As Microsoft preps for its new Windows Mobile app store, Microsoft’s mobile guru Andy Lees had some interesting things to say regarding Microsoft’s desire to work with handset makers to encourage more iPhone-like features.
The Detroit News reports:
“Apple took a bet on expensive hardware and designed the software around the hardware,” Lees said. “That allowed Apple to design a phone with superior graphics capabilities.” Microsoft, he said, wasn’t set up to help match that in its software.
Microsoft is working with its hardware manufacturers to make those kinds of innovations more rapidly available as an industry, Lees said.
I like how implementing expensive and world class hardware with sophisticated software is such a novel idea to Microsoft that they refer to it as a “bet”, as if trying to surpass already high expectations is too risky of a move to be considered practical.
And as for Microsoft’s efforts to help hardware manufacturers deliver more iPhone-like features, Counternotions sums it up perfectly when it writes:
Welcome to the absurdity of design coordination across several continents among “partners” with different cultures, innovation capabilities, corporate agendas and competitive pressures. Unfortunately for Microsoft to repudiate this is tantamount to repudiating its PC history, which still provides the vast majority of its revenues. Welcome to the Zune generation, Microsoft. Rock. Hard place.
Amen.
Microsoft is desperately trying to cling to a business model that simply doesn’t work in the mobile space.
Related: Steve Ballmer on touchscreens and why Windows Mobile is in trouble
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Wed, Apr 1, 2009
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