tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793210.post6075254833556442296..comments2023-10-31T05:18:04.837-07:00Comments on Inside the Mind of a Nerd: Windows Phone 7: It's About TimeEltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01892346064741622632noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793210.post-17020947403530605462010-02-28T12:18:34.213-08:002010-02-28T12:18:34.213-08:00Meant to reply to your comment:
I think RIM is de...Meant to reply to your comment:<br /><br />I think RIM is definitely not going away any time soon, but it's lacking mindshare. I think you need more than the enterprise market to grow. They'll hang in there, but they're not going to satisfy the stockholders unless they fix the problems their phones have.<br /><br />I think the pre is definitely a combination of marketing strategy and timing. Also, Verizon would've been a better launch partner. But, as a Sprint user, I'm glad they chose Sprint =D Some people think it's the screen size, and I think that's silly. Not every freaking phone has to have like a 5 inch screen =P The iPhone form factor is sexy, but it doesn't feel great in your pocket. The Pre does. If you don't need a virtual keyboard, the Pre screen is what you need. People have different screen size needs, I think it's silly to say that a small screen kills a phone in the water.<br /><br />I don't think a walled garden is the worst thing in the world. It's frustrating for the hardcore geeks, but that's why things like Linux exist :) If you complicitly buy Mac hardware understanding that, then it's fine. I'm not someone willing to do that, but it lends itself to a lot of simplicity that hurts Windows because it wants to be the OS for everyone else. That's what their more recent ad campaigns focused in on. It used to be that Apple's walled garden was too small for anyone to want to play in it, but hats off to them for completely turning that around over the past 10 years. It's something that should be in tech history books 10 or 20 years from now.<br /><br />Mac's strategy is to sell you what they think you should want. I say that because it will feet perfectly for some people, but definitely not everyone. And those people are ok with it because they trust the Apple brand. For those people, that's fine and it's what's helped Apple grow so much. But it means you're going to turn off a lot of geeks and control freaks who want the perfect machine. It's just about picking a market and sticking to that market.Eltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01892346064741622632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793210.post-45545135620044082762010-02-25T06:00:26.362-08:002010-02-25T06:00:26.362-08:00RIM's definitely been disappointing in terms o...RIM's definitely been disappointing in terms of multimedia features and such, but I have a feeling they'll be maintaining a pretty solid lock on businessy people - particularly with their security and e-mail capabilities. If they could just fix their crappy browser, which I've heard they've been working on lately. The firm I'm going to be interning at in Austin is probably 1/4th iPhone 3/4ths Blackberry, but that's pretty rare. I don't think you'd find any iPhones at Houston firms.<br /><br />Palm's issue may have been timing, but also just lack of cash to spend on marketing (and perhaps on less creepy commercials) and clout to get carriers to really push their phones. It would've taken a miracle to really get a decent amount of people to move to Sprint, and Verizon's Android push seems to be eclipsing Palm move to their network.<br /><br />Microsoft definitely got their act together with Windows 7, in the exact same way that Google's really pushed on Apple with the Nexus One, but as you suggested, timing is a big issue. A lot of people can match Apple's work, but only with a 6-month or year lag, after which Apple seems to edge back up again. And there are huge first-mover advantages of course, particularly on smartphones.<br /><br />Apple is certainly a walled garden. But that's really the key policy question – and it's discussed a lot in my Tech Law seminar at the Berkman Center – does having somewhat of a walled garden lead to a better user experience, at least for casual, non-expert users? <br /><br />Nobody else has created the kind of "ecosystem" that Apple is building with iPods, iPhones and now the iPad combined with the App store. Sure there are a lot of people who object to proprietary formats and Apple's control over apps, but the "seamlessness" and reliability that it creates for users who just want something to work really well, even if it is somewhat crippled, so far has yet to be matched. <br /><br />I've experienced how Apple's heavy control over hardware and software integration leads to a smoother user experience on my Macbook vs. PCs with Windows, but I can also see how heavy tech users would find Mac too limited. I think Apple's genius has been in letting other company's battle it out for users with very personalized hardware and software demands, while it's honed on the (pretty sizable) market of people who are a bit less utilitarian and find a certain aesthetic appeal in an extremely well integrated but walled-off platform.Jose A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12479028882243647589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793210.post-29590590005571124892010-02-24T21:18:48.031-08:002010-02-24T21:18:48.031-08:00I think Apple and Android will definitely be there...I think Apple and Android will definitely be there, but not sure about RIM. RIM hasn't done anything interesting in a while, and as Android and Microsoft and Palm inch ahead, RIM may find themselves in the dust. I have high hopes for Palm, but their future is really cloudy. They just had bad timing. No one seems to agree with me, but if they were a year earlier they would be killing it. They have a good developer community going, too, just not enough people buying the hardware.<br /><br />I don't fall on either side of the Microsoft/Apple line because I don't think that line makes sense. There are plenty of people who do, but I buy the product that I think does the job best. MacBooks are awesome products, but I cannot justify spending that much money on a computer when Asus and Toshiba make excellent laptops for much cheaper. I tried OS X for a while but I'm too used to Windows now. I learned that it's not any better than Windows, it's just different. Everything people told me I'd stay with Mac for, I've since been using on Windows 7 either out of the box or with free software. Apple doesn't have a single product though that makes me want to ditch what I have. I'm very happy with my Pre for my phone, happy with my clix for my mp3 player, and I've already explained the laptop situation. Apple TV just doesn't make sense - especially with TiVo and Roku and the like.<br /><br />Microsoft has done plenty of bad stuff, and they always get burned for it. It doesn't make sense that Apple does bad stuff and no one seems to care. If people don't notice then Apple will continue their crazy practices.<br /><br />Apple isn't solely responsible for that guy's death, definitely, but there's no question they had undue pressure on that supplier for secrecy. An irresponsible amount of pressure. And their policies with their own employees aren't that exciting, either. If Amazon told me they were going to search my phone randomly, I'd probably quit.<br /><br />Is Apple really that seamless? If you live in their walled garden, it is. I don't mean that in a mean way - Apple creates a walled garden. It's a fact. They never put in any effort into making iTunes a good product for Windows. But, of course, the user interface is always solid. It's often simplistic, but that's where their strength lies. A lot of people on the Nexus One or Droid would disagree about sexiness, so don't say that in front of them :) I have friends who I think would make love to Android if they could. If BSG has taught us anything, they will be able to someday. (I don't really watch BSG, but I wish I did)<br /><br />Oh, and I don't think putting together Apple with Android is going to cut it at this point. It's prohibitively difficult at this point to get the kind of smartphone market share the iPhone has now. And I think we're also entering a world where no one is going to have the massive majority that iPhone does. Instead, it'll be chipped at more and more by Android and possible one or two others until it's more fair, though the iPhone has such a leg up that it will probably stay ahead for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />The Pre has a lot of the look-and-feel of the iPhone down, and it's a totally open platform, and yet it's not doing very well. It has lots of critical praise, but that's just enough. The Pre is just too late to the game.Eltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01892346064741622632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9793210.post-15274358430330028672010-02-23T06:32:23.546-08:002010-02-23T06:32:23.546-08:00Windows Mobile 7 definitely looks interesting, but...Windows Mobile 7 definitely looks interesting, but as you suggested, I'm not sure there's enough room for Windows to compete anymore. It really seems like the market isn't going to tolerate more than 3 or 4 major mobile OS. I'm predicting an Apple, Android and RIM world. I'm not sure how big Palm's market share has grown.<br /><br />As for Apple, I think you and I clearly fall on different sides of the divide, and I'm going to guess you fall into the category of people who fervently cling to their PCs while quietly resenting the smug hipsterness of Apple junkies. lol. I think the Apple/Microsoft culture divide would make for a fascinating sociological/anthropological study. I was a PC user up until entering law school, but I've been blown away by how well my Macbook and Time Capsule work. <br /><br />Yes, their way of doing things can seem draconian for tech industry standards, but I think blaming them for a Chinese workers suicide goes a bit too far. I'd consider it far more a symptom of chinese business culture (and it happens more often than you might think) than Apple's fault. <br /><br />Here's an interesting article I recently found: http://www.fastcompany.com/1558233/ipad-flash-adobe-apple-iphone-web-pages-coding-html5-video-incompatible?partner=rss<br /><br />I can totally see the Apple/Android divide paralleling the Microsoft/Apple clash with computers. Some people will choose Apple for its seamlessness and user experience, despite its limitations, whereas many others will prefer Android for its greater freedom and hardware options, even if it doesn't run as smoothly or as sexy. Of course, if someone can match the Apple experience with Android's openness, they'll clearly dominate, but that remains to be seen.Jose A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12479028882243647589noreply@blogger.com