Yahoo Go is a no-go for the iPhone
Apparently, Yahoo doesn’t give a hoot about the iPhone. In a move as perplexing as the Iranian navy, Yahoo announces Yahoo Go 3.0 which will allow users to add widgets to their cell phones. However, instead of adopting standards-based widgets that will work on the iPhone firmware, or even on Google’s Android operating system, Yahoo opts to support the deeply fractioned mobile markets that are destined for the tar pits in the very near future. Unlike iPhone and Android, Yahoo Go is not an operating system and therefore there is no guarantee for developers in getting distribution of widgets to consumers.
Yahoo Go is an add-on for consumers who might have a compatible cell phone. Once installed, Go gives you access to Yahoo products like Mail and Flickr with the option to add 3rd party widgets. With Apple’s game-changing mobile platform and Google’s Android looming ever near, it would be silly for a developer to spend time creating widgets for Yahoo Go. Nevertheless, Yahoo somehow convinced eBay, MTV, and MySpace to create widgets for Go’s announcement today.
This release from Yahoo is very disappointing, especially in light of Google’s recent update of it’s core services all optimized for iPhone and iPod touch, which also, no doubt, lays the ground work for Google apps running on Android. It’ll be interesting to see if this gains any traction. Our guess is that it won’t be able to get any footing on a ship deck that is tilting from the rising wave of mobile applications based on web standards.
Perhaps Yahoo learned this tactic from the cellular carriers. Or, perhaps they just hired too many marketing people from the major carriers - who are just doing what they’ve always done. Whatever the case, not going after iPhone and Android is counter-intuitive for Yahoo in the long run. This will be a year of tremendous change in the industry (wireless and web); some, like Google, are setting themselves up to be ready when the technology takes hold. Others, like Yahoo, are setting themselves up to be chasing the curve - once again.
Sad to say that Yahoo should replace the (!) with a (?) - Get a clue Yahoo(.)
- Dusty
of MiceChat.com
Great commentary dean!
I completely agree and as a Y! employee, I don’t understand the logic of the Go launch. It’s either naive or arrogant or both.