[benjimen]

I've been using WM since it first came out as WindowsCE on HP monochrome-screen clamshell devices. I thought it was great then. Part of the trouble now is that WM phones are built on that same OS, which was not initially intended for wireless communications. It's certainly been updated, but at it's core is that same WindowsCE that started it all.

Since the iPhone came out, I've started to get bored -- but stuck it out, thinking something great would come. It still might, but it won't be WM 6.5 -- which means maybe 7 will be the one, but more realistically, 7 won't be completely usable until 7.2 or so -- we're looking at a couple years here. HTC will continue to make great strides at covering up WM and put out some nice devices... but... it'll remain a bit boring.

The first iPhone was of no interest to me; the 2nd 3G one started to get my attention -- I calculated my monthly cost at the AT&T website. Being grandfathered into some fantastic rates with T-Mobile, I couldn't justify the switch. I did take the plunge with the 3GS -- preordered, ported my number over and accepted the possibility that I'd just done something really stupid.

Wow... I had no idea. What a fantastic device. I don't care how much HTC covers up WM, they can't touch this. No locking up; no slowing to a crawl for no apparent reason; no need to research tweaks to try and get the device to behave; no decision on what shell product best makes the device usable -- my iPhone 3GS just works, and elegantly pays attention to little details -- like recalling the volume I last used when the headphones were plugged in -- and returning it to the previous level when I unplug them. All that and I don't dread web browsing with it. WM 7.x will have to be pretty amazing to pry me away from my iPhone.

So yes, I'd have to agree, MS missed the boat with WM by not shifting into high-gear when the iPhone was launched. They've waited far to long and it'll take them forever to catch up -- at least as much as they can at this point.