Learn How To Use Windows Phone 8.1

By Stephen Pate – Microsoft Nokia has posted a new website that demonstrates how to use almost every function of Windows Phone 8.1.

Android and iPhone users can learn just how powerful Windows Phone 8.1 has become.

I’ve used 8.1 for three months but I still learned several new tricks from the site called What would you like to do?

You can use the Windows Phone emulator on a desktop, tablet like Surface 2 or smartphone like a Windows Phone, iPhone or Android phone. How cool is that?

Windows Phone functions are arranged in a vertical menu on the left. Roll your mouse over the main menu items and sub-menu tasks appear which are then illustrated by the hand and phone video.

If your monitor is narrow, like smaller window or on a tablet, the main menu folds into icons and only the sub-menu shows in a bit of HTML5 trickery. The menus are intuitive once you get started.

The videos are slow enough to show the feature without being boring.

Once a video has started in the desktop version, you have to be patient and let it run but that is usually only seconds. Smartphone users can end the video with normal video controls.

Each video has some cool pop music as background to set the fun tone. There is no narration, except with Cortana the new personal voice activated assistant (US Only for now).

It was very helpful to step through some of the more obscure Windows Phone 8.1 features like projecting to a TV.

At the point I tried the site Sunday morning, the “Take Photos” option was not working on desktop and tablet versions. I assume Microsoft Nokia is still tweaking the website and it will be functional soon.

The mobile site for the Windows Phone emulator has the Take Photos videos working properly.

Follow me on Twitter at @sdpate or on Facebook at NJN Network, OyeTimes and IMA News Buzz. From Microsoft via Coolsmartphone and Neowin.

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network