- Dec 31, 2014
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I'm an ex Windows Phone user. Since the platform has been killed I keep going back and fourth between Google and Microsoft. Here's why:
You see, I don't like Google as a company. I don't like the way they do business, the way they try to force users to use their services by any means even if it means penalizing or bullying users (like what they've been doing with the new Edge). I don't like how they feel they're entitled to do whatever they want with our data. And please don't serve me the whole "You accepted the privacy policy" thing. I would argue that "just don't use their services" is almost impossible especially considering the fact that if you visit any website that has Google Analytics installed, you're using Google services. That's right, they're still tracking you even if you don't accept their privacy policy.
But... their services are so bloody good! And using Android, they're right there, in your face, ready to go and they all work together wonderfully.
Now Microsoft has had its past where they were butt-holes. No denying that. But they've gone so far since because of all those antitrust cases in the end of the 90's and early 2000's that they're not a much nicer company. They don't use your data to sell you ads. They don't snoop in your data. They do have a whole bunch of telemetry in Windows 10 but they are giving more and more power to users to turn those off and it's generally non-identifiable. It's not perfect I know but no one can say it's on the same scale as Google. I kind of trust them more with my data than I do Google. They're even in the 2018 Ethisphere Institute list of World’s Most Ethical Companies!
https://ethisphere.com/2018-worlds-most-ethical-companies/
But their services are either lackluster, super irritating to use or just alright, especially on Android. Microsoft has always had a huge quality control problem and that's not changed. Outlook is a pain when it comes to contact management, you can't edit the date of a recurring event in the calendar (they're aware of both issues but of course have no ETA to give... they do put new features out regularly because why correct bugs?). Word doesn't default to mobile mode on the phone (seems petty but it's just a part of a whole problem). They're apps ALL have translation issues. Sometimes translations just disappear altogether and the badly translated app remains as such for months on end (Microsoft Launcher is a great example... I've been told "soon" so many times in the last year I just stopped using it). The same with the calendar on outlook.com. Right now, in French, it reads 2019 June... which is not only backwards but the month's name is actually in English.
So I'm torn between both companies. One that offers great services but who I disagree with as a business. The other for which I pay to use some services but who can't seem to walk without tripping in their own shoes all the time.
What do you guys think?
PS: I know... I ask myself too many questions. That's just how I am
You see, I don't like Google as a company. I don't like the way they do business, the way they try to force users to use their services by any means even if it means penalizing or bullying users (like what they've been doing with the new Edge). I don't like how they feel they're entitled to do whatever they want with our data. And please don't serve me the whole "You accepted the privacy policy" thing. I would argue that "just don't use their services" is almost impossible especially considering the fact that if you visit any website that has Google Analytics installed, you're using Google services. That's right, they're still tracking you even if you don't accept their privacy policy.
But... their services are so bloody good! And using Android, they're right there, in your face, ready to go and they all work together wonderfully.
Now Microsoft has had its past where they were butt-holes. No denying that. But they've gone so far since because of all those antitrust cases in the end of the 90's and early 2000's that they're not a much nicer company. They don't use your data to sell you ads. They don't snoop in your data. They do have a whole bunch of telemetry in Windows 10 but they are giving more and more power to users to turn those off and it's generally non-identifiable. It's not perfect I know but no one can say it's on the same scale as Google. I kind of trust them more with my data than I do Google. They're even in the 2018 Ethisphere Institute list of World’s Most Ethical Companies!
https://ethisphere.com/2018-worlds-most-ethical-companies/
But their services are either lackluster, super irritating to use or just alright, especially on Android. Microsoft has always had a huge quality control problem and that's not changed. Outlook is a pain when it comes to contact management, you can't edit the date of a recurring event in the calendar (they're aware of both issues but of course have no ETA to give... they do put new features out regularly because why correct bugs?). Word doesn't default to mobile mode on the phone (seems petty but it's just a part of a whole problem). They're apps ALL have translation issues. Sometimes translations just disappear altogether and the badly translated app remains as such for months on end (Microsoft Launcher is a great example... I've been told "soon" so many times in the last year I just stopped using it). The same with the calendar on outlook.com. Right now, in French, it reads 2019 June... which is not only backwards but the month's name is actually in English.
So I'm torn between both companies. One that offers great services but who I disagree with as a business. The other for which I pay to use some services but who can't seem to walk without tripping in their own shoes all the time.
What do you guys think?
PS: I know... I ask myself too many questions. That's just how I am
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