Windows Phone Thoughts: jkOnTheRun On What's Wrong With Windows Mobile

"Microsoft has not seemed to realize how consumer perception becomes the new reality in the smartphone space. WM may be the most advanced platform in the smartphone world (open to debate) but that becomes a moot point when consumers aren't aware of it. All of the major players in the smartphone game made a shift to reach mainstream consumers in the last couple of years and they quickly discovered this is totally different than the enthusiast communities and enterprises they've been targeting for so long."

While he by no means focuses purely on Windows Mobile, James Kendrick's blog is one I've followed for a long time and in this editorial post he makes a stinging and very accurate assessment on the state of Windows Mobile today. Very much from a consumer viewpoint, he makes the compelling argument that the way the WM ecosystem is set up makes it extremely difficult for Microsoft to leverage the Windows brand and technical capabilities of the OS in a way that the mass market would recognize and pay for. It's nothing we haven't heard (and discussed) before, but I've never seen it put quite so succinctly. I'd say this really bolsters the argument for Microsoft making it's own hardware or alternatively restrict further what vendors and carriers can do to the OS, provided of course Microsoft can deliver on the promise of WM7 (here's what jkOnTheRun readers thought about WM6.5). Thoughts, people?