Microsoft screwed up the Windows Mobile concept rather badly in the versions before WM5 as well: they don't have persistent FLASH memory for application and data storage, so if your battery runs down, it's reinstallation time. (Yeah, you can work around this to some extent by backing up to memory cards, but still...)

Now, you might argue that it worked well enough with the iPod - but you can play more or less any audio or video content you like (depending on the model you have) on the iPod. It's as if Apple had said you can only play music from particular bands on the ipod.

So, I simply think we *must* be parsing this wrongly. My hopeful guess is that when SJ says "We decided what the phone is. We decided what software would be on the phone. And so we could make the product we wanted" he means Apple. NOT Cingular. And he is not talking about the future, but the present. He is sying in effect "we are the deciders, not the service providers" which is revolutionary, at least the the US market.

Well, here's hoping anyway

(p.s. just lose the phone bit Apple! wifi and bluetooth is all we really need)

I think if Apple decided to do it, and wanted to get it right, they first should build an ecosystem like Mozilla based on virtual iPhone (like virtual machine) and then open it up and have bundles, checks and controls for things. But in the end of the day, that might be more hassle than benefit.

Alex

"And really, from a commercial and even artistic sense, Apple's philosophy is a proven winner."

I wouldn't call the Mac having a barely measurable market share for a decade a commercial success, and many have skillfully argued that the Intel victory was significantly built on their open HW platform.

Manual Trackback: http://www.touchstonelive.com/blog/2007/01/betting-on-windows-iphone-closed.html

I'll just have to keep using my Series 5, which ironically I bought the year Jobs killed the Apple Newton, the first great PDA.

What stupidity. Couldn't you say the exact same thing about your desktop computer? Imagine how horribly boring the internet would be if the only network-enabled products we could use were built by Microsoft! And this "ain't" no MP3 player market where they have a monopoly, the cell phone market is pretty mature to put it mildly. I'm sticking with my blackberry.

Wow, I love the benefit of the doubt this phone is getting. We've all decided it's a great product, yet no one has really used it.

I guess perception is reality. If Bill Gates came out with a similar stance about a closed platform we'd all be ranting about how evil he was.

Closing the software platform to developers is a huge switch. Reflective of the economics of the mobile device, IMO. They don't need 3rd party developers to sell the phone.

HIstorically Apple & NeXT needed developers to sell more product.

The funny thing is that if the iPhone goes well AND apps are allows to be added to the phone, Apple has a real reason to think that the Mac platform could blow up.

After all, if the iPhone is successful and developers have a reason to switch from Windows programming to mac programming, imagine the world of application development that opens up! And through that, less and less reasons to think "I have to stick with PC becaus of X application, or because i understand the PC metaphor".

Here's hoping....