Support lifecycle jumps from 18 to 36 months. VPN on the way!

[Chregu]

This growth will also be slower than the others--Apple and Samsung (for all intents and purposes, Samsung is currently synonymous with Android) started at a time when there was almost no competition, so their rise should not be the example to compare against.

Windows Mobile was out long before Android. Different to Microsoft, Google did it right after Apple did it right.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Windows Mobile was out long before Android. Different to Microsoft, Google did it right after Apple did it right.

Windows Mobile was never popular with consumers, though. I used Symbian and BlackBerry devices in the heyday of WinMo. I never knew anyone who had a WinMo device back then, even business users (the business users I knew had BlackBerry back then). I never even played with a WinMo device in a carrier store, since my impression was that they were strictly for business users, with zero to offer regular consumers.

 

[Chregu]

I never even played with a WinMo device in a carrier store, since my impression was that they were strictly for business users, with zero to offer regular consumers.

Yes, I think that is the point. Apple released a smartphone for the general public and I remember reviews that said nobody really needs a smartphone. Android was an answer to the locked down iOS, Microsoft did nothing at all.

I don't know why, likely because smartphones were for business users and an unimportant market? But when Microsoft finally realized they were wrong about this and that something had to be done, they were really, really late to the game. People don't even remember that there were touch screen phones before the iPhone.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Yes, I think that is the point. Apple released a smartphone for the general public and I remember reviews that said nobody really needs a smartphone. Android was an answer to the locked down iOS, Microsoft did nothing at all.

I don't know why, likely because smartphones were for business users and an unimportant market? But when Microsoft finally realized they were wrong about this and that something had to be done, they were really, really late to the game. People don't even remember that there were touch screen phones before the iPhone.

Android also became popular due to the fact that only AT&T had the iPhone at the time. T-Mobile was the first US carrier to offer Android (the G1), but Android took off when Verizon offered Android as an alternative to the iPhone, since the iPhone was an AT&T exclusive at the time.

 

[Chregu]

Android also became popular due to the fact that only AT&T had the iPhone at the time. T-Mobile was the first US carrier to offer Android (the G1), but Android took off when Verizon offered Android as an alternative to the iPhone, since the iPhone was an AT&T exclusive at the time.

But why do you think became Android successful and Windows Mobile just vanished? Android very much feels like Windows Mobile, it has tons of features and is very open. Windows Mobile also was highly customizable by phone producers, just look at the HD2 by HTC.

Also Windows Mobile was much more functional than Android in the beginning. Was it just because Android was free?

 

[Laura Knotek]

But why do you think became Android successful and Windows Mobile just vanished? Android very much feels like Windows Mobile, it has tons of features and is very open. Windows Mobile also was highly customizable by phone producers, just look at the HD2 by HTC.

I cannot comment on WinMo, since I never used it and never knew anyone who used it. I never heard of the HD2 before. The only WinMo device I heard of is the Samsung Jack, since I saw the commercials with Ozzy Osbourne.

 

[Chregu]

I cannot comment on WinMo, since I never used it and never knew anyone who used it. I never heard of the HD2 before. The only WinMo device I heard of is the Samsung Jack, since I saw the commercials with Ozzy Osbourne.

Personally I loved Windows Mobile. It was great, a real little computer on a phone with incredible features at the time. (The HD2 was a beautiful aluminum phone with a very colorful and popping OS on a great, big screen back then. Nowadays I wouldn't want this interface on my phone, but back then I found it beautiful.)

However not even Microsoft liked it: Ballmer: We 'screwed up with Windows Mobile'*( - Telecommunication - Software )

But still, my point is that Microsoft was out there as one of the first companies providing smartphones. They just didn't do it right for whatever reason.

 

[tmccaghren]

But why do you think became Android successful and Windows Mobile just vanished? Android very much feels like Windows Mobile, it has tons of features and is very open. Windows Mobile also was highly customizable by phone producers, just look at the HD2 by HTC.

Also Windows Mobile was much more functional than Android in the beginning. Was it just because Android was free?

As someone who also used WinMo, yes. It was feature-rich...for its time. But very open? I don't know that I would make that claim.

Though I somewhat liked WinMo, I can't really say that it operated on-par with even the first-generation droids. Had as many features, perhaps...but Droid was in a different league, regardless.

HD2 was "customizable" in that certain enterprising people were able to hack the phone to put different OS's on it. I think that phone was more the exception than the rule, though.

 

[Chregu]

As someone who also used WinMo, yes. It was feature-rich...for its time. But very open? I don't know that I would make that claim.

Though I somewhat liked WinMo, I can't really say that it operated on-par with even the first-generation droids. Had as many features, perhaps...but Droid was in a different league, regardless.

HD2 was "customizable" in that certain enterprising people were able to hack the phone to put different OS's on it. I think that phone was more the exception than the rule, though.

Very open in a sense that the registry could be edited, software could be installed from any source, and deep settings could be changed.

Concerning my HD2 reference I didn't mean some crazy stunts with other operation systems but this:

At its core, the HTC HD2 is another Windows Mobile 6.5 device with the staple apps like Microsoft Office Mobile Suite, Internet Explorer Mobile, and Windows Media Player, as well as Windows Marketplace for Mobile and Microsoft My Phone backup service. However, the HD2 also employs the HTC Sense user experience, which masks the traditional Windows Mobile UI and that's a good thing.

HTC HD2 Review - Watch CNET's Video Review

But now that I think about it, the entire touch input was outdated with heavy focus on a pen. That's what iOS changed and maybe Android did better.

 

[tmccaghren]

Oh. Well, ok then. Didn't ralise you could edit the registry on WinMo. I didn't really get into that kind of stuff until long after I had already ditched my Sammy SCH-i730.

I will concede that that much is more open than current offerings, though from a tech support perspective that must have been a PITA to troubleshoot remotely. Also agreed on the screen. I think the difference was, on a lot of devices, resistive vs. capacitive touch. I remember having to actually push on the screen (which actually gave a bit each time...imagine that now!) to get a response, whereas now it's just *tap*.

 

[tgp]

Seriously, though, if "nobody" wanted the tight security model, Apple's iPhone would have already ceased to exist.

True, but iPhone has one advantage; apps. With what's available in the App Store you can still do almost anything. WP8's available apps, or lack of them, combined with its locked down OS, seriously restricts it.

Windows Mobile was never popular with consumers, though. I used Symbian and BlackBerry devices in the heyday of WinMo. I never knew anyone who had a WinMo device back then, even business users (the business users I knew had BlackBerry back then). I never even played with a WinMo device in a carrier store, since my impression was that they were strictly for business users, with zero to offer regular consumers.

If I'm not mistaken Windows Mobile had 40% market share sometime around 2007 or 2008. However, the absolute numbers weren't all that high as smartphone saturation was very low at the time.

Very open in a sense that the registry could be edited, software could be installed from any source, and deep settings could be changed.

I loved that about WM! You could indeed edit the registry like you can on a PC. My favorite app was Internet Sharing (I think that's what it was called). When activated, you could plug it in to a PC with a USB cable and the PC would be online. Absolutely nothing had to be done or clicked on the PC.

 

[Laura Knotek]

True, but iPhone has one advantage; apps. With what's available in the App Store you can still do almost anything. WP8's available apps, or lack of them, combined with its locked down OS, seriously restricts it.



If I'm not mistaken Windows Mobile had 40% market share sometime around 2007 or 2008. However, the absolute numbers weren't all that high as smartphone saturation was very low at the time.



I loved that about WM! You could indeed edit the registry like you can on a PC. My favorite app was Internet Sharing (I think that's what it was called). When activated, you could plug it in to a PC with a USB cable and the PC would be online. Absolutely nothing had to be done or clicked on the PC.

It looks like WinMo's market share was 13% in 2007. Smart mobile device shipments hit 118 million in 2007, up 53% on 2006 | Canalys

 

[tgp]

It looks like WinMo's market share was 13% in 2007. Smart mobile device shipments hit 118 million in 2007, up 53% on 2006 | Canalys

Ha well maybe it depends on where you look! After some searching I found what I was referring to: Wikipedia - Windows Mobile. The chart is US only market share, but it does show 42% in 2007. It's about 2/3 of the way down the page on the right margin. Apparently the difference in numbers is US vs. worldwide. It also includes all handheld devices, not just phones. I personally owned 4 WM devices: 2 phones & 2 PDA's. I retired my last WM phone in April 2011.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Ha well maybe it depends on where you look! After some searching I found what I was referring to: Wikipedia - Windows Mobile. The chart is US only market share, but it does show 42% in 2007. It's about 2/3 of the way down the page on the right margin. Apparently the difference in numbers is US vs. worldwide. It also includes all handheld devices, not just phones. I personally owned 4 WM devices: 2 phones & 2 PDA's. I retired my last WM phone in April 2011.

I agree. US vs worldwide would make a difference. Symbian was huge overseas but never popular in the US.

 

[tmccaghren]

True, but iPhone has one advantage; apps. With what's available in the App Store you can still do almost anything. WP8's available apps, or lack of them, combined with its locked down OS, seriously restricts it..

I will agree that Apple CURRENTLY has aps in its favor...but the OS was just as locked down when it first came out, and apps were very few and far between. People dealt with it then because of the iPod, and the excitement of a full touch smartphone that was simple to use.

Well, that and Youtube and Google earth. Those 2 were the things I saw most often demonstrated in 2007.

Market share for WinMo may have been 40% in the US in 2007 but that statistic was taken either just before or just after the iPhone released, as well.

 

[tgp]

I will agree that Apple CURRENTLY has aps in its favor...but the OS was just as locked down when it first came out, and apps were very few and far between. People dealt with it then because of the iPod, and the excitement of a full touch smartphone that was simple to use.

Yes, and the iPhone didn't have any real competition at the time. That was 6 years ago after all. Today WP is trying to gain ground alongside iOS and Android, which are now very mature & popular systems with 750,000 apps each.

 

[tmccaghren]

Yes, and the iPhone didn't have any real competition at the time. That was 6 years ago after all. Today WP is trying to gain ground alongside iOS and Android, which are now very mature & popular systems with 750,000 apps each.

Yes. My point was about the system being locked down, and that it didn't drive away customers then...even with more open OS's in existence. I get that they had no competition except for WinMo, Blackberry, and Symbian, all of which were dated, and using (mostly) dated tech.