Or the complicated relationship between software and hardware and how the software is always the most important thing.
The best example of the complexity would be the HTC case. HTC makes phones. They’re so fast at iterating their models that they jumped into the software wagon after witnessing the iPhone’s kick in the mobile butt. HTC started its work on user interface in 2008 with TouchFLO 3D which became HTC Sense, both for Windows Mobile and Android. Really neat integration with social media and stuff that wasn’t available anywhere else in these ancient times, last summer.
iOS/HTC Sense/WP7. I’m totally bored with icons now, so WP7 is really appealing to me UI/UX wise.
These user interfaces (software) really had a huge role on selling phones (hardware). Today, manufacturers all try or do that: customizing the phone’s OS they’re selling. Which is the reason they all embrace Android and are not big fans of Windows Phone 7 which doesn’t allow customization like Windows Mobile 6.5 did. And yeah, they embrace Android now because the next version, Android 3, will not allow that skinning and rebranding shit.
The biggest bad point of this customization craze is that carriers and manufacturers abuse it and basically lock phones on features. Thankfully it’s mostly a US thing. In Europe, laws are behind consumers on that matter and phones can not be locked to carriers, it’s anti-competitive practice. Carriers already fuck us up quite well, thanks.
The second bad point is that having a customized phone software makes you unable to update easily and you all know how much it’s important these days. HTC finally released the update of HTC Sense for Android 2.1, except that Android is now at 2.2 and Google just released a new Gmail app that only works on 2.2… See? What was supposed to be a seemingless experience, is not. And HTC is trying the same with Windows Phone 7: adding a layer of user interface because it used to sell phones.
Manufacturers and carriers, face it: users don’t need your interfaces and widgets anymore because the main OSes of the market are today well mature and are looking good, thanks. Moreover, developers NEED a homogeneous market so that they can focus on the quality of their products and by making special OSes or blocking features, you’re not helping that.
True, the closer the relationship is between the hardware and the software, the better it is for everyone. The problem is that if it works, people will always forget about the hardware: I don’t have a HTC Hero, I have an Android phone. That really sucks for hardware people. How can they differentiate themselves? Yep, software customization and bigger marketing (SamsungGalaxyyy) that’s about all.
Hardware people want to shine like Apple. The problem is Apple works because it’s small, the Apple way cannot work with dozens of hardware makers and multiple OS providers.
Can’t wait to see the output of HP’s Palm critically acclaimed webOS.
Seriously, the tablet market is going to be such a mess especially for developers. That’s not good news, more time spent to try to make an app work everywhere… Like usual right, but I thought we were learning from our mistakes somehow.
This is where a hardware-wise open platform with a widespread OS like the couple x86/Windows, serving everybody quite well from the developer to the user, is pretty remarkable. Because looking at the mobile market and the overall trend in technology from a business standpoint, this kind of balance sounds like a dream.