So after seeing the iPhone I can't help but wonder if Microsoft will pay attention and resurrect the PocketPC phone edition form factor. They haven't exactly killed it off yet, but they have only really been focusing on the smartphone for the last several years. Someone in the MS Mobile group should be very embarrassed right about now. MS had this form factor out for 8+ years and couldn't produce an interface even remotely close to what Apple managed to do. Arguably this is not Apple's first mobile device interface, but the Newton was a long long time ago.
Actually one thing that I never understood was why some 3rd party developer didn't come up with a nice finger driven interface. I've tried nearly all the PocketPC mp3 player software out their and not one would let you drive it completely with your finger. Excluding the iPhone's ability to sense more than one finger at a time, everything else in the interface is completely achievable on existing PocketPC hardware.
I think that between the MacBook Pro, iPod, and iPhone, Apple has shown the weakness in Microsoft's software only strategy. It worked in the past with IT managers and corporations, but in the world of personal computers, the sheer design excellence of Apple's hardware and software integration is unmatched.
There is no way that MS's software can compensate for the low physical and aesthetic quality of components and hardware used in most PCs, phones and PDAs. The hardware vendors don't have the profit margins to invest in design since they compete on tech specs like gigabytes and CPU speed.
Sometimes, you have to own the entire user experience, and the iPod and iPhone prove it. I don't care how much the iPhone is going to cost, the thing looks amazing AND has no lack of features.
Every phone maker should be massively embarrassed that Apple blew them away on their first try. If the design and tech leads in the Windows Mobile group are still employed after today, you know it's time to sell MSFT.
"come up with a nice finger driven interface". Heh, that's what she said.
I thought that would wake you up. Nice to see you are paying attention.
Paul points us to this great article about the iPhone (lack of) platform strategy:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/apples-jobs-more-iphone-apps-coming-before-launch/9320
Some pretty telling things in those quotes. Basically Jobs, like the cell companies, want to control the whole vertical, and keep the walled garden intact. Many flaws in the arguments made, but it all comes down to Greed. Will MS please save us with the Zune? :-)
Cult of Mac.
LG's 'iPhone' to come out before Apple's.
There are a lot of comparisons going around about the LG KE850 and the iPhone. They do look similar. The main difference is that LG's phone should be out in a few weeks not 6 months like Apples.
Another article slamming Job's keynote as a big mistake. His points are that it was announced too early and promised too much. Toward the end he speculates about why the announcement was made so early. One theory was the imminent release of LG's KE850 phone (see previous comment). Apple didn't want it to look like they were copying LG's design, so they announced first. (LG will ship first though). Funny he doesn't talk about the actual reason mentioned by Jobs though; the FCC approval process leaks photos on the net of nearly everything that goes through it's labs.
hello?