Is Windows Mobile Losing Its Way?
Windows Mobile used to be one of the most important mobile platforms. But that was long before Apple transformed the mobile scene. Windows Mobile still has many apps, mainly because developers have been writting for it for years and years. But mobile developers are aware that it has been ages since the software was updated, and it seems to be delayed more and more, much like Vista.
One more sign that Windows Mobile might be losing its mojo is a release from Handango that Blackberries are now the most popular device downloading apps from their store. Handango is one of the oldest and largest multiplatform app distributors. Since they have such a wide selection of softtware across so many platforms, they are able to a close eye on what the average mobile users consider their favorite devices. With this latest news suggesting that Microsoft might have a bigger battle on their hands then they originally planned, it brigns up some interesting questions:
- Will Microsoft throw more money and engineers at their old Windows Mobile platform to get the upgraded version out sooner?
- Can Microsoft compete with their legacy software against the newest OS specifically built for high-bandwidth, computationally expensive software like Apple iPhone?
- How much of their OS with they open to developers to compete with completely open source platforms like Google’s Android?
- How will Microsoft compete against mobile OS that are free for phone manufacturers like Android, and where will they make back their money? After all, Google plans to make their cash on mobile ads. What is Microsoft’s vision?
Tags: Blackberry, Handango, Microsoft, Windows Mobile