Using a Windows computer with the iPhone

[James Falconer]

Hey all - as many of you know, I have a lot of different gadgets around my office. I have an iPhone (of course), but also have many other phones, tablets, and computers.

My question here is simple. I've never really tried to work much with a PC (I have a Dell XPS laptop) and iPhone as my main go-to. My iMac and MacBook Pro both work seamlessly with my iPhone... but am wondering if anyone out there uses a PC as the daily driver... and if so what tips/tricks they have to get the most out of it and the iPhone on a daily basis?

 

[anon(10210323)]

I use a Windows 10 PC along with my iPhone SE, and they work together beautifully. The iCloud website, which I access through Chrome, the iTunes Windows app, and the iCloud Windows app are very efficient and easy. "Find my iPhone", "Notes", and many other Apple features are easily accessed through the iCloud website. I have around 3500 pictures on my iPhone (with more to come lol), and the sync between the phone and the PC (using iTunes) has been a breeze. I have a similar experience using iTunes organizing music on the device, too. The two devices work together so well that it is difficult to see how it could be better with a Mac.

The Windows iTunes app also helps to manage the phone, It checks for software updates for my SE and also does device backups to the computer.

As a new iPhone user, the ability of the device to work so well with the Windows PC is very nice and has made the transition from Android very, very easy. :yes:

 

[Lee_Bo]

I use a Windows 10 PC along with my iPhone SE, and they work together beautifully. The iCloud website, which I access through Chrome, the iTunes Windows app, and the iCloud Windows app are very efficient and easy. "Find my iPhone", "Notes", and many other Apple features are easily accessed through the iCloud website. I have around 3500 pictures on my iPhone (with more to come lol), and the sync between the phone and the PC (using iTunes) has been a breeze. I have a similar experience using iTunes organizing music on the device, too. The two devices work together so well that it is difficult to see how it could be better with a Mac.

The Windows iTunes app also helps to manage the phone, It checks for software updates for my SE and also does device backups to the computer.

As a new iPhone user, the ability of the device to work so well with the Windows PC is very nice and has made the transition from Android very, very easy. :yes:

Pretty much my same feelings. All I use are Dell Precision laptops (for work) and everything said above I agree with 100%.

 

[kataran]

I use an old HP laptop which came with Window Vista. As of late iTunes updates don't support Vista so I had to upgrade to windows 7 which was a chore on an old PC but I got it done and now I'm able to use iTunes with my SE which wasn't supported with the older version of iTunes.

Although I love Apple I just can't get myself to buy a Mac partly because I'm such a wiz with windows and like to keep myself fresh with that platform

 

[anon(10210323)]

. . . . Although I love Apple I just can't get myself to buy a Mac partly because I'm such a wiz with windows and like to keep myself fresh with that platform

With the seamlessness of Apple/Google/Windows systems/apps and how they work together, you won't need to anyway. A lot of Google apps work better on iOS than they do on Android lol -- and my Windows PC provides effortless integration with my SE.

 

[Annie_M]

I currently use a HP Elite Desktop with Windows 10, and other than issues with syncing playlists, I have no issues. As for syncing the playlists that may be an PEBCAC issue...

 

[Dealz417]

I have a windows 7 laptop and I have sync issues with iCloud Drive, videos and documents don't sync. Photos sync just fine though with the download/upload folder in iCloud Photos.

 

[iN8ter]

iCloud was nice on Windows until they introduced Photo Library. The photo stuff has always been pretty bad, anyways, and while I like how they integrated sharing into Explorer the way it’s handled on a file level is quite clunky/messy.

I don’t even bother anymore. I just bit the bullet and bought an iMac instead.

 

[iN8ter]

With the seamlessness of Apple/Google/Windows systems/apps and how they work together, you won't need to anyway. A lot of Google apps work better on iOS than they do on Android lol -- and my Windows PC provides effortless integration with my SE.

A lot is stretching it, and that’s certainly not true when you factor in those apps’ integration with the base system backend (Play Services, etc.).

This was more true in the past than it is now. It’s also more true of Microsoft Apps than Google Apps. Google does tend to beta new features on iOS, though, as opposed to their own platform (general impression to users is that the platform “gets the features first”). This makes sense when you factor in how many more users are on Android. When releasing a new app like Inbox, the platform has a built in load limit when compared to Android or Windows Desktop, since the user bases are much smaller and not every iOS user is a Google user. Microsoft does this often on iOS as well.

And there is no integration with Windows and iOS beyond simply synchrony your phone to iTunes...

Unless your definition of integration is hilariously broad.

 

[kojackjku]

In 2019 I would like to revisit this thread. I use iphone, ipad and windows 10 computers. I may be switching out my ipad for a new surface go for my needs. But, I will probably always use my iphone as my phone. I use all microsoft apps on my iphone. I use edge, outlook, onedrive, onenote etc. I also use Dell mobile connect which gives me imessage capability from my computer. The reason I use windows computers is they are far more advanced than apple. I have a full touchscreen 2 in 1 and touchscreen monitor on my desk I use constantly for editing photos, video creating for my businesses and travel blog. Until apple decides to move to the future with touchscreen laptops, and imacs etc...I will not be interested in using them.

 

[imwjl]

In 2019 I would like to revisit this thread. I use iphone, ipad and windows 10 computers. I may be switching out my ipad for a new surface go for my needs. But, I will probably always use my iphone as my phone. I use all microsoft apps on my iphone. I use edge, outlook, onedrive, onenote etc. I also use Dell mobile connect which gives me imessage capability from my computer. The reason I use windows computers is they are far more advanced than apple. I have a full touchscreen 2 in 1 and touchscreen monitor on my desk I use constantly for editing photos, video creating for my businesses and travel blog. Until apple decides to move to the future with touchscreen laptops, and imacs etc...I will not be interested in using them.

I never miss a touch screen the way I miss the continuity and handoff features when I don't use one of my Macs.

I use Windows in a lot of ways because I'm an enterprise IT director. My Macs have VMware VMs, and I use a Surface Pro 6 as my model and test system for work. I keep iCloud web open to have notes and Office 365 apps but miss the way Drafts works between Apple mobile and desktop.