Video: Cortana vs Google Now

[RumoredNow]

The players:

• Cortana by Microsoft on a Nokia Lumia 925 (T-Mobile branded) running Windows Phone 8.1 GDR 1 Preview for Developers
• Google Now by Google on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 running Android 4.4.2 w/ Touchwiz

The camera: I used the wife's Galaxy Note 2 to film this. Sorry about any lack in quality, I'm not practiced with the device and it doesn't seem to autofocus as well/quickly as my Lumia 925.

The same twenty questions were asked of each Virtual Assistant in turn and the results were scored (by me). The questions were what I felt was a good mix and the sorts of common uses people would ask of their device. For the constraints of this video everything was done on a desktop and there was no actual field use for navigating and geofencing; although those abilities do come up in the demo - I just wasn't driving around town while I filmed. Both devices had been "primed" before hand by filling in the interests and settings.

Here's my BLOG feed if anyone prefers to read a bit more about the history of the two assistants before viewing the video: My Alter Ego

The video itself is about 45 minutes. Hey, that was 20 questions each (40 total) plus responses by the devices, my reactions and scoring the results... I feel this is a fairly thorough test, even if it is off the cuff, and better than a quick 5 - 10 minute shoot.

Hope you enjoy this presentation.... And let the comment war begin.

 

[srkmagnus]

Very cool video comparison between the two. Thanks for sharing!

 

[megatomic]

I figured as much. I hear plenty good about Cortana, hopefully Google is working on making Now to work better. Thanks for the graphic evidence, sir.

 

[Davehow]

Biased beyond belief. Every time GN did something well you downplayed it. Every time Cortana did something poorly you made excuses for it.

The final nail in the coffin was where you actually claimed Google Now's advantage to be activated by voice hands free is a bad thing. Good lord...

Your bias and pro Microsoft stance was clear and obvious throughout your commentary. I don't recall you calling Cortana an "epic fail" anywhere in that video when it screwed up like you did with Google.

I'll stick to the comparisons done by trusted tech resources, you get an A for effort but the rest is awful. This wasn't a good or honest comparison, it was basically a Microsoft fanboy production.

 

[RumoredNow]

Thanks again, Dave, for watching.

As I said in the other place; feel free to make a counterpoint video.

 

[MDMcAtee]

Biased beyond belief. Every time GN did something well you downplayed it. Every time Cortana did something poorly you made excuses for it.

The final nail in the coffin was where you actually claimed Google Now's advantage to be activated by voice hands free is a bad thing. Good lord...

Your bias and pro Microsoft stance was clear and obvious throughout your commentary. I don't recall you calling Cortana an "epic fail" anywhere in that video when it screwed up like you did with Google.

I'll stick to the comparisons done by trusted tech resources, you get an A for effort but the rest is awful. This wasn't a good or honest comparison, it was basically a Microsoft fanboy production.

I feel the same about this. Since you don't understand how to operate Google Now as well as you do with your daily driver phone you give cortana credit needlessly.

They both have flaws,and they both have their weaknesses and strengths

Try to be a little more objective and not biased and leave out the negativity especially when you don't understand how to do simple things with them.

I've used both, and they both need a lot of work.

I will say this though,Cortana does have better voice recognition with background noise,so Google needs to step it up with this

Posted via Android Central App on my HTC M8

 

[Davehow]

Thanks again, Dave, for watching.

As I said in the other place; feel free to make a counterpoint video.

No need there are already plenty others which I found decent enough. Your score and mine would have been reversed:

Always listening is FAR superior to Cortana press and hold. You calling this a minus was quite ridiculous.

Cortana doesn't remember where you parked, you have to turn to Nokia Here Maps for that function.

Cortana doesn't alert you when your public transit stop is next

Cortana doesn't pull real time traffic accident and road construction info as well as G Now.

I'm sure it will get there since it's a beta product. The problem is that Google moves MUCH faster than MS when it comes to advancing new innovations forward. MS is always playing catch up rather than running a neck in neck race, let alone pulling ahead. And they've been at this since Winmobile.

The problem both WP and Blackberry suffer from at the core is that they simply cannot compete with Android and Apple app stores. So what both companies attempt to do is replicate android and iOS features. The "hub" BB rested so much faith in failed to sway anyone. Live Tiles and Cortana won't close WP's app gap either.

Let's dispel some myths perpetrated by WP and BB fans right now.
1. The app gap IS real and it IS a big problem. The bulk of a smartphone deals with using apps for most users, not voice calls and messaging.

2. Android and Apple apps aren't all fart and flashlights. There are thousands of high quality apps you can't get on WP. it's not about whether WP can offer 1 or 2 substitutes that "do the job", it's about the fact that because Play Store has so many choices for each, I can install the one that *I* want that has exactly what I am looking for, not the one or two that does the job " good enough". I see nothing to indicate this situation is improving.
3. Lag, malware, etc etc: FUD. And hypocritical considering how many of you own a windows PC.

Do I want to see a two horse market perpetuated? Certainly not. But WP and BB both need to realize that until they put more focus into getting developers on board than they do trying to hide the app gap underneath built in OS features, they're not going to change the status quo. I also find it pretty bad that I've seen more TV ads for the brand new amazon Fire phone than I've seen for any WP ever. One point I'll mark in BB's favor is that they finally realized that they had to basically exit the consumer race, do a pivot, and redefine themselves as business first, much like IBM did. IBM never recaptured their former glory. They are however today worth a substantial amount of money in their current role.

MS thinks they're going to continue the Windows Everywhere days from the 90's and 00's but I think those days are permanently over for them. I see MS continuing on, but only as a shade of what they used to be. I wouldn't be surprised to see WP cut in 5 years or less and MS moving forward as a multi platform software and cloud services company. They may have a large war chest, but their actions lately seem to indicate that they've started to be able to see the floorboards underneath the gold pile in the treasure vault.

 

[RumoredNow]

Always listening is FAR superior to Cortana press and hold. You calling this a minus was quite ridiculous.

That. of course, is highly subjective. Pressing a button is not a hardship for me. Having Google Now prematurely firing off when not needed is majorly irksome to me. You may like that. I don't. It didn't happen just once, it happened repeatedly throughout the video. So yes I penalized Google Now for doing things it shouldn't. I understand the activation phrase to be "OK Google." Apparently Google Now doesn't understand. If I say "OK so now we see Google showing..." and it triggers, is this not a problem? There are separations in time and contextually between the trigger words, yet Google Now is activating WITHOUT my express intent. That is a deficit. I'm not sure why you keep calling it an advantage.

You make a lot out of hands free... OK. Not one part of the demo was to show hands free. Maybe I don't use my devices that way. Certainly one of the biggest uses for hands free is while driving a vehicle. I am adamantly opposed to anyone operating their mobile devices in any way shape or form while driving a vehicle with the exclusion of turn by turn navigation. The only use of a device that focuses the driver and eliminates the distraction of searching for the next turn or proper stop. DO NOT DO IT. DO NOT ESPOUSE IT. DO NOT KILL ANYONE. YOUR PHONE CALL IS NOT EQUAL IN WORTH TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING'S EXISTENCE. Get off the hands free or tell me why you can not press a button WITHOUT talking about running over innocent people in the streets because you don't understand the responsibilities of driving.

Cortana doesn't remember where you parked, you have to turn to Nokia Here Maps for that function.

Cortana doesn't alert you when your public transit stop is next

Cortana doesn't pull real time traffic accident and road construction info as well as G Now.

All of this exists inside of Here Maps already. It isn't lacking from the device. Again, Google Now has had 2 years to mature, Cortana 4 months. And these are aspects of the device I did not test. Refer to the above rant about using devices outside of navigation mode while driving. So you want to fault me for not scoring things I did not test???

Let's cut to the chase... If the video is so horrible, either make your counterpoint video or post your favorite one that shows Google Now's superiority in this thread so everyone can see exactly what the real story is...

 

[JeffDenver]

That. of course, is highly subjective. Pressing a button is not a hardship for me.

Not using digital assistants at all is even less of a hardship...whats your point? People get along fine without these all the time.

Clearly touchless control is an asset, not a liability. trying to portray it otherwise is absurd. And if you are really married to touch-only controls, you can always turn it off. It is disingenuous to portray voice-only control as a bad thing.

You make a lot out of hands free

Not just him. None of the reviewers of the phone seem to be having the huge issue that you are. What are you doing that they are not?

.. OK. Not one part of the demo was to show hands free. Maybe I don't use my devices that way. Certainly one of the biggest uses for hands free is while driving a vehicle. I am adamantly opposed to anyone operating their mobile devices in any way shape or form while driving a vehicle with the exclusion of turn by turn navigation.

Ok, so you are admitting you have a personal bias against this feature.

Well, I personally prefer devices that do not try to tell me how to live my life. Maybe thats why I like google so much. WP and Apple seem to like to make their user's decisions for them a lot.

The only use of a device that focuses the driver and eliminates the distraction of searching for the next turn or proper stop. DO NOT DO IT. DO NOT ESPOUSE IT. DO NOT KILL ANYONE. YOUR PHONE CALL IS NOT EQUAL IN WORTH TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING'S EXISTENCE.

LOL. Hyperbole FTW

All of this exists inside of Here Maps already. It isn't lacking from the device. Again, Google Now has had 2 years to mature, Cortana 4 months.

The end user is not going to care about excuses. They probably will care about a lack of options though.

Let's cut to the chase... If the video is so horrible, either make your counterpoint video or post your favorite one that shows Google Now's superiority in this thread so everyone can see exactly what the real story is..

You posted your video here asking for criticism. Not sure what you're complaining about. You posted a baised video hostile to Google in an Android forum...what response were you expecting?

 

[Davehow]

That. of course, is highly subjective. Pressing a button is not a hardship for me. Having Google Now prematurely firing off when not needed is majorly irksome to me. You may like that. I don't. It didn't happen just once, it happened repeatedly throughout the video. So yes I penalized Google Now for doing things it shouldn't. I understand the activation phrase to be "OK Google." Apparently Google Now doesn't understand. If I say "OK so now we see Google showing..." and it triggers, is this not a problem? There are separations in time and contextually between the trigger words, yet Google Now is activating WITHOUT my express intent. That is a deficit. I'm not sure why you keep calling it an advantage.

You make a lot out of hands free... OK. Not one part of the demo was to show hands free. Maybe I don't use my devices that way. Certainly one of the biggest uses for hands free is while driving a vehicle. I am adamantly opposed to anyone operating their mobile devices in any way shape or form while driving a vehicle with the exclusion of turn by turn navigation. The only use of a device that focuses the driver and eliminates the distraction of searching for the next turn or proper stop. DO NOT DO IT. DO NOT ESPOUSE IT. DO NOT KILL ANYONE. YOUR PHONE CALL IS NOT EQUAL IN WORTH TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING'S EXISTENCE. Get off the hands free or tell me why you can not press a button WITHOUT talking about running over innocent people in the streets because you don't understand the responsibilities of driving.




All of this exists inside of Here Maps already. It isn't lacking from the device. Again, Google Now has had 2 years to mature, Cortana 4 months. And these are aspects of the device I did not test. Refer to the above rant about using devices outside of navigation mode while driving. So you want to fault me for not scoring things I did not test???

Let's cut to the chase... If the video is so horrible, either make your counterpoint video or post your favorite one that shows Google Now's superiority in this thread so everyone can see exactly what the real story is...

First I'll address your hands free always listening response. Pretty much the vast majority of android central love it. Get over it. Secondly, your incredibly drama filled argument about human life... Seriously? That's your response? Attempting to pull on everyone's heart strings with some weird totally off tangent speech about human life? That is so desperate! Love the caps lock by the way. Nice touch. I could almost envisage you on a podium with posters of car accidents and wringing your hands in a worried manner. Oh dear...

...C'mon.

Lastly don't even try to twist this back on me by saying cutting to the chase is all about me providing you with a counter video. Lol.
Cutting to the chase is your video attempt containing obvious bias pro WP and against android. Perhaps others here aren't privy to your bias against android because they haven't read your posts on WPC where it becomes very obvious that you were excited to make a video making Cortana look better before you even started it. But I've seen those posts.

Even if I hadn't, the way you slagged everything Gnow did well and praised everything Cortana did poorly is evident all through the video.

 

[Davehow]

You posted a baised video hostile to Google in an Android forum...what response were you expecting?

You probably already know this, but the members of WPC and CB spend darn near close the amount of time talking about and maligning android and iOS as they do their own platforms. And you've already been given a taste of the hyperbole statements they are inclined towards I see. Unlike here and imore, where the only two occasions I've ever seen Windows phone even being bothered with in a sentence, its been imported by a regular and biased member of another site.

 

[A895]

I find that Google Now and Sir I are leaps and bounds above whatever BlackBerry us doing and Cortana. They benefit primarily by companies who sole purpose was to improve them.

Microsoft did a valiant effort bringing Cortana the amount of ability it did, but I honestly feel this was something they should have had out last year including WP8.1.

Microsoft in other words still has a long ways to go.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[JeffDenver]

I find that Google Now and Sir I are leaps and bounds above whatever BlackBerry us doing and Cortana. They benefit primarily by companies who sole purpose was to improve them.

Microsoft did a valiant effort bringing Cortana the amount of ability it did, but I honestly feel this was something they should have had out last year including WP8.1.

Honestly, it's not an awful product. I consider it comparable to Google and SIRI...better in some ways, worse in others. But it is definitely a "me too" product. It is not the second coming that WP people would like to think it is. And it is not going to save the WP platform. WP has far bigger problems than Cortanna.

With the exit of Steve Ballmer there is a chance that WP could be salvaged. Windows 8 (desktop) got better, so anything is possible. But Google is VERY far ahead (85% marketshare!), and Apple has an entrenched and committed user base of their own that is going to be very resistant to switching. I don't see how WP is going to compete with them. They will need a revolutionary feature to do it. A novel UI and lots of "me too" products like Cortanna are not going to be enough.

 

[Davehow]

Honestly, it's not an awful product. I consider it comparable to Google and SIRI...better in some ways, worse in others. But it is definitely a "me too" product. It is not the second coming that WP people would like to think it is. And it is not going to save the WP platform. WP has far bigger problems than Cortanna.

With the exit of Steve Ballmer there is a chance that WP could be salvaged. Windows 8 (desktop) got better, so anything is possible. But Google is VERY far ahead (85% marketshare!), and Apple has an entrenched and committed user base of their own that is going to be very resistant to switching. I don't see how WP is going to compete with them. They will need a revolutionary feature to do it. A novel UI and lots of "me too" products like Cortanna are not going to be enough.

That's the crux of the matter. What does WP offer customers that's not already available on established and trusted platforms? The answer is nothing. I really can't see MS ever being a tech superpower ever again. That ship has sailed, and MS will have to be content repurposed as a smaller IBM or blackberry type of company. The next challenger to Google and Apple is going to end up being something so revolutionary it changes the entire paradigm of how we compute.

 

[A895]

Honestly, it's not an awful product. I consider it comparable to Google and SIRI...better in some ways, worse in others. But it is definitely a "me too" product. It is not the second coming that WP people would like to think it is. And it is not going to save the WP platform. WP has far bigger problems than Cortanna.

With the exit of Steve Ballmer there is a chance that WP could be salvaged. Windows 8 (desktop) got better, so anything is possible. But Google is VERY far ahead (85% marketshare!), and Apple has an entrenched and committed user base of their own that is going to be very resistant to switching. I don't see how WP is going to compete with them. They will need a revolutionary feature to do it. A novel UI and lots of "me too" products like Cortanna are not going to be enough.

I have said it before and I will say it again, WP should have capitalized the fact that they can integrate directly into Xbox. If they would improve Xbox apps and bring more universal Xbox games that can be played and bought once on mobile and on your Xbox, I think hey would have something really compelling. At least gaming should have been a cornerstone with WP, but no, it is awful right now.

So I have no clue what else they can do.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[JeffDenver]

Steve Ballmer made a mess of a lot of things at Microsoft. It is insane to me that anyone that clueless could become the CEO of a huge tech company. It's just weird.

 

[JeffDenver]

That's the crux of the matter. What does WP offer customers that's not already available on established and trusted platforms? The answer is nothing. I really can't see MS ever being a tech superpower ever again. That ship has sailed, and MS will have to be content repurposed as a smaller IBM or blackberry type of company. The next challenger to Google and Apple is going to end up being something so revolutionary it changes the entire paradigm of how we compute.

I think MS will keep it's hold on the desktop market. I have not seen any viable alternatives. Chrome might eventually mature into something that could compete, but that is a long ways off if it happens at all. Apple has never managed to even make a dent. I have given up on ever seeing Linux on the desktop...it is just too involved to be appealing to the average user.

I don't think WP was ever intended to be a core part of MS's business. Even X-Box is more important.

 

[A895]

I think MS will keep it's hold on the desktop market. I have not seen any viable alternatives. Chrome might eventually mature into something that could compete, but that is a long ways off if it happens at all. Apple has never managed to even make a dent. I have given up on ever seeing Linux on the desktop...it is just too involved to be appealing to the average user.

I don't think WP was ever intended to be a core part of MS's business. Even X-Box is more important.

Oh, I agree. Xbox, Office and Windows is their main consumer products right now.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[RumoredNow]

Sorry about the rant re: hands free in autos... I do feel very strongly on the issue, but will keep that to myself from here on out.

However: I never faulted Google Now for allowing for hands free operation. In the video it kicks in several times when unasked for. That was the mark down.

How is the premature triggering of that feature to be considered a benefit? Yet, Davehow wants me to be called to task for not calling it such.

 

[Davehow]

Sorry about the rant re: hands free in autos... I do feel very strongly on the issue, but will keep that to myself from here on out.

However: I never faulted Google Now for allowing for hands free operation. In the video it kicks in several times when unasked for. That was the mark down.

How is the premature triggering of that feature to be considered a benefit? Yet, Davehow wants me to be called to task for not calling it such.

How many times did you say Google in that video? A bunch obviously, since after all the entire video was discussing it and Cortana. OK now get ready for this piece of breaking news...

That's how you voice activate Google Now!

I know, crazy right? Who'd a thunk it. Alright, my sarcasm aside I now have two questions for you.
1. Are you telling us you aren't even aware of how that basic feature of Gnow works.... Yet you're supposed to be reviewing it?
2. Do you normally throughout the course of your day walk around saying "Google" a lot and keep your screen turned on all the time too? No? Good, then it's not an issue for you after all.

Now before you go claiming that this was not the case, let me put this out there-
The ONLY time any of my devices ever had Google Now activated by voice was when my screen was on in my car holster and I was listening to a tech podcast called This Week in Google where "Google" was said by the hosts a ton of times during the hour long show. I have driven for hours listening to music, and chatting with my passengers for the last year, with the screen on the whole time and never once did Gnow activate by mistake. I've watched hours upon hours of video on my tablet and never once did Gnow activate by mistake.

I have never once, since the launch of Google Now, ever heard of problems with Google Now being prone to accidental voice activations reported here, XDA developers, or Google support. Nothing.

So, with that information in hand, I can only conclude that your issue falls into one of the following categories:

a) you were supposed to be making a video featuring Google Now without even knowing how it works or,
b) your testing device is defective or,
c) you're not being forthright

My opinion of your scoring of this feature stands.

/drops mic and exits the stage