Microsoft seems to have dropped out of the smartphone race, but it still has a chance to get reenergised and even pull ahead of the pack.
When looking at all the competitors for smartphone supremacy, you might say the Windows Mobile is last place in the rankings (although a recent report places it at third place).
Some would even contend that Microsoft would have been better off never entering this race if it weren't going to put up a good fight.
That may shock the 7.2 million users of the Microsoft smartphone OS, especially those in the enterprise who don't see the iPhone as a serious contender at all (due in part to Apple's history of ignoring the needs of the enterprise in favour of the individual user).
Even I, a noted Microsoft loyalist of the highest order, finally chose my first smartphone - and it didn't run Windows Mobile.
The one that excited me, that made me finally make the move? An Android device: Motorola's Droid, known as the Milestone in the UK.
It gave me Exchange connectivity, all the collaboration features I needed (email, internet, news feeds, weather), and thousands of cool apps (mostly free) to download from the Android Market.
But, hey, don't start cursing my name just yet - I wasn't the first person in my position to make the move!
Mark Minasi, a globally famous tech speaker and technical author of over 25 books, held an iPhone high in the air at a Windows conference last year and heaped it with accolades.
He said in WindowsITPro that he had "grown tired of begging Windows Mobile to do the stuff" that he paid for.
Most of my friends use BlackBerrys or iPhones. I thought I was at least being somewhat rebellious and going against the tide to go with the Droid.
NEXT PAGE: Glimmers of hope for Windows Mobile 6.5
- We look at whether Microsoft can re-enter the smartphone race
- Glimmers of hope for Windows Mobile 6.5
- Bad news/good news for Windows Mobile
Comments
bob said: i was after a HTC HD2 until i found it came with winmo 65 and 7 wasnt comming until septemberlook at android and its pace microsoft is gone at least for the time being in the phone OS market
Pete Ridgeway said: Microsofts Windows Mobile is no longer viable in the enterpriseLook at the new handset sales- 79 and still falling fast WinMo 6x is just doomed Its over Whats going to stop the slide until WM7 NothingWinMo7 is going to be more consumer focused with a capacitive touch interface But capacitive doesnt work well with current WinMo business software that was designed for a stylus penSo youre business apps that you rely on would need to be reworked for WM7 But virtually no developers are working on Windows Mobile because they see no future in itRelying on a phone platform for business when that platform is in dire straights is risky Developing apps for it is also risky which is why nobody isIts Game Over for Windows Mobile and now we just have to look elsewhere to other platforms