How Microsoft blew it with Windows Mobile

[DavidinCT]

Originally Posted by x10guy

I think you guys are misunderstanding my post. I said Winmo is NOT going away. I myself have been a dedicated use since the days it was called Windows CE. So I am actually a bit biased towards it.

But I'm just saying, Microsoft has lost the lead in the handheld market and probably will never get it back. You can hate all the other makers all you want, but that is just reality.

I was too, I started this with a HPC PocketPC 1.0 (NEC MobliePro 400 that I still have and works fine).

Microsoft didn't blow it, PocketPC/Windows Mobile always had it's market, just never really big (that is mostly due to it's marketing, never too much). They have been making the OS for PDAs and phones for many years now. It really appealed to corporate people who wanted something different than a blackberry and gave great Exchange/Office support out of the box. People who own them, tend to love them once they know them if they can live with the minor flaws (battery life is still one of it's major issues on most phones).

The iPhone is a love/hate thing for me. I've used it, it's nice, it's really fast but, it's just a simple app launcher in a fancy package, I was never impressed and I'm not a mac fanboy so, the "mac" thing didn't drag me over. In this case I hate it.

After what the iPod did to the MP3, you didn't have to be a marketing major to know the iPhone would do really well.

The thing I love about the iPhone is what it did for the market, Microsoft needs to step up it's game a lot to keep afloat here and they know it. The iPhone gave features that many of us has dreamed about for years in a very small package (thin) and really opened up on the touch screen feeling, not just by using a stylus and also the fact that it's almost moron proof.

This has opened eyes at Microsoft, WM 6.5 is a start, it's finally moving in the right direction. The specs for a WM 7 phone are better than the iPhone current offerings, so if they get WM 7 right and not just towards the corporate market(but, not blacklisting them) but, to the hip younger croud, they might make it.

Microsoft if your listening....They need to get WM 7 right and spend some big $$$$ on advertising when it's released. Every phone(model) that is approved needs to go through some major tests before before it can be a WM7 phone.

I think if they miss out on WM 7, it's days are numbered. This is one they can't afford to mess up again. We really need WOW with this one....

[Noir]

Originally Posted by x10guy

Who said no one listened?
The news is worse when even the manufacturers start to grumble about WinMo too. HTC is definitely not too thrilled with the WinMo OS and is starting to really lean toward Android handets.

wai wha/
granted htc is having half of its devices as android this year but you forget they pulled out the big rumored snapdragon android based hd in favor of the leo...i'm sorry but i don't see where the speculation is when lin himself has constantly sai that windows mobile and htc are tight (check out the interviews on htcpedia for more information on that)

as far as android is concerned i don't or haven't seen the big deal of android at all. maybe i'm lost but someone has to explain the draw beyond updates (looks at wm 6.5.3 updates every 3 days) or speed (points to said os leaks) and customizability (looks at htc and samsung) so uhm what's the big hullabaloo if anything android can do windows mobile can do?

[x10guy]

Originally Posted by Noir

wai wha/
granted htc is having half of its devices as android this year but you forget they pulled out the big rumored snapdragon android based hd in favor of the leo...i'm sorry but i don't see where the speculation is when lin himself has constantly sai that windows mobile and htc are tight (check out the interviews on htcpedia for more information on that)

as far as android is concerned i don't or haven't seen the big deal of android at all. maybe i'm lost but someone has to explain the draw beyond updates (looks at wm 6.5.3 updates every 3 days) or speed (points to said os leaks) and customizability (looks at htc and samsung) so uhm what's the big hullabaloo if anything android can do windows mobile can do?

Android is definitely not a leader yet. But just look at the number of current and future handsets coming out.

I don't think this is an argument about what Winmo can or can't do compared to others. I mean, there are all strengths and weaknesses of for all handsets. It's about who will lead and drive the market in the future.

[JAVIERBOND007]

Wasnt expecting to see that.

[racedog]

I've been using WM for quite a few years. Over that time it hasn't seemed to change much, a few improvements here and there but nothing major, nothing that provided that "wow" moment. I switched to the iphone a few months ago but that relationship only lasted a short time. A nice phone, but, frankly, really boring and worse, running on a real crap network.

I came back to wm via the Omnia but WM 6, the Omnia and Touchwiz were a marriage from gadget hell and that phone lasted exactly one week. I'm now running an Imagio. Nice phone but hampered by WM although I will say that 6.5 is an improvement (not much of one but an improvement) and I like the phone overall. My big complaints are the ones that come from WM. Sometimes slow and very laggy and having to constantly dump the memory to gain some back and get back to a decent speed.

I'm hoping that MS will get WinMo 7 right. I will hold off until then, but I have to admit that I've begun looking at Android. The problem is that Android is still too much in its infancy and I don't think its even close to being ready for prime time in a business use world. I rely on contacts and calendaring and syncing on my phone so that's a major priority.

By the time WM 7 comes out I think we'll be seeing another iteration of Android and have some better options. At that point, MS needs to have hit a winner or I will have to be seriously looking at other options.

R

[Noir]

http://jkontherun.com/2009/11/23/win...han-you-think/
finally something i agree with pertaiing to android v wm

[x10guy]

Originally Posted by Noir

http://jkontherun.com/2009/11/23/win...han-you-think/
finally something i agree with pertaiing to android v wm

Yup, anything will beat Android at this point. It it still is fairly early. I want to see what Android is like in a year. Until then, I'm still in the Winmo camp. (of course Sprint locks me into Winmo because all other handsets require the Everything plan)

[MrObvious]

I like the customization of WM though and there are some real nice third party apps that make my Diamond run pretty nice.

[thejacer]

really good article and the comments aren't just flamers. thanks Noir.

[vetvito]

Reality Check
Windows Mobile 7 will not be the iphone or Android killer.

Windows Mobile 6.5.x and 7 will just be platforms for Handset makers such as HTC, Samsung, etc...

Haven't you seen the trends with Samsung Today, HTC Sense?