August 14th 2008
Where am I, iPhone valhalla?
As technology progresses, I have to continually remind myself that unlike common law, technology isn’t beholden to precedent. Competitive practices dictate that it’s a good idea to stay close to your competition. Being unable to as a business establishment can severely detriment your income and possibly bankrupt you. So when I say that the quality difference between iPhone and Windows Mobile programs is like night and day, I mean it’s a fully developed black hole and the surface of the sun.
Nationally, iPhone is in a market share battle with WinMO and Blackberry where each has a take of roughly 30%. Unfortunately in finding this data I ended up being disappointed in a few websites because they sourced data from a study of the internet browsing world in which iPhone’s competitors were Windows, Mac, Linux, Playstation & SunOS. Hardly a disciplined source. But that is neither here nor there. What I am getting at is for the development community to so heavily favor one manufacturer whose market share is ±7% that of it’s competitors is a poor move. The smartphone-buying public is on the cusp of a mac’s exodus and no other company has done anything about it.
Windows Mobile Development has tried to patch the dam with bubble gum by trickling out a few new toys like it’s 6.1 update and occasional new features for LiveSearch. The disparity being seen lies solely in that of the 3rd party. By comparison on the iPhone there are gorgeous, well thought-out applications that allow you to get in a sono-physical light saber fight via phoneSaber or get the GPS-accurate location of your friends on Loopt just to name a few. Do the smartphone guys not have fun? I can personally refute that they do.
Browse any site offering software for windows mobile phones and you have found the most UI-depraved caverns of the internet. Freewarepocketpc.net has software - as described - free, and the honest truth is that the for-profit competitors have done little but polish the porta-potty toilet seat that is WinMO applications. As iTunes has proven more than once now, a centralized store for digital content could seem to help. It serves as a reverse garden wall where the best applications by production standards get a featured spot for users to consider.
So here I sit at an impass: can I elevate my social status by buying in to the the fastest growing, most popular mobile phone in history whose service agreement sleeps with the devil in the form of AT&T or do I stick with my utilitarian approach of A phone with GPS & EVDO that I can infinitely customize to my hearts content and sacrifice aesthetic? While the rest of the world is asleep to the dilemma at hand, those that shop smart know that this battle is far from over.