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Originally Posted by ScottC
See, and that is the same attitude Microsoft has.
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It's not the same at all. I was merely debunking your claim that Android is "miles ahead of WinMo at the moment". However, I do believe that Android is a serious competitor to Windows Mobile, regardless of the business model.
Ballmer, if he wasn't just trying to create FUD, sounded like he didn't think Android wasn't a serious competitor. So we don't have the same attitude at all. Had you just said that Android is a serious competitor, we'd be in complete agreement.
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Originally Posted by ScottC
No, it does not have Exchange sync, or desktop syncing. Nor does it have security policies, VPN or a host of other things WinMo offers.
But at the end of the day, the vast majority of consumers doesn't even know what those things are.
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Probably not, but I bet they can understand things like voice dialing over a Bluetooth headset, something Android doesn't seem to allow. That would be a deal breaker for me on most phones as I always drive with a Bluetooth headset.
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Originally Posted by ScottC
They see a phone with a very usable interface, a brilliant browser, an OS that doesn't crash, doesn't involve manually copying cab files through explorer and offers everything they need.
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Personally, I think the Windows Mobile user interface is quite usable. That may just be because I'm so used to it, but I think there's more to it. As it works a lot like Windows itself, Windows users (the majority of computer users) have a reduced learning curve because of that.
I haven't seen the Android browser, but if it's similar to the iPhone's mobile Safari, I'll accept that it's currently better. However, Microsoft is improving IE Mobile, too -- with zooming in WM 6.1 and IE 6 support coming later this year supposedly.
Also, you can certainly get other browsers, like Opera Mobile, Opera Mini or Skyfire. Yes, people may not want to pay for Opera Mobile (if it doesn't come pre-installed on their device), screw around with Java to get Opera Mini working or worry about Skyfire selling their browsing history, but there are other choices.
Finally, who copies CAB files using Exporer unless they want them backed up on their PCs? Most software is either installed by downloading a CAB directly from the developer (or store) or running an installer on your PC that handles the copying and installation for you.
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Originally Posted by ScottC
FWIW; cut and paste is present in many apps, it does not have A2DP (annoyingly enough) but last week when I got a firmware update, I only had to press "update" instead of downloading a 90MB file from HTC, wiping everything off my phone, and reinstalling all my apps like on WinMo (yes, I know there are backup apps that can do rom upgrade backups, but consumers won't spend another $30 on that stuff).
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Yes, the poor experience upgrading your device is one of Windows Mobile's shortfalls. WM 6 added Windows Update, but until somebody actually releases an update that takes advantage of it, who knows how well that works. Unless there's a serious security problem with the OS, though, I'm not sure the ability to easily update is that important to a buyer. I think most people look at what the phone can do when they're buying it, not what it might be able to do in the future. And, given how often people seem to get new phones (every year or two), feature updates can become a minor issue (still nice to have, of course).
Anyway, to summarize, I don't think Android (or the iPhone) is "miles ahead" yet. They're both serious competitors, though, and Microsoft should take them seriously. I think that all three platforms have strengths and weaknesses, and personal preferences will obviously dictate which is the right choice for you, but I don't think any platform has a clear advantage now.
Steve
Android vs. Windows Mobile
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