Tellme, Microsoft, is iPhone 4S Siri better?
No, Tellme isn’t a patch on Siri. But that fact doesn’t excuse the defensive stand Apple fanboys put up at the suggestion the two products are similar.
Microsoft’s Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie caused controversy and consternation (amongst Apple fanboys) this week. He claimed in an interview with Forbes’ Eric Savitz at the Techonomy conference that Microsoft beat Apple to the punch on Siri, with Tellme having been a part of Windows Phone 7 for over a year.
The ire this raised amongst certain parties was laughable. If you actually watch the video in question, Mundie doesn’t come across as smug and condescending as many have stated him to be. Instead he uses vague language such as “you could argue” and “a similar capability.” Hardly a fire and brimstone-style rant aimed at Apple. And it’s Savitz who brings up the idea that this is “good marketing.”
It is, however, a strange coincidence that the first half of the video sees Mundie talking about Kinect, which is hardware Microsoft has led from the front with. Kinect is inspired by the Wii and its motion control system, obviously, but it is superior to the Nintendo product in every single way. Kind of like Siri in relation to Tellme.
OK, so Tellme isn’t Siri. It isn’t on the same level as Siri, with less functionality and features than the iPhone 4S software. But that doesn’t make MG Siegler’s Apple fanboy stance of “If you had invented Siri, you would’ve invented Siri” in the style of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network any more appetizing.
The fact is technologies emerge at the same time, with various companies producing their take on the innovation of the day. One will launch first, another will then improve on it. Repeat ad nauseum. In the end both iOS and Windows Phone 7 will have fully-integrated, voice-activated virtual assistants. It’s just that Apple (or at least the company Apple acquired) perfected it first. And won’t let its oh-so-loyal fans use it on anything but the iPhone 4S. Because they care, they really do.
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November 26th, 2011
Siri you could argue, may today provide a better experience than TellMe, but it sure aint perfect…