SuperSite Blog Daily Update: September 30, 2010

While I have no doubt that Win Phone 7 has been a well developed and is a potent OS, I have some reserves regarding its potential success for the following reasons:

MS has limited the scope of its potential buyers by wanting to absolutely target their Live and XBox Live clients. While it might represent a few 100 millions users worldwide, 98% of the other people who don't use them and who only care about their Gmail, Yahoo and Facebook account will find the interface awkward.

Also I think that iOS and then Android have set the de-facto standard as to what a home page should look like. People have tons of things they launch and do on a smartphone and want to be able to launch with one tap right from the home screen. 98% won't give a damn about their live status or whatever. Also if the interface is clean, it looks a bit too simplistic and unrefined compared to iOS or the Sense UI found on some Android phones.

The Zune HD interface, as good as it is is irrelevant since 98% of the people have not seen or used one.

So I think it's too bad MS has limited the scope of their audience by absolutely wanting to tie their products with the main interface of the phone. This will put off lot of basic users of smartphones.

But I have to say that I like the aggregation principle of contacts and pictures a bit like WebOS did.

The one true thing on the link about Windows Phone, "Make no mistake, Microsoft’s primary motivation for Windows Phone aren’t its software licensing fees. The real motivation is the need to protect Microsoft core businesses of Windows and Office product lines." Exactly. However, as daveinla pointed out, most people want Gmail, Facebook, Yahoo, Google, etc, and could really care less about "deep integration with Microsoft on-line services and products." In fact, when I start hearing phrases like "deep and rich" and "differentiated experiences" and "the richness of the product" my eyes roll back and I fall into a deep sleep. That's the same marketeer hoohah so beautifully skewered in the "If Microsoft Made the iPod packaging. I remain stunned that the video was made internally at Microsoft, and yet they just can't stop doing it. I don't think this will be a Zune debacle, if only because Nokia may go all in on WP in a last ditch attempt to remain relevant. But, WP will be, at best, a distant 3rd or 4th behind iPhone and Android.