Which mobile platform is the best? It’s a war that rages on and on. Vocal supporters of every desktop and mobile platform mount vigorous assaults in defense of their favored system. And yet, I think that’s not the right approach.
Read on after the jump for my take on the debate about “Which Device is the Best?”
This is the first of a series of posts designed to answer a long list of questions folks asked in my last blog post. I started to write it as one post but the thing got so dang long it was getting silly. If I don’t answer your question or address your favored topic today, don’t worry…I’ll get to it over the next couple of days!
Windows VS iPhone VS BlackBerry VS Palm
There is a reason we support a lot of platforms – they all have their advantages. Sure, from the manufacturer’s points of view the platforms are going head to head, but for the consumer we should be asking a different question altogether. I want to start by making a few comments on the big platforms we support.
Windows Mobile: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the power of Windows Mobile. It gives me so much freedom that other platforms don’t. Every time I go to a Microsoft event I literally beg them to market the platform better. It is such an excellent solution for so many people, and most of them don’t even know about it!
iPhone: I LOVE my iPhone. I’ve never found a device that was so simple to use. It is limiting in many ways, but it does what it does simply, elegantly, and in a way that is entirely intuitive. Plus, what iPhone has done for mobile software is beyond anything any other platform has done. Look at the latest ad copy for the iPhone – it is ALL about 3rd party software. Bravo!
BlackBerry: I don’t use BlackBerry regularly but the clear focus of this device is beautiful. My friends who use these devices love the hard and fast stability of this platform. And like the iPhone, it knows what it is supposed to do and does it well.
Palm: And Palm? Look, Palm isn’t my favorite platform – I’ll admit – but the bloody OS is still around with no upgrades for YEARS. You can’t argue with that sort of success. It’s a platform that is everything a lot of folks could possibly want. Smooth. Simple. Stable. Straightforward. This is a design that has stood the test of time. I really do hope Palm pulls it out of the fire over the next couple of years because they’ve got a good thing that deserves saving.
It’s the same with desktop platforms. Each has its advantages.
In the end, I don’t think it makes any sense to argue over “the best” operating system. The real question is what is “the best operating system FOR YOU.” We each have our needs and the beauty of the current mobile market is that there is something out there for everyone.
The Software Developer Point of View
As a product manager, it isn’t important to me which platform is “the best”. Each has a role to play in the market and people for whom it is the best option. What really matters to me as Product Manager, is whether or not the platform will sell enough software to provide us with a strong, steady profit over the long term without eating development time we need for a more profitable platform.
Yep, it’s an ugly way of looking at things but if we’re going to support ANY platforms we have to make choices that keep us in business. It doesn’t matter how much we love a particular platform or how passionate a group of people are about their platform. It isn’t a judgement about the quality of the platform – it’s simply a question of making good business decisions so that ten years from now we’re still out there keeping your important information secure.
Coming Tomorrow…
- eWallet for Mac Update (YES! We ARE making it.)
- Release Dates