Windows Phone was a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft as a successor to Windows Mobile and Zune. It featured a new user interface based on the Metro design language, which aimed to offer a simple and intuitive experience for smartphone users. Windows Phone was launched in October 2010 with much fanfare and optimism, but it failed to gain significant market share and popularity among consumers and developers. In December 2019, Microsoft officially discontinued the support and production of Windows Phone devices. But what were the reasons behind this spectacular failure?
One of the main reasons was the lack of apps. Windows Phone had a very small app store compared to its rivals Android and iOS, which offered millions of apps for various needs and preferences. Many popular apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, etc. were either missing or poorly updated on Windows Phone. This made it hard for users to enjoy their favorite services and content on their devices. Moreover, developers were reluctant to invest time and money into creating apps for Windows Phone because of its low user base and revenue potential
Another reason was the lack of innovation. Windows Phone had some unique features such as Live Tiles, Cortana, Continuum, etc., but they were not enough to attract users who were already used to Android and iOS ecosystems. Microsoft also failed to keep up with the latest trends and technologies in the smartphone market such as dual cameras, fingerprint scanners, wireless charging, etc., which made its devices look outdated and inferior compared to its competitors.
A third reason was the lack of marketing. Microsoft did not do enough to promote its products and brand awareness among consumers. It relied too much on its loyal fans and partners such as Nokia (which it acquired in 2014) to spread the word about Windows Phone. However, this strategy did not work well because most people were unaware or indifferent about Windows Phone’s existence and benefits.
In conclusion, Windows Phone was a bold attempt by Microsoft to challenge the dominance of Android and iOS in the smartphone market but it failed miserably due to various factors such as lack of apps, innovation, and marketing . Although Microsoft has officially discontinued Windows Phone, it has not given up on mobile entirely. It still offers some services such as Office, OneDrive, Skype, etc., on other platforms and is working on new projects such as Surface Duo and Windows 10X that could potentially revive its mobile ambitions in the future.
Windows 11 is the latest version of the Windows operating system, and it brings many new and exciting features that can enhance your productivity, creativity, and entertainment. Whether you are a student, a professional, a gamer, or a casual user, Windows 11 has something for you. Here are some of the reasons why you should use Windows 11:
A redesigned interface
Windows 11 has a fresh and modern look that makes it easier to use and more pleasing to the eye. The Start menu and taskbar are now centered on the screen, giving you quick access to your apps, files, settings, and web content. You can also customize them to suit your preferences and pin your favorite apps for faster access.
The new interface also supports themes, widgets, wallpapers, and sounds that let you personalize your desktop according to your mood or style. You can choose from a variety of options or create your own with ease.
New productivity and social features
Windows 11 helps you get more done with less hassle with its new productivity and social features. For example:
Snap Layouts: This feature allows you to arrange multiple windows on your screen in different layouts with just one click. You can choose from various options such as side by side, stacked, or cornered depending on your needs.
Snap Groups: This feature lets you save and restore groups of windows that you have snapped together. You can easily switch between different tasks or projects without losing your context or progress.
Desktops: This feature lets you create multiple virtual desktops for different purposes such as work, school, gaming, or personal. You can switch between them with a simple gesture or keyboard shortcut.
Microsoft Teams: This feature integrates Microsoft Teams into Windows 11’s taskbar so that you can chat, call, video conference, share files, and collaborate with anyone from anywhere. You can also sync your contacts across devices and platforms for seamless communication.
Updates to security and accessibility
Windows 11 also improves security and accessibility for all users with its updates such as:
Secure Boot: This feature ensures that only trusted software can run on your device by verifying its integrity before loading it. It helps prevent malware attacks and unauthorized modifications to your system.
BitLocker: This feature encrypts the data on your device so that only authorized users can access it. It protects your privacy and confidential information from theft or loss.
Windows Hello: This feature allows you to sign in to your device using biometric authentication such as facial recognition or fingerprint scanning. It eliminates the need for passwords and makes logging in faster and more convenient.
Narrator: This feature reads aloud text on your screen so that people with visual impairments can use Windows 11 more easily. It supports multiple languages and voices for better comprehension.
Magnifier: This feature enlarges text and images on your screen so that people with low vision can see them more clearly. It also has color filters and mouse tracking options for better visibility.
Improvements to performance
Windows 11 also boosts performance for all devices with its improvements such as:
Faster boot time: Windows 11 starts up faster than ever before thanks to its optimized codebase and streamlined processes.
Longer battery life: Windows 11 consumes less power than previous versions by intelligently managing resources and background activities.
Smoother updates: Windows 11 delivers updates more smoothly by downloading them in smaller chunks and installing them in the background without interrupting your work.
These are just some of the reasons why you should use Windows 11. If you want to experience these features yourself, you can upgrade from Windows 10 for free if your device meets the minimum requirements. Alternatively, you can buy a new device that comes pre-installed with Windows 11 from various manufacturers.
Windows 11 is more than just an operating system; it’s a platform that empowers you to do more of what you love with ease and joy. Don’t miss this opportunity to upgrade today!
Windows 11 is the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system that was released in October 2021. It offers a fresh and modern design, improved performance and security, and new ways to connect and create. Windows 11 also receives regular feature updates that add more functionality and enhancements to the user experience.
In this blog post, we will explore some of the new features and updates that Windows 11 has introduced or will introduce soon.
New design and layout
One of the most noticeable changes in Windows 11 is the new design and layout of the user interface. The Start menu, taskbar, icons, widgets, settings, and apps have been redesigned to be more intuitive, consistent, and beautiful.
The Start menu has moved to the center of the taskbar by default (but you can change it back to the left if you prefer), and it shows your pinned apps, recent files, recommended content, and a search bar. You can also access your Microsoft account settings from here. The taskbar has also been simplified and streamlined. It only shows your pinned apps by default (but you can customize it to show more), and it has a new button for accessing widgets. Widgets are personalized mini-apps that show you information like weather, news, calendar events, photos, traffic updates, etc. The icons have been updated with rounded corners and softer colors to match the overall aesthetic of Windows 11. The settings app has also been revamped with a more coherent structure and easier navigation.
The apps have also been optimized for Windows 11 with new features like snap layouts (which let you arrange multiple windows on your screen with ease), snap groups (which let you switch between different sets of snapped windows), desktops (which let you create separate workspaces for different tasks), voice typing (which lets you dictate text with punctuation commands), Focus sessions (which let you set goals and track your progress while listening to music from Spotify), etc.
New accessibility features
Windows 11 also includes additional improvements for people with disabilities:
Narrator: Windows 11’s built-in screen reader has received more natural voices, improving the text-to-speech function.
Live captions: Windows 11 has introduced system-wide live captions that go beyond individual apps’ live caption features. You can enable them from Settings > Accessibility > Hearing > Captions.
Voice access: Windows 11 has added voice access as an accessibility feature that lets you control your PC with your voice. You can enable it from Settings > Accessibility > Interaction > Voice access.
Magnifier: Windows 11’s magnifier tool has been improved with smoother transitions between zoom levels. You can enable it from Settings > Accessibility > Vision > Magnifier.
New connectivity features
Windows 11 also offers new ways to connect with others:
Teams: Windows 11 has integrated Teams, Microsoft’s communication platform for chat, video calls, meetings, and collaboration into the taskbar. You can easily start or join conversations with anyone from your contacts list or phone book.
Bing Chat: Windows 11 will soon introduce Bing Chat, an AI-powered feature that lets you chat with Bing directly from the search box on your taskbar or Start menu. You can ask Bing questions, get answers, set reminders, create lists, and more using natural language.
Android apps: Windows 11 will soon support running Android apps on your PC through the Amazon Appstore and the new Microsoft Store. You will be able to download and use your favorite Android apps like TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, etc. on your PC as if they were native apps.
Windows 11 is a major update that brings many new features and improvements to enhance your productivity, creativity, and connectivity. It also receives regular feature updates that add more functionality and enhancements to the user experience.
If you want to upgrade to Windows 11, you need to have an eligible PC that meets minimum device specifications. You can check if your PC is compatible by using the PC Health Check app or visiting this website.
Microsoft officially introduces Windows 11, its next-generation operating system (OS) to the public in a virtual event today. The company announces new features and products users can expect in the next version of Windows. These include a user interface overhaul, redesigned start menu, new app store with android apps and more. The OS is coming next week to Windows Insiders and will be officially available this holiday (October – November 2021) as a free upgrade.
I have to say, phew! There are a lot of goodies coming. Led by CEO, Satya Nadella and CVP, Panos Panay, it showcased more than what we saw in the leaked build. Here is a trailer of the Windows 11 OS from Microsoft. I must say it is breathtaking and best watched in 4K if you can, to get a better first impression of what is next and coming. I’ll share in-depth details on this down below. You can also watch the livestream event and relive the experience in full here.
Windows 11 – Redesigned OS, Refreshed look, More faster
Even though this is a new Windows, Microsoft has kept it familiar based on user feedback and from past experiences. It has taken Windows 10, tweaked and fined it and given it a refreshing look. One of the biggest changes you’ll notice is that Microsoft moved away from the sharp edges and pointy corners to softer, touchable and rounded edges. Microsoft also improved the typography and layering for eligibility and readability. There are new themes and desktop wallpapers with Bloom being popular among the lot. The OS design including icons looks modern, calm and clean. It comes with new tools, apps, and system sounds.
Microsoft CVP, Panos Panay, says Windows is faster. Waking your PC from sleep, Windows Hello, browsing on Edge or any browser is faster. He notes, Windows updates are 40% smaller and more efficient because they happen in the background. It uses less energy which translates to more battery life.
A new Start Menu
Microsoft says it has simplified the design and user experience of the start menu. The start menu and taskbar icons are now centred by default. But we know from the leaks you can change this to the left if you don’t want it centred. The search bar in the start menu allows you to search for things on your PC, OneDrive or the web. Microsoft says the start uses the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you all your recent files irrespective of the platform you used them on earlier. So you can see your recent iOS and Android files in the start menu. It has transitions and transparency to guide you from app to app. You can also choose between light and dark modes.
New Microsoft Store + install Android apps on Windows 11 OS
Microsoft says it rebuilt the Microsoft store from the ground up and is making sure every app you need is there. The big reveal is Android apps are coming to Windows. Yes, you can install android apps on your Windows 11 PC and integrated them into the start, taskbar, etc. You will be able to search for Android apps in the Microsoft Store and download them through the Amazon Appstore, also in the Microsoft store. This is possible through the Intel Bridge technology. With this technology, Microsoft could bring more stores in the future including Samsung. Google Play and Huawei app store.
If you are a developer, Microsoft wants you to bring any technology to the store. And if you bring your own commerce engine to the Windows store you keep 100% of the revenue. But if you use theirs the revenue share is 85/15.
The Microsoft Store has a redesigned entertainment tab that lets you now enjoy video content from various streaming services.
Windows Widgets
Another feature Microsoft introduced is Windows Widget, a personalized feed powered by AI to serve you personalized curated content. You get information from weather, stocks, calendar, photos, news, to do, and any app you add.
Multitasking – Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops
Microsoft is introducing new multitasking experiences with Snap Layouts, Snap Groups and Desktops. Snap Layouts are layouts tailored to the size of your screen. It organizes your opened apps and optimizes the screen size to help you multitask easily. Snap Groups is a collection of apps you are using in a Snap Layout stored in the taskbar and Windows remembers them even after you switch to something else. You are now able to switch between apps and projects, Microsoft says. When you are using an extra monitor when you undock the windows minimize to your laptop and returns to the exact screen when you reconnect it. You will not have to reconfigure your layout. Desktops now let you display a different set of apps, and you can personalize each desktop with custom wallpapers.
More Features
Microsoft Teams is now directly integrated into Windows with one-touch. Microsoft says you can chat, voice and video call anyone on any device irrespective of platform. It works seamlessly across Windows, iOS, Android. It isn’t clear yet if Teams is replacing Skype with this announcement.
Gaming on Windows 11 is set to deliver superior graphics thanks to auto-HDR with no effort required from the player or developer. Auto HDR will automatically update the game’s lighting and colour to High Dynamic Range (HDR). But you need to have a Monitor that supports HDR for this to work. Thanks to breakthrough technology, Direct Storage API, games will load faster than ever in Windows 11. Microsoft is bringing hundreds of games to the PC by building Xbox game pass through the Xbox app on Windows 11. Xbox cloud gaming will also make it possible to play your console games on your PC through the Xbox app.
Microsoft shares you will see improvements and innovations in touch, pen, voice and keyboard making Windows adapt to you.
System Requirements for upgrade to Windows 11
The basic system hardware requirements for the Windows 11 OS are higher and different from Windows 10. This is because some of the new features require newer and specific hardware. You will need a processor with 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with 2 or more cores on a 64 bit System on a Chip (SoC). 4 GB of RAM and at least 64 GB of storage size and a graphics card that is DirectX 12 compatible. Microsoft says if your device doesn’t meet them you will not be able to install Windows 11 and suggests purchasing a new one. You can use this PC health check app from Microsoft to check the compatibility of your device.
Get Windows 11
Microsoft Windows 11 will be a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs when it becomes available officially this holiday (October – November 2021). New PCs will come with Windows 11 installed.
Next week, Microsoft will release an early build with Windows Insiders. But there changes on how to receive Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. This is majorly due to the updated baseline hardware system requirements for Windows 11. If your device meets Windows 11 hardware requirements you can get access to all the insider channels. If your device doesn’t meet the requirements but meets the WIP’s, you will be eligible for the Dev Channel but with degraded experience and features. Release Preview Channel isn’t available either. When your device doesn’t meet the WIP’s hardware requirement you will not be eligible for Beta and Release preview Channels. There will be limited exceptions to the dev channel where PCs will be allowed updates only via flighting until general availability. Then PCs will need to take action to go back to Windows 10.
Microsoft will keep supporting Windows 10 through 14 October 2025.
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Check out other stories making the news in the technology ecosystem in Africa and the Middle East.
Bisa is a health application platform that brings a doctor to the patient via a smartphone or web app.
Bisa Health app is a mobile application that allows people with a smartphone interact with medical practitioners. The user does not have to be present physically at a hospital or medical facility. The platform isn’t an alternative to seeking a health treatment. It seeks to bridge the health information gap.
This is an advantage to people who need medical care and advice but are not able to visit the hospital for various reasons like; poverty, long queues at the hospital and the fear of stigmatization; especially for people who have symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases(STDs) or diseases in areas that they feel are private or that makes them embarrassed to seek the needed treatment.
The Bisa Health App founders believe there is a gap in the healthcare system. Where some people are not able to easily seek medical help when needed and the platform can address this gap. However, healthcare is a basic amenity which everyone should be able to access and Bisa seeks to address this disparity in access to healthcare.
The app does not only address the problems of getting medical attention from qualified doctors but it also helps in the prevention and spread of disease by providing up-to-date information on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of common diseases and how to control spread of diseases during outbreaks.
How It Works
Currently the Bisa App is only available for Windows mobile devices from the Windows store. Maybe there’ll be a universal windows app soon?
Download the app from the Windows store . You do not need to sign in to ask a question. But you’ll need to provide some details so you can receive a reply to your question.
Bisa App is supposed to revolutionize health care in Ghana and Africa. From the comfort of your home, office, etc ask a doctor any question.
If you are not sure how to describe an ailment, you can take a picture of the affected skin or medical condition and attach it for better assessment and answering.
When you ask a question, you’ll need to give it sometime before you receive a reply. I sent a question in the morning and got a reply in the evening.
Also there are other health information’s available in the application that spans various topics. The platform also seeks to provide real time information to people on health issues when there’s an epidemic or outbreak.
Give the app a try. Download it, ask a question get a reply and tell us what you think.
