Seems CNET has jumped the shark, too, or at least the writer has.
Microsoft has, basically, three problems whereas their phone/pda product is concerned.
1. Price. OEM’s are paying a baseline of $30.00 per. I’m hearing, not factual, it costs a total of $11.00 for Android based distributions. And, that’s after the fee to the Open Handset Alliance.
2. Convergence. A few years ago, MS merged their Smartphone platform with Windows CE, and created Windows Mobile. Now they have a hodgepodge of an OS that is tailored to neither market.
3. Innovation. MS has locked up Windows Mobile, and offered it as a “take it or leave it” product, the market has responded with “we’ll leave it”. Android is open. Telcos are free to customize it to their, and hopefully their customers’, liking. Consumers are, for the most part, able to further customize it, as well.
Now, it may seem, after I said that, that I dislike MS or Windows Mobile. I don’t. I have one. I’ve had one since 2000, in the Pocket PC Phone Edition. And, I’ve moved along the with the market, upgrading as upgraded models became available.
But, I stopped upgrading at the HTC Wizard, also called the T-Mobile MDA/I-mate K-JAM/MDA Vario/O2 XDA/Cingular 8125, etc. LOL It’s a true “world” phone, and I still like it. It has one of the very best slide out keyboards, and that’s important to me. It has a touch screen, I hated having to yank out the stylus every time I wanted to navigate, even one click, and it supports Micro SD up to 1 GB.
I stopped upgrading because there was no value in doing so. Nothing new, in any of the new phones from anyone, including Apple and Android, that would add to my so called “experience”.
What would add to my experience? Uh, screen size makes a difference. I do like that the new Droid has a larger screen. Battery life. Storage. More control.
Oh, and a lower price without a two year prison sentence.
“I stopped upgrading because there was no value in doing so. Nothing new, in any of the new phones from anyone, including Apple and Android, that would add to my so called “experience”.”
As I mentioned in my post, I just wanted to add MP3 and movies to my phone, I didn’t expect anything more. But.....
Google sky map. Hold up the phone and look at the sky. The stars are there with their names. Point the phone down, and see the southern hemisphere sky with the stars named. Doesn’t sound like much but a big cool factor and I and my kids have learned a bit of astronomy.
Carr Matey. Get out of the car and drop anchor. Hours later in a city completely strange to me, a map and directions back to my car.
Any music, any band, I want to hear is just a click away.
Voice mail transcribed and sent to my email.
Point the phones camera at a UPC and get the prices at multiple stores.
In addition to google maps showing me exactly where I am, a real browser and all of the other functions of a modern smart phone, I didn’t know what I was missing.