Joe Wilcox on Microsoft’s ‘Choice’ Strategy for Windows Mobile

Joe Wilcox on Windows Mobile:

Microsoft executives harp on about choice. That’s fine if businesses or consumers choose your product. The local supermarket offers lots of choice, but I can walk to the pricier convenience store. The point: Choice is good but it’s not a market differentiator. People need good choices, and Windows Mobile doesn’t feel like one of them right now.

The “choice” mantra was Microsoft’s oft-repeated response to the iPod back circa 2002–2004, and their entire explanation as to why PlaysForSure was going to win and the iPod would be relegated to some sort of Macintosh-sized niche. I’ll have to do some research to see how that turned out.

★ Monday, 15 September 2008