Learn How To Use Windows Phone 8.1

New Microsoft Nokia emulator steps through almost every function of a Windows 8.1 phone

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.

Clicking on a sub-menu item starts the demonstration 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.

Projecting a Windows Phone 8.1 screen to a TV screen

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.

What would you like to do? – orange tile pinned to Windows Phone start screen

I pinned What would you like to do? to my phone’s Start Screen to create a quick tutorial.

I find you often need a quick answer on how to do something.

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For the best selection and price get Nokia Lumia Widows Phones at Amazon.com. From Microsoft via Coolsmartphone and Neowin.