Author: kevin

Steve Jobs took time on the Apple financial call yesterday to discuss how the iOS platform is better than Android, since the ‘open’ platform of Android is becoming fragmented while the ‘closed’ iOS platform remains consistent. He gave an example of how the developers of TweetDeck apparently were frustrated developing the Android version of the app because they had to deal with too many variations of the Android platform which made development more difficult than for iOS

This kicker in this story – the CEO for the company that develops TweetDeck publicly responded, appropriately via Twitter, saying that they said no such thing. In fact they countered Jobs statement saying that developing for Android was cool because their app can run on so many different devices which shows how little the issue of perceived fragmentation actually is, and that the actual development was easy and that they only have 2 developers working on the Android app.

Hmm. Something not adding up there. Someone’s not doing their research, or Apple just dropped some unbelievable unsubstantiated FUD that only Microsoft has been successful of previously pulling off.

There’s no doubt that the iPhone has been wildly successful, but this week was the first week I overhead more than one conversation of people deciding to ditch their iPhones for an Android phone instead. If this is any indication of a change across other iPhone users, then it’s understandable why Jobs spent time on the investor call to give the sell on why iOS is better than Android. Shame he didn’t get his facts right.

I was extremely worried this was going to turn out bad and brick my phone, but following the instructions from theunlockr (more details here) worked out great.

Turns out this version of 2.2 on a myTouch3g is extremely responsive, and even more peppy that the 1.6 official version I originally had. Very pleased so far!

Microsoft are having yet another try at getting a foothold in the mobile phone market, this time with Windows Phone 7. cnet ask if the launch of Windows Phone 7 will be the ‘defining moment’ for Ballmer. After a string of half-hearted mobile products, including different versions of Windows Mobile that attempted and failed to bring the Windows desktop metaphor to the smaller form factor of the mobile phone, the Microsoft Kin which came and went without hardly anyone noticing, Windows Phone 7 has a lot to live up to.

I’ve said many times before, I think Microsoft under Ballmer’s direction has lost it’s way – they’ve been milking the Windows and Office cash cows for too long and the rest of the tech world is leaving them by. For Microsoft to have a success with a new mobile phone platform they’ve got to come out with something earthshattering to catch up and compete with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android platform. Those trains have long left the station and have gathered immense momentum, it’s going to be pretty hard for anything new from Microsoft to catch up at this point. We’ll wait and see what Microsoft pulls out of the bag on Monday.