Which UI do you think is superior?

[Anakha56]

Right so recently Microsoft took a swipe at Android:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... ds-newsxml

Android is 'for computer scientists' and iPhone voice control is 'not new' says fiery Microsoft CEO

'The biggest advantage we have over Android is that you don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone,' said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at San Francisco's Web 2.0 conference this week.

And now a Android designer has taken a swipe at Windows 7:

http://www.fudzilla.com/mobiles/item/24 ... -and-apple

Rubbish UI

Android interface designer Matias Duarte has hit out at Apple and Microsoft for making useless interfaces.

Showing off Android 4.0's attempt at balancing design with flexibility, Duarte claimed that Jobs' Mob clung on too closely to real-world metaphors which were not just cartoonish but were too reminiscent of crude early web design. All of these applications are designed in this real-objecty, faux wood paneling, faux brushed metal, faux jelly button kind of thing, he moaned to Electronista.

It all looks juvenile. It is not photorealistic, it is just illustrations which is what they used to do in the early days of the web, he said.

“If you tried that today, people would be laughing, unless you were doing it in a kitsch, poking-fun-at-yourself, retro art way," he said.

Windows Phone 7's Metro UI was also pants, he said. With its tiled and hyper-stylized interface it was based on the look of urban signage and left little room for flexibility, Duarte said. He thinks that Android 4.0 was closer to the web, where there was a large amount of freedom to customise the interface and make it special, but certain common elements were standardised.

So that got me thinking, which UI would you choose? This is not about the handset maker, it is about the UI. Also Ihave kept the choices as iOS 4. Android 2.3, Windows 7 and Blackberry v6.

iOS 4


Android 2.3.3


Windows Phone 7


Blackberry


I know next to nothing about Nokia so if the Nokia people want their UI provide me with a pic and I will edit the first post with it and then vote for that UI if thats your choice.

And I know the best way to get to know your UI is to use it but I am curious to see from the screenshots which one is preferred.

[GreyWolf]

You should group iOS, Android and BB in 1 group. Its all icons on docking panels.

I voted Windows 7 because it is REALLY different from the rest.

[Anakha56]

GW I know what you mean. But out of them which is more customizable? Maybe I should specify that as a option to consider?

[GreyWolf]

Most customizable? Android wins that hands down!

[ryanrich]

I used to think WP7 was cool but when I used it hands on I thought it was crap!

Android for sure, 4.0 looks fantastic!

iOS seriously needs to evolve a bit now.

[hamin_aus]

Played with WP7 a bit and liked it better than Apples's or my p.o.s. Blackberry's OS
Haven't played with newer versions of Android

[GreyWolf]

Ryan.. mind expanding on why Win 7 is rubbish? I admit I have not seen it in action, much less had hands on experience, but I was really hoping it would be something special.

[KALSTER]

Read the review on GSM Arena. Their list of pro's and con's:

• Key features:
  Premium mobile OS (high minimum hardware requirements)
  Clean, uncluttered interface with distinctive design language
  Easy and thumbable user interface
  Smooth operation with cool animations and transition effects
  A fresh start with no legacy support needed
  Backed up and developed by one of the largest software companies in the world
  Excellent MS Office mobile implementation
  Top-notch social integration
  Excellent cloud services integration (SkyDrive, Windows Live, Xbox Live)
  Wireless syncing of multimedia content
  Internal memory expandable via microSD card slot (where available)
  
  Main disadvantages:
  No system-wide file manager
  No videocalling
  Limited third-party apps availability
  No Bluetooth file transfers
  No USB mass storage mode
  No multitasking
  No copy/paste
  Too dependent on Zune software for computer file management and syncing
  No music player equalisers
  No Flash or Silverlight support in the web browser
  No sign of free Bing maps Navigation so far
  No DivX/XviD video support
  No internet tethering support
  New ringtones available only through the Marketplace
  Swapping memory card requires hard reset; cards not readable by computer

The list of negatives looks pretty terrible to me and very disappointing. I had to go with Android on this one.

Edit: They do seem to have taken care of some of the issues with Windows Phone 7.5 Mango though.

[GreyWolf]

Thanks KAL. But those negatives are mostly for the OS as a whole, not the UI itself.

Was just wondering what gave ryan such a bad impression.

[ryanrich]

Ryan.. mind expanding on why Win 7 is rubbish? I admit I have not seen it in action, much less had hands on experience, but I was really hoping it would be something special.

The one I used had zero multitasking. I believe that is rectified in an upcoming version though, but it wasn't nice to work on. I also don't like the whole metro style layout. Nice to play with for a few minutes, but living with it every day would get tiring very quickly.

[GreyWolf]

I also don't like the whole metro style layout. Nice to play with for a few minutes, but living with it every day would get tiring very quickly.

Too many steps to do a task?

[ryanrich]

Yup. Maybe I'll feel differently if I try Mango with multitasking, but I found everything a schlep to do on the device that I tried, which was an HTC.

[GreyWolf]

cool, thanks.