by dave on February 9th, 2010 /
Category: News
Edward at msmobiles.com, generally a very reliable and informed source on all things Microsoft, has just recently posted that he doesn’t think the next version of Windows Mobile, version 7, will have any major gaming features. There had been plenty of rumors, and maybe a little wishful thinking, that Microsoft would be putting some serious gaming clout into the upcoming release of Windows Mobile, but a source of Edward’s thinks otherwise:
(Microsoft has moved many top executives and engineers over to a new team designed to compete more effectively with Apple’s iPhone). One problem: I’m hearing from employees who work inside these teams that the political will to really develop a good Xbox-playing smartphone isn’t there. If that’s true, look for Microsoft to remain shut out of the battlefield and to remain a loser in the mobile space.
This quote comes from a former ‘softie blogger who has friends on the Windows Mobile 7 team inside MS.
Like Edward, I find this pretty frustrating, especially since they have such a hot, networkable device in the x-box. It’s great that Microsoft is merging their Zune services into Windows Mobile (a couple years late) and the new UI is going to be slick, but with Apple about to drop their new iPhone and Android nipping at their heels (and about to pass), Microsoft needs to realize they may be out of the game already by the time Windows Mobile 7 actually hits the market.
I read an interesting post over at PocketNow in which Joe Levi compares some key aspects of Windows Mobile to Google’s Android. The article just brushes the broad strokes, but Joe correctly identifies the licensing model as one of Windows Mobile’s main obstacles in the near future. With Android’s open sources, no-license approach which gives Google faster development cycles, quicker deployment to partners, and faster adoption on handsets.
Microsoft has recently signed a deal with Bsquare to handle all their licensing, a move that might end up sinking them, as I contemplated out loud in an earlier post. By adding yet another layer of corporate bureaucracy to their model, Microsoft risks slowing losing any meager momentum they still have.
Thoughts?
by dave on February 1st, 2010 /
Category: News
PocketNow is reporting that the next version of Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio will support Windows Mobile 7. The XNA Game Studio is Microsoft’s gaming developer’s kit for X-Box and Vista, which suggests that we’re going to see some tight integration between X-Box games and future Windows Phones. That’s pretty sweet – what do you think we’ll see?
Personally, I think this only makes sense and is part of Microsoft’s master plan to merge the desktop, mobile and gaming world, using its huge market share in each area to create a super-massive consumer-oriented company that could properly compete in the new merged-media world.
[via]
by dave on October 26th, 2009 /
Category: News
In a recent chat with Engadget, Steve Ballmer seems to confirm that the next version of Windows Mobile, Windows Mobile 7, is going to have the Zune software fully integrated. That’s wicked, and speculation is that it means the end of Windows Media Player on the Windows Mobile platform. It is further evidence of Microsoft’s efforts to merge or at least blur the lines between their major platforms. Good news all around.
by dave on October 26th, 2009 /
Category: News
MobileTechWorld put up a post that hints at the future of gaming on Windows Mobile 7 and how that might merge with the X-Box world.
Two job postings are out from Microsoft that are of interest to those of us who would like to see a more concerted and coordinated effort from Microsoft across its platforms:
The first is a “Developer Account Manager“, whose job it will be to:
…to own and drive the relationship with our top mobile entertainment development partners. You will work closely with our…Windows Mobile and Xbox LIVE platform teams…
This makes it sound like this particular account manager position looks like they will be working on both Windows Mobile and X-Box Live games… does that mean there will be releases that run on both platforms?
The second is less exciting on the convergence front, but cool nonetheless: a 3rd party account manager who will act as the “day-to-day contact for publishers” and will be responsible for landing exclusive games for Windows Mobile.
Both of these postings bode well for Microsoft’s secret attempt to have cross-platform integration between their X-Box, Zune and Windows Phone services and platforms.
by dave on October 20th, 2009 /
Category: News
This pic seems to show screen-captures of the new Calendar app and a settings tab straight from Windows Mobile 7 (at least as it stands right now). The bottom row was originally rumored to be from Windows Mobile 6.5.1, but those who have tinkered with 6.5.1 say it’s not at all… leaving many to guess that we’re looking at Windows Mobile 7 shots.
The nice big buttons on the settings screen is encouraging, and the calendar looks very finger-friendly compared to the old current versions of Windows Mobile.
by dave on October 15th, 2009 /
Category: News
This Office 2010 slide presented to Microsoft Partners shows – at the very bottom – the release to manufacturer date for Windows Mobile 7: Spring 2010! That seems consistent with all the talk of a late-2010 market launch, after a few months in the hands of manufacturers and carriers.
Here’s hoping!
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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
Sony XPERIA X1
A recent job posting over at Microsoft.com hints at how Microsoft plans to integrate social networking into Windows Mobile 7. It is a bit disconcerting that this job is just being filled now, but at least they’re on the right track. Simple and intuitive access to social media is essential to any successful mobile OS these days, and for Microsoft to make up lost ground on they really need to hit the ground running… next October.
“Social Networks” and “Mobile Phones” are two rapidly evolving socio-cultural phenomena that deeply impact the way in which people interact with each other. How would you like to be at the confluence of these phenomena – not as an observer but as someone who is defining the course?
“Social Networks” and “Mobile Phones” are two rapidly evolving socio-cultural phenomena that deeply impact the way in which people interact with each other. How would you like to be at the confluence of these phenomena – not as an observer but as someone who is defining the course?
I’d love it, thanks. Now this is an excerpt from the posting (the job has been filled, so I can’t link to it anymore). It goes on:
The Windows Mobile 7 Communications group is building experiences on the phone that present your content – friends, pictures, messages, events – to you in immersive and engaging ways. Our vision is to bring social networks to life by integrating them into the core experience of the phone. For example imagine seeing all the newsfeeds from all the networks you care about in a single hub on the phone. Or imagine the phone instantly telling you what your friend is doing and where he is when you get a call from him.
To realize this vision and build these experiences it’s important to have a solid, well-thought out foundation. This is where the “Models” team comes in. This team owns the storage platform and the developer story for all the social content on the phone – friends, photos, newsfeeds, messages, events, etc. Our aim is to build a “Mobile Social Platform” that provides rich APIs to both internal and external applications and to not only enable but also inspire them to build compelling social experiences.
Sounds like a challenge, yes? Well, they’ve found someone to fill these shoes (though we don’t know who yet).
by dave on September 14th, 2009 /
Category: News
Microsoft business marketing manager James McCarthy has confirmed stories about a minimum system requirement of sorts for all new Windows 7 devices. Stories about this chassis were appearing in the Spring, so I’m not sure why it is big news, but it is reassuring to hear they are still committed to high-quality devices landing in stores.
The basic Windows 7 Chassis, once called Pink, I believe, looks like this:
WM7 Chassis 1 Specification
Core requirements:
- Processor: ARM v6+, L2 Cache, VFP, Open GL ES 2.0 graphics HW (QCOM 8k, Nvidia “Tegra” AP15/16* and TI 3430 all meet spec)
- Memory: 256MB+ DRAM, 1G+ Flash (at least 512MB fast flash – 5MB/s unbuffered read @4K block size)
- Display: WVGA (800×480) or FWVGA (854×480) 3.5” or greater diagonal
- Touch: Multi-touch required
- Battery: Sufficient to meet Days of Use LTK requirements.
- Controls: Start, Back, Send and End are required (soft controls allowed as long as they are always present).
Peripherals:
- Camera: 3MP+, flash optional, 2nd camera optional (VGA resolution sufficient)
- GPS: aGPS required
- Sensors required: Light Sensor, Compass (3 axis, 5 degrees, 100 Hz sample rate), Accelerometer (3 axis, 2mg resolution, 100 Hz sample rate)
- USB: High speed required, 20 MB/s transfer rate.
- BlueTooth: BT2.1 required, must run MSFT BT stack, CSR BlueCore6 or later recommended.
- Wi-Fi: 802.11B/G required, must run MSFT Native Wi-Fi stack, Atheros 6002 or Broadcomm 4325 recommended.
- Connectors: Micro USB and 3.5mm Audio required.
Options:
- FM tuner: If tuner HW is present it will be detected and supported by the Media application.
- Haptics
- SD Card (Micro SD recommended)
- DPAD, qwerty or 12/20 key keyboards all optional
Microsoft has also announced HTC and Acer as OEM manufacturers for Windows 7, and has indicated they plan to work more closely with these and other OEM manufacturers as Windows 7 nears launch. You can read the article that got me on this track here, at itPro.com.
by dave on March 23rd, 2009 /
Category: News
Well surprise, surprise – Motorola’s cancelled the once-anticipated Motorola Alexander, the 8MP camera smartphone with the cool NVidia graphics.
Sad, really, but not unexpected given that Motorola’s been trying to detach itself from WinMo lately in favour of Android.
They’ll be back though, you’ll see. When Windows Mobile 7 arrives in 2010, they’ll be back. They all come back.
[via]
by dave on February 6th, 2009 /
Category: News
Market sources in Taiwan are saying that Microsoft is planning to rebrand Windows Mobile-based handsets to be promoted simply as ‘Windows phones’ without specifying an OS version number.
Microsoft is planning to launch a beta version of Windows Mobile 7.0 by the end of 2009, with plans to release the platform to device makers in April 2010, the same sources indicated.
But… what about WindowMobile Cool? Let’s not try to fool any one here, Microsoft. We’re all in this branded business together. Stand tall and proud… or something…
What do you think? Will changing the Windows Mobile branding improve sales?
[via]
There are rumours floating around that Windows Mobile 7 won’t see the light of day until 2010 at the earliest. And who started these rumours? None other than Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha.
So what is it? We’ve seen ‘early 2009′ predictions, we’ve seen ’second half of 2009′ predictions from Microsoft themselves. Who’s got it right?
Paired with the ongoing rumours that Motorola will completely abandon WinMo in favor of the “more competitive” (and totally free to license) Android - could this be some kind of “fine, I didn’t want to be your friend anyway” smack talk?
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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.
[via]
According to some interesting rumours today, Windows Mobile 7 may be making its debut this week at the Professional Developers Conference (2008) in Los Angeles, California. Though the main focus of the event is not on Windows Mobile specifically, a ZDNet journalist has this to say about the conference:
Attendees will get a demo of Windows 7 by Windows engineering chief Steven Sinofsky, as well as pre-beta M3 bits to take home. Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie is on tap to outline Microsoft’s Live Framework, the Live Mesh development platform. Windows Server head Bob Muglia is expected to unveil Microsoft’s cloud development platform and explain how Microsoft plans to try to one-up Amazon and Google in this space — via a combination of its Windows Cloud OS, virtualization and a variety of cloud-optimized services. There are sessions on Microsoft’s Oslo modeling strategy and platform, Silverlight 2 for mobile, parallel/concurrent computing and more.
More on the rumours including counter-rumours
