[Russ Smith]

A few more thoughts:
I've always thought the Microsoft had the right attitude toward their OS by building a strong, multi-tasking base, a decent GUI, and enough basic features to get things going. The theory seemed to be that any additional functionality that was required could be done by 3rd parties. If Pocket Word isn't everything you need, there's always TextMaker. If Pocket Outlook isn't enough, there's always Pocket Informant. The basics are there and virtually everything is extensible. Even specialty extensions like the FITALY "keyboard" are possible by design, not by kludge. Inter-application messaging, cut-and-paste are also there, from the beginning, by design.

Along with the basic software, Windows Mobile also had considerable hardware support. Adding keyboards, external storage, and even external displays is pretty simple. I can't blame Microsoft when the OEMs choose not to allow certain of these aspects to be fully used.

In addition, there has always been the PC-based method and CAB file method of installing software. An app store may be neat for getting the software once, but if you want to keep a set of software that you install on each successive handheld, PC-based and CAB files are the way to go. Furthermore, most WM apps are buy once, use forever instead of pay for once a month like on some other devices.

Basically, it comes down to this: For most smartphones, especially the iPhone, you get the features the OEM decides to build into the device. With WM devices you can get a lot more because it's not that hard for 3rd parties to add functionality and they don't even have to get permission.

So why do all those other phones sell? I think it's because a lot of people don't think in terms of leveraging apps they might already have to their next device. They might ask about transferring their contacts, but that's the extent of it. Microsoft might do well by not just highlighting some of the neat features of their OS, but also showing how you might have gotten an application in 2000 for your smartphone and might still be using the same app in the WM device you own today.