I think the UI is beautiful. Simplicity at its finest without the bullshit scheuomorphic designs Apple is producing nowadays (iCal's "desk calendar", Notes' "legal paper", Contacts' "Black Book", etc.).

As odd as it is to say this, MS is actually ahead of the curve with their UI. Better than iOS and definitely better than Android.

I have to agree with RP.

Microsoft hit the nail for UI. Unfortunately the first stab at Metro was almost there. Windows Pone 8 is what it should have been. I think WP8 now looks truly awesome with all the customisation and extra room used on the home screen.

Once again, it's not about how good the feature is, it's about how ugly it is to the general public, if you can't even convince most consumers that it looks awesome rather that they'll get used to it eventually, then how are they going to compete in the world of already established brand names? iOS is clearly the looser in the features department vs the newest Android or WP, yet they have no problem selling a ton of iPhones on every release.

That has nothing to do with aesthetics. Its just a case of better the devil you now than the devil you dont. I suspect Windows 8 ( wich will likely sell over 1 billion copies in 6 months as Windows 7 did ) will play a huge in familiarising people with WP8.

The UI looks visually fantastic anyway. Especially when ( and now they are ) developers make the tiles alive with images, uodates etc. Its not just a sea of orange tiles for example like people usd to think in its first 2 weeks on sales.

That's exactly what MS is betting on. Personally, I think Android 4.x+ is better than all three as you get the better scenario of having all apps quickly accessible without having to scroll many panes/pages and the usefulness of widgets. But, if Win8 takes off and people like the UI, it will greatly help WP grow.

In the end though, WP and Android both have FAR better maps applications than iOS6.

LOL. @maps.

I saw a review of maps on mobliles a few monts back. Bing maps surprisingly was very close to Google maps and the reviewers were very surprised. I believe they tested the in 16 different countries. Icluding Africa.

Windows 8 most likely won't get the same sales that Windows 7 did unless you count bundles and cross platform devices from OEM, Windows 7 came out after the piece of shit Vista that nobody wanted and by then Windows XP was very old and no longer really supported at consumer level, it was the OS that actually worked. You think the UI looks fantastic because you love almost everything MS whlie I'm a lot more judge critical on all aspects of any tech company being the primary difference since I'm in the IT field and understand the market of the masses.

The truth of the matter of the past, the now and the future where IT has been moving for awhile now has been pretty simple for years now actually, Google is a bastard company that comes in, and destroys everybody else in the playing field given enough time, and for as long as their company doesn't change their ways, the big software companies or internet providers won't be able to compete with them in the future, that's why MS is so desperate to come out with a more closed system like Windows 8 to try to secure their revenue, what they have failed to realize is that Linux distributions are getting better and better at a faster rate than any MS OS ever evolved at, giving consumers less freedom on the PC front will slowly drive them away. MS and Apple are both in danger in the long run, and they have not secured the most important piece of the pie and way late while google basically owns the internet and some of the best engineers in the business.

Well if you like Consumer Reports they compare iOS 6 Maps vs. Google Maps Android.

http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/09/smart-phone-navigation-showdown-apple-ios6-vs-google-android.html

Bottom line:
Both the free Apple and Google navigation apps provide clear routing directions. Apple feels like a less-mature product. But as seen with the initial competing applications for the iPhone, we would expect updates to this new app over time--and Apple has promised as much. When getting down to the nitty gritty, Google provides a better overall package, but we feel that both provide a good solution for standard software. We expect the competition between the companies will benefit customers with ongoing improvements.

Noone has a crystal ball. So I wont coment on future future.

But Id put significant money on Windows 8 selling well over 1 billion as Windows 7 is way beyond that now.

Bundling is exactly how Windows has always sold. Walk into any PC place in the UK and every PC is sold with Windows. With a small 3 or 4 Macs in the corner. Linux isnt anywhere and Android doesnt exist there. The tablet section probably has Android and Ipad, but I bet over the next year Surface and other Windows 8 tablets are everywhere in PC stores.

Even Vista did over 1 billion.

as long as it's accurate turn by turn navigation with very low margin of error, it's good enough no matter the service, that's where Apple is failing right now, it will eventually be fixed, but it's generating very very bad PR ATM