Right. But, with the ability of 3 party developers to develop applications for the iphone(and make some money) creates lot of interesting applications unlike Blackberry or windows mobile.
The comparison between the iPhone UI and Windows Mobile UI is the crux of the matter. With a device that you use dozens of times a day, every single day, the UI better be damn good. As of now, the UI on mobile devices has not been good. I've had a Dell Axim x51v running Windows Mobile 5 and 6, and let me tell you, this pda would crash at least once a day due to memory leaks or other gibberish. I shudder to think what the phone versions of Windows Mobile are like, since just the PDA was so unstable.
This also reminds me of the people trying to rid Verizon phones from their horrific UI and replace it with the UI that originally comes on the phones. Just because VZW-UI and Motorola-UI phones are equally functional, does not mean the UI does not matter.
I suppose that selling your app through iTunes is the first example of one of these providers creating a distribution and sales network for your 3rd party apps though.
But winmobile and blackberry platforms have been in existence for years and years.
The problem is mindshare. No one knows what they are. I remember a site called "handango" (I just checked and they are still there) that handled this, but most people have no idea of where to go for their content. Apple's answer is iTunes: a familiar interface for anyone that owns an iPod.
In Germany everybody knows Jamba, but everybody hates them.
Also, every network operator has tried to create their own platform (O2, T-Mobile, e-plus, Vodafone) - not so different from Apple after all? But nobody trusts the network operators (rightfully so), and awareness for mobile applications was not very big. I guess iPhone has an advantage because apps are a key marketing ingredient.
Can't remember the name of the author or the book, but he addressed the issue of the Vikings "discovering" the Americas before Columbus.
Well yes, in the sense that they were physically there earlier. But the author pointed out that rarely has a "discovery" had so little impact. For better or worse, Columbus' "discovery" led to mapping, further exploring, trading, colonization, etc. etc. (pillaging, plundering, exploiting, if you prefer). Which is why it is the one that gets mentioned in more history books.
If I'm being too subtle, Windows Mobile is the Vikings and iPhone Columbus in the above analogy.
I use winmobile and have regretted it pretty much ever since. The interface is just not intuitive as a phone interface. Not that most phone interfaces are, but winmobile 5 at least is about as bad as it gets.
Switched a very short while ago from the Windows to the Unix eco system but I can't confirm that it's the platform itself that makes or breaks the fun in developing.
I had a windows phone and I had to reboot it half a dozen times per day. It reminded me of my parent's windows machine (yes, I'll get around to buying them a Mac soon enough). IMHO having a stable platform with solid tools can make development fun.
