Geek Factor

It is a bit unfortunate that everytime I write something about Windows Mobile in this blog, it is mostly about some bad news. The latest one comes in the form of the delay in the launch of the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 iteration. This is especially bad considering the flurry of new platforms and handsets that are coming from competitors.

The delay of WinMo 7 reminds us of the bad phase that Palm is going through. After hiving off the software division, Palm hasn’t been able to release a new operating system in almost 5 years now. To stay current, Palm started shipping Windows Mobile handsets. This strategy is not going to help any longer as the Windows Mobile operating system is also not seeing any upgrades in the near future, even evolutionary. With an antique browser and its poor internet capabilities, the current version of Windows Mobile can no way match the feature set, not to mention the fit, finesse and polish the competitors like the Android or the Mobile Mac OS X are offering.
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The Apple iPhone has set an unprecedented sales record seen in no other country where the phone has been launched till now. According to one report, the jesus phone has been bought by more than 1500 people in this country since it was launched 17 days ago. This is one amazing record which Apple could never replicate in any other country.

What does this mean for Apple? Well, Apple is 1500 closer to the 10 million mark that it is planning to achieve by this year end. Also, less purchasers means less people to piss off when they announce an inevitable price cut. Go Apple, Go!

First it was the developers. The highly successful application delivery model deviced by Apple has lured away serveral Windows Mobile deveopers. Developers who were once struggling to sell their Windows Mobile applications are now finding it easy to sell the iPhone equivalents without much struggle. The AppStore pricing model and the evergrowing consumer base has become a gold mine for developers to reap.

Surprisingly, advertisers are also leaving the Windows Mobile bandwagon. This has resulted in the popular Smartphone and PocketPC magazine to down its shutters. The Smartphone and PocketPC magazine awards were considered prestigious and developers used to compete fiercely for it. You can see the awards being proudly displayed in many Windows Mobile developer websites. This is indeed a sad day from many Windows Mobile developers and enthusiasts. The magazine promoters have announced that they will be publishing an iPhone quarterly instead.

Last Issue of Smartphone and Pocket PC magazine

If we analyze this situation, it will become apparent that Windows Mobile advertising has a much larger potential than the single vendor produced iPhone. With large phone companies like Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, HTC and Palm making windows mobile devices -in addition to the plethora of accessory manufacturers for these devices- one can’t help but keep wondering why there isn’t much interest to advertise these products, especially considering that Microsoft sold close to 20 million devices last year. This is an indication that the ecosystem is slowly falling apart. It is high time that MS wakes up and brings confidence back to the developers, manufacturers and the consumers. Just claiming that a Windows Mobile can do much more than an iPhone will not cut it anymore. With the scheduled release of WM 7 almost a year away, MS will need to do a lot to sustain the interest.

After causing a major heartbreak for consumers who were eagerly awaiting for the iPhone, Apple India and its carrier allies are now out to screw the 47 customers who already bought the iPhone 3G. (Yah, don’t believe the “we sold a few thousands of them” crap thrown by one of the Airtel spokesman. A friend in mobile phone retail business has confirmed that there is very little interest to buy the iPhone, though many people want to see a demo).

Airtel and Vodafone are mulling a Rupees 2000 price drop, which brings the 8GB iPhone below the psychological 30,000 barrier. This price drop may come anytime in the next few days, which will surely disappoint the people who bought it after standing in a non-existing queue for less than 5 minutes. If this price drop is materialized, please do not expect a letter from Steve Jobs and a discount voucher for Rupees 1000 which you can use only in the AppStore. My dear Indian Apple fan, you will continue to be screwed in this country.