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  #1  
Old 01-20-2009, 06:00 PM
Pete Paxton
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Default Smartphone Wars: Can Windows Mobile Ever be Sexy?

http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/...39375124,00.htm

"A war is going on in the smartphone market and unless Microsoft can create the sexy device of buyers' dreams, Windows Mobile could soon be relegated to the 'also ran' category. In this increasingly cutthroat market, Nick Jones, VP and analyst at Gartner, told silicon.com Windows Mobile is at "a crossroads" and risks being left behind by its rivals. According to Jones, the iPhone and its ilk are delivering intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that magnify Windows Mobile's faults while Microsoft's OS licensing business model is also coming under fire as open source platforms such as Android and Symbian give their wares away for free."

I remember a couple of years ago when I got my T-Mobile Dash I received many compliments on its looks and functionality. Now devices like the Dash are a dime a dozen and look pretty stale compared to the new sleek touch screens of today. Let's face it, we want it all. The look, the functionality, usability, and the feel of a sexy smartphone. So what's it going to take for Microsoft to get back in the game? What do you consider to be the sexiest device out there and what makes it so appealing?

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  #2  
Old 01-20-2009, 08:44 PM
egads
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In one short word, NO.

MS needs a clean, fast, easy to use interface. They have failed at all three in my book and I can't see that WM V7 thats in the works will address any of the three items I listed...

Last edited by egads; 01-20-2009 at 08:47 PM..
 
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  #3  
Old 01-20-2009, 09:01 PM
Macguy59
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Probably not as long as they are enterprise centric.
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  #4  
Old 01-20-2009, 09:41 PM
Pony99CA
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Default Devices vs. OS

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Originally Posted by Pete Paxton View Post
"A war is going on in the smartphone market and unless Microsoft can create the sexy device of buyers' dreams, Windows Mobile could soon be relegated to the 'also ran' category. In this increasingly cutthroat market, Nick Jones, VP and analyst at Gartner, told silicon.com Windows Mobile is at "a crossroads" and risks being left behind by its rivals."
I think Mr. Jones isn't partitioning things properly.

First, Microsoft only creates the OS, not the devices. I think Microsoft should create a reference device that other OEMs can build off of, but that's another issue.

Second, there are plenty of sexy devices out there -- the HTC Touch Diamond and Pro, the Samsung BlackJacks and Epix, the Motorola Qs, for example.

You can argue that the OS isn't sexy, but even that has been addressed by shells like TouchFlo 3D, Winterface and Spb Mobile Shell. Yes, you need to venture out of them at times, but if they can cover the 20% of the tasks people do 80% of the time, that could be good enough.

Finally, if you believe the rumors, WM 6.5 will be shown next month with a new "honeycomb" user interface, SkyMarket application store and SkyBox syncing service (like MobileMe).

So, yes, I think it can be sexy, although I personally don't care. I want good function, not fancy graphics. If I can have both without hurting the function or slowing performance, that's obviously ideal, but I'll choose function over looks almost every time.

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  #5  
Old 01-20-2009, 09:45 PM
Pony99CA
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Default Consumer Focus

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Probably not as long as they are enterprise centric.
But they have supposedly been focusing on the consumer. They hired two consumer-oriented executives and bought Danger (although I haven't seen anything come from that, yet).

Plus, see my previous post about SkyMarket and SkyBox, which are meant for consumers.

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  #6  
Old 01-20-2009, 11:37 PM
bkerrins
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The iPhone. Don't get me wrong, I have no desire to own an iPhone. I don't like the connection with iTunes or the limitations associated with MS Office. I use my phone for work so I clearly want Exchange and MS Office (even office light). However, since the question refers to a sexy phone, I have to give it to Apple. It looks great, the stuff that works does it well and generally pretty quickly. The Apple store is a good idea too. The phone is sleek and well designed. Just doesn't fit my needs out of the box.
 
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  #7  
Old 01-21-2009, 12:55 AM
Russ Smith
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One of the reasons I've stuck with WM all these years is the flexibility and extensibility of the system. On the hardware side, WM fully supports memory cards, Bluetooth, WiFi, screens of various sizes, etc. On the software side, WM supports multi-tasking, cut-and-paste in all applications and in-between apps. There are all kinds of apps available, including some pretty advanced ones (databases, spreadsheets, word-processing) and you don't need to be Internet-connected to use them.

Yes, I'd like to see a snappier and sexier (whatever that means) UI. I'd like to be able to browse the web like I've seen people do on the iPhone, but I wouldn't want to be stuck with all the other limitations of that platform. For me, the flexibility and extensibility of WM still wins out.

Does that mean WM can't lose? No. As much as I'd like otherwise, it's possible that the mass-market will push iPhone-like solutions for the short term even though eventually we'll need something more flexible and extensible to take us further. It might not be WM if MS can't keep enough market share to keep it viable, though.
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  #8  
Old 01-21-2009, 01:00 AM
Bob Anderson
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pony99CA View Post
So, yes, I think it can be sexy, although I personally don't care. I want good function, not fancy graphics. If I can have both without hurting the function or slowing performance, that's obviously ideal, but I'll choose function over looks almost every time.

Steve
First off, claiming any portable computing device can be SEXY seems a little over the top. I'm not sure I'm up to a traditional definition of SEXY when used with a Smartphone or Pocket PC !

Secondly, I agree with Steve, too much emphasis is being put on "eye-candy" as I'll call it vs. true functionality. A portable device should be an extension of one's non-portable devices. The WindowsMobile devices were extensions of their non-portable counterparts of five years ago. Unfortunately, today, they are only partial extensions and therein lie the problem.

If the focus is put on function and polishing that aspect in terms of the OS, and then allowing the hardware vendors to create intriguing designs, we'll get back to where Windows Mobile is a respectable competitor against Apple, BlackBerry, etc. If too much focus is on what is going to "look good" Windows Mobile may get a temporary bump in approval because of the eye candy, but will ultimately sell itself short and end up being a "has been" operating system.

Bottom line - focus less on "Sexy" and instead work on knocking people's socks off in terms of capability and extension of their computing resources (including "The Cloud".)
 
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  #9  
Old 01-21-2009, 02:42 AM
Macguy59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Anderson View Post
Bottom line - focus less on "Sexy" and instead work on knocking people's socks off in terms of capability and extension of their computing resources (including "The Cloud".)
From a capability point of view, what's left for MS to do ? Multimedia ?
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  #10  
Old 01-21-2009, 03:17 AM
Pony99CA
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Default Capabilities

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From a capability point of view, what's left for MS to do ? Multimedia ?
Read my Windows Mobile New Year's Resolutions editorial for an idea. Making it faster would also be nice.

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