Bendy, same here. I spent tons of money on Windows Mobile devices over the years, then realized that I was having the same fundamental problems on WM 6.1 that I did on 2002. I had no hopes for 6.5 or 7. I'm sure there will be some cosmetic improvements, but I doubt any of the underlying issues will be addressed. I'm also tired of being held hostage to the OEMs for updates.
The iPhone isn't perfect, but at least I don't have to reboot it 5 or more times a day, and it gets frequent updates.
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Current devices: iPhone 3G. Previous devices: Samsung Epix and 1st gen 32GB iPod Touch BlackJack II, iPaq 6945, iPaq hx4705, Dell Axim x30 high, iPaq 3765.
[QUOTE=Twain;709228]I pretty much agree with the posters. Microsoft has completely abdicated their role in developing a fresh user interface that keeps up with the times. HTC, being an enterprising (and hungry) mobile phone vendor, decided to offer innovation in areas that Microsoft either would or could not. At least HTC appears to be considering what consumers want.
I would agree that Microsoft dropped the ball on WM, but would otherwise disagree when Paschott says,
Until Windows Mobile 7 comes out, I will reserve judgement on whether or not they are "frantically" doing anything. There has been much heat on WM7 but so far, no light -- Zune HD previews notwithstanding.
QUOTE]
I became exasperated with MS when they seemed never to come up with a fix for MS Reader. I think of all the money I spent for ebooks and since WM 5 have been able to read them.
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"It's alright to pick your friends, but not to pieces."
I feel like I've been with Microsoft almost from the very beginning when I first purchased my Casio EM-500 with the PPC 2002 OS. Back then the features / capabilities outweighed the simplicity and ease-of-use of prior Palm devices. Really... looking back, it seems MS did enough to beat Palm and then sat still... doing little-to-nothing in advancing the platform.
I still vaguely recall you (and possibly Janak) going to some sort of user feedback sessions as MVPs asking for the (seemingly) most basic of changes (e.g. having the X button actually close an application) and being turned away without any legitimate rationale.
Apathy for the WM platform continues to grow, as I find myself more and more interested in what Palm is doing with the WebOS or how Google will continue to form Android than what MS is doing with WM. Just my 2 cents.
Last edited by Ekkie Tepsupornchai; 06-25-2009 at 10:57 PM..
I dont think HTC are undermining WinMo at all - if anything they are trying to maintain user interest in an OS that is out of date, suffering from too little too late, and faced by tough market competition in a recession. If it wasnt for HTC's bolt on's WinMo looks tired and unfriendly with features that have changed little in the 9 years since it came out! MS should be grateful that HTC are still so heavily into the platform - but in the face of tough competition, they have to compete and if MS aren't exactly showing their enthusiasm to innovate at a reasonable speed, no one should be knocking HTC for stepping up to the plate.
To each his own as it were, but I can't see jumping ship yet. WM offers expansion capabilities limited by the media (not by the phone). I've got all kinds of data sitting on my 16GB microSD that I can view, edit, and otherwise manipulate right on my SmartPhone. WM has supported keyboards since before it was WM. WM is the underlying reason why something like the Celio RedFly (http://www.celiocorp.com/) is even possible. Even the flaws of WM (eg: IE's and PocketWord's lack of features) are overcome with 3rd party software.s
Could it be better? You bet. I still think the advantages outweigh the lacks.
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Maybe it will be a blessing in disguise. If every manufacturer dumps WM maybe then MS will produce their own phone and judging from the Zune HD hardware they could make a pretty good device.
I don't see this as a reality.. Toshiba are coming out with a phone sporting a 1ghz processor and 4.1" screen (TG01).. Samsung has 4 new omnias coming out, Sony is releasing a second xperia (WM) phone with rumurs of an expanded range, Acer is releasing new high end WM phones.. I thought WM was dying too 6-12 months ago, but really it seems to be picking up quality vendors not losing them..
As for an OS being plumbing thats the strength IMO (and is what traditionally an OS should be), I don't use an iphone as I don't want to be TOLD how to interact with my phone.. I want to customise the hell out of it and have the OS provide the backbone (as an OS should) not determine what I am allowed to do in an overhanded way...
On a lighter note it is interesting to me that the article is about HTC undermining the UI of windows mobile with all their addons and the example for android is the HTC Hero where HTC have undermined google by replacing the UI with their own... ;-)
jeisner: My point exactly, but more succinctly put than I.
This has always been the difference between Microsoft and Apple: Apple is a hardware company that makes (some pretty good) software in order to sell the hardware. Microsoft is a software company that occasionally dabbles in hardware but generally remains focused on providing the software that makes other folks hardware work.
Apple succeeds by narrowly focusing the hardware and software. It's great when it does what you want and annoying and frustrating when it doesn't. Microsoft succeeds best when it keeps things open and flexible, allowing others to innovate on their foundation.
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HTC HD2 US (unlocked) + 16GB micro SDHC (in holding)
HTC Evo + 16GB micro SDHC (in use)
MS moment of thruth is coming and is called WM7; it will have to be:
an OS really as good and innovative as described by the elected ones who were able to see it.
be here no later than third quarter 2010, I mean phones running WM7 available on the market
Be an OS that allow owners to update it; the time users are at the mercy of hardware manufacturers or, even worse offenders here in the US, Carriers is over.
If this will not happen WM will fade away, not in a day of course but the Darwinian law of evolution prove that you cannot seat and stay, you need to continuously evolve in order to survive.
Apple succeeds by narrowly focusing the hardware and software. It's great when it does what you want and annoying and frustrating when it doesn't. Microsoft succeeds best when it keeps things open and flexible, allowing others to innovate on their foundation.
Sure, except I have two counterarguments:
1. Apple is not the only competitor in the playing field. You have three other major competitors: webOS, Android, and Blackberry. I don't know about webOS's flexibility yet, but both Android and Blackberry are very flexible platforms. All three are moving much faster than WM, and MS will only have some time before they catch up to WM's core strengths.
2. What's the % of the market that wants the specialized applications that only WM offers? For a long time, WM at least had a share of the enterprise market with its Exchange integration advantages, but that's evaporating; BES is still well-established, plus Apple is making huge leaps in its enterprise support with each additional release of the iPhone OS. Palm seems to be putting development efforts into this as well.
The risk is that WM will become a niche platform, and that won't be enough to sustain its development. I hope this is not the case, but Microsoft has to prove that they are capable of more than just iterative evolution, like they've been doing for years.
I dont think HTC are undermining WinMo at all - if anything they are trying to maintain user interest in an OS that is out of date, suffering from too little too late, and faced by tough market competition in a recession. If it wasnt for HTC's bolt on's WinMo looks tired and unfriendly with features that have changed little in the 9 years since it came out! MS should be grateful that HTC are still so heavily into the platform - but in the face of tough competition, they have to compete and if MS aren't exactly showing their enthusiasm to innovate at a reasonable speed, no one should be knocking HTC for stepping up to the plate.
I agree whole heartedly! I've been with MS since the early days too. I'm one of those people who jumped from Palm Pilot to Pocket PC. I bought an HTC Touch but after the graphics driver debacle declared that I'd never have another WinMo/HTC device.
I got a Touch Diamond as a gift and I really like it. But only, of course, after I put my own version of WinMo 6.5 ROM on it (thanks to www.ppcgeeks.com) and tricked it out with apps from xda-developers.net. Now I'm debating whether to spend my hard earned money on a Palm Pre or keep this little Diamond and put Android on it.
Either way I won't be buying another HTC/Windows Mobile device.
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