For those of you in the know, I’ve been going through some real grief here in Chicago out at my house with T-Mobile and their coverage. Prior to 21-Jun-10, coverage was GREAT! I had 3G/HSPA+ out at the house and I was fat, dumb and happy as far as signal was concerned.

Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for much better coverage.  Signal strength was consistent, strong (3-4 bars 3g/HSPA/HSPA+, 4-5 bars EDGE), and I rarely dropped a call. Loved it.

Notice the past tense.  LovED. 

In late June, a number of severe storms ran through suburban Chicago.  Since then, T-Mobile coverage at my house has SOOPAHH-sucked. I bounced between couldn’t get a signal AT ALL to every thing in between 3-4 bars of 3G signal. However, no matter what the phone read, placing or receiving a call, surfing the net or sending a text message was hit or miss at BEST.  Honestly, I haven’t really had service at the house at all since 21-Jun-10.

Early this morning, after arriving downtown, I flashed the new Nexus One Korean Radio Image, and O.M.G! Check this out:

2.17Mbps down, 320Kbps up..!

I am in the BCBS-IL building on the lake front, on the 16th floor.  Buildings like this are typically a dead zone for any cell phone, but I was still able to pull in over 2Mbps down.  I think that’s AMAZING, especially since I’ve never been able to have download speeds above 50k/sec here, at my desk, on the 16th floor.  In actual use, I was able to download a 150MB file in under 5 minutes with this radio.

Totally awesome; and totally amazing.  If you have a Nexus One and haven’t downloaded this radio image, you really need to give it a shot. Its universal, and should be able to work on either flavor N1 (T-Mobile or AT&T) here in the States.

Dear Mr. Ballmer,

I’ve been a mobile device enthusiast since 1997.  My first device was a Palm Sized PC from Casio – The E10.  It was a QVGA, 4 grey scale device.  The full specs can be seen here. (And was I surprised to find that Casio still has the tech spec info on their web site..? uh-huh. Oh yes I was…)

Interestingly enough, the Palm Sized PC was a me-too response to the(I think it was actually 3COM back then…someone correct me in the comments if I’m wrong…) Palm Pilot.  From 1997 until 2010, I’ve been a Windows Mobile enthusiast.  I know I’ve been nominated for Mobile Devices MVP at least twice during that time. Unfortunately, I was never awarded the honor.

Regardless of that, this open letter is being written and posted to speak to one specific subject -

Microsoft can’t afford to let Windows Phone 7 Series suck.

Please, PLEASE don’t suck…

Over the past 13 years, Microsoft’s Mobile Strategy and operating system have been a response to other market innovators.  First it was 3COM/Palm, then RIM and their Blackberry devices then the iPhone and then a myriad number of Android devices.  Unfortunately, Microsoft has never truly been a market leader, a market innovator in this sector. This needs to change, and change NOW, if Microsoft is going to survive in the mobile computing space.

With the recent demise of the Microsoft KIN, additional scrutiny is being placed on the, now utterly late to market, Windows Phone 7 Series OS. According to one InfoWorld article, Microsoft seems to be copying the implementation of the original iPhone – a device that’s now 4 years old, and 4 revisions back. That device with those capabilities at this point in time, sucks. This seems to be additional me too work from Microsoft, and is destined to failure if it doesn’t get things right.

So, how can Microsoft turn this ship around?  Its simple really.  Do the right thing.

1. Dump Entrenched Management, Strategy and Visions – They OBVIOUSLY don’t have a clue.  After 15 years of playing catch-up, isn’t it time to look at this from a different angle? Sometimes, going back to formula is just what is needed.Maybe, Steve… maybe… the answer doesn’t lie with a Harvard graduate with an MBA and a doctorate in mobile technology.  Maybe the answer lies with the mobile community you’ve had at your fingertips for the last 10-15 years. They think outside the box all the time. Its time to do that or pack it up and go home. Tap your MVP’s.  Tap Mobius… hell, tap ME; but tap someone who understands mobile computing, what it needs and what it doesn’t and LISTEN TO THEM. 

   Empower them to develop your strategy and vision. Empower them to develop the road map; and then LET THEM do it, or get out of mobile devices entirely. 

   Windows Mobile has been a second rate, second best OS for far too long. Its got TONS of potential and users wanting, begging for the right direction, vision, strategy to compete with others like Apple and RIM; but up to now, you haven’t come close, and OBVIOUSLY, it has everything to do with the leadership, their vision and their strategy for the platform.  Workers follow the beat of the drum.  When it doesn’t have a good beat and isn’t easy to dance to, people get lost and don’t know what to do.

2. Determine your Audience – Consumers or Business, not both.  Apple’s iPhone is a consumer device trying to live in the enterprise.  RIM’s Blackberry <pick a model> is an enterprise device trying to compete in the consumer space.  The iPhone is a winner in the consumer market because it knows what it wants to do in that space and gives consumers what it wants.  The same with RIM in the Enterprise market.  Microsoft can compete in either space, but I think both Apple and RIM have demonstrated that their devices don’t work and play well in the OPPOSITE space.  They can’t seem to get it right; and Microsoft shouldn’t gamble at this point.  They need to get a solid device out in the market and then build on the success.  Building an ok device that straddles the line between both consumer and enterprise spaces is going to flop. Pick one or the other and then hit that strategy with everything you’ve got.
3. Develop the Vision– I noted back in May how Google could Trump the iPad/iPhone/iPod. I also noted in the article that the only other company with the resources to make a bid for that move was Microsoft. While I think that MS really shouldn’t chase after that right now, the principles are the same.
   1. Make the Choice (consumer space or enterprise space/ in or out)
   2. Develop the strategy (Who will you partner with? How will you get there? What will it look like?)
   3. Create the Eco-System
4. Commit the Resources – If you’re going to do this, then do it. Set this up right. Give the management team the authority they need to get the job done. Give them access to the tools and resources they need to support the strategy and vision. Give them the programming teams they need. If you’re not going to really commit to this, don’t waste everyone’s time.  Don’t get the consumer and/or retail markets interested in something that isn’t really going to happen. If you’re not really going to commit to this, then say so and just bow out.
5. Hit it; and Hit it Hard – If the project is a go, then go, gO, GO! You’re really about 4 years behind at this point. You need an OS that’s going to run on existing WM compatible hardware; and we need to get something to market inside of 9 months, or else this is never going to be successful. People, customers, companies, bloggers/journalists, etc., will have moved on. Working with a partner to develop new hardware needs to wait until after the new OS is established, has a supportive enthusiast base and paying customers.  There’s enough hardware out there now from HTC and other OEM’s that run Windows Mobile that you should be able to target an existing device with an OS update that gets the job done.You don’t have the luxury of waiting on a hardware development lifecycle to finish.

I saw another article today that spoke to the feature set that is clearly unfinished; but again, its working against a three and a half year old paradigm, which clearly isn’t going to distinguish Microsoft in this space in any way, shape or form.

Mr. Ballmer, recent developments with Apple’s iPhone 4 (Antenna-gate, supplier problems with the white iPhone 4, and a reported increase in bricking due to flashing problems) and the fragmentation of Google’s Android OS (there are still actively sold devices on the shelves with Android 1.5 or 1.6, even after Android 2.2 has been pushed to their Nexus One on T-Mobile and AT&T in the US) is creating a unique opportunity for Microsoft to make a change in the mobile devices marketplace.  Anything else other than a solid win here could be problematic for mobile computing and for mobile computing at Microsoft.

Please Mr. Ballmer… Do the right thing.  I’ll support you in ANY way I can (as I know many Windows Mobile enthusiasts will); but please… Do the right thing for your customers, the industry, and most importantly Microsoft and its shareholders.

Kindest Regards,

Christopher Spera
Team Member, Just Another Mobile Monday

When using a GSM phone network, it was much easier to upgrade, so I would purchase an unlocked phone, swap SIM cards and be done.  Now that I’ve moved to a CDMA provider, the options became a lot more slim.  Nonetheless, I’m considering my first upgrade.  We’ll see if I actually bite the bullet, though.

What’s your experience with upgrades?  How often do you?

Today’s JAMM Store Deal of the Day is PBA Bowling for Windows Mobile.  You can register PBA Bowling for half the regular price, so be sure to check it out.

The cost of today’s deal is $2.49.

You can download a trial and/or register your copy here.

The programs details and specifications are below:

The biggest name in bowling, Professional Bowlers Association is now available for your mobile device.

Choose from the most realistic bowling balls and lane conditions. Enjoy full 3D environments and motion enabled throwing technology (device must have a camera or accelerometer).

Test your skills against a long list of the internationally recognized professional bowlers. Unlock special ball abilities and patterns. After working on your game versus the professional bowlers it’s time to take it up a notch with the Spare Challenge. See if you can pick up that 7-10 split!

Features:

• Game styles include Tournament and Spare Challenge.
• High Res Graphics make for stunning game play on your mobile phone.
• Use real throwing motion to bowl. (Accelerometer supported on Diamond and Touch Pro)
• Play regular game, tournament, or spare challenge.
• Play real PBA players including Pete Weber, Norm Duke, Walter Ray Williams Jr., Robert Smith, Chris Barnes, Sean Rash, Tommy Jones, Jason Couch, Wes Malott, Tony Reyes, and Parker Bohn III.
• Play different locations including Las Vegas, Tokyo, El Paso, Indianapolis, and Reno.
• Customize bowling ball with name, weight, graphics, and special effects.
• Play different lane types including Shark, Cheetah, Chameleon, Scorpion, and Viper.
• Unlock special effects.
• Play friends on the same phone.
• Option to view oil pattern on lane.
• Easy, Medium, and Hard Difficulties.
• High scores.

Minimum Requirements:

• Works on all Windows Mobile Classic/Professional 5.0/6.0/6.1

Display Dimensions
240×240, 240×320, 240×400, 320×240, 320×320, 400×240, 480×480, 480×640, 480×800, 640×480, 800×480
Operating System
WM5, WM6, WM6.1, WM6.5

There are battle lines being drawn in the sand, two camps forming.  One camp believes that Apple and it’s CEO made a major mistake with iPhone 4 and it’s antenna functionality, while the other believes that any issue that exists (if it really does) has been blown out of proportion.

For me, the issue is a serious flaw in the design of the phone.  For Apple and Steve Jobs, it’s their stand to say that the issue has been blown out of proportion.  We’d  have to be insane to believe that they would say anything to the contrary.  But, while in my opinion it is a serious design flaw, its not something that the company deserves to be crucified over.  What the company should be getting raked for is their handling of it.

Everyone makes mistakes.  That’s not what is important.  It’s how the mistake is handled that makes all the difference.

What are your thoughts on this topic?  Hit the comments below to share your thoughts with us!