Windows Mobile
And…another update from Microsoft
Feb 18th
Just when we thought Microsoft had said it all with the recent announcement of Windows Mobile 7, they come to us with another new tidbit of gossip. Remember that aging OS they use? The one everyone has all but have given up on? Yes i’m talking Windows Mobile 6.5. Well Mashable is reporting that instead of letting it discontinue gracefully, Microsoft will re-brand it as “Windows Mobile Classic”. A spokesperson for Microsoft had this to say:
Whereas WP7S will be aimed squarely at consumers, the strategy for Windows Phones Classic will shift to emerging markets and the enterprise
Basically, as most of us knew, Microsoft is positioning WM7 as a consumer platform and keeping Windows Mobile 6.5 Classic geared toward the corporate end. While they didn’t give specifics on what developmental direction the OS would take, they said that the recent update to 6.5.3 was a good sign of whats to come.
What do you think? Still willing to go back to Windows? Or has that ship sailed? Let us know!
Guess the merger isn’t happening after all..
Feb 16th
As we reported earlier regarding Microsoft’s potential intentions of merging with Blackberry maker RIM (Research in Motion) and the announcement (among others) being made at this weeks MWC (Mobile World Congress). Well, Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer finally put an end to any mergers rumors that may have been floating around. He was quoted saying:
“I don’t see the big boys in this market as very ripe for mergers and acquisitions,” Ballmer said in an interview in Barcelona, Spain, today. “One day, maybe somebody in some place with a lot of money wakes up and changes it, but that’s not me and that’s not today.”
He went on to say:
“Microsoft values its existing partnerships”
this in response when asked whether it would make sense for the world’s biggest software company to buy a maker of mobile devices, such as Research In Motion Ltd. or Nokia Oyj. Microsoft today showed the latest version of its Windows mobile-phone operating system, adding video games and music features to stem market-share losses againstApple Inc. and Google Inc.
Seems like Microsoft is fairly confident with the potential success of the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 OS later this year. I guess only time will tell. What do you think? Would you like to see RIM and Microsoft merge? Leave a comment and let us know.
Windows Mobile and its former self
Feb 16th
To own (or have owned) a Windows Mobile based device is like a love/hate relationship. Yes, they are visually appealing, run 3G, have nice touchscreen (Pro versions) displays, are packed with features and generally reasonably priced (on term of course…hello i’m in Canada) but are also plagued with bugs. Yet no matter how hard our carriers try and push’em, it seems as though they will never have the same consumer popularity as RIM’s Blackberry or Apple’s iPhone. This being said even after the huge announcement made at the MWC (Mobile World Conference) today, the changes aren’t mind blowing. Engadget posted a great article comparing the old and new. Stating “it’s like comparing a bed with an oven. Two very different things, for two very different purposes”
Windows Mobile has always had a firm position in the business sector, and will probably continue to maintain it for some time to come, but in my opinion the days of Windows Mobile as a consumer-facing OS are rapidly coming to an end.
Windows Mobile 7 is Coming…..
Feb 15th
As we reported earlier Microsoft had some “Big” announcements to make at the MWC 2010 in Barcelona, Spain this morning. Well, BoyGeniusReport has exclusively reported what we all expected, an official announcement of Window Mobile 7, well sort of. The OS we all once knew as Windows Mobile has been completely re-done from the ground up, being now compared more to a Microsoft Zune HD than an actual smartphone. Here are some details on this shiny new toy:
- High resolution, capacitive, multitouch display with gestures that are similar to those in Windows 7 PC operating system
- Each handset will have the same three dedicated buttons: start, Bing search, back button
- UI is touch-friendly throughout the entire OS, no stylus is needed
- Personal and business information is integrated on the handset, emphasis on the dual function of the handset as a personal and business device
- New scrolling, tile based interface for the start screen that dynamically displays updated content and can be customized to display the tiles relevant to each user
- Phone/address auto-detection that links to dialer and map application
- Application bar at the bottom of each application that gives the user quick access to the most used functions within an application
- Bing search with geolocation to provide local results, directions, and business/restaurant reviews
- Focus on efficiency that minimizes the number of touches to perform actions
- Web browser is based upon desktop Internet Explorer code with improved text rendering technology to make web browsing easier
- Focus on the phone as an integrated device with different experiences organized into seven core hubs including
- people (social networking integration)
- pictures (view/share pictures between phone, desktop, and social networks)
- games (Xbox live games and service)
- music + video (Zune)
- marketplace (application store)
- office/productivity (Sharepoint/Exchange support)
- Tighter control over the phones with a minimum hardware definition for handsets to provide a consistent design experience for the user while allowing manufacturers and operators some flexibility to customize the handsets without changing the underlying core
- Windows Live service integration
- No Adobe Flash support in version 1 of the OS
- Close partnership with AT&T and Orange
Click here for the promotional trailer via Youtube
You can expect this bad boy to hit the retail shelves by the holiday season. So, you ready to go back to Windows Mobile? Leave a comment let us know.
Follow Me: @cellguruToo little to late for Windows Mobile?
Feb 12th
With a dominant market consisting of heavy hitters Research in Motion (RIM) with their Blackberry OS, Apple Inc’s iPhone OS, and as of recent Google’s Android OS does a revamp of the now almost outdated Windows Mobile platform even matter? Yahoo news is reporting that Microsoft’s CEO Steve Ballmer (who is the keynote speaker at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain this coming Monday) is expected to make a major announcement regarding the launch of its new Windows Mobile 7 platform; including a late 2010 launch.
Its being said that the new software is expected to be more consumer-focused than previous versions, with a simplified user interface, which could be borrowed in part from Microsoft’s well-reviewed — but low-selling — Zune HD media player.
Charles Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research was quoted saying:
“But my own judgment is that this is kind of their last chance,” Golvin said. “If Windows Mobile doesn’t get it right this time around, they’re probably toast.”
Microsoft is famous, Golvin said, for sticking to its projects, version after version. But developments in smart phones are coming so fast that tenacity alone won’t help. RIM and Apple are already squeezing Microsoft out, and in the last year, Google Inc. has emerged as a major player with its Android software.”
Microsoft has a lot to prove if they want to compete in the fierce mobile market of today. With mainstream focus being on Blackberry’s, iPhone’s and Android based devices. Would you give Windows Mobile another whirl? Let us know!
Follow Me: @cellguru
