New blogpost: Why Microsoft’s new Windows Phone is important to social networking – [link to post] – comments welcome!

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New Blogpost: Will games play nice with Social Networks? – [link to post]

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I would really like to see MS surprise me at MWC. I would even more like to see a stunning tablet PC interface from them. But I’m not betting on it.

Apple have realised the value of controlling the whole hardware-software experience. Google have too with the Nexus One. Sometimes a software firm needs to make great hardware just to get other hardware firms to raise their game. I think that’s what Google is hoping with the Nexus One, and it’s what I think MS should do with Windows Mobile 7.

How wrong was he.

My main issue with it is how completely useless it is for touch screen. All the menu buttons are tiny, and I regularly need to get the stylus out or slide the keyboard open to access features. This shouldn’t be a huge problem, but the phone is the size of a brick, weighs twice as much and is clunky to say the least. Being able to quickly access info with a quick tap of a finger should be easy in this day and age, but instead I have to faff about with the stylus or the keyboard. I wouldn’t mind, but the first work phone I ever had was an HP iPaq back in the day (the day being 2005 I believe). It ran Windows Mobile 5, and as far as I was concerned it was the best thing ever. In fact I think it still is (I powered it up at some point last year to compare and contrast my 2 Windows Mobile devices). My concern is that the ipaq was pretty good at what it did, and the Windows Mobile interface worked fine, but Windows Mobile 6.1 doesn’t seem to have improved things much, and it doesn’t take into account how people use Smartphones in this day and age (i.e. with their fingers). How did Microsoft get it so wrong? I understand (from speaking to them in Reading during a recent work meeting) that it takes “ages” to develop new platforms etc, but did they really not see the touchscreen phenomenon coming? If they missed the boat on that one, what else will they miss this time round?

Microsoft have a struggle on their hands, Apple can afford to spend as long as they like developing the next big thing, because it’s the next big thing – it might have existed before (Blackberrys etc before the iPhone, other mp3 players before the iPod etc etc) but when you’re the people setting the standard for new and exciting you can take as long as you like. Assuming you have a great PR machine behind you winding up the market like a tightly sprung coil, you’ll always be able to launch with a big bang and make your product seem like the best thing since bread was first sliced. Microsoft on the other hand seem to be playing catch up all the time, and with such a long release to manufacture process, I doubt they’ll ever catch up and be leading edge.

@cafedumonde you should reaad @gazimoff comments related to flash here: [link to post]

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@gazimoff Yeah, your article on the iPad is good | [link to post] | In case anyone interested; I won’t be buying one!!

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RT @Gazimoff: @lesanto @ogerrard @brynmorgan @stuartwitts My analysis of the iPad is up at [link to post]. Thoughts, comments & fe…

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I think that HP’s slate still stands a chance, but it depends how easy or hard it is to build an app for it. If you’ve tried Seesmic Look then that’s an idea of how you can expect it to work. Like Windows Mobile though, I think it’ll work best with an overlay on top of the standard Windows 7 UI just to provide some ease of use.

I think Android will keep going – it’s lightweight and easy to customise, but I can’t help feeling that the lack of music and film stores might be holding it back. Deals with Netflix and Spotify to bring the media to the platform could really help boost Android in this area.