Nokia’s insistence on supporting Windows almost exclusively is a sure recipe for disaster. While I understand that Windows is still on the majority of computers around the world, the longer Nokia ignores the Mac OS and Linux, the closer it will come to giving up its place as market leader to Apple or the Linux-based mobile device market in the next few years.
You don’t have to look very far to see challenges to Nokia’s dominance and those challenges are coming from platforms not dependent on Windows. The iPhone is a runaway success for Apple and it is swiftly becoming the consumer’s mobile phone/media device/tablet of choice. Granted it only runs on the Mac OS and connects to iTunes running on Windows, it still covers a significant majority of computer users. Its challenges include high prices and limited features and functionality.
On the other end of the spectrum we are going to see a variety of Linux based devices emerge with even more user friendly interfaces. Android holds a tremendous amount of promise and it is only a matter of time before the OS and the devices themselves comfortably rival Nokia’s devices and without the Windows dependency. Canonical is also working on a version of Ubuntu for Mobile Internet Devices.
Nokia’s Windows-centric focus serves Windows users well but its aversion to meaningful Mac OS support does not endear it to Mac users who seem to be expected to be grateful at the thought of a Mac version of smaller applications.
I have been a Nokia user for as long as I have had a mobile phone (roughly a decade) and for the most part it has been a positive experience. However, the days of being content with what is available are over and I want more options. I am a Mac user and I am tired of being penalised for that. I am not going to jump the fence for the iPhone for reasons I have mentioned here before. My E71 is a fantastic phone so I remain a fan, for the time being. At the same time I am keeping an eye on Android and Ubuntu MID. The day may soon come where those two platforms (or some other platform) becomes mature enough to support my needs and allow me to expand them as I go. At that point Nokia will be hard pressed to retain me as a loyal user if it hasn’t stepped up by then.
And you know what? I am not the only person who feels this way.
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What do you think?