Unrequited love is one of the most painful aches that teenagers have to endure at least once on their way to adulthood. Nothing is more painful than unreciprocated love. Of course, toothache might be. But a quick trip to the dentist usually works.

Pardon please if this corner suddenly took a turn at being a love doctor's column. But, as you'd see later on, there is something definitely very much IT-related in the drift that this column has taken.

Unrequited love equals Microsoft's Zune.

Like a lovesick, hormone-driven teenager, Microsoft has been trying so hard to capture the attention of its love interest — in this case, the consumers who use mobile media players. The now Gates-less software giant has tried every "pa-cute" ways in order to win the heart of its target.

Microsoft released a media player that at least was at par with iPod, the cool campus jock, as far as features were concerned. And yet, consumers hardly gave Zune a glance. The Ballmer-led operating system vendor then added more and more features to the Zune's curriculum vitae. Still, no go as far as consumers were concerned.

The latest iteration of the Microsoft media player, the Zune HD, certainly comes with features that can really knock any other MP3 player out there in the market. Yet, merely days after its release, critics were almost unanimous in declaring the newest Zune falling short of its attempt to catch up with the iPod.

What a software giant has to do?

Should it do what some lovelorn adolescents would do? Keep on loving the objects of their affections, although it tears their hearts to pieces? Or should the software vendor be like most normal teenagers do — grow up and let time take care of the issue.

Take it from someone who had more than one bout with unrequited love. A few years, or if you're lucky, a couple of weeks, can see anybody get the pains behind him or her. And when you would cross paths with your former love object later in life, you'd be wondering whatever you saw in her or him that made you into an unthinking, stalking wannabe lover.

Microsoft, one of these days, might realize there are other big fishes to catch, or other market segments to dominate or create.

Oh My, OPhone

A partnership between Lenovo and China Mobile, two of the largest ICT companies in China, has produced the OPhone, a mobile phone that is set to do battles with Apple's uber-popular iPhone.
The companies hope that the OPhone will take at least half of China's smartphone market in 3–5 years. Designed to run on an operating system developed by China Mobile, the OPhone will operate on the wireless operator's TD-SCDMA 3G mobile platform.

This corner is wondering what would the OPhone's impact on the plans of Apple to sell the iPhone in China.

That's all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.