Microsoft plays down Windows Mobile OS

[rpm]

Microsoft plays down Windows Mobile

Microsoft is being coy about when it will release version 7 of its Windows Mobile operating system as it focuses on other areas.

 

[LazyLion]

haha... that's cos they know it sucks and it can't compete.

 

[pmbellis]

Hard Info, anyone?

Would really like to know what to expect from WinMo7. At the moment there's only speculation & rumour.

Anyone got some links to some hard info?

With all respect to the gamers out there, I couldn't care less about MS Natal, and MS Azure is a big FAIL for SA. MS Office is great, but personally I'm an OpenOffice fan.
So the only one of these initiatives I'm interested in is WinMo7!

Might be a subject for a poll ... ? mods ?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Microsoft seems to be uncertain on this area.

If they don't act quickly enough, they'll lose this market.

 

[apogeeza]

Project Natal

One of Microsoft's big focus areas this year will be Project Natal, its new gaming technology that it hopes will replicate the success of Nintendo's Wii.

That reminds ... MS filed a patent some time back, wording is as general and as vague as a person can creatively write (that's a BIG no-no for patent offices, these things have to be scientifically spec'd, after all, it is a technology patent application...) It describes some sort of new invention, a wireless hand held computing device, like a pen/wand type effort, but when you finished reading it sit back and look at the advert for the Wii you say "haaaaaay !!! Patent this NEW INVENTION? Oh come on MS, get real, it's already here ... the only thing you did was to change the shape."

(still have no clue if said "innovation" was actually passed/bribed through to market, and don't really care either: just a chuckle nonetheless.)

 

[stevovo]

They could have "Windows Mobile 10000.5" and it would still be sh*t slow

 

[murraybiscuit]

+1 lib.
when a company like ms isn't confident to launch a product, you have to wonder what's happening behind the scenes.
it doesn't inspire much confidence for users... the ones that haven't left already.

 

[Antonf]

Android is the future

 

[kingrob]

Nope, iPhone OS is the future.

Apple is already making more money from their iPhones than all their computer sales worldwide.

 

[apogeeza]

Nope, iPhone OS is the future.

Apple is already making more money from their iPhones than all their computer sales worldwide.

That's because their computers are targeted at a very slim slice of the market, but the phones target just about the whole damn spectrum of users, and those bloody fruit-lubbers are quite vocal every time Steve Jobs sneezes another logo on to the market.

 

[Arthur]

Personally, I wouldn't count out Win Mobile too soon. Microsoft thoroughly understands it's negelected the product for years. Nearly 2 years ago Steve Ballmer fired virtually the whole WM management and dev team for gross negligence and has hired the smartest people inside and out to develop WM7. No-one knows anything about this as MS has played it very close to the chest. The kimono will be raised slightly at MWC later this month.

Another thing: it's the UI that needs to be updated, and perhaps some new APIs added. But the underlying WM operating system (not the part the user sees or interacts with) is solid, powerful, and very capable. It's fully multithreaded and multitasking, whch is more than you can say for many (believe it or not, the iPhone/iPad can still only run one app at a time - imagine the howls of derision if Microsoft did that).

Steveb knows MSFT's back is to the wall and the stakes are high with WM7, so - based on past experience - I expect some very comprehensivce smart moves by the company to regain marketshare, or at least stop the slide and position for the next tech rev. It's about a lot more than just the technical stuff - relationships with carriers, IHVs, developers, channel, users all come into play. I wouldn't be surprised if lessons have been learned from Zune and xbox people, so I wouldn't count WM out just yet.