Goodbye, Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine

It’s a sad day for Windows Mobile: Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine have announced that they’re suspending publication as of the last issue in 2008.

The magazine – first called Handheld PC Magazine, then Pocket PC, then Smartphone and Pocket PC, has been around 11 years – just as long as we have. The first issue (Volume 1, Number 0) is dated “Fall 1997”, and if I knew how to work the scanner, I’d show our first ad and give everyone a laugh.

It’s no surprise that the magazine is suspending their Windows Mobile publication. Hal and his staff did an amazing job with it. I saw it in every major bookstore, and every airport magazine counter (I always checked). The articles and art were professional, the content interesting, and the information useful.

But that’s not enough to keep a magazine running. Looking back through my archives, the August issue had 26 advertisers. A random issue from 2004 had 52 and one from 2000 had 37. Microsoft advertised in some of these, not all of them, and the more recent issues had almost no hardware manufacturers, distributors or big companies advertising.

In contrast, the latest issue of MacWorld had 81 advertisers, including big companies like CDW, MacMall, Western Digital and other very recognizable names. Apple’s showing TV commercials specifically about the iPhone App Store and adding over 250 new apps each week.

I don’t understand why Microsoft isn’t doing much more to support the Windows Mobile consumer market – the people who have supported their OS for the last 11 years.

Of course the publishers of Smartphone and Pocket PC are going to try an iPhone publication – who wouldn’t, in those circumstances? I hope they have all the success they deserve with it.

And in one other mobile-media related note, if you’re interested in mobile news and analysis, the four new MediaBistro Mobile sites are doing a great job rounding up info I wouldn’t have found anywhere else. Thanks, guys – you’re making my job a lot easier.