Are you compromising to stay with Windows Mobile?

[Phillip Dyson]

I saw the Diamond on the BestBuyMobile.com for pre-order for $700.00
At first I was excited but then it got me thinking...

My girlfriend decided that she wanted the 3G iPhone 16GB version and I agreed to get it for an early birthday present.

Now I'm thinking...
iPhone 3G with 16GB (Subsidized) -- $299
HTC Touch Diamond -- $700.00

The Diamond only has 4GB of storage and no end to end music experience to speak of. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing the Diamond. Really just thinking out loud.

I'm not saying that this is me, but I'm wondering does anyone feel like they're compromising to stay with Windows Mobile? Or is it still considered a superior experience. Note, I didn't say a superior platform.

[me]

I'm not saying that this is me, but I'm wondering does anyone feel like they're compromising to stay with Windows Mobile? Or is it still considered a superior experience. Note, I didn't say a superior platform.

I would not consider WM to be either a superior platform or a superior experience. I think it is a severely flawed OS, and if Microsoft wants to be able to compete with the new mobile Apple OS, and the new mobile Google OS, not to mention Symbian and Palm, they had better put some serious effort and research into improving WM, soon!

That said, my next phone, to be purchased in the next few months, will most likely be a Windows Mobile phone again, as have been my last two phones. Why? 1) I'm used to it. 2) More important--I already have a lot of apps for it. 3) Not many apps available for Android and Iphone, since they are so new.

I'm not the kind of early adopter to buy the very first Google Android phone, although I am on the right carrier for it, T-Mobile. It sounds like an OS with a lot of promise. But the very first edition of it, on the very first hardware made for it, is bound to be pretty buggy, with virtually no third-party apps available for it at the beginning. So, I won't be buying one right now. But the OS could really evolve into a serious competitor with WM, and will probably surpass it, if WM does not improve!

The Iphone seems to have a lot of good, innovative qualities. Yet, also too new for me, not many 3rd party apps yet, and I'm not on ATT.

So, for my next phone, it will be WM again.

However, the next phone after that,a couple years later, might well be one of the other OSs. WM, after being out for years, is still very slow, clunky, many things don't work right, etc.

Take for example, ActiveStync. (typo intentional). A good reliable sync app is important for a mobile device. ActiveStync often does not work. It really sucks! Why hasn't it been updated in years, when there are so many problems with it?

So really, Microsoft should really get its act together, and try to improve WM very seriously (not just minor changes) soon, or I predict there may be no more WM in a few years, that it might be thoroughly overtaken by Google and Apple. If Microsoft wants to stay in the mobile OS business, I would suggest that they really devote a lot of resources for some major upgrades to WM, soon!

[Phillip Dyson]

Thanks me for your reply...

Those are all good points. I guess I was looking at it from another perspective. There are plenty of MS is blowing it threads. And they are all making some good points.

I guess I talking about handsets though.
For example:

The 3G iPhone 16 GB is (subsidized) 299.00. i dont know what it would be without a contract, but lets say its $700.00 for the sake of argument.

iPhone -- 16GB
HTC Diamond -- 4GB

iPhone -- regular updates
HTC Diamon -- not likely

iPhone -- 2MP camera
HTC Diamond 3.2 MP camera

iPhone -- one place to go for apps
HTC Diamond -- multiple places for apps

iPhone -- Tri-band 3G
HTC -- single band? dual band?

My original question was about whether people felt that they had to get a "lesser" phone in order to stick with with their preference, Windows Mobile.

[Reid Kistler]

My original question was about whether people felt that they had to get a "lesser" phone in order to stick with with their preference, Windows Mobile.

Well - NO: simply because have not yet found a Compelling Reason to buy a device that merged PDA with Phone functions.... (or vice-versa).

Expect that will happen sooner-or-later, if only because the options get narrower all the time, but see no reason to compromise both functions yet..... :D

[applejosh]

Are you wanting to compare the "experience" of an iPhone to the Diamond in particular or just Windows Mobile in general?

I am tempted by the iPhone. It does seem pretty neat, and there are a few sites out there that allow (ahem) <AHEM>customizing it to make it a truly beautiful device.

But, you are locked in to whatever Apple decides to do, and there have been a few comments on various sites suggesting that this is not always in your best interest. One thing I look at is that officially, you have to buy apps from their app store (which I understand charges the developer $100 at least to just get the app up there, so there goes many freeware options). Sure you can jailbreak it, but if you run into problems with the phone (and I've read a slew of problems with the reception, stability, etc.), they will use the jailbreaking as a reason not to do anything under warranty. (In fact, I read one post where AT&T/Apple accused the guy of jailbreaking the phone and it was that that caused it to crap out on him and not the OS itself. He claims not to have jailbreaked the phone at all, but even if he had, supposedly he just would have to reload the OS to get it back to normal, so that's a moot point as far as I'm concerned.)

As far as the iPhone being updated all the time, I think (at least so far with the 3G / iPhone 2.0 software) it's been mainly to fix the darn thing. There's all sorts of reports of issues with the phone.

I'm not trying to dig at the iPhone. I think it's a beautiful piece of technology, but I don't know if I want to sacrifice stability and freedom to install what I want to install without "breaking the rules" just to have a beautiful piece of technology. While my personal cell is currently a Blackberry, I'll more than likely make my next phone a WinMob device because of all the apps I already have as well as the familiarity I have with the OS. The iPhone is tempting, but with the rash of problems reported, plus being at the mercy of Apple's whims, I don't think I'm willing to go down that road.

(Also, I know some people who have the iPhone (original), and while they raved about it for the first few months after they got it, now it's just a phone that they have problems with. The luster wore off rather quickly, and supposedly the original version was somewhat more stable out of the gates than the 3G was. But I don't know that for certain. None of these friends are techie people, and I wasn't interested in the original iPhone in the least.)

[Sven Johannsen]

Not sure I understand the 'compromise'. I continue to use WM because it meets my needs, and that is who I am buying for. In 'competing' technology, there will always be compromise. If one device has everything everyone wants, at a price anyone can afford, what's the point of competing with it. Not saying either in this case is that device, just that 'to each his own'.

The 3G iPhone 16 GB is (subsidized) 299.00. i dont know what it would be without a contract, but lets say its $700.00 for the sake of argument.
Lets for the sake of argument say the Diamond was $299 with contract. Neither is reality, so assuming it is sort of irrelevent. What is true is that you get a subsidized price with a contract and a single carrier choice, or a full price item with flexibility in carrier and plan. Draw

iPhone -- 16GB
HTC Diamond -- 4GB
On the surface would seem to be a point to iPhone. Doesn't much matter to me. I have a different device to do media, as I can't afford my phone to run out of power because I have been using it to entertain myself. That would be true whether it was an iPhone or a WM phone. IMHO, 4G is plenty for a phone, not withstanding my Tilt has an 8G card in it. So point to iPhone for argument.

iPhone -- regular updates
HTC Diamon -- not likely
Not sure that is a given. HTC has been reasonable about providing updates for their own devices, and even a number of carrier branded items have received 5-6 or 6 to 6.1 updates. Maybe iPhone has received patches, but I didn't see to many being 'upgraded' from classic to 3G. IMHO this is another Draw.

iPhone -- 2MP camera
HTC Diamond 3.2 MP camera
On the surface, point to HTC. On the other hand, I have a camera to take pictures. If I want decent shots, I use that. For argument, more is better, point to HTC.

iPhone -- one place to go for apps
HTC Diamond -- multiple places for apps
So, which is better? Simple monopoly, or freedom with a little effort involved. This one is really a function of the individual. Be interesting to see what percentage of users on either platform do any more than use what it came with. IMHO another Draw. No, wait, using the unqualified more is better, WM wins.

iPhone -- Tri-band 3G
HTC -- single band? dual band?
HTC has models for the various areas in which it is sold. There certainly seems to be a NA HSPDA version. ( Best Buy's unlocked HTC Touch Diamond is confirmed 3G - Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2008/09/09/best-buys-unlocked-htc-diamond-is-confirmed-3g/)) so speed isn't much of an issue, and potentially the Touch has the upper hand here. Point to HTC

My original question was about whether people felt that they had to get a "lesser" phone in order to stick with with their preference, Windows Mobile.

So, even with the points you raised, I don't see how the WM device is arguably a lesser phone. Certainly it is very dependent on the user, if not clearly superior. Just my opinion though, and I would feel pretty much the same if you compared my Tilt. Better fit for me.

[Phillip Dyson]

Thanks for the reply Sven,
Its exactly the type of response I was looking for. Its actually the Best Buy mobile Diamond that even prompted this question in the first place.

Assuming that I'm willing to put my Windows Mobile bias aside, how do the two phones really compare.

Actually you brought up some good points on both sides. I may pick up the Diamond when it can play with it at Best Buy.

But then there's the HD....

{sigh}

[Sven Johannsen]

Assuming that I'm willing to put my Windows Mobile bias aside, how do the two phones really compare.
Thing is, that is really a function of what you want to compare, and what the answer means to you. There are lots of features on each phone that can be Pro's or Con's depending on the individual doing the eval. I really can't say much about the iPhone, not being a user, so my comments are based purely on features advertised. I have fondled one or two, and am impressed by the size and responsiveness. The essentially closed architecture (at the time) had a great deal to do with their ability to produce such a device though. What kept me away, among other things, price, contract, data rate. Note that some of that has been resolved, but I see that as a concession by Apple that there are aspects of WM that they need to adopt, just as there are Apple innovatons (features?) that are showing up in WM devices. I expect Apple to tightly control the apps allowed on their platform. If they don't they will likely suffer performance and stability issues, ala WM. Any bozo, me included, can write an app and load it on their WM device, and post it on the web for everyone to 'enjoy'. (in the beginning a full VB/VC app environment could be had for a download, or a $5 CD mailing fee)

Good luck with your quest. Don't get too caught up in waiting for the next great thing though, as you will wind up waiting forever...there is always something better about to come out.