by dave on September 28th, 2009 /
Category: News
Edward J.R. over at MSMobiles has just posted about a new strategy over at Microsoft to integrate their recently-purchased Musiwave company into the future of the Zune service and other streams. He writes:
- Musiwave division, formerly a company that Microsoft purchased for $46 million, stops offering services to operators/carriers and instead Musiwave technology will be reused in Zune; Musiwave services were offering to operators/carriers infrastructure to earn additional money by selling ringtones, music and videos.
- clearly Microsoft is re-focusing now to make out of Zune a valid competitor to iTunes of Apple.
- Xbox and Zune have higher priority than Windows Mobile and thus Zune service probably will come to Xbox and to “Pink” phones before Windows Mobile. We expect that at the earliest around Summer 2010 the Windows Mobile 7 should be ready and it should have integrated Zune service
I’m not sure if he took that straight from some Microsoft exec, but he concludes that Microsoft wants in on the lucrative online music biz that Apple has such a stranglehold on. True for sure, but I think it goes beyond the direct revenue from music sales – Microsoft wants to own the experience gadget/mobile/entertainment experience like Apple does.
We can expect to see the Zune Service offered across the board from Microsoft: X-box, Windows Mobile (7) and the Zune, not to mention tight integration with Windows Media Player and full-on Windows 7. And to one-up Apple, as they surely need to do in order to make up lost ground, Microsoft has already offers an attractive flat-rate plan whereby you can download as many songs as you like, but only keep 10 per month. This trumps Apple’s pay-per-song and 30-second sample.
http://msmobiles.com/news.php/8628.html
by dave on September 15th, 2009 /
Category: News
I just read over at MSMobiles that Microsoft is finally going to be able to one-up Apple. Their appstore kill switch will go beyond Apple’s by actually removing the offending application from users’ phones. Yikes.
I’m a big ‘Softie at heart, but sometimes I have to wonder aloud if they get it… MS is getting powned by their competitors in a way that they’ve never experienced, market share is shrinking, no new mobile OS for another year, announcements that they’re charging for each country developers in which want to sell their apps… maybe they don’t understand how far behind the ball they are and that they should probably be begging developers to pitch a hand, not looking for 1984/Apple-esque ways to punish them.
Whhhhoooo… ok, all better.
by dave on January 30th, 2009 /
Category: News
The Wall Street Journal announced this morning that Dell will be introducing two new mobile phones (codenamed ‘MePhone’) at MWC in February that will be so amazing that they look to take on market leaders Apple and Research In Motion head-to-head.
One of the phones will be touchscreen-only while the other will sport a slide out QWERTY (similar to the T-Mobile G1). One will run Windows Mobile and the other will run Android though at this point it is unclear which model will run which OS.
No further specs or carrier news are available. Rumour has it that the phones will go on sale September 9th, though I wouldn’t hold your breath.
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With all the competition from the iPhone 3G and Android, did you know that – according to Steve Balmer’s keynote at CES - Windows Mobile still sold 20 million handsets last year? It’s true! Now my theory that Windows Mobile will rebound isn’t so far fetched! Especially considering that sexy new HTC lineup for 2009 that was just leaked. Lots of potential there!
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According to some rumours started by the Inquirer today (ignore their linked ‘video proof’ as it’s clearly a joke), Microsoft is in the final stages of building a phone – the first of its own brand – that will rely on performance to drive sales. They’re allegedly developing a phone that uses one of NVIDIA’s Tegra processors. This processor (likely the APX 2500 chip) would theoretically give the Microsoft device 720p video playback and advanced 3D visuals that no other smartphone on the market has, to date.
More about the Microsoft smartphone rumours here
Sanjay Jha, CEO Motorola
According PC Magazine, Motorola’s Sanjay Jha has confirmed (though strangely non-chalantly) that Motorola expects to release a phone based on Windows Mobile 6.5 platform in the second half of 2009.
Windows Mobile 6 has not delivered the experience that I think Apple has been able to deliver, but as you look at the plan that is Windows Mobile 7 and even 6.5, I think there are significant new added features which will help the platform,” Jha said. “We have now targeted new teams which are focused – in California and Seattle – to deliver experiences. That is where we have to differentiate.
Motorola also announced that it plans to eliminate its MOTOMAGX and Symbian platforms in order to focus on the Google Android, Windows Mobile, and P2K 3G solutions.
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