Yahtzee.

All I know is that I'm loving mine after ten days, and I remain impressed with the fact that C Spire was able to get the iPhone as a regional carrier. For all the success that Google is having getting its Android OS into the marketplace (and it's having tons) it's clear that the expanded availability of the iPhone was critical to its own growth. Having used both, there are some nice features on each, but there's something the it-just-works nature of the iPhone (including for calls, since I'm not on AT&T) that makes it very appealing this go around. I'm actually answering my phone!

The lede for the story -- Microsoft is suing Motorola over its use of Android on cell phone because the OS supposedly infringes on patents that Microsoft holds for things like "email synchronization" and "scheduling meetings." Really? I know we've got to keep these lawyers busy -- especially in a down economy -- but the idea that Microsoft somehow came up with the patentable idea of scheduling meetings might mean we could also use a little look-sie at the way modern patents are handled and granted. (Not that I’m the first to observe such...)

REDMOND, Wash., July 22, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Microsoft Corp. today announced record fourth-quarter revenue of $16.04 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, a 22% increase from the same period of the prior year. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $5.93 billion, $4.52 billion and $0.51 per share, which represented increases of 49%, 48% and 50%, respectively, when compared with the prior year period.

 

Here’s the rundown: Google gained a huge 2.7 percent of the market, moving from 2.5 percent in September to 5.2 percent in December. Meanwhile, Palm fell massively from 8.3 percent to 6.1 percent over the period. Both RIM and Microsoft lost one percent of market share, with RIM dropping from 42.6 percent to 41.6 percent, and MS from 19 percent to 18 percent. Apple gained 1.2 percent overall, jumping from 24.1 percent to 25.3.

Interesting numbers...looking at this I realized I'm already working from a unfounded assumption that the mobile battle is 100% Android vs. iPhone, but there are so many more players when you step back to think about it.

It seems like the key thing that needs to shake out is Apps -- what and how many platforms will ultimately attract developers -- but aside from that, the mobile world can probably support multiple platforms for some time to come.

If you're a Blackberry or Palm partisan, for instance, I doubt you're going to see an explosion of apps, but you might already have good enough stuff built in; Microsoft users are probably most worried about extending Outlook and Exchange to their phones and don't need thousands of additional apps.

Of those mentioned, I think Palm is perhaps in the most trouble unless they get a killer app ramped up soon. Ms. D loves her Palm (nee Treo) for reporting tasks, messaging, its connectivity to Palm Desktop, and its un-smartphone-like battery life. Most of that Treo-ness was designed out of the Palm Pre series, unfortunately, so it's not like she's got a direct upgrade path from Treo to Pre. (Nobody is supporting Palm Desktop anymore, which gives me headaches trying to help her connect and sync.) So her next step is a question mark -- potentially an iPhone, if it moves from AT&T, or some sort of Android that catches her eye down the road.