Microsoft Ignores Looming iPhone and Android Threat

[Rocco Augusto]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-iphone-and-android-are-no-threat-477958' target='_blank'>http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...o-threat-477958</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Microsoft has positioned Windows Mobile quite nicely in the enterprise but it seems these days that the buzz is in the consumer space.&nbsp; Apple's recent revelations that they've sold 6.8 million iPhone 3Gs in a quarter and the release of the first Android phone have moved the attention squarely into the consumer space.&nbsp; In a recent interview by Techradar the business lead for Microsoft Windows in the UK, John Curran, stated that Microsoft isn't worried about either competitor."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1212690824.usr8.jpg" /><br /><br />I personally feel that Microsoft is looking at this the wrong way. Instead of looking at this problem as one you should ignore because of limited form factor and limited distribution, they should be paying more attention to the emotional influence these devices have on their users. No matter how you feel about the iPhone the truth is that the device has changed the landscape and given consumers a new direction to turn to for their mobile computing. Just being the Swiss Army knife of devices means next to nothing if no one wants to use them. I can understand the need for corporate speak every now and then but hearing it more frequently in regards to Windows Mobile makes me a little afraid that the next version of the operating system will be just more of the same. Maybe Microsoft really hasn't picked up on the fact that users prefer more easily to navigate devices that are fun to use.</p>

[Rocky Sullivan]

The simple truth is that Microsoft have just sat back, becoming more and more complacent with their OS (both desktop and mobile) while walking around with an air of arrogance that you only tend to see from large and dominant corporations.

I have been a Windows Mobile user since PDA time began and well before smart phones were introduced. While I have been a fan of WM for years I came from a Psion user background and always kept an open mind to new products, even trying Palm for a shortwhile.

I currently own 4 devices - HTC Touch Diamond (WM) Nokia 95 and E71 (Symbian) and an Iphone. The Iphone purchase was out of curiosity initially but this has now become my main device. Using the web and watching videos is a real pleasure - it just works.

Microsoft have done nothing with the WM OS in the last three years - and in that time even the dumbest of phones have become feature rich and easier to use while adding style.

I hope MS come up with the goods next year - but I, like many, am sick of waiting.

The next version of WM will need to be really special to compete against the 2009 versions of the iphone, android and even symbian devices. While MS probably have the talent to pull it off, i am not sure they are hungry enough to bring everything they need to the battle field.

[possmann]

Does anyone realize that history is repeating itself now? Microsoft is following what Palm did several years ago. They (Palm) were the leaders and sat on top of their rock convinced that they would continue to lead despite not producing any major new deliverables while their competition (mainly MS) continued to refine and eventually over take them.

So now what do we have here? MS content with what they produced and watching while others begin to eat in to their market share.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb here but it won't be long before HTC realizes that it can bundle/create a handset independent of MS and deliver everything that MS Windows Mobile 6 does today - and then more - for FREE.

Windows mobile will still be around - it will fight for space with the blackberry but will loose the casual user space to the iphone and android - that is a HUGE marketplace now and it's only going to get bigger.

That's what I think...

[emuelle1]

I've passed up the iPhone 4 times now. I've wanted one, but I always pick Windows Mobile because of the one thing Windows Mobile does better than the other platforms: Outlook tasks. I use them very heavily, and Pocket Informant with the Franklin Covey Plan Plus helps me keep my head above water. I know PI is going to be released on the iPhone soon, but it's not out just yet and I don't want to have to buy another license.

Windows Mobile does frustrate me with some of it's limitations. Just now, I got notified of a comment on my TypePad blog. I know, for some of you that's nothing, but I don't get many comments. However, I could not log onto TypePad with Pocket IE. I had to wait to get back to my desk to see what the comment said. It's inexcusable that PIE can't handle simple functions like logging into a site. This is Windows Mobile 6.1 on a brand new Epix. The phone hasn't even been out a week.

If Apple would add support for Outlook tasks, I'd jump platforms in a heartbeat. Of course, I could just use my iPod Touch too, if it supported.

[Fritzly]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-iphone-and-android-are-no-threat-477958' target='_blank'>http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...o-threat-477958</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>" the business lead for Microsoft Windows in the UK, John Curran, stated that Microsoft isn't worried about either competitor."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1212690824.usr8.jpg" /><br /><br /> j</p>

As a Microsoft shareholder I am very concern by these kind of answers; what we are talking about here is a phone, not a datacenter! It would be like a company selling coffe machines stating that because they sell well to business users they are not concern about competition.

[kdarling]

Don't forget that Apple licensed Exchange protocols from Microsoft. So they get income from iPhone sales.

There's plenty of smartphone market to go around. And MS pretty much has the hardened handheld market to themselves.

[curcioj]

After owning and optimizing (with 3rd party overlays) four WM5 /WM6 phones over the past several years, I impulsively purchased a iphone (activated so I just dropped in my ATT SIM card) last month.

In the process, in exchange for a few favorite apps (slingbox & TTN6) I have a device that is so intuitive in comparison to WM (same can be said for Palm OS) that I am astounded that MS isn't on a critical path to get it right.

But - I forgot, it's MS and based on the incremental, non-user experience changes in Windows, I see that there is a corporate culture that simply ignores how their products are actually used. Jobs must be thrilled.

[possmann]

iPhone and Palm - yes I could not agree more. To have to resort to purchasing an aftermarket (SPB) "UI" to allow me to get to do what I need faster is just not cutting it.

Has anyone had any experience with the HTC "Touch" UI experience?

I have an HTC 6700 (Verizon) and will be looking to upgrade that this summer. From everything I see (marketing wise) HTC out of the box has a slick UI...

It's time for MS to look at the competition - not just handsets, but the third party UI experience applications. What really makes a phone user friendly? Think of users with thicker fingers - not all of us have a stylus for a finger - and think of how many clicks it takes to get something done. Think about making an alarm clock that actually works (sorry - off track). You were leading MS but this idea of being the 800 pound gorilla doesn't matter if you can't continue to MAINTAIN the lead...

UGH

[Pony99CA]

It's time for MS to look at the competition - not just handsets, but the third party UI experience applications. What really makes a phone user friendly? Think of users with thicker fingers - not all of us have a stylus for a finger - and think of how many clicks it takes to get something done.
Actually, if you have a touchscreen device, you probably do have a stylus. Almost every WM Classic/Pro device comes with one. (And I only say "almost" because I don't know for sure if the HTC Touches, Samsung Omnia and Sony Ericsson Xperia have them.)

However, as I've advocated for a while, I hope Microsoft won't abandon the stylus if they're designing a finger-friendly UI. There should be Finger and Stylus modes for the UI. Finger input won't be good for people who use handwriting input or inking.

As for clicks, the number may not be as important as you think. Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" says that it doesn't really matter how many clicks it takes to accomplish a task as long they're all mindless (AKA obvious). That was actually about Web site usability, and of course there were some exceptions (a million obvious clicks would, um, obviously be too many), but it could also hold true for operating systems.

So instead of worrying about how many clicks something takes, Microsoft might do better to worry about making the actions more obvious.

Steve

[possmann]

So instead of worrying about how many clicks something takes, Microsoft might do better to worry about making the actions more obvious.



WELL SAID! took the words right off of my keyboard ;-)