Have you seen HBO’s documentary “A Table in Heaven“? It’s about the fabled NY restaurant Le Cirque and it’s revival a few years ago. The restaurant was THE place to be back in its hay-day. Politicians, movies stars, captains of industry and anyone else noteworthy flocked to the restaurant. But unfortunately the restaurant went out of favor with the “in crowd” and they had to re-invent themselves to stay relevant and recapture their magic. It was a complete overhaul, not just redoing the menu or redesigning the decor, but completely moving to a new location and adopting a new attitude. At the end of the documentary, the reinvention was considered a success when they received a 3 star rating in the New York Times.
The parallel that I draw here is to Microsoft and Windows Mobile. Back in the day, Microsoft was pretty much the only game in town for building complex mobile apps. But now it’s almost an anachronism. It’s as out of place in today’s world of iPhone and Android, as much as ordering coq au vin in today’s trendy fusion restaurants. But Microsoft has taken a bold step like Le Cirque and is trying to completely overhaul their mobile OS. Coming soon will be Windows Phone 7 and so far the critics are giving favorable reviews. As we saw with Le Cirque, however, critics will only get you so far–ultimately it’s the diners or users that will determine whether the restaurant or device will be relevant again.
Tags: Jason Wong, Mobile Gourmet, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7
