April 28th, 2009 at 1:59 PM

“Hey, they could market it under the name Pontiac. It?s gonna be available!”

It would probably be more like a “Gremlin,” both the auto and the creature.

April 28th, 2009 at 3:24 PM

I think the company with the most to lose in all this is RIM.  The Storm is Verizon’s poster-boy flagship model.  2010 is a long way away, so there’s no telling what the leading devices will be or look like at that time, but if RIM is dependent on its Verizon relationship to bolster company prestige and profits, I’d imagine some hopping-mad execs in Waterloo, ON if Verizon starts pushing the Microsoft solution.  That raises an interesting question, really.  We know that providers covet exclusivity on the big-name devices (T-Mobile & the G1, Verizon & the BB Storm, AT&T & the iPhone, and Palm & the Pre), but I’d be curious how device manufacturers set conditions on the competing devices their providers can carry?

April 28th, 2009 at 4:12 PM

The Zune is a great example of how when Microsoft tries to beat apple at it’s own game, it loses.  Reports say that the latest Zune is a solid product, but no iPod killer.  If Microsoft were to try and clone the iPhone (or the BlackBerry, or the Pre) their device would probably get a similar lackluster adoption—there’s little substitute for being first to market. 
The iPhone OS makes windows mobile look seriously last-gen, and the app store redesigned what a phone can do.  If Microsoft want’s to get back in the game the MS way, expect to see a refreshed windows mobile that not only runs on a cadre of smartphones, but also on the $50 filp phones.