The Treo, Pre, Windows and the circle of life

I used to love my Treo handset. (Sadly I can’t remember whether I owned the 600 or the 650). I loved the stylus, I loved the games, I loved the ringtone (you know, the same ringtone every other Palm user had). But sometimes you have to move on from your first love, and when my Treo died, I left Palm.
Why? Because I’d been reading in RCR Wireless News that Palm was short-lived; the company couldn’t compete anymore. It was rapidly losing market share and customers, and it would only be a matter of time before the company closed its doors. Sometimes, I figured at time, it’s best to just make a clean break.
Today, though, Palm is back with a new OS and a new handset, and actually impressed a bunch of normally skeptical analysts who had been predicting its demise. Doesn’t everyone love a good comeback story a la Chad Pennington and the Miami Dolphins?
It truly is the year of hope!
So I’m trying to keep this in mind as I ponder Microsoft’s wireless dealings. Managing Editor Dan Meyer called in earlier this week from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, reporting that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer barely mentioned wireless in his keynote. The Microsoft CEO talked a lot about Windows 7, but made no mention of an upgrade to the software gaint’s mobile operating system.
Two years ago, some very significant news at CES was overshadowed by other announcements (think Cupertino). But not so much this year. This would have been the year to tie Windows 7 to Windows Mobile 7, or whatever Microsoft plans to call its upgrade.
While Microsoft is lagging behind, it’s good to remember that it’s just part of the lifecycle of the handset industry and its accompanying OS ecosystem. The Motorola Razr dominated this industry not that long ago. Apple is all the rage today, but its success has only inspired others to produce sleek designs and interfaces.
It also gives some perspective to Nokia’s announcement that it is no longer making a WiMAX tablet. If that market becomes robust, though, Nokia and its competitors will jump right in.