It appears we are going to be locked into a features war. Hamidxa has shown all the capabilities of the WinMo OS and they are indeed impressive. The current iPhone will lose that war easily. But the fact of the matter is that WinMo is losing market share. Those features are not new features, but have been on most recent WinMo phones and they are still losing market share. I really think all those features are dedicated to nerd users and not necessarily to the average smartphone user. I doubt the average user is even concerned about multi-tasking or tethering. Most of the people I see with iPhones are flipping through CoverFlow, simple browsing, watching videos, playing games and making the usual telephone calls.
I don't doubt it's nice to have all those capabilities that WinMo offers, but are they really necessary for the average user to have. That's an awful lot of menu choices to navigate through. I do think the iPhone should have copy/paste, video capture, turn-by-turn navigation, etc. I'm not sure if I'd need all that, but it's nice for bragging rights. I think future iPhones will have some of those features. But from a company standpoint I think you may have to balance what the average customer is really going to use rather than just every feature under the sun.
Anyway, we shall see if WinMo can pull back customers by throwing dozens of features on a smartphone and have very few customers being able to use them. Already, I think smartphones are exceeding most user's capabilities. I know younger people that have a difficult time with menuing systems and to bore down through complicated menus can be very confusing especially if you don't know exactly what you're looking for.
I can easily remember lots of functions, but I have a knack for that sort of stuff. Most people I know don't. They'll ask me to figure it out for them.
I think the iPhone will still prevail even though it is lacking in many features because it is easier to use for most owners and they can always go to a Genius Bar or go back to a Retail Store and get plenty of help. All iPhones are basically the same and will make it easier to troubleshoot problems.
Indeed, WinMo and WinMo phones destroy the iPhone in terms of features.
However, you should do a bit more research when you talk of shrinking markets, because it may surprise you but: "Windows Mobile outsold the iPhone in Q4 2008" http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=2569
Or: "HTC hits the big time - now 3rd biggest smartphone brand in Q208" (Note the growth percentage) http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=933
Not only are WinMo and WinMo devices superior to any other devices on the market in terms of features and capabilities, but they are still an ever-growing market with no signs of slowdowns yet.
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It appears we are going to be locked into a features war. Hamidxa has shown all the capabilities of the WinMo OS and they are indeed impressive. The current iPhone will lose that war easily. But the fact of the matter is that WinMo is losing market share. Those features are not new features, but have been on most recent WinMo phones and they are still losing market share. I really think all those features are dedicated to nerd users and not necessarily to the average smartphone user. I doubt the average user is even concerned about multi-tasking or tethering. Most of the people I see with iPhones are flipping through CoverFlow, simple browsing, watching videos, playing games and making the usual telephone calls.
I don't doubt it's nice to have all those capabilities that WinMo offers, but are they really necessary for the average user to have. That's an awful lot of menu choices to navigate through. I do think the iPhone should have copy/paste, video capture, turn-by-turn navigation, etc. I'm not sure if I'd need all that, but it's nice for bragging rights. I think future iPhones will have some of those features. But from a company standpoint I think you may have to balance what the average customer is really going to use rather than just every feature under the sun.
Anyway, we shall see if WinMo can pull back customers by throwing dozens of features on a smartphone and have very few customers being able to use them. Already, I think smartphones are exceeding most user's capabilities. I know younger people that have a difficult time with menuing systems and to bore down through complicated menus can be very confusing especially if you don't know exactly what you're looking for.
I can easily remember lots of functions, but I have a knack for that sort of stuff. Most people I know don't. They'll ask me to figure it out for them.
I think the iPhone will still prevail even though it is lacking in many features because it is easier to use for most owners and they can always go to a Genius Bar or go back to a Retail Store and get plenty of help. All iPhones are basically the same and will make it easier to troubleshoot problems.
Indeed,
WinMo and WinMo phones destroy the iPhone in terms of features.
However, you should do a bit more research when you talk of shrinking markets, because it may surprise you but:
"Windows Mobile outsold the iPhone in Q4 2008"
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=2569
Or if you so choose to read this link:
"Top Best Selling Smartphones of 2008: Microsoft Wins?"
http://www.wirelessandmobilenews.com/2009/01/top_best_selling_smartphones_of_2008_microsoft_wins.html
Or:
"HTC hits the big time - now 3rd biggest smartphone brand in Q208" (Note the growth percentage)
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=933
Not only are WinMo and WinMo devices superior to any other devices on the market in terms of features and capabilities, but they are still an ever-growing market with no signs of slowdowns yet.