There's an old saying here in Iowa (home of Thaddeus Computing, Inc., publisher of this magazine): "If you don't like the weather—wait a few hours." It can be bright and sunny at noon, not a cloud in the sky, and by three o'clock in the afternoon we're under a tornado watch. The pace of life can be slow in this small, Midwestern town, but the weather can change quickly.
Recent reports from technology experts predict that Windows Mobile device manufacturers will have produced 10 million devices by the end of the year, and 20 million more by the end of 2008. The skies look bright and sunny for Microsoft, but a tornado watch is in effect, and the name of the tornado is "iPhone."
Apple's well-marketed (and much hyped) device sold close to 500,000 units—the first weekend it was available—and forecasters predict it will sell 4.8 million units this year, helped in part by a recently-announced price cut of the device.
A number of articles in this issue discuss the iPhone and its impact on Windows Mobile. We do a head-to-head comparison of the iPhone and HTC's new Touch, and provide full reviews of the Touch and two other powerful new Windows Mobile devices: the Sprint Mogul and HTC Advantage. The enterprise section includes two articles with an iPhone focus. "The iPhone at Work" examines the device from a business user perspective, and "Windows Mobile Ecosystem" compares the business models used by Apple and Microsoft and what they mean to device manufacturers, software developers, and end users. We also take a brief look at a somewhat smaller twister on the horizon; Google's new Gphone. Finally, Hal Goldstein concludes the issue with "Is Windows Mobile Really the Best," a brief but frank comparison of the iPhone, BlackBerry, and the Sprint Mogul device.
One of the big strengths of Windows Mobile devices is the wide variety of third-party software that can be installed on them. Every year, we examine the top titles in preparation for our annual Best Software Awards. If you're interested in the best solutions, check out our listing of this year's nominations and finalists. We also take a close look at some of the best GPS hardware and software accessories available.
Finally, and speaking of tornados, we have an excellent user profile in this issue by Jason Persoff, an Internal Medicine specialist by trade and a storm chaser by avocation. Jason spends each summer cruising "Tornado Alley" with his Pocket PC, just looking for trouble. Read about it, and check out some of Jason's excellent storm photos.
I've lived in Iowa for almost 30 years, and in that time I've experienced a couple dozen tornado watches. Only one tornado ever touched down, for a couple minutes in a field a few miles outside of town. Other than some uprooted corn, it did little damage. Yes, a tornado watch is exciting, and it tends to get a lot of attention in the media. But most of the time, a few hours later—the skies are sunny and clear.
Here in Iowa, we don't worry too much about tornado watches. But when one is announced, we keep our eyes open just in case!
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