Re: ActiveSync
Spartacus,
Hmm perhaps I was wrong about iOS users now that you mention the native mail client opening thingy. I guess that's the point though, open (or at least open'ish platforms and standards) beat closed and locked down every time, still, Google managed to create a way for links in its maps application to be opened up in its Google Maps app for iOS 6 so perhaps they might engineer a work around for that... doesn't help much at the moment now though but hope for the future perhaps?
As for Win Pho, yeah I know a couple of people that will be hacked off and maybe justifiably so, but once again, MS wanted to rule the world and only implemented support for Active Sync when they should have at least considered currently active open protocols when writing a basic email client . Why they didn't at least include this functionality is beyond me...can't say I'm surprised though.
I just don't get how Microsoft can be 'surprised' by this move, it would appear they still haven't realized that they are not the only game in town anymore and that charging for the privilege of using a protocol to use their products will in the end put other providers off using it when other non royalty baring standards exist (which are 'good enough') and can be freely implemented. It seems basic business logic to me.
As for normal users, normal users would probably have opted for the services that came with the Phone and probably signed up to Skydrive and Outlook in one go... unfamiliar with Windows Phone but surely you can sign up to the Microsoft services when you boot the phone??