An Editorial

Over the last few weeks, its become quite apparent that Microsoft plans to announce their long awaited update to Windows Mobile at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next week.

Windows Mobile 7 has been speculated to be a well-overdue drastic overhaul to Microsoft’s aging legacy operating system, bringing it up to speed with the current lineup of user-friendly phone interfaces.
Now, I have to admit, I personally have owned and used many portable computing platforms over the last ten years, but I always find myself coming back to Windows Mobile. Not because I have a thing for Microsoft, or because it’s the most stylish or polished (it surely is not!), but rather because I have always found it the most versatile and useful; with over 10 years of apps developed for it (take THAT App store!) and a true multitasking OS that allows for a desktop-style workflow, its hard to find a more capable mobile platform.

The biggest problem with Windows Mobile, however, has always been that it is NOT consumer friendly. Too much of a computer in your pocket, and not simple enough as a phone. Consumers often found it unnecessarily complicated to learn and use, and jumped at the simpler platforms that actually offered less features (You know who you are!).
While Windows Mobile has found a home in geek circles and some business use, it has been sorely losing the battle in the average consumer market.
Microsoft promised to fix all of that with WM7, finally bridging the portable desktop concept with next generation user-friendliness.
Well, if the “leaked” details from PPCGeeks and MobileTechWorld are to be believed, I think Microsoft has got it ALL WRONG.

The source of said “leaks” are still unverified, but some of it seems to agree with previous rumors, including that the OS will be based on the Zune HD interface. That’s not a bad thing, since the new Zune has been met with a considerable amount of praise. The suggestion of a “Zune Phone” has been kicked around more than once. However, as I continued reading, I found some of the information downright surprising… and not the GOOD kind of surprising. Take for example (copied from the news post at ppcgeeks):

So, wait a minute here, Microsoft- are you expecting me to believe that you are cutting off the huge library of previously existing applications, forcing all future developed applications to go through your official application store, and cutting out support for multitasking and custom interfaces? Basically, cut out all the things that make your platform worth dealing with, for what? For a sleeker and simpler user experience??

Does this sort of device sound familiar to anyone? Listen, Microsoft, if I wanted an iPhone, I’d just buy an iPhone! The reason I don’t use one as my daily phone NOW is because of the imposed limitations cited above!
Sure, this model may work for Apple, but didn’t anyone explain to them that they can’t beat Apple at their own game? I sincerely hope the leaked information is not accurate… It does not make sense to ruin the very few things that make Windows Mobile worth using.

I suppose we’ll find out in a week’s time, but my current HTC Touch Pro 2 with WM6.5 may very well be the last Windows phone I will own.
Hellloooo Android….

UPDATE: While I still can’t verify any of this with an official statement, someone with close ties to internal MS developers has said the leaked information is fairly accurate. MWC can’t come soon enough…