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Microsoft to Attack RIM with Magneto

Posted by timothy on from the comic-book-names-for-good-hyperbole dept.

An anonymous reader writes "At this week's Mobile and Embedded DevCon (MEDC) in Las Vegas, it's anticipated that Microsoft will finally unveil 'Magneto', widely expected to be dubbed Windows Mobile 2005. Magneto is rumored to merge the Pocket PC and Smartphone versions of Windows Mobile into a single platform that combines smartphone and PDA capabilities. Consistent with that strategy, Pocket Office will reportedly be renamed Office Mobile, with other key apps similarly redesignated Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, and Outlook Mobile."

3 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. I've been waiting for this to happen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Blackberry is a great product. Not quite mainstream enough to be interesting to the 'big boys'. RIM isn't big enough to fight off Microsoft. If Microsoft decides to take a loss on this for a while then RIM is toast just like WordPerfect and Lotus.

    Too bad. RIM just got through fighting, losing and paying for a patent law suit. Yet, I don't think all the patents in the world will protect them from Microsoft.

    1. Re:I've been waiting for this to happen by whistl · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I used a rim two way pager for years, and the things that will prevent macro$loth from taking much of this market with pocket pcs:

      - short battery life
      - large heavy unit
      - crappy keyboard
      - no vibrating pager alert.

      A busy rim pager can last nearly a whole month on 1 AA battery. They are tiny and light. That little chicklet keyboard is easy to use.

      People don't mind keeping them on their belt, and can discreetly use them at meetings (we used to refer to that position as "the BellSouth prayer"). It's not going to be as easy to do that with a big chunky pocket pc. Bosses will quickly get pissed off when the everyone in the room gets a message, and 16 different "wav" files start playing.

  2. Re:Great by BristolCream · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You shut the fuck up. I'm also of the camp that beleaves that a phone is, and should remain, a phone.

    Listen, the simple fact is that unless a new interface is brought out that changes how we can use our phones, then 'features' such as 3g will remain expensive white elephants.

    We've had video phones in the uk for years now, and no one uses them. Yet we are still pitched the service by dogged companies who's managment cannot accept or admit that they spent billions on dead in the water lisences.