Microsoft has lost that "Zing"
Dvorak gets this right - what if Microsoft played the mobile game the way they played the PC game twenty years ago?
Microsoft's key to success with a Zune Phone would be the addition of all sorts of screwball features. An easy way to do this is to do what Microsoft has always done: copy other people's work. In this case, the handset should come preloaded with 100 apps. It wouldn't take a lot of time to find out the top 100 iPhone apps. Clone them and pre-install them on the Zune Phone—or make them a part of the phone's basic functionality.
It's not as if they lack the resources to do that - they have money galore, and tons of talent. What they apparently lack is leadership.
Comments
Re: Microsoft has lost that
[Rob Fahrni] May 1, 2010 9:16:02.266
James, it took them two years to create the KIN. I have a friend that worked on it, and I can't believe it took them that darned long, especially for what you get. It's basically iPhone 1.0, and they aren't even allowing you to develop for it, which is strange coming from Microsoft.
Re: Microsoft has lost that
[sebastian] May 1, 2010 11:42:52.824
Who cares?
mean.. like really?
f we cut the crap, there is a monopoly (Microsoft) and a moral leader (Apple).
one of them needs your help.
he iPhone is more advanced than most people thinks, but is not about engineering.
aring about Microsoft has no sense. They went irrelevant since years by now
Re: Microsoft has lost that
[anonymous] May 1, 2010 12:27:20.038
I recall reading the other day about some Microsoft hardware and the author said it wasn't introduced yet because MS was afraid of ZUNE-ING it.. A metaphor for failure...
Also in this age of patents, take down noticed, legality, "cloning" 100 iphone apps ideas and concepts from as many as 100 third parties would cause quite a lawyer frenzy...
Re: Microsoft has lost that
[W^L+] May 4, 2010 17:30:15.352
What they lacked before was principles. Thanks to DOJ and several states and the EU competition commission, they (for the time being) are being much more careful about how they utilize the creative work of competing entities. They are also leery of getting dragged back into the Texas Eastern District patent court.
I expect that WinPhone 7 will play to Microsoft's strengths, with strong tie-ins to Windows, MSOffice, Outlook & Exchange, and XBox Live. There is also likely to be a tie in to Zune (using their media store, easily transferring content to/from a Zune, and taking advantage of the Zune's song-sharing feature).
The demos show that they have re-thought what a phone should be. Don't be surprised if they surprise people with a strong competitor.