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This post was originally published on my Forrester blog.

Today Intel and Nokia merged their existing smartphone and mobile device operating systems (Moblin and Maemo respectively). I’ll be brief as I’m at the MWC event right now (see my tweets for latest analysis). The target devices range from smartphones — or mobile computers in Nokia’s current positioning — netbooks, tablets, in-car entertainment among others.

This is a bold play that places MeeGo into a competitive position with Android, iPhone OS, Google’s Chrome and even desktop software like Ubuntu (as well as the mushrooming moble-centric smartphone software like Palm’s WebOS, Samsung bada and Windows Phone).

Intel’s support will raise the ability of the new platform to attract device makers as well as the app developers that every smartphone and smart mobile platform desperately needs to be competitive.

They have lots in common: Both are Linux-based; both predominantly target mobile devices; both aim to deliver outstanding rich consumer Internet experiences; and both have been more talk than action to date. Nokia needs to shift step quickly from talking to walking and even better running or the high end market in Europe will be dominated by the same players as in North America and Nokia will have to pursue a winback strategy. It’s taken Nokia nearly five years since the first Maemo device shipped to launch the first phone, the N900, and that is not the complete product — as Nokia concede — impressive although it nevertheless is (read my first take on the N900 in this Forrester report).

The aims for this new initiative are lofty but execution must match these ideals with both quality and speed. MeeGo must not allow the desire to implement this software on a very wide range of devices — in-car entertainments; smartphones; netbooks; tablets etc. etc. — to distract them from gaining rapid traction in the mobile market.

Meanwhile, I fear the consortium has challenges with its positioning and naming strategy: MeeGo is an awkward name. Nokia is focused on bucking the market and insisting these devices are “mobile computers” — not smartphones — and is shifting its smartphone devices to go head to head with featurephones. I understand the reasoning. But to regain the mindshare that Nokia and MeeGo needs, names as well as positioning need to be perfect.

More thoughts later when the MWC dust has settled.

This post was originally published on my Forrester blog.

Vodafone has just launched a major new initiative called Vodafone 360 (release, with the new 360.com website to follow). Key points:

• Integration with social networks for an online address book and content sharing.
• Combination mobile handset + 360.com cloud service strategy.
• Single sign-on for customers or non-Vodafone customers. 360.com website available to both.
• Deep handset integration: two new Linux LIMO handsets with “full fat” experience (made by Samsung). Lesser version pre-loaded onto a number of Symbian Series 60 handsets, downloads and other versions available for around 100 handsets.
• Also includes an App store, new mobile web portal, music service, and maps service.

I’m working on a quicktake report. But this is such a major initiative with wide ranging scope, that I’m extremely curious in what others think? Specifically:

• How well positioned are operators to implement a social strategy with such deep handset integration, compared with handset makers, or the Internet social networks themselves?
• Was Nokia’s OVI initiative a lightning rod that distracted many from other handset maker initiatives in this space? (Like Motorola’s Motoblur, HTC Sense, Google & Android, Microsoft Myphone, or Apple’s MobileMe?)
• Is 360 a better umbrella name than “Vodafone Live!” ?
• Thoughts on how well 360 fits with Vodafone’s new corporate tag line, “Power to you” ?

Comment below! I’m here and will reply as appropriate.

This post was originally published on my Forrester blog.

The new N900 is a departure from Nokia’s regular evolutionary extensions to the Nokia handset portfolio that build on previous models. It’s the first big reaction to the many new entrants that have arrived in the high end Internet phone market over the last two years (Google’s Android, Apple, Palm’s Pre etc.).

While the Nokia N97 that launched earlier this year used a variant of the same software used in every high end Nokia Internet phone for over five years — Symbian Series 60 — the N900 does not. For the first time, Nokia is launching a high end Internet phone using Linux. And note, The N900 is using Maemo, and not Android.

Nokia isn’t positioning the N900 as a “smartphone”. This is smart. Read why here: The “Smartphone” Is Dead: Long Live Smart Phones And Smart Gadgets.

This is a significant strategic play for Nokia as I warned clients was coming last year. I’ve seen the N900 and held it in my hands. It’s impressive. But is it enough to help Nokia re-gain mindshare? Comment below! Or, contact me via the Forrester inquiry team (clients) or press office (media).

Updated – We’ve published a report analysing this:
Nokia Begins The Fight Back With The N900

Back from two weeks on leave from the office. I had a pile of books I wanted to read, websites to build, blog posts to write. But family and friends filled the time almost completely. This is not a particular bad thing, but!

I’ve spent much of today musing about the trade-offs we make to save us time. I’m hosting this blog on wordpress.com rather than self-hosting. Why? I’m choosing to focus on writing rather than keeping the server patched and up to date. I’m ceding some control over look/feel for example, in return for time saving. Blog software and other content management tools do the same, why self-host WordPress rather than building the site from scratch in PHP, Rails or Drupal or whatever? It’s quicker.

Elsewhere, I’ve been using Mac OS more and more. Why? Because I spend less time patching it with software updates, fixing things that break, and it starts up, shuts down, and goes in and out of sleep fast. The downside is that there’s less software available for it and much less legal hardware I can run it on. Sure I could grab a MSI netbook and put OS X on it, but to my mind that defeats the point. If I want to spend time tinkering I may as well run Linux on my main machine.

This applies right across many areas. Why do people buy music on iTunes? It’s not cheap compared to retailed CDs now. The music is lower quality and most has DRM that restricts what devices can play it back. However, iTunes is quick and easy to use. It’s faster than visiting a shop or waiting for a CD to arrive from Amazon. People trade off sound quality and freedom for speed and save time.

Why do people write so much about other trade-offs — money/quality/size/weight/battery/features — but not time?

When the Mac Mini was announced I had long discussions with various friends on merits. Most interesting was one that in years past would not have considered a Mac, a developer, attracted by the unix underpinnings, quiet design and reliable UI on top. He wasn’t thinking about defecting from Windows, but from Linux…
His reasons were:
(my emphasis in bold, edited for length)

I’m very interested in the Mac Mini, mostly from the perspective of
wanting a Unix workstation style machine, rather than a media machine.
1) Unix is good
2) I want to run it on my desktop
3) Sysadminning is boring
4) A Unix where the hardware Just Works that is designed to require no admin is the way to go
5) Mac!

Well, he’s now bought a Mini and then wrote up initial impressions: Read extended entry
In short, paraphrased:
- Very quiet
- Very small
- Easy to use, but UI could do with more printed documentation
- Easy set up (Internet, applications, printer)
- Needs more memory
- DVD playback good

Read the rest of this entry »