iPhone Users Account For More Web Traffic Than Windows Mobile

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://news.trend.az/index.shtml?show=news&amp;newsid=1098057&amp;lang=EN">http://news.trend.az/index.shtml?show=news&amp;newsid=1098057&amp;lang=EN</a><br /><br /><i>"Market analyst Net Applications has some interesting findings regarding web use in mobile handsets. iPhone users currently account for .09% of web browsing, with Windows Mobile units only posting a combined total of .06 percent (0.06%)."</i><br /><br />That is kind of sad. I know my wife rarely ever launches the browser on her T-Mobile Dash. I use mine quite a bit, but am constantly fiddling with the settings, going to "desktop" mode, fit to screen or single column, changes the average user won't bother with or may not even know about. Hopefully now that Apple has shown it is possible to have a decent and desktop-like browsing experience on an a mobile device, Microsoft will finally update Pocket IE so it does more of what the average user expects.

[Omegajb]

It is amazing that pocket IE hasn't had any new advancements in years. I find that the person who isn't savy with technology is going to have a hard time with Windows Mobile.

Hopefully with IPhone changing the way users look at multi purpose phones Microsoft will keep up.
Where is Deepfish that was released as beta last year? Opera Mini is ok but it isn't integrated so it can be a pain to use at times.

[Jon Childs]

I got my wife an iphone as an early Xmas gift when her last phone died. I must say it is really excellent. She is definitely not into technology, but has said "I like this way more than I thought I was going to". The browser and email functionality are 1st class (which is all she uses it for). I am keeping my 8195 for now because I want 3g and love the built in GPS, but if the iphone ever gets those two features I would switch in a heartbeat. I had the 8125 before and was mostly happy with both phones, but I guess I was just accepting of windows mobile. Now that I have seen it done better I don't look at my 8925 the same way.

[Jason Lee]

The iphones are nice IF you only want to use it for what functionality it comes with and you only want to use it with the services it is compatible with. I will admit the UI is nice and smooth but other than that they are worthless.

I cannot do even 1/5th the things my pocket pc is capable of. But i have always been a functionality over form guy.. :)

On the browser front i finally broke down and bought opera mobile. the more i use it the more i am impressed by it. I am continually surprised by the things it will render.

[r@dimus]

Yes, Pocket IE has been in serious need of an update since WinMo 2003. Even my Blackberry 8700c had a better web prowser in a lot of respects. It reformatted the pages into a sinlge column better than PIE did, supported a limited amount of Javascript, and did a pretty nice job of handling CSS. PIE in WinMo 6 does seems to have improved on single column reformatting, but still doesn't support the rest. There is really no excuse for that.

[Tony Rylow]

Opera Mini rocks on my Blackberry 8320. Way better than Pocket IE.

[indiekiduk]

Yeh I use the iphone browser way more than I ever used pocket IE. Because its a full browser you can go to all your normal sites, do all your normal stuff, and its a joy to use.

[latinware]

At present I'm using Opera (STD edition) on my E-ten x500+ and very pleased. Microsoft has not been able to learn that you have to be the best in town. Look at Safari from Apple it's the best I have used so far. I do navigate constantly but only because Opera, the MS IE it's "trash", as anything that MS does. I am a reborn Apple and as soon as they come out with an iPhone 3G and unblocked, I'll rush to buy it via internet. Remember I live in Colombia.

[Yata]

PIE is the worst mobile web-browser I have ever used. It's shocking.

As an aside, all of the Apple websites have been gloating over this news. None of them mention that Opera Mini (compatible with Windows Mobile) destroys even the iPhone with 0.26% vs. 0.09%. :)

[kinged]

I use ThunderHawk, which is excellent (I have to pay $50.00 a year though). But like the PockeIE, it hasn't had an update for a while.

[ddwire]

Easy to see why. The I phone has a larger higher resolution display!!!

POcketIE is not that bad the crappy tiny low res screens on Windows mobile is what makes browsing any thing other than plain text bad..
I visit all the same sites on my Treo 700WX from Sprint as I do on my laptop and if PIE doesnot work for the site I use Opera Mini4 wich from my experience seems to be similar to Iphone with the exception of my crappy 2.4" 240x240 screen.

Sorry to rant but no body is complaining about the size of the "I phone" (that is larger than past generation Windows phone edition devices) and all I have heard from people trying out Windows mobile is " it is so huge, why would you carry that brick"

So what do we have now, toys with 2.8" or smaller screens at 240x320, 240x240 resolution.

The Touch from HTC should have had a 4" VGA resolution screen, then we could compare to the Iphone..

[JesterMania]

The iphones are nice IF you only want to use it for what functionality it comes with and you only want to use it with the services it is compatible with. I will admit the UI is nice and smooth but other than that they are worthless.

I have a feeling that is going to change. I believe the iPhone SDK is on the verge of being released (or already released) and there is already the infamous PlayStation emulator for the iPhone. Once the SDK is accepted by developers, you will see all sorts of apps for the iPhone - maybe even more than WM because think of the proportion of iPhone users vs WM users.

[Zagleft1]

I used to be a big Thawk fan but have been away from it for a while. Does anyone know if Thunderhawk will work on WM6? Their website only mentions WM5 and with no trial subscription, I need to determine that before signing up.
Thanks

[r@dimus]

Screen size isn't the problem. The problem is the PIE app. As I mentioned, the browser on the Blackberry 8700c I used to use was better, and the screen was the same resolution as the Tilit I am using now. If PIE was compatible with javascript and CSS the experience would be better. Especially considering WinMo adds a lot of multimedia support that is severly lacking on the Blackberry.

Easy to see why. The I phone has a larger higher resolution display!!!

POcketIE is not that bad the crappy tiny low res screens on Windows mobile is what makes browsing any thing other than plain text bad..
I visit all the same sites on my Treo 700WX from Sprint as I do on my laptop and if PIE doesnot work for the site I use Opera Mini4 wich from my experience seems to be similar to Iphone with the exception of my crappy 2.4" 240x240 screen.

Sorry to rant but no body is complaining about the size of the "I phone" (that is larger than past generation Windows phone edition devices) and all I have heard from people trying out Windows mobile is " it is so huge, why would you carry that brick"

So what do we have now, toys with 2.8" or smaller screens at 240x320, 240x240 resolution.

The Touch from HTC should have had a 4" VGA resolution screen, then we could compare to the Iphone..

[Yata]

Easy to see why. The I phone has a larger higher resolution display!!!

HTC Universal = 640x320 pixels, 3.7"
Apple iPhone = 480x320 pixels, 3.5"

The iPhone is significantly better, even with a lower resolution screen and no 3G. Hell, even the S60 browser on a 2" screen beats PIE.

[mikeypizano]

YOU HAVE NEVER USED BLAZER I SEE!

Oh god I will take PIE over that thing anyday! I use Opera on my iPAQ though.

[johnm]

As usual the data doesn't tell the whole story. The data only tracks PIE. It does this by browser string. There are several alternate browsers (Opera, Netfront) in use, each with a different browser string as well as ways of changing your browser string. I for one always faked my browser string to look like full desktop IE when using Netfront so I wouldn't be forced to a limited 'mobile' experience.

I also want to cast my vote for increasing the screen resolution. After having a VGA pocket PC with a big screen (4700) for so many years I cannot go back to anything with a 2.8" 320x240 screen. It would be very difficult to duplicate the iPhone's browsing experience on weak screen like that.

[cgavula]

As an aside, all of the Apple websites have been gloating over this news. None of them mention that Opera Mini (compatible with Windows Mobile) destroys even the iPhone with 0.26% vs. 0.09%. :)

I think you're mistaken. I don't see your Opera Mini number anywhere in the report. Additionally you're trying to compare browsers to platforms rather than like to like.

If you look at the browser comparison part of the report, you'll see that Opera Mini (on all platforms) only has .03% of the market so there are actually FEWER people running opera Mini.

Opera (on all platforms), on the other hand, is at .65% of the market compared to Safari (on all platforms) with 5.14% of the market.

I'm not sure where you got the .26% figure - it's not in this report. Maybe it was .026 which they rounded up to .03?

If you're looking at the platforms themselves - the iPhone has .09% of the market and WM has .06 (running any browser, not just PIE).


The actual report is listed here: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=10&amp;qptimeframe=M&amp;qpsp=106&amp;qpmr=14&amp;qpdt=1&amp;qpct=0&amp;sample=4 for the platform

...and here: http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=0 for the browser breakdown.

--Chris

[chirawat]

Several applications give you the chance to send your browser string as IE6 instead of PIE (which I think send as IE4). This is so that you get to access the desktop version of the page instead of the mobile version.

I don't know about others but this is my default setting. I would guess that my network usage stat (which is quite a bit) will not be in the Windows Mobile category.

[cab124]

Sometimes, I just sit here dumbfounded wondering what exactly goes on on the Microsoft campus. I mean, what exactly do they do there all day???

It has been so obvious for a LONG time that PIE sucks and need to be improved, yet, year after year.................nothing.

It has been so obvious for a LONG time that WM can be improved in so many ways, yet, year after year.............next to nothing.

Windows Media Player 11 is too bloated and slow to use.

It takes 40 seconds to open a contact in Outlook 2007.

The first Zune was lousy.

Even Vista seems to have been a relative flop. No one I know wants to use it.

What exactly do they do at MS????? I want to like MS, but its getting harder and harder to hang in there with them.

Will they ever get it together? Will I ever be able to be proud of using Windows desktop and mobile again???

[stevew]

Will they ever get it together? Will I ever be able to be proud of using Windows desktop and mobile again???


I couldn't have said it better. My sediments exactly. That's why after many years using PPC's, PPC Phones and Smartphone's I got fed up and went to an IPhone and love it. Had Vista and went back to XP. And I'm seriously thinking my next notebook is going to be a MacBook Pro.

I've been a loyal user of Microsoft products for years and I've finally had enough. Microsoft has lost their way and I'm moving on.

Rant over...

***long quote trimmed by mod JD***

[Mikey]

I agree with EVERY negative post about MS sucking. I can't believe MS has aloowed Apple to blow them away yet again. The entire experience on the iPHONE is better, not just the screen quality, although I do love good screens as I still carry the Axim x50v VGA device. I think it's awesome how a monkey could get on the internet with the iPHONE, but you have to be an IT expert to configure Windows Mobile to some networks. It's sad that MS continues to keep its back turned to its customer base. The Dell is probably my last Windows Mobile device &amp; I am an everyday user of Pocket Informant, Pocket Quicken, &amp; Laridian Pocket Bible 3, ListPro, E-Wallet... Can't wait to see what hate posts come about from the MS employees from mine &amp; other posts like this one. MS Sucks!!!

[Underwater Mike]

Just scanning through saved receipt emails for the past 3 years -- yes, I am a digital packrat -- I'd estimate that I have somewhere north of $460 in WM software installed on my device. Yet, as I've posted in other threads, if Apple adds 3G, better Bluetooth, and gets some decent third-party app offerings through the coming SDK release, I will switch to the iPhone.

I was a longtime Mac user and only moved to Windows in 1998. I really hate the closed Macintosh system: Much of the software I use still is not available on that platform, and I can't build my own Mac the way I can build my own PC. But Apple surely does a superior job developing interfaces that people can use, and OSes that are more stable than Microsoft's.

All that said, if someone came out with a nice Linux offering, I'd try that, too. Anything to get away from this mess that WM has become. :(

[Deslock]

Woah... a story about the iPhone at ppcthoughts? :mrgreen:

I will admit the UI is nice and smooth but other than that they are worthless.
Obviously a lot of users have needs that the iPhone doesn't meet. But its browser, media-player, email, and voice mail are the best I've used in a phone not because the interfaces are pretty, but because they're so much faster, more tightly integrated, and more convenient that the apps are more functional (even when they don't have as many features). I can't pay a lot of media formats, I can't mark all my emails as read, there's no flash support in Safari, etc... but in most cases a tool that excels at doing 90% of what I need is better than a tool that can do 99% of the job but sucks 50% of the time.

The iPhone works so well that I don't even miss copy/paste anymore. And I'll never go back to a pressure-sensitive screen after using a capacitance-screen.

Easy to see why. The I phone has a larger higher resolution display!!!
PIE was awful on my hx4700 and X50v. Hell, until WM6 it didn't even support iframes (which is especially sad since - unless I'm mistaken - Microsoft invented them).

[whydidnt]

I think there are many factors to take into account regarding this:

The iPhone is brand new. How much of the activity is simply from people playing with their new toy. I know when I get something new like this, one of the first things I do is visit all my favorite web sites to see how they look. I'm sure many iPhone users have done the same. It will be interesting to see how the traffic holds up over time.

MS has long neglected non-corporate uses of WM, including the Browser. PIE does not offer a very good user experience, so many don't bother. It's long been acknowledged that a higher percentage of internet usage was going to be from the mobile space, but MS seemed to miss that memo. I think a lot of this goes back to there original desire to position these devices as complimentary devices to your PC. In many cases, it seems they have intentionally "dumbed down" the devices so you couldn't completely ditch your desktop and it's related expensive MS software.

Resolution DOES matter. You can see more information, and render larger web pages better if you have a higher resolution device. Here the iPhone rules over the 320 x 240 or 240 x 240 devices most of us use. Those of you with a WM5 VGA device suffer from MS's brain-dead decision to pixel double everything, including your PIE browser. So even though you had a nice big 4" VGA screen on your 4700, you still were looking at a 320 x 240 web page unless you hacked the device using RealVGA or something like that. I'm probably missing one, but I think the only VGA WM6 device is the huge HTC Advantage.

Screen Size also matters. The 3.5" iPhone screen is a significant improvement over the 2.8" screens most WM phones offer today.

Add all of these factors together and it's easy to understand why you see more iPhone Safari usage than PIE, despite PIE's larger installed base.

Unless MS starts taking the consumer side of this market more seriously, it's likely many of long time WM users will consider jumping ship to the iPhone, as the iPhone matures and starts to provide more features and functions.

[Deslock]

Resolution DOES matter. You can see more information, and render larger web pages better if you have a higher resolution device. Here the iPhone rules over the 320 x 240 or 240 x 240 devices most of us use. Those of you with a WM5 VGA device suffer from MS's brain-dead decision to pixel double everything, including your PIE browser. So even though you had a nice big 4" VGA screen on your 4700, you still were looking at a 320 x 240 web page unless you hacked the device using RealVGA or something like that. I'm probably missing one, but I think the only VGA WM6 device is the huge HTC Advantage.

Screen Size also matters. The 3.5" iPhone screen is a significant improvement over the 2.8" screens most WM phones offer today.
You raise some good points, but I think interface, performance, &amp; convenience are at least as important as screen size &amp; resolution. Even when running my x50v and x4705 in "hacked" true-VGA mode (with 3.7 and 4 inch screens), PIE still sucked. I tried numerous other browsers too and the browsing experience was still so bad that I decided I might as well carry the smaller/lighter QVGA rx1955.

The only mobile devices I've used that have a reasonably good browsing experience (other than the iPhone/iPod touch) are the Nokia Internet tablets (due to their capable browser as much as their wonderful 800x480 5" screens).

[Underwater Mike]

One other thing: Even though I buy a lot of WM software, I can't see paying for something as basic as a browser (especially when my device's built-in memory is already full). Safari may not be perfect, but at least iPhone users don't have to shell out extra to get a serviceable web browser. :roll:

[stevew]

whydidnt, Good post.

It's really not even close the browsing experience you get on a IPhone vs WM. Not only the larger screen helps but sites are rendered exactly as they are on a PC. And the zoom feature works excellent. Just double tap a column and it zooms right in or place your thumb and index finger on the screen and spread and the whole page enlarges. Scroll the page with a sliding finger. No view as desktop or view one column crapola.

Email is also excellent. HTML email viewed just as on a PC. Sure notpush yet but I see it coming. So much easier to set up than WM.

And the built in IPod is outstanding. So much easier to sync music with ITunes than it is for Media Player. Setting up playlists is a snap compared to WM. Playing of music on the IPhone couldn't be easier.

The Phone functions are also very nice and a joy to use.

WiFi is very nice to have and not available on but on a couple smartphones.

Is nice just to get the latest upgrades just by syncing. And speaking of syncing, what a joy to finally say goodbye to activesync and WMDC.

The IPhone is missing some features that WM users might miss but I haven't missed WM a bit. I enjoy the experience every time I pick it up.

Microsoft dropped the ball with PIE, email, Media Player, ActiveSync/WDMC and the user interface hasn't had a facelift since day one. Apple has capitalized on this and has put out a device that is capturing a large market share. And I'm sure Apple will continue to update the device with new features.

If Microsoft doesn't start innovating again WM will just go down the tubes like so many other ventures they started and gave up on.

[Sven Johannsen]

I was a longtime Mac user and only moved to Windows in 1998. I really hate the closed Macintosh system: Much of the software I use still is not available on that platform, and I can't build my own Mac the way I can build my own PC. But Apple surely does a superior job developing interfaces that people can use, and OSes that are more stable than Microsoft's.
I know that is out of context, but it highlights a very important difference between the MS and Apple philosophies. Apple built the whole iPhone, iside and out, as they have done with their PC line for the most part. That facilitates a greater degree of integration and stability. Sure the iPhone is easier to configure; there is one device, one OS, one software load and one carrier...period. The parameters can be set at the factory. WM needs to contend with more than a dozen handset manufactures and as many carriers, each with the opportunity to customize the hardware and software load. Then they need to contend with the myriad of independent software slingers that folks can get applications from, and try to maintain some stability in the face of all that.

I don't disagree that PIE, Pocket MP, etc. could stand some UI and functionality overhaul, but I at least have the opportunity to look for an improvement, probably find one and can load it. If I don't want a PDA format, but a candybar or flip phone, I can get one. If I want a different carrier for loyalty, coverage or other reasons, I have the option. It'll be interesting to see what the 'sdk' for iPhone brings to the table. In the beginning, development software for the WM platform, then PPC, was free. for $5 shipping MS would send anyone a full development environment in VB and C. Heck, I even wrote some stuff and stuck it on my device, no quality control, no certification, no stamp of approval, nothing. Anyone could...still can. Different ways of approaching the business lead to different strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes tie your hands on fixing the shortfalls.

[virain]

Very good point Sven! But that opens another question. Yes, MS mus have great programmers/ software designers as far as functionality concern. But being computer people, or geeks, if you will, they think in C++ and algorithms, not in the way regular user, not so technically sophisticated, would think! And if they were able to facilitate all these OEMS, carriers and developers, they pretty much forget the end user, that guy who is standing in AT&amp;T or T-Mobile store, or browsing MobilePlanet.com a.k.a. Expensives.com in search for his/her new device. That's why most of latest introductions by MS looks either too complicated or just copies from someone else. Maybe MS should add to ins development team some designers who maybe not so technically sophisticated, but more down to earth, with us people who has no clue what is the difference between an object and function :wink: Just a thought.....

[Mikey]

[Nightflyer]

I think you all forgot to take one aspect into account: the iPhone comes bundled only with special data tariffs, every iPhone sold has a web flat built into it. I highly doubt this is the case with most of WM phones. I mean if you have an iPhone and are forced to buy it with a 50$ tariff, anybody who wouldn't take advantage of the phone's web applications would be an idiot. If you pay 50$ a month, there is a certain obligation to take advantage of the stuff you're paying for.

And yes you're right, PIE is really a pain to use. But I think that Opera Mini can compete with the iPhone browser and offer at least a comperable user experience.

[stevew]

I think you all forgot to take one aspect into account: the iPhone comes bundled only with special data tariffs, every iPhone sold has a web flat built into it. I highly doubt this is the case with most of WM phones. I mean if you have an iPhone and are forced to buy it with a 50$ tariff, anybody who wouldn't take advantage of the phone's web applications would be an idiot. If you pay 50$ a month, there is a certain obligation to take advantage of the stuff you're paying for.


huh?

[maxnix]

POcketIE is not that bad the crappy tiny low res screens on Windows mobile is what makes browsing any thing other than plain text bad..
I visit all the same sites on my Treo 700WX from Sprint as I do on my laptop and if PIE doesnot work for the site I use Opera Mini4 wich from my experience seems to be similar to Iphone with the exception of my crappy 2.4" 240x240 screen.

So what do we have now, toys with 2.8" or smaller screens at 240x320, 240x240 resolution...
Exactly why I ditched the data plan on my WM5 phone and went with the Rev. A Express card for my laptop. Full web browsing and applications on small screen devices running windows CE, Symbian or even Mac are a novelty, not a fully mature technology. If one cannot view or edit an attachment, email is nearly useless to me professionally. It is little more than unlimited text messaging like BB.

Non user repalceable battery? It's a deal killer from the get go.