|
Microsoft seems absolutely unable to wrap their minds around the fact that until they bring a navigation interface to the party that even begins to rival the iPod ClickWheel, they are completely wasting their time.
I've used WMP on my PPC, and I've used a Rio Carbon (a "Plays for Sure" Janus DRM device) and ultimately switched to my current iPod Nano. The "one-handed" navigation on the iPod is OVERWHELIMINGLY superior to the two-handed "tap with your stylus like an spastic woodpecker" on the PPC, or the crummy "click and hold for auto-repeat" list navigation on the Janus players.
If PPC enthusiasts like me, who have complete familiarity with the PPC, actually find it is better to buy a Nano to carry everywhere IN ADDITION TO their PPC, that only screams how awful the WM interface is on the PPC.
How Microsoft can delude itself into thinking that if they introduce some new hardware than that will be sucessful escapes me. Their interface is horrible, it's horrible on the PPC, it's horrible on the SmartPhone series, its horrible on their third-party Janus devices.
They ought to introduce a "IntelliWheel" navigation interface TODAY that does the same thing the ClickWheel does and just go to court over this and be done with it. Apple (no matter what Steve Jobs wants to believe) did NOT INVENT THE WHEEL and "scrolling/circular navigation" has been around since long before the iPod. Apple's done a masterful job of cowing everyone into "steering clear" of implementing the one and only obvious navigation method. It makes sense that little OEM's would be afraid to take Apple on, but Microsoft ought to put them in their place.
Apple is like Henry Ford bringing out the Model T and claiming that all other car companies should now be legally barred from using wheels in their designs! So Ford sells Model T's very sucessfully and General Motors (Microsoft) sits around trying to figure out how to convince people that their car with square wheels is just as good! When that doesn't sell, they try another car with tank treads instead of wheels. Then they try discounting the square-wheeled car. Then they try licensing their square-wheel car design to third parties. When will they wake up and realize a car HAS to have WHEELS to be practical?!? Even more, why can't they grasp that even though the Ford Model T did beat them to the market, and it does indeed use "wheels" in the first commercial automobile, it is by no means the "first use" of the concept and Ford can't keep other companies from using the wheel in their cars?
|