Microsoft Aims to Come Back fighting

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://news.ft.com/cms/s/e397ff44-5b59-11da-b221-0000779e2340.html' target='_blank'>http://news.ft.com/cms/s/e397ff44-5b59-11da-b221-0000779e2340.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In 2002, Microsoft set out to conquer the smartphone. But three years on, Symbian software is still the operating system of choice for business smartphones. Canalys, the market researcher, estimates that 77 per cent of smartphones sold in the third quarter were Symbian-powered; Microsoft’s share was a distant 18 per cent. But now Microsoft is giving it another go. In May, the company announced Windows Mobile 5.0, aimed at clawing market share away from Symbian."</i><br /><br />I think they will achieve this by virtue of the fact that Windows Mobile will integrate well in the enterprise environment. In addition since most people in the office are sitting in front of a Windows based PC they would probably feel more comfortable using a phone, or other mobile device, with the same interface and tools.

[PPCMD]

I do understand that the Symbian OS or SOS is installed in moore phones, but are ALL Symbian phones really smartphones. By virture of having a calender, camera and SMS/MMS features doe that make a smartphone? I say NO.

A smartphone is more than a calender and with that they should for factual purposes split the N60 phones that are real SM devices from those that simply have N60 but no SM functions as the world knows it today.

One question, what Symbian (oh should we say Nokia) phones have the same or better feature sets of the Treo or WMSP/WMPC?

[Leviathan2040]

I do understand that the Symbian OS or SOS is installed in moore phones, but are ALL Symbian phones really smartphones. By virture of having a calender, camera and SMS/MMS features doe that make a smartphone? I say NO.


Uhm.. this show you don't know much about Symbian. Not every Nokia phone has Symbian inside, but all the the ones that do are INDEED smartphones. On the other way, just having attached some buggy communication voice services to Window Mobile (as they call it now) do not make them phones at all and certainly not smart on their primary function.


A smartphone is more than a calender and with that they should for factual purposes split the N60 phones that are real SM devices from those that simply have N60 but no SM functions as the world knows it today.

One question, what Symbian (oh should we say Nokia) phones have the same or better feature sets of the Treo or WMSP/WMPC?

Series60, but also Series70, Series90 and UIQ (all based on Symbian core but with different UI layers) offer more than just a calendar and over hyped features that don't work like in WM. And yes, as the market prove it, they are better than the Treo and the other ones you mention (I don't write the rest of the acronyms as they may get changed tomorrow).

If the product wasn't that good, people would have dumped it for another one, you seem to forget that when you enter in a shop to buy a phone it is not the same situation you face when you buy a computer: you actually have a wide array of choices and people choice at the moment is Symbian.

Cheers,
Lev

[MRNUTTY]

I think they will achieve this by virtue of the fact that Windows Mobile will integrate well in the enterprise environment. In addition since most people in the office are sitting in front of a Windows based PC they would probably feel more comfortable using a phone, or other mobile device, with the same interface and tools.

yeah, I've had a couple of MS smartphones, and used them to death; compare to the blackberry, and linux c3000 which are unusable lumps of dirt in the bottom of my drawer (i wish, i keep them on my desk to remind me of the waste of money they were).

[Mark Larson]

I would think that the main reason Series 60 has made such inroads is because of the big names behind it - Nokia and Sony Ericsson. So many people just buy whatever Nokia looks good when they want a new phone, its amazing how much brand loyalty Nokia has. When most of the expensive Nokia phones are Series 60, it stands to follow that they sell a lot of those, even though most wouldn't be used as a smartphone, unlike Windows Mobile phones where people mostly know what they're getting and get it because its a Smartphone.

[Leviathan2040]

I would think that the main reason Series 60 has made such inroads is because of the big names behind it - Nokia and Sony Ericsson. So many people just buy whatever Nokia looks good when they want a new phone, its amazing how much brand loyalty Nokia has. When most of the expensive Nokia phones are Series 60, it stands to follow that they sell a lot of those, even though most wouldn't be used as a smartphone, unlike Windows Mobile phones where people mostly know what they're getting and get it because its a Smartphone.


I think you make the mistake of confusing computer users with smartphone users. When I use a smartphone I don't want necessarily havening something that looks and behave like (reset and crashes included) the desktop computer. There is not a single function that a WM based smartphone has more than Series60 one. In my opinion Microsoft should have avoided to be that much in the face of phone users, it would be like if the publisher of a book is more prominent on the cover compared to the author's name. People buying a Series60 Phone barely know it has Symbian, Series60 or whatever, but they know the're buying a Nokia, Sony Ericsson or Motorola and that's what count.


Cheers,
Lev