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Microsoft Rolls Out Pocket PC 2003
An anonymous reader writes "Monday, June 23 was a big day for Microsoft's mobile devices software strategy. The company: (1) rolled out Pocket PC 2003 (and renamed it); (2) unveiled a new "Windows Mobile" branding strategy; and (3) launched a collaboration with three leading high-speed wireless service providers to provide easier access to more than 3,500 Wi-Fi wireless "hot spots" by Windows-powered PDAs throughout the US. All this (and more) is covered in this "special report" at WindowsForDevices.com (including a detailed list of enhancements in Pocket PC 2003)."
So they still aren't changing the name "Windows", since it has basically lost its trademark? You'd think they would change "Windows" to something else in all their OS products so they could trick..er..show that they actually changed the product (marketing scheme).
the internet community develop a proper PKI infrastructure.
I see that the Pocket PC will be named Windows Mobile. It seems they want to use another brand, possibly to increase the wide-spread usage of the word 'Windows', but why?
I for one have always thought PocketPC as something that is LESS Microsoft, which is a Good Thing (TM). I would never buy a copy of Windows XP while I could consider buying a PocketPC (but not a Windows Mobile)...
I don't know what to do *Cries in horror*
Does this mean they'll finally start shipping the MSDN freebie?! That would be nice...
"... but you can love completely without complete understanding." - Norman Maclean, "A River Runs Through It"
Is it just me, or do you think cell-phone company when you read "Windows Mobile"?
-Pete
Soccer Goal Plans
My guess is that they want to market the Pocket PC OS on "won't fit in my pocket" mobile electronics, like Tablet PCs. Would you rather use "Windows Mobile" or "Pocket PC" on Tablet PCs? Plus, because it has "Windows" in the name, it must be better just like MSN must be better because it is based on Microsoft technology. :)
WiFi might be nice to give you added flexibility, but frankly do I really frantically want to search a hot spot every hour in order to download my 7 mails from which usually 7 are spam? I don't think so.
Granted, it might be nice to pass your time by browsing the web when you wait for a train. But I can do that just fine with a newspaper.
Methinks this is a rather desperate attempt to (finally) get a foot into the mobile, wireless world and Microsofts attempt to lure (GSM-)manufacturers/network providers in can only be described as a spectacular failure up to now.
Also, WiFi is not the GSM killer; a notion which seems popular in the US, but it's just plain wrong. Those are two very, very different technologies with very different objectives..
ich bin der musikant
mit taschenrechner in der hand
kraftwerk
Does anybody know if existing Pocket PC 2002 models will be upgradable to 2003 (Especially the Dell Axim)?
a big part of the computer world
I think if I did a casual survey of the computer world about 5% would care about what Apple has to say and only about 1% are actually on pins and needles. I guess 1% of millions is still a big number but I would hardly consider it "a big part of the computer world."
We've just begun a project developing an app for .NET Compact Framework, and I have to say, I'm impressed. RAD for a wide range of CE & Pocket PC devices using C# and VB.NET is quite inticing. The framework is fairly light, considering, but is similar enough to the full framework that it's esentially identical to programming for a full PC. Debuging is cool too: you can debug on an emulated or real-live device.
/.'s alternatives for rapidly developing mobile business apps?
That said: what are
PocketPC always has windows in the name, since it was Windows CE Pocket PC. Renaming is definitely a marketing thing though, when you rename something people think its new and give it another look. I don't think this is bad, its just the way things work. I'm glad that you can recognize that just because the name changed doesn't mean anything else changed, but its no reason to be upset about a product.
"You can now flame me, I am full of love,"
Name changing is basicaly a way to try and get people to forget how much your product sucks. two name changes is realy bad.
Take Pascal for example, a teaching language, that has some major suck factor for real world programing. But a bunch of tech school clubies started using it for real world apps.
Most real developers know it sucks, so they renamed it to Delphi, just to confuse people into using it.
Actually it is not PocketPC 2003 (GET IT RIGHT ALREADY, hehe) it is "Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs". Oh, and CE.NET is already released, it has been released for a while now. CE.NET 4.2 was actually released in April by memory. In fact 4.0 and 4.1 were released in fairly quick successions last year (I figure due to major bugfixes/distribution cock-ups???)
.NET Compact framework. The .NET cf is entirely different to CE.NET which is just an alias for the 4.x OS version. It unfortunately did not undergo the last minute name withdrawal like Windows Server 2003 (ie. Windows Server .NET). That version is rumoured to be released in a couple of years. I would imagine it's a complete rewrite.
.NET fiasco. That is not to rename their products and cause dramatic confusion in the industry. Many people are increasingly seeing Microsoft as inconsistent and totally lacking in any direction. Confidence is dwindling.
... M$ vs SYMBIAN/NOKIA/PALM/WORLD.
Windows Mobile (aka PocketPC 2003) is based on CE.NET 4.2 to be precise.
The version I think you are talking about is the one slated to be based on the
I'm a little worried about all this name changing, it sounds like a complete mess. Hasn't Microsoft already learnt from the
I gather this name change is to align themselves for the next onslaught in
Apple is commonly referred to as "R&D south" by the Redmond campus. This term is quite apt of how most big players look at apple.
essentialy apple is probably the greatest trend setter in consumer computers. The big boys don't use thier resources to explore new design concepts and tech use. Instead they watch apple roll out new products, and see whether or not they are succesfull and viable (iPOD + Itunes Music Store, iMac) or just a bad idea (cube).
Apple hsn't got market share, they've got style share, or should i say... they are trendy. If something works within the apple community, it is almost garenteed to work in the windows community. Thus Companies who watch apples endeavors closely, can get a good idea on what markets to tackle, and what to leave alone.
There are reasons why apple's brand and OS/hardware have a much higher user satisfaction, it's because they spend almost as much money (and more in some cases) on product development than the much larger players (MS, IBM, DELL, HP, etc...). They also can afford to do so... it's their identity, and what keeps them alive. Since apple has it's own market, it doesn't have to worry about it's dollars spent on reasearch vs dollars spent on market growth in comparison to other players in the same space.
That is, dell must keep a tight budget on it's spedning, because they've got to save money to fight off sony, toshiba, HP, and others in distribution and identity. Whereas apple's identity is secure and has no DIRECT competitors in it's market (albeit a much smaller market, though apple ships nearly as many machines as the big boys do individualy) so apple's main goal is to preserve their identity of being something appealing, different and very well made. Part of being very well made and different AND APPEALING is TONS of R&D.
I hear rumors that panther (OS X 10.3) will have native ActiveDirectory support along with a 970 at 2ghz (which should be on par with a P4 at 3.5ghz or so), Coupled with a 1ghz FSB along with a crapload of hardware goodies.... it looks like apple may be making a play for being more than trendy... but a horse-powered consumer product as well. If the next rumor is true... the implications are huge.
Panther supposedly has a fully featured multi-user environment built for wireless displays. As in you can have 6 people with all of their own wireless displays connected to the same computer in their house. Each one has a full user environment complete with aqua and everything. Eliminating the need for multiple machines, and providing one point of data storage and access. The implications are quite similar to what was expected to be thin client computing of our day (everyone has a dumb terminal that runs from a server somewhere)
but we shall see what happens. I personaly love the ideas of all these things, and think they would be great if implemented by apple (since apple does a stellar job on their projects)... but also find apple's releasal of products to be inconsistent, and often rumors are just that. Rumors.
--Idiots, Every single one of YOU, A flaming mass of conglomerated morons, hey wait a second, isnt that how RAID works?
Do you have any numbers to back that up? Even if you don't include Palm users who are considering a new machine (and therefore might switch to PocketPC) you will still far outnumber the people who are "on pins and needles."
About 5-6 million Pocket PC's were sold last year and Apple shipped about 3 million computers.