Matt Buchanan on Windows Mobile 7

Matt Buchanan:

Every phone will have a Bing (search) button and a Start button. Custom skins, like the minor miracles HTC worked, are now banned. The message to hardware makers is clear: It’s a Windows Phone , you’re just putting it together. Basically, phonemakers get to decide the shape of the phone, and whether or not there’s a keyboard.

Microsoft’s dilemma by not building their own phones: they’re acknowledging that hardware matters, but if hardware matters, what’s the motivation for handset makers to excel if there’s nothing they can do to stand apart from others except for lowering their price? Microsoft’s message to handset makers is, more or less, “You’re going to do what we tell you to do and we’re going to take all the credit.” Very different from Android. Maybe that’s what these handset makers want, though.

One other word on hardware, in a manner of speaking. Hardware it won’t work with? Macs. Which is kind of stupid to us — a lot of the people Microsoft wants to use Windows Phone 7, like college students, have been going Mac in droves. You wanna lure them back Microsoft? Let them use your phone with any OS.

I think Microsoft has its fingers in its ears and is doing the na-na, can’t hear you thing regarding Mac market share (and demographics).

Yes, the browser is Internet Exploder. And yes, the rumor’s true: It won’t be as fast as Mobile Safari. Not to start.

“Not to start”, eh?

History is on Microsoft’s side here—we know what happened the last time Apple had a massive head start.

Not to be a smug dick here, but wasn’t the last time Apple had a massive head start over Microsoft the iPod? Speaking of which, no word on whether Windows Mobile 7 phones will support PlaysForSure.

★ Tuesday, 16 February 2010