ZDNET's Matt Miller has a great new opinion piece at his blog. It's called "I Like Windows Mobile and Am Not Ashamed to Admit It," and it's a really thoughtful and balanced look at the mobile phone marketplace today. He talks about the recent gloomy predictions various observers have made regarding WM's future, and ponders the paradox of why, when WM devices are some of the most powerful available, does that message not seem to be coming through in the right way for US consumers. I'd love to quote the whole piece, but here are a few snippets:

If you just look at the specs, Windows Mobile may be considered the most powerful and functional platform out there (S60 also may take this title). However, as Microsoft is learning it is not just about the specs, but today people want the overall user experience to awe them. Honestly, HTC and Samsung are working to bring this type of experience to people, but the message just doesn’t seem to reach people like it does with the iPhone.

There are some incredibly powerful, diverse, and fun devices available in the Windows Mobile world, including the HTC Touch Pro, Samsung Epix, HTC Touch HD, Treo Pro (my current favorite device), Samsung OMNIA, Blackjack II, T-Mobile Dash, and many, many more. IMHO, one of the strengths of the Windows Mobile platform is that there are devices available in all shapes and sizes so that everyone can be satisfied. And as a mobile phone enthusiast, I love that I can dive into the details of the operating system and tweak away to my heart’s desire.

Then again, the sheer number of devices may also be a weakness because there is no central way that the platform is being marketed. ... Microsoft also changed the naming scheme from a more consumer-friendly Pocket PC or Smartphone to Windows Mobile Smartphone that just doesn’t have the same ring to it. I think Microsoft can do a much better job of marketing some of the incredible strengths of the platform and maybe they should focus on things like Exchange support (for enterprise customers) and smart dialing (for consumers).

 Check out the complete article. It's really worth a read!