It feels perfectly normal to root for the underdog; what's weird is that in this case the underdog is Microsoft in the mobile phone market. And the Windows 7 phone is seems to be suprising folks in a "comeback kid" sort of way. I'm almost certain that it was a @TheMotleyFool tweet that pointed that out while called the "Windows 7" branding a "lousy" choice. At the time, I wasn't sure I agreed with the "lousy" assessment, and after thinking about it, I'm confident that it isn't a mistake.
But first some backdrop, and foremost the observation that there are still one heck of a lot of people still on XP. Partly because of Vista's reputation for bloatedness. Partly because of the nuisance (and risk) of upgrading. And partly because, at a certain point, an operating system is merely a means to an end, that end being running the programs that help pay the bills. Or, failing that, run programs that at least try to amuse you. Windows 7 looks slicker, certainly, but we're already prepping for a good deal of headache for the cutover, mainly from the standpoint of getting our old familiar programs to work on it. Speaking purely for myself, I'm figuring that the workday normally lost to workstation upgrades can safely be doubled for Win7.
So, that all being said, wouldn't it be interesting if the new phone platform served a double purpose: 1.) Rebounding from the Kin, and 2.) To introduce Windows 7 in a sleeker, sexier context than the desktop? If they pull it off, more power to them. Partly b/c XP could use a dignified retirement even more than Brett Favre. But mostly because just about any market--like politics--benefits from a strong third party.
