| Ever since Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer announced | | | | with the release of its 4.0 software. If this is the case, |
| Windows Mobile 7 at MWC in Barcelona, everyone in | | | | then Microsoft could be left behind even before they |
| the mobile tech world has been talking about it. | | | | begin. |
| Microsoft used to be a pretty big player in the mobile | | | | 4. Bing |
| phone space, but recently they have lost massive | | | | Microsoft's Bing search engine definitely isn't bad, but |
| market share to competitors like RIM's Blackberry, | | | | most people still want to use Google. Most people find |
| Apple's iPhone, and Google's Android. But is Windows | | | | nothing wrong with Google, and they don't want to |
| Phone 7 going to save Microsoft and pull them back to | | | | have to learn a new search engine when the one they |
| the top? Although it is very possible, here are a few | | | | have been using for a decade is perfectly fine. |
| limitations that are working against them: | | | | Windows Mobile 7, of course, completely integrates |
| 1. Late Release | | | | Bing. Users will have to jump through a bunch of hoops |
| Windows Mobile 7 was initially slated to be released by | | | | if they want to use Google. All the other phones |
| 2009. Now, Microsoft is saying that it will be released in | | | | integrate with Google because they don't have a |
| late 2010. Instead, in 2009 they released Windows | | | | search engine of their own to promote. |
| Mobile 6.5, which is supposed to be a brief holdover | | | | 5. Upgraders could be left in the cold |
| until the new software could come out. | | | | People who are already using Windows Mobile 6.1 or |
| The main problem for Microsoft is that the longer they | | | | 6.5 might find that none of the apps they bought work |
| wait before they actually release Windows Phone 7, | | | | on Windows Mobile 7. Since Windows Mobile 7 was |
| the longer their competitors will have to build market | | | | built from the ground up, backwards compatibility is |
| share. In 2009 alone, they lost 13% of their market | | | | unlikely. Microsoft has said that they will most likely |
| share. How much will they lose in 2010? Because | | | | release some porting tools for developers or an |
| smart phones are such a social device nowadays, this | | | | emulator, but this isn't a perfect solution. |
| results in a worse experience for all existing Windows | | | | 6. Apps |
| Mobile users. | | | | When it comes to smart phones (and computers), it's |
| 2. Bad Reviews | | | | really all about the apps. Apple will have had a 3 year |
| The reviews for Windows Mobile 6.5 were definitely | | | | head start on Microsoft, and their App Store currently |
| not favorable for Microsoft. This bad press doesn't | | | | boasts more than 150,000 apps. Google's Android and |
| lead people to sit on the edge of their seats | | | | the Blackberry have been struggling to catch up for |
| anticipating Windows Mobile 7. The good news is that | | | | over a year. Microsoft hasn't even started. |
| this has forced Microsoft to completely start over and | | | | 7. Usability |
| build a new operating system from scratch. Hopefully | | | | Although this isn't a limitation YET, it is worth keeping in |
| they get it right this time. | | | | mind. Microsoft is normally very good at creating |
| 3. Multi-tasking | | | | devices which can perform a lot of tasks and which |
| One of the rumors going around is that Windows | | | | have a lot of features. Where they usually fail is in the |
| Phone 7 may not be able to multi-task. Of course, this | | | | customer experience and the usability of their |
| is also a limitation of the iPhone, whereas Blackberries | | | | products. Hopefully they really concentrate on this |
| and Androids currently have multitasking capabilities. It | | | | aspect with Windows Phone 7. |
| is also rumored that iPhones will support multitasking | | | | |