It seems most Windows Mobile centric sites have taken up to attach a new villain; the iPhone. The latest was a post by Jason Langridge pointing an article by Matthew Miller on ZDNet entitled "Congratulations Apple, you made the iPhone less stable than Windows Mobile".
It was interesting to read the comments on Jason's blog compared to the few I read on Matthew Miller's blog. BTW, I hate how ZDNet forces you to click on the comment title to read it, this is just an extra step that has no reason for being....Clearly the comments on Jason's blog are from Windows Mobile users and I have to agree with them. I am not sure about the comments on the ZDNet blog.
I have been a Windows Mobile user/reviewer/developer/consultant since CE 1.1 and given my 3 week experience with the iPhone 3G, I would say it is as stable if not more stable than any Windows Mobile device I have used. Even with Windows Mobile 6.1 (which is the most stable version I have used), I had to perform a soft reboot about once a week. The last time my iPhone was rebooted is when I upgraded to 2.0.1.
My take on why some individuals seem to be having a lot of problems, is the quality of the applications they are using. There is no doubt that there is a lot of crap in the App Store and Apple has to do a better job of vetting them. The issue is that this is a double edge sword for Apple since they can't be seen as denying access to developers while making sure the application meets some level of certification. In the end all I can say "Apple, welcome to the real world", they have lived in their little bubble for too long and as Windows users know; you just don't install any application you come across without doing some vetting. To that end I think the comments in the App Store help considerably but the whole commenting process could be improved (eBay like might be nice) and they definitely need some trial period.
The bottom line; Although the iPhone is not perfect, has a ways to go in terms of Personal Information Management functionality (PIM), and I have made compromises (I also made compromises with Windows Mobile like no iTunes and lousy GPS acquisition on my Tilt), I feel the iPhone the best device on the market for my current usage pattern. And of course as a fickle consumer, that does not mean that I can't change my mind down the road...
Comments