We’ve all heard it: Microsoft (nowadays Google and Apple, too) being referred to as the “evil empire,” or Windows Mobile being called a “dying breed.” There are some truths to these statements: if you really think about it, smartphone brands, their parent companies, the user base, the developers and the community are a lot like nations, each vying for success and dominance. So, what would each smartphone brand be like as a country (or other stately body)? Well, I thought about it for a while and what follows is what I came up with. I’ve spent time in each or with people from each community, and these are the conclusions I’ve drawn. In chronological order, I present the Five Nations of Smartphone. Enjoy!

Microsoft Windows Mobile

An ancient empire that disintegrated and fragmented with the passing of time, this country used to be home to many with traits similar to those of another country’s population: productivity, organization and efficiency. The government was a forefront to the creation of organized nations, but as time wore on, it became less and less interested in its nation and allowed it to split into many states controlled by those who built the infrastructure.

When the government all but disappeared, one infrastructure state rose above the rest to continually enhance the environment and attract new citizens despite the disadvantage of its datedness. This state unofficially approves of workers who use the infrastructural enhancements to benefit parts of the population who still lived under older infrastructures. In this way, everyone has access to the best of what the state has to offer.

However, the original government has returned and is building something at the center of the old empire. They say they will bring together all the separated states under one unified environment, and that this new nation will be the best yet. The walls surrounding this project are littered with tiny peepholes where the curious population looks on. Some workers have even been allowed inside the perimeter to get an early taste of what awaits them in this future country. From atop the grand walls, the smoke byproduct of creation arises, and promises something new.

Research In Motion Blackberry

Existing since the early days of organized nations, this country has relied on its population of serious and productivity-minded people. The infrastructure and the environment are spartan; form steps aside in favor of strong and secure function. The workers build only what they must, skipping out on the creativity that the country’s population has no interest in. Meanwhile, the government looks on ambivalently, working fervently on national security and only interfering in the lives and business of its population and workers when this security is threatened. The government’s forays into creating a new, more advanced infrastructure and environment were met with considerable failure, and the government returned to the mentality of “if it’s not broken, don’t try to fix it.”

An odd phenomenon that this country has experienced is a rise in a population group of addicts. There are citizens of this population that do not share the same productive traits as other citizens, but instead rely on the country as a means for trivial social interaction. This group neither understands nor appreciates the country for anything more than its ability to join its citizens, but do not tax the system. They are therefore widely overlooked by the government and the other part of the population, but are often taken advantage of by workers who know they can successfully cash in on their addiction.

Apple iPhone

On the surface, one sees a young but very powerful nation that seemingly sprouted from nothing. Its population grew at a shocking rate and now outnumbers nearly every other. The workers flocked to it, promised by the government a vast fortune to be made at the hands of this growing population. Unsurprisingly, the government was correct: the best of the workers flourished, dominated the population, and made their great fortunes.

However, all is not well. The workers are hindered by harsh and restrictive laws. The government steps in frequently to enforce what they consider to be a perfect environment for their population. Although the resource potential of this nation is immense, the government restricts what some consider to be the best possible uses of these resources. These workers disobey and disregard the government ordinances and are labelled outlaws and removed from the environment as frequently as they are caught. To the enlightened population, these workers are heroes: they are a light in the dark, a release from the restrictions set forth by the government. These workers are appreciated by a few.

The rest of the population knows the country, the environment, and the infrastructure only through the propaganda of the government. They are convinced that there is no good alternative, and that each improvement made by the government is a world first, even if other countries tread down the same path many years before. The longer the population experiences this propaganda, the more reliant they become on the offerings of the government.

Google Android

A peculiar country only recently founded, this nation builds upon the values of an open society. It is nearly an anarchy, with the small existing government tending only to the environment and having all but a small hand in the infrastructure. The infrastructure is dominated by states, the largest of which is also in control of another country’s disappearing resources.

The workers are motivated by the prospects of nurturing this nation into eclipsing another country, an empire of propaganda. At their disposal is the vast and infinitely open environment created and managed by the government, which they are able to bend to their will due to the lack of almost any real regulation.

The population is young, intelligent, and informed, and they have come to this country purely by choice. They wish to live in a world where the mentality of their homeland is the standard, and freedom without compromise is the ultimate objective.

Most recently, the government has attempted to pull the fragmented nation-states back into a central body in order to strengthen the country and the environment, though the states fear this will potentially harm the infrastructure.

Palm webOS

Built on the disappearing remains of an aging empire, the government constructed a new, advanced and well put together environment for its people. However, a flimsy infrastructure (even when alleviated by small but prominent changes) and a lack of outspoken propaganda in favor of the fledgling nation to this day keeps the population low.

This population, however, is nationalistic, kind, and talented. Citizens look out for each other and help whenever they can. The veterans remember with nostalgia the former empire but look readily on in hopes for a greater future. The population’s workers all pitch in for the greater good, amending the environment under a tolerant and appreciative government.

Then, when the old government could no longer support itself, a gentle giant took over and reassured the population that life would go on without any drastic changes. The new government rewarded the population’s workers for their efforts and encouraged them that the future will be bright for this country. They promise an expansion of the infrastructure as well as continuous improvements to the environment, and the population has never been more dedicated. In a recent competitive event, the population’s nationalism again proved far stronger than that of the anarchist nation.

In Conclusion

So, yeah. Thoughts? Analyses? Am I off my rocker? You be the judge.

Grand touring is great. I’m taking a short road trip to Lime Rock this weekend, and I promised I’d post some sort of updates regarding my travels and the race… and I’ve just found out how I’m going to do that. Twikini, by Trinket Software, is exactly how I’m going to do that. It’s got everything your normal Twitter client has, mobile or not, but this piece of Windows Mobile software goes many, many steps further. How does this so well integrate into a grand touring experience? Make the jump to find out!

I’ll cut right to the chase… no other Windows Mobile Twitter client, not even those with elaborate, sliding touch menus can stack up to Twikini. Why is that? The answer is in simplicity. Trinket Software designed it to do one thing: to be a Twitter client. Using that approach, they created a stable and reliable tool, and then carefully picked and chose features that would enhance the experience. This is where the grand touring bit of it comes into play: let’s say I find a gorgeous vista overlooking an epic driving road. I can whip out my Touch Pro, use Twikini to write a quick comment about it, attach a picture, and note its GPS location, all in one swift action. I can’t think of an easier way to document a road trip, so that’s what I’ll be doing, without a doubt.

This Windows Mobile app won’t break the bank, either: for less than a fiver, you can have the best WM Twitter client on the market. You can download a trial and buy the software, along with reading further information about it, at Trinket Software’s Twikini site. Enjoy! I know I do.

Here’s a supplementary PocketNow video review of Twikini if you’re still not sold on this phenomenal piece of software.