How Microsoft blew it with Windows Mobile

[Scoob]

Originally Posted by 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?

I agree with that. I am on the custom ROMs with Sense and have stopped using the WM Today screen since I moved from a Mogul to the Touch Pro.

I don't even know how to navigate WM 6.5 Today screen. I am by no means a noob with this but just don't see the need to learn WM's Today screen when Sense/Manila does it all.

I just want WM7 to be stable and fast so the UI's placed on top of it dont crash!

[racemepls]

WM7 has something in it's favor when it drops. I can't tell you how many times I read the bloggers when reviewing phones say things like "I have a special place for WM, it was my first PDA but...". Most of the people that will be doing these reviews will be giving the OS very good publicity if it's done right. Sites like phonescoop, phoneareana, Cnet, will do some of MS advertising for them. I do believe they'll get it right and also think that from now on the days of qvga and vga devices are gone. We'll basically be seeing WVGA devices with a capactive touch screen, with very strict minimal system requirements. The developers no longer have to deal with the 20 different phone types and with a Marketplace already in place, WM is positioned for a great comeback.

[MrObvious]

Android is almost perfect except it needs a GUI. If it came standard with SenseUI it wouldn't be bad.

[3DPiper]

I think Microsoft did blow it.

Apple and the iphone juggarnaut are unstoppable. It is easy to use, keeps itself updated automatically, has the famed app store built in, has a HUGE accessory base, it pretty much does everything automatically, and it is much cheaper than most WinMo phones (five or six hundred dollars for a phone?). Not to mention you can't throw a dead cat and not hit a d*mn itunes gift card hanging by every checkout register.

Though I see it all as a closed-system that lacks freedom for the user, you can't deny it has obviously taken over the mobile market (which is more amazing when you realise it is only on one carrier).

I work in film, and on the last film set we would snap various pics of behind-the-scenes stuff. There were roughly 30 phones taking pics, and mine was the only non-iphone (a Fuze). One guy had the 'photoshop' app, snapped a pic and filtered it a little, showed it to someone else, and within minutes everyone had the same photoshop app and were all filtering their pics. Although I see that as "what happened to "think different" when everyone basically has the same phone/apps?" you have to admit that for those who don't know how to tweak their phone, apple has made it super easy for anyone to use. Thus the popularity.

My kids have 8G Zunes. Seen any zune accessories lately? Heck no.. In fact, have you seen any Zunes at all (other than ZuneHD)? The MP3 player market is dominated by everything apple. The new ZuneHD is awesome, but it's more expensive than the iTouch. For someone who has no clue and is just looking through the display case at an itouch and zunehd, why in the world would they ever choose a zune? The apple products are colorful, fun, easy to use, have cameras, etc.. Plus, when the display case right next to it has a ton of accessories and docks that are not for the zune, the choice is simple.

I think the rise in apple's popularity may come from people who buy iphones/itouch/ipods, like how simple they are, and decide to get a mac when they need to upgrade their computer.. I was talking with a guy who I thought was fairly tech-savvy, and he talking about how technologically advanced the iphone was.. I was going to point out a few things to support his ideas when he said 'like a touch screen. Before the iphone, there weren't any touch screen phones or devices out there." He then went on to tell me how excited he was about the new apple tablet computer.. These type of people saturate the majority. They watch apple's clever advertising and assume it is the only option available that is innovative.

But, technology leapfrogs itself.. Apple just seems to have done a very long leap, making the other developers take several jumps just to catch up..

I work on both Windows and Mac, but own only Windows computers myself.

I have high hopes for WinMo7, but unfortunately know that the phones capable of running it will probably be to expensive for me..

-Matthew

[smiznith]

so whats the problem again?

[WhiteBlazer01]

Interesting article, and unfortunately, it's fairly true. I love WM (have for the last 4+ years), and would never switch to the iPhone, simply because I really feel our PPC's are so much more capable. However, it does bug me (and I think this is an important point made in that article), when you see company's advertise apps for the iPhone.

I go into Chipotle, and they have an iPhone ordering app (no love for WM). Sppedtest.net - app for iPhone (no love for WM). They made a good point saying an iPhone app works across the board, whereas creating an app for WM, there are far too many variants. Touch screen version, non touch screen version, qvga, vga, wvga, qwvga... ever try to play rat splat on a Treo? the bottom gets cut off. Ever try to play VGA on the TP2? you get black bars.

As "simple" as the iPhone is, that's it's main feature. It's simple and just works. Mainstream doesn't do complicated. No cab files to deal with, regedits, WVGA fixes, app porting... But I guess that's also why we love our phones, because it is more capable, more functional. We can handle "complicated". I just wish it was more convenient for developers to make apps for our phones.

My $0.02

[Noir]

I don't necessarily think ms blew it in the OS department
I think they blew it in the marketing dept
the droid phone is the worse POS I have ever used and yet it is a popular phone why? Because of marketing.
microsoft needs to market the phone plain and simple

[x10guy]

Originally Posted by Noir

I don't necessarily think ms blew it in the OS department
I think they blew it in the marketing dept
the droid phone is the worse POS I have ever used and yet it is a popular phone why? Because of marketing.
microsoft needs to market the phone plain and simple

Yeah, that could be true too. I still contend that the OS really has not changed much in the last 9 years. (remember TouchFlo3D is not from Microsoft)
Whether it is marketing or the OS, I still think MS dropped the ball somewhere along the line.

But I guess on the bright side, they are still Microsoft so they do have the muscle and $$ to get back some market share. But Winmo 7 needs to be a winner and it needs to be marketed well.

[thejacer]

Originally Posted by Noir

I don't necessarily think ms blew it in the OS department
I think they blew it in the marketing dept
the droid phone is the worse POS I have ever used and yet it is a popular phone why? Because of marketing.
microsoft needs to market the phone plain and simple

I agree. They need to stop being polite and come out swinging when winmo7 comes out. its a little ridiculous that you dont hear a MS commercial say "This is why im better than APPLE."

[x10guy]

Originally Posted by thejacer

I agree. They need to stop being polite and come out swinging when winmo7 comes out. its a little ridiculous that you dont hear a MS commercial say "This is why im better than APPLE."

You have to give Verizon/Motorola credit.... that's exactly what they did with the Droid. Now of course it remains to be seen if they even make a dent in the iphone armor but it certainly gained alot of attention and publicity.

Ironically, the real loser in the Droid vs. iphone commercials is ATT not Apple. ATT suing Verizon has got to be the biggest bonehead moves in recent memory.