Windows Phone
Microsoft gave a sneak peak at Windows Phone 7 Series, the replacement for Windows Mobile at Mobile World Congress 2010. I have read some very enthusiastic reviews so far, but Windows Phone 7 Series (WP7) must be more impressive in person compared to the photos I've seen. To be fair, photographs of videos screens and impromptu 'hands on' demos can't really shine a proper light on a product. From the product description it appears that Microsoft came to play, and I'm glad they didn't 'phone it in' (sorry about the bad pun). This product is a must for them. There is no way that Microsoft can leave the smartphone market to rivals Apple and Google. There is too much at stake. Desktop computing is dying, and the company that can control the Cloud, the TV screen, and the mobile device will be the winner. Microsoft has it's foot in the door against Google with Windows Live, Bing, and their Cloud Computing platform, and they have Xbox and Xbox Live in the living room, but they need WP7 to complete the picture.
Is this a winner for Microsoft? At this point, who knows? WP7 phones won't be available until late 2010. I believe it is not too late for Microsoft to be a viable player in the smartphone market. Apple has yet to monopolize the market in the way that Microsoft did with desktop Windows, and it appears that Apple's competitors are finally getting organized (Android, Open Handset Alliance, Palm webOS, Flash 10.1, etc.). With that said, I've seen this scenario before: a company demos some brilliant technology only to epically fail to market the product.
A lot can happen between now and the 2010 holiday season. If Microsoft can execute what was demonstrated today, and Apple doesn't re-revolutionize the iPhone between then and now, Microsoft might have a chance to get back into the game.
Nexus D’oh! II
It looks like my concern that the Google Nexus One would supplant the Motorola Droid as the top Android phone was unfounded (in sales at least). According to an article on Gizmodo, the Nexus One only sold 20,000 units during the first week of sales and 80,000 in the first month. Compare those numbers to the Droid: 250,000 in the first week and 525,000 in the first month of sales! Only the original iPhone beats the Droid at 350,000 and 600,000.
I guess the lesson learned here is: you have to advertise your products! Apple and Motorola/Verizon inundated television with commercials for their phones. Google’s marketing plan so far is to have text and image ads all over the web via Google AdWords/AdSense. Combine the lack of television advertising with the fact that you can only purchase the Nexus One through Google.com, and you have a recipe for disaster. You can go to any Apple or AT&T store and hold an iPhone in your hands, or you can visit the Verizon store for a demo of the Droid. Being able to actually use an expensive product before purchase means a lot. Not to mention that stores and salespeople have a vested interest in making you buy their phone. When Verizon or AT&T gets you in their store, they can do the hard sell, and they can up-sell you service plans and accessories. When you go to google.com/phone, you will see an awesome demo of the Nexus One, but all you have to do is close your browser when you've had enough.
Selling consumer electronics is not like launching Google Maps. The Nexus One can’t be in ‘beta’ for 3 years. If Google search goes down, so what? Users will switch over to Yahoo! or Bing. If a user’s Nexus One locks up, they are going to want immediate customer service. When you shell out a couple hundred bucks for a phone and it doesn’t work, you’re not going to be too pleased with searching a support forum for answers.
Unless Google finds a partner to help them sell and service the Nexus One (T-Mobile is the Nexus One network, but they don’t provide customer sales or support), the Motorola Droid will continue to be the Android top dog (until the next big think comes along in about 10 minutes ).
The Future is Almost Now
Last night I was reading about the history of the BlackBerry, and I was (once again) struck by how fast technology moves. The article described that Research In Motion (possibly the coolest tech company name), the maker of the BlackBerry, started out producing two-way pagers before developing the now ubiquitous Blackberry smartphone, and this made me nostalgic for my old beeper. Man, I loved that thing. I wore it on my belt like a pocket watch. It was so simple. One triple-A battery would last weeks, and the device was always on. When introduced, the pager was cutting edge, but now I look back at it as 'a simpler time'. A time when life moved more slowly. A movie only cost $7, and you would only lock one deadbolt on your front door. Ah, beepers... You future was so bright... Right before 'easy' access to the web came about, my brother bought me a device that hooked up to my TV, and using the paging network, would display news and sports stories. I wish I remembered the name of the service. I think it was in business for about a year before "You've got mail!" hit the scene, and we were all cursing AOL and that damn busy signal.
Kaypro Portable Computer
I used to think that nostalgia was something old people felt when they heard a replay of Amos & Andy radio plays, but my generation, which is not so young anymore, can get misty-eyed about 8-bit Nintendo and the IBM PS/2 Model 25. Case in point, The DigiBarn Computer Museum contains some of the coolest old computers, and I can spend hours reminiscing on that site. "A Kaypro portable! NO WAY!" Remember the original Cray supercomputer? I have more computing power in my digital digital watch than the original Cray!
This is a wonderful time for technology. Competition is driving innovation up and keeping prices down, and we're finally seeing some Star Trek tech come to life. My Garmin sweetly guides me home, speaking to me in dulcet tones, "In 300 feet, stay left on State Road 417..." My Droid listens to music and identifies the song. It tracks my progress while I walk the dog and maps it on Google maps. I can virtually fly over New York City and zoom in on my old apartment building in 3D using Bing maps, or I can just view the streets from eye level using Google Street View. I can set my phaser on maximum and vaporize my enemies with just a push of a button! Well, maybe some day. For now, I'll have to settle for using the Droid to scan bar-codes, translate my spoken words into foreign languages, and doing visual searches on the web with the camera. Still, vaporizing my enemies...***sigh ***
Buyers Remorse
To some extent, I always regret what I purchase. As much as I may love the item, parting with my hard-earned cash always takes a toll on me. As a result, I am VERY critical of every good and service that I purchase. I wouldn't have it any other way. When you buy a car, rent a DVD, or dine out at a fancy restaurant you have not only purchased that good or service, you have also purchased the right to bitch about it!
I have noticed that some people never negatively criticize something they have purchased, a sports team they follow, or anything on which they have spent money, time, or energy. I assume that they subconsciously feel that their choice of purchase reflects on them to a very large degree. Not me. I'll tell you straight up that I purchased a Chrysler PT Cruiser in 2002, and it was the biggest piece of crap that I've ever owned, but others would never admit it. They would defend the Cruiser and tell you how great it is despite their deep hatred for the car. This mentality is completely foreign to me. What's the use of being alive if you can't complain about living?!
If you are a regular reader of BackingIn, you know that I'm a Microsoft enthusiast, but don't get me started on how much I hate Microsoft Outlook. I live for the New York Mets, but I could do a thesis on why they suck out loud. I bought a 2009Volkswagen Rabbit, and it is a great car, but it gets horrendous gas mileage and the fit and finish are sub-par. I own a Motorola Droid, and it is way cool, but rest assured, I will give you a true assessment of it below.
Nexus D’oh!
I owned the hottest Android-based smartphone for exactly 33 days. Today, Google announced the Nexus One Android phone. Google created (now administered by Open Handset Alliance) the free, open-source smartphone operating system, called Android. Multiple phone manufactures build Android-based smartphones, but Google stayed out of the hardware business until now. I own the Motorola Droid. Motorola has a massive marketing campaign pitting the Droid against Apple’s iPhone, and by the reaction of my friends to my new phone, it appears that the marketing is paying off. People know the Droid, and it selling very well. Technology moves very fast, and I knew that I wouldn’t have the leading-edge phone for very long, but 33 days?!
Google will really blow the wind out of Motorola’s sales with the Nexus One. The Nexus One is thinner, faster, and has a better screen than the Droid (and the iPhone!). Nexus also has specific hardware and software features like 3D and voice to text for all input fields. Not to mention, that when people think about the iPhone’s biggest competition from now on, it will be the Nexus One.
You CAN Go Home Again
On my way back to Florida, I sat next to that guy on the airplane. You know the guy to whom the rules do not apply? Yeah, that's the guy. You sat next to him once, too?
I upgraded to first class for my trip from a windy Newark Liberty International airport. It only cost me $60! With the delays caused by the high winds and the extra volume of holiday travelers, I was so glad to be able to get on (and off) the plane first, enjoy a wide seat, and get (as it turns out) really good food and drinks. As I settled into my 3rd row seat, the flight attendant asked me if I would trade seats with a woman in the first row bulkhead. There are no seats in front of the seats in the bulkhead row, so the woman in question had to put her case in the overhead. She had special medical issues, and she needed to be able to access her carry-on during the flight. Being the good sport that I am, I agreed and traded with her. I think the whole 'special medical needs' was just a ruse to get away from that guy.
