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I think it's a great idea. MS partners have been as guilty as Microsoft at holding back the platform. For a while, every device released had a 2.8" QVGA screen 528 Mhz Processor, 128 MB ROM and 64 MB RAM, then we saw a HUGE increase to 256 MB ROM and 128 MB RAM. Only recently have seen an increase beyond that. I would venture to guess that more than 50% of the devices recently released have a 528 Mhz processor. Only in one rare instance have ever seen a device with more than 1 GB of built in storage. Only with the current crop of "announced" (though not really released) devices have we seen larger VGA or better screens. None of this is Microsoft's doing. It's the fault of the OEM/ODM.
In the meantime competitors have been delivering devices with 8 or 16 (and now 32 GB) of built in storage, larger, hi-resolution screens, etc. etc. Windows Mobile could easily have supported a "super phone", with 3.8" VGA screen, 32 GB ROM, MicroSD, GPS, 800 Mhz processor, etc., yet not one of Microsoft's partners felt any desire to produce a device-- and yes because of Microsoft's lack of enhancements, the only way to compete with the new "cool stuff" from Apple and RIM would have been to knock their socks off with superior hardware. Instead we have ended up with countless me-too devices, sad attempts to copy Apple or RIMs designs and a general blah feeling in the market about Windows Mobile.
If I was in charge of the Windows Mobile division, I'd look at all of this, see how poorly my partners have done, and think I could do it better as well. From the sounds of things, that appears to be what is happening, and I don't blame them. HTC in particular has been extremely guilty of milking the market for the next upgrade instead of actually giving users everything they want.
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