Microsoft is one of those companies that has an obvious differentiation between strategies when it comes to their products. They have a sort of openness that
some companies just don't have, and that translates well over to their mobile platform. Through the ages, Windows Mobile has been one of the great bastions of hope for all kinds of developers, hackers, and the like. With Windows Phone 7, there was some people wondering if that belief would pass through into the next age.
Seems like we've got our answer.
"I was slightly worried that when we showed off Xbox LIVE on the Windows Phone 7 platform, people might think it was Microsoft trying to take over the [mobile] world. But the simplest way to put it is that there's a very obvious reason we called it the Games hub and the Music + Video hub: Zune and Xbox are key parts, but not the only parts of the overall Windows Phone experience."
Microsoft is willing to let competitors onto their platform, simply because it makes sense. By giving consumers the ability to choose, that makes them want to try out, purchase, and keep their platform. By allowing "competitors" the ability to put their products on the Windows platform, people correspond it to the latter, just as much as the former. It's a good strategy, and it's a strategy that Microsoft has no plans to abandon.
This, of course, means quite a bit. Depending on the power of the device your'e holding, a lot of gates open up. Considering the graphical prowess of the iPhone 3Gs, and the level of games/media we see on that line of devices (like the iPod Touch), there's no question that Zune HD-like devices will be able to pump out the same, if not better experiences.
Are you excited yet? With all of this information coming out on what Microsoft has planned for their 7 Series, we're practically going crazy in anticipation of MIX 10, and every other notable convention coming down the line.
[
via Tech Radar]