Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Unfortunately as good as Windows Mobile Standard is the same cannot be said for Windows Mobile Professional. The Pocket PC platform was designed for a different time and for new users of the operating system can be incredibly difficult and frustrating to grasp.
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I just don't understand comments like that. I haven't used Windows Mobile Professional, but I use an iPAQ hx2795 WM 5 Pocket PC and a Motorola Q9m WM 6 STandard device every day. I don't see
that much different in terms of usability. In fact, I think if you married the Q9m form factor (with its great keyboard) with WM Professional, you'd have a great device.
You can navigate so much easier with a touchscreen that I don't see how people can compare WM Professional and WM Standard in that regard. Where WM Standard wins is in one-handed usage, but I don't see many real problems with combining the two. (Microsoft just hasn't done it yet.
)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Sure T-Mobile's G1 isn't the most attractive device on the block - in fact it's a hideously ugly device - the beauty of the first Google Android device lies in the software. Google's Android platform is fun and easy to use and most importantly it is incredibly exciting.
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But will that excitement wear off? Remember, Windows Mobile has been around in some PDA form for 10 years now, and the Pocket PC as we more or less know it today since 2001. So, yeah, I'm sure some of the bloom is off the rose.
However, read this
MSNBC article that says, for most consumers, hardware is more important that the OS. That may not be true for smartphones, but will consumers who haven't used a smartphone yet care?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Microsoft had a dream with Windows Mobile. Create a mobile operating system and license the technology to OEMs so they can create awesome exciting new devices. Unfortunately Windows Mobile hasn't changed at all since I started using it on my Motorola MPx220 way back in the day.
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The use of flash memory for storage in WM 5 so you wouldn't lose all of your data when your battery died was an insignificant change? The support of newer screen sizes from the 176x220 original Smartphone didn't matter? Adding Office Mobile to WM 6 didn't matter?
Maybe the user interface hasn't changed much, but that's a different claim. Microsoft does have some work to do there, certainly, if they want to capture the buzz that Apple and Google have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Google on the other hand paid very close attention to Microsoft's dream and tweaked and applied that dream to the current generation of mobile devices and users.
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Google had the benefit of watching Microsoft's (and other companies', including Apple) successes and failures. It's not surprising that they might be able to avoid some of the pitfalls.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Can Microsoft come back and create the software and excitement needed to save it from obscurity? Only time will tell. In the meantime however, I would expect to see Google Android continue to nibble away on Microsoft's market share well into 2009; especially as more and more companies release more Android based devices.
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It's not like new companies aren't releasing WM devices, though. TechFaith, ZTE and Mobinnova have been in the news lately, for example.
However, I also expect Android (and maybe even Nova) to take some WM market share. They're the new kids on the block and really have nowhere to go but up.
Steve