There have been quite a few thoughts about Windows Phone 8 following its formal unveiling yesterday, but one of them in particular stood out to us. PC Mag's Sascha Segan published an editorial following all of the mayhem, entitled "How a QWERTY Windows Phone could kill BlackBerry".

Segan argues that while mob mentality suggests QWERTY keyboards are irrelevant as software keyboards improve, in reality there's a very real niche of the market that is holding on to their painfully outdated BlackBerrys for the keyboard alone. In fact, Segan believes that the first manufacturer to recognize that would benefit from the same following Research In Motion still commands today, which are primarily enterprise users.

Putting two and two together, Segan worries that Windows Phone 8 will miss out on a golden opportunity to capture more of the enterprise market by not releasing a phone with a QWERTY keyboard, a la the Dell Venue Pro (pictured) or the HTC 7 Pro (aka Arrive). Here's an excerpt:

"[QWERTY keyboards are] very specifically an opportunity for Microsoft. Google's commitment to 'openness' has let a thousand manageability and security solutions bloom, but that's a thorny road of winding paths for most IT departments. Apple cares not for keyboards. But Microsoft will be selling Windows Phone 8 specifically as a companion to Windows 8 in the enterprise, with all of the EAS and policies and BitLocker that implies.

Serious people could use Windows Phone 8 to do serious things. But many of those serious people don't want to fumble along with autocorrect on Windows Phone's somewhat accident-prone touch keyboard." 

We're not sure we agree with that dig about the typically-excellent software keyboard, but it's irrelevant. Segan then goes on to fantasize about a Nokia E72-like device running Windows Phone 8, and we have to admit that would be pretty awesome. Heck, we've been saying for months to just give us the Dell Venue Pro with Windows Phone 8 (and without all of the defects).

So now we want to ask you: is Microsoft potentially missing out on knocking BlackBerry on its back for good? Or do nightmares of the Venue Pro and LG Quantum create doubts that a manufacturer can pull it off?

Source: PC Mag