Geek Factor

When Microsoft introduced the Zune, it earned the wrath of many of its ‘PlaysForSure’ OEM partners. PlaysForSure is a Microsoft certification which, among other things, dictates a standard for DRM and the synchronization of media files for MP3s, PMPs and other portable devices. Microsoft Zune does not use this technology and opted for another propreitary one. This ensured that content purchased or rented for Zune cannot be played on PlaysForSure devices and vice versa. Needless to say, device manufacturers like Creative, Sandisk etc., didn’t like the idea of Microsoft suddenly becoming their competitor.

PlaysForSure

Rumors are floating on the net about a new project from MS called the “Pink”. There are many speculations on what this Pink actually is  – while some say it is a “Zune Phone” there are also indications that it is simply the Zune services being made available on Windows Mobile. An MS tweet asking users to hold on their iPhone or Palm pre purchase till June is throwing open this speculation even more. If it is any sort of phone with a Microsoft branding on it, then it is nothing but a recipe for disaster.

Today, Microsoft’s huge market share in the smartphone business is because of the effoerts of its OEMs like HTC, Samsung and several network operators who have released several sleek and trendy devices. Building their own branded phone with a propreitary operating system based on the Zune platform is not the most pleasing thing that MS can do to its partners. They all have a equally powerful weapon with the Android platform and MS can see its market share dwindling if they switch to Android.

We hope that MS will not take such a drastic step and strain the relationship with OEMs – who are already not happy with the heavily outdated OS in Windows Mobile 6.1 and even the upcoming 6.5.

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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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.