Case for individual platform development

There are so many mobile operating system platforms Windows Mobile, RIM
OS, Symbian, Andriod, Palm OS, iPhone OS etc. Mobile application
developers are trying to or hoping to get one single platform to develop
on. They are searching for the write once and run everywhere paradigm.

I would say they are wasting their time. The best approach in terms of
generating revenues is to focus on one may be two platforms. Here are my
reasons,

1. The life cycle of a phone is a few months.
2. The phone makers make money by constantly creating new hardware and
the necessary software features.
3. It is impossible for the third party mobile application developer to
catch with all the different platforms without significant investment of
time and resources.
4. You only get so much cross pollination among programmers. In others
words even if the progrmmer has great skills, you can't expect her to
excel in all the platforms.

These are just a few reasons. I would say find the platforms with the
greatest market share and focus on developing applications for that.

Pay once and watch anywhere

As video technology on mobile devices is enhanced, there are tremendous opportunities for content to be consumed in new ways. Already big traditional phone companies have embarked on "Three Screen" strategy. The article published in The Wall Street Journal on 7/26/2008 on this topic is very insightful and foreboding of things to come.

Couple of months ago I cancelled my Cable TV account with Comcast. After years of wasting my money I realized paying one big lumpsum amount every month to get unlimited channels and watch may be one or two channels on somewhat of a regular basis is ridiculous. Even more ludicruous is the feeling that I got sometimes that, "well I am paying so much money" so let me watch something", and so I would wander off into TV land meaninglessly hoping I would find something I would like. The root cause of channel flipping disease is Cable TV or any other TV content provider.

In the not-too-distant future, I hope we would be able to pay for a show or movie or any other entertainment content once and view any where. For metropolitan dwellers, who commute in public transportation, imagine the time savings they can enjoy if they watch their favorite entertainment content on their mobile devices as they sit bored in Trains, Buses, etc.

Among many other benefits, mobile devices can help us search, pay, view, and enjoy content in one sitting! And if we like a show so much, we can always come home and watch it on a bigger screen.

So from a consumer mindset, we should enjoy our favorite entertainment shows, but not be a slave to the dictates of a rigid, monolithic monthly plan, that put a hole in our wallets!