kind of argumentation is that?
It is on by default and people can turn it off e.g. if they think their bag prevents the accidental clicking of the camerashutter. This is not a UX Inconsistence, its an option for the user. Most people will leave it at on, but I absolutely see that some would want the quick camera launch in the dark (I myself strongly considered to set it to off – I mean how often does your volume change when its in the pocket? And I’m a Omnia user where the on/off button is on the side – it never accidentally booted down).
I think by now even you are seeing this, but instead of admitting it you are desperately trying to cover up the fact that you did not even know what the option really does until I explained it to you five times :D
Cover it up? Really? Anyway, your statements haven’t convinced me that the option is valid. In fact, the desperation is quite obvious at your end. Coming up with statements like “if they think the bag prevents accidental click” That doesn’t even make sense!
Cover it up? Really? Anyway, your statements haven’t convinced me that the option is valid. In fact, the desperation is quite obvious at your end. Coming up with statements like “if they think the bag prevents accidental click” That doesn’t even make sense!
Btw it is a pretty funny picture:
You sitting in the dark counting how fast you can open up the camera app, not knowing its about the quick launch feature :D
Btw it is a pretty funny picture:
You sitting in the dark counting how fast you can open up the camera app, not knowing its about the quick launch feature :D
Not knowing what?! Maybe I overestimated your intelligence. Here’s what I meant in a complete sentence: The time taken to launch the camera by *pressing and holding the camera button* is the same irrespective of the option.
But thats not what the option is about!!!
It makes no sense that you test that!
Because you tested this absolutely without any substance to the discussion is funny. Why should it take longer in the dark to open up the camera app? That you tested that is ridiculous.
You were the one who made the point about dark environments in discos! So I went into a completely dark room to see if the option changes the time it takes to launch the camera app from the shutter button. And you’re obviously simply trolling and keep changing your own words.
But thats not what the option is about!!!
It makes no sense that you test that!
Because you tested this absolutely without any substance to the discussion is funny. Why should it take longer in the dark to open up the camera app? That you tested that is ridiculous.
Wait – The time is the same but not when the option is set to on! Then it will not work at all!
Just thought you were again talking about the time to open the camera in the normal way
Wait – The time is the same but not when the option is set to on! Then it will not work at all!
Just thought you were again talking about the time to open the camera in the normal way
see I admitted I made a mistake :)
see I admitted I made a mistake :)
It will not work in the dark when you set it to on.
I turned it OFF in the dark room and checked it! I turned it ON and checked it. There’s no difference in how long you have to press and hold the camera button! How do I explain that to you in words you can understand?!
It will not work in the dark when you set it to on.
When on your phone you set it to on and it still opens up the camera when you press and hold in the dark, there’s sth wrong with your phone.
On my phone it is like it supposed to be – it opens only in the dark when this settings is set to off. Is this different on your phone?
(I said this before btw)
My Focus and LG Quantum start the camera irrespective of the option.
On my Omnia it does not open the camera app when the light-sensor is covered.
okay guess what – I now think it includes the proximity sensor…
thats weird and defeats basically all of my use-cases – you win
(after all whats been written by me I got to admit that)
#fml
Ah! So you’re not a troll! I see our discussion might’ve been strongly worded but we’ve found common ground. :)
i post from the people hub by clicking on my tile in the people list.
my biggest issue is more in the settings parts. the keyboard and language setting is very wrong in it’s design, and in some places you don’t even know you can tap it (to f.e. disable auto correct). i would completely re-structure that (as well as other settings menues).
Yea, that took me a while to get used to.