Slashdot Mirror
Gates Releases Details on New Mobile OS
rjelks writes "Microsoft's Bill Gates released details about the company's new mobile operating system, code-named Magneto, at the Mobile & Embedded Developers Conference in Las Vegas today. There has been a lot of recent speculation about the new OS. People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.' Windows Mobile 2005 will be released to hardware manufacturers immediately. The OS will integrate Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition operating systems into one platform. It will also include updates to the mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint." Relatedly, ZDNet has an interview with Gates about the initiative.
What color is the screen when it crashes?
Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
We'd better call the X(org)-Men!
as in "man, this Magneto OS is really killing my Blackberry, It takes 128 MB RAM and a 1gHz processor".
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
What about J2ME? It's easy to develop for and already exists on millions of phones and other devices...
... so-called because it has a nasty tendancy to wipe your hard drive every so often. I still wish Microsoft would go back to the naming scheme used with WinCE - naming their operating systems after their users' first reactions.
I'm you from the future! We have to finish our time machine before the Angels of Destruction find the portal!
Microsoft: Get ONE right, before you try and do so much.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.'
10 bucks says it turns out to be more useful in the weed-killing sense...
For more about some of the new features and to see screenshots from Windows Mobile 5 (including ActiveSync 4.0, PowerPoint Mobile, Smartphone User Interface, One-Handed Interface for Pocket PC, Internet Explorer Mobile, Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, and Pocket MSN Client) here: http://www.davespda.com/special/wm5/ There is also improved WMP 10 Mobile DRM support, new photo and video API's for developers, 3G and UMTS support, and more.
When they have effective PUSH EMail built into Exchange 2k3 in SP2 it WILL kill blackberry. I for one HATE the BB Ent Srv.
That said....flame away
Yes, but does it run Linux?
Oh, wait...
A wise move, consolidate all your security holes, viruses, worms, BSODs and spyware all under one OS umbrella!
Smart MS, very very smart.
So rise up, all ye lost ones, as one, we'll claw the clouds.
OK, I think its safe to disregard this product and the person calling it that. Whenever something is described as an XKiller, it never kills product X and such claims are usually FUD or just hype.
I wonder if it would work on a laptop? It is mobile after all...
More information on Magneto:
Years later Magnus reemerged as Magneto, who was determined to conquer the human race to prevent their oppression of mutants. Xavier's original team of X-Men thwarted his first public move in his war with humanity, the takeover of the Cape Citadel missile base. When they next clashed, Magneto was leading his original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which included Wanda and Pietro, now known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
Not until years later would Magneto learn that they were actually his children. At one point Magneto genetically engineered a being called Alpha the Ultimate Mutant, who rebelled against him and turned Magneto back into an infant. Magneto thereafter had a series of battles with Xavier's new team of X-Men.
I tell you, I have blackberries in my backyard and nothing can kill them.
LAS VEGAS - Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates released details about the company's new mobile operating system code-named "Magneto" during his keynote speech for the Mobile & Embedded Developers Conference.
"In the past five years, there's been a profound shift in the kind of data and services people access on their mobile devices -- from multimedia to business applications," Gates said. "Windows Mobile 5.0 enables our industry partners to develop exciting new hardware designs and solutions that will revolutionize how customers use mobile devices."
"Windows Mobile 5.0 is an important evolutionary step for the Windows Mobile platform, which continues to gain traction worldwide," said John Jackson, Yankee Group senior analyst. "Enhancements in the platform give wireless network operators and mobile device vendors the ability to deliver customized, differentiated services and devices, while meeting the market's demand for robust, scalable, segmented offerings."
Windows Mobile 2005, "Magneto" Details
This new version of the Windows Mobile software platform delivers on partner requests, including more platform flexibility to customize devices and solutions; productivity enhancements that include updated Microsoft Office software and persistent memory storage for more efficient data management; and a powerful multimedia experience with Windows Media(R) Player 10 Mobile and support for hard drives.
Enhancements to Windows Mobile 5.0 will include:
Persistent memory storage. The most requested productivity feature from partners and customers alike, persistent memory storage retains information even when the device's battery is depleted.
Microsoft Office software for Windows Mobile. Users will be able to view and create charts in Excel Mobile, and edit documents with graphics using Word Mobile while maintaining document formatting with files created on a PC. A new PowerPoint(R) Mobile application has been included for Pocket PC, giving road warriors the ability to view and rehearse presentations.
Security. Complementing a number of security features already included in the Windows Mobile platform, such as Bluetooth authorization and end-to-end encryption over a virtual private network, Windows Mobile 5.0 has gone through extensive threat-modeling testing and completed the rigorous Microsoft Trustworthy Computing full security review. The platform is also FIPS-140-2-certified, meaning it meets the stringent U.S. government security requirements for IT products.
Enhanced Multimedia Capabilities
Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. Customers can enjoy a larger number of protected digital music, video and recorded television files that can be synchronized easily from a PC or downloaded from many Internet-based services and mobile operators' music stores with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. The updated player also enables synchronization of users' playlists, album art and song ratings. Partners can plug in additional digital rights management (DRM) technologies to help advance their specific media business models.
Pictures and video. A new pictures and video application will add advanced features such as burst mode and timer function previously found only on high-end digital cameras.
Extended storage. Additional support for hard drives and Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0 will enable people to easily and quickly store large amounts of information -- such as entire digital picture and music libraries -- on a mobile device and synchronize this content with a PC.
Shoring up the Leaks
Up until now, details about "Magneto" have been scarce. Microsoft has been busy trying to quiet rumors that have been buzzing around the web. Neowin.com, Engadget.com and Modaco.com all posted leaked information about the new mobile OS.
Microsoft sent letters to silence the Web sites, claiming that posting screen shots and details of unreleased software violated the company's intellectual property rights. Engadget was the only site that lef
-- Thou hast strayed far from the path of the Avatar.
Why else would they name their new OS after a super-villain?
I have discovered a truly remarkable proof for my post which this sig is too small to contain.
Now even Pocket PCs can hang :>D
But will it speak to me in the voice of Ian McKellen?
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
Can it control all known metals?
Is it just me, or is Microsoft attempting to re-invent their image? "Magneto", like "Underdog" (the new search engine) is definitely a far cry from "Longhorn" in terms of target audience.
Microsoft: The new Apple wannabe? I dunno.
-- n
Yeah, that's a good PR move.
What happened to MS naming their releases after cities?
Next OS is going to be 'Red Skull', but with none of the anti-semitism that so many would like to accuse MS of.
After that, look forward to 'Kingpin' OS, with plenty of features to make sure that Microsoft stays at the top of the heap, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
The 'Juggernaut' OS will mark MS's return to using the X-Men's enemies as code names, but will also describe the install footprint.
'Apocalypse' OS will be release immediately after Billy G. has been declared world dictator for life, forever and ever amen.
The next Slashdot story will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and slashdot the links early!
Did he specify how much of my soul would be required... would he settle for a virginal sacrifice?
I've got bad news, really bad news and even worse news:
The bad news, Yes, he requires a virginal sacrifice.
The really bad news is its you he requires.
The worse news is: This doesn't mean you're getting laid!
current phone and other portable devices can not operate with the bloat of a Windows release occupies.
Microsoft did get off to a fairly slow start in the handheld and phone arenas. Why do you think that was? Gates: If you take the handheld space, I wouldn't say we were slow there.
People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.'
I think that was part of the original script that got cut from the movie; just as Arthur is losing his arms and Ford is turning into a penguin, Microsoft releases a "Blackberry Killer" OS. On the other hand, the Microsoft "iPod killer" was determined to be of such high improbability that it would have occurred before they were rescued from certain death.
-- If god wanted me to have a sig, he'd have given me a sense of humor.
I thought Microsoft always codenamed their operating system after cities and locations to avoid getting sued over a name conflict.... Magneto.... X-Men (c) Marvel... ring any bells? Aww, come on!
I have $50 on Wheels for that new mobile OS' name.
...think about it..
...a little bit more..
There you go!
A computer makes it possible to do, in half an hour, tasks which were completely unnecessary to do before.
I'm looking to replace the current line of PDA's for our company and this sounds very interesting. Employees are often out of office and an all-in-one device like this will be great for them to keep in touch - and maybe even do a bit of work on.
Marvel is suing Microsoft for damaging their intellectual property.
"The newly born animals are then whisked off for a quick run through a giant baking oven." --heard on Food Network
It's good to see that they are targetting the Blackberry domination of the market, hopefully it will lead to manufacturers battling to achieve market share, which would mean better products for us, the consumer.
;)
I just wouldn't want to be beta testing that
Business Voyeur
I'm more than a little surprised everyone's not going for the "take over the world and exterminate all humans" route on this one.
I'm not interested unless it can manipulate magnetic fields for me. Car in my way on the freeway, magneto will move it for me. Can't reach the remote, magneto will bring it to me. Need to rip the metallic skeleton from a mutant charging at me, well magneto will do that too.
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
So I guess it answers that question: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=148791&cid=124 70295
Now if they could only make the bundled apps (Pocket Whatever) actually useful. Thus far, I have had to purchase replacements for the crap versions. Of course, I'm still waiting on Minimo.
You know, posting as an AC doesn't do much good when you use manual linebreaks that way. There are not many Slashdotters who post with that style.
Pamela Jones EXPOSED
I thought this had something to do with an embedded porn viewer in Magneto.
Namewars - So now Blackberry needs to come out with Xavier.
I have one, won it in a contest, an Orange SPV-C500.
They're going to have to make a whole lot of changes to make this dog hunt. Problems with the current SmartPhone:
* Sync: you can sync with (just) one device. Don't ever try to unsync with that device, tho - in my case, you just can't. My notebook and phone are bonded forever.
* Interface: One more time: the Windows Start button metaphor doesn't work on small devices. Other issues include that it can take several steps to get to common programs.
* Non-intuitive/inconsistent UI: Sometimes, you can cancel out of something with the "red phone" button like on other phones. Sometimes you have to back out of things with the cursor button. Users of pretty much any other phone UI will go crazy.
* Not invented here syndrome: MMS uses AMR encoding for audio. Smartphone (at least my version) just doesn't support it, period.
* Crashes: It crashes a lot more than other phone OSes I've tried. Sometimes the crashes are partial - like losing networking ability.
* LONG boot time: takes over a minute for my phone to come up.
* Difficult to configure: the interface for configuring email and other internet apps is horrid and slow. Can't do it from a desktop app.
* Web browser is just totally wonky: some things load. Some things don't. What loaded yesterday doesn't work today.
* Slow: I believe that my device as a 200mhz processor in it, but screen updates and nav is really, really slow.
* You get charged for everything: there is seemingly no community, but just software vendors. Folks that are spoiled by all the nice gadgety apps available on Palm and Symbian are going to be disappointed.
Give me a Treo or Symbian device any day. I only use the thing because it was free, and I'm thinking seriously about ebaying it anyway.
Microsoft has a lot of work here before they kill anything. I'm hating this thing so much that I'm about ready to go back to my "dumb" phone and PDA combo that I used before.
jh
I hope Marvel sues.
- Just my $0.02, take with a grain of salt, your mileage may vary.
what, they're going to install it on the Blackberry? That'll kill it all right...
"A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
"d'Oh!" ~Homer
Personally, I don't think an all-in-one phone is practical.
Computers are overly complex as it, why make phones the same way? For example, a friend of mine asked me to help him export/import his contact list from Outlook. He couldn't figure it out even though this is a feature that's been around for a good, long time, but probably a majority of users don't know how to use it.
That's why I've started messagingreminder.com so you can automatically recieve reminders on your appointments (which are stored in Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Sunbird) -- you don't have to do anything but run the software!
I rather have a $50 with a good battery life and reception than a +$300 phone that I can't figure out how to use and quickly drains its battery.
Synchronize your calendar and mobile phone via text messaging.
They jerked the helmet off Magneto to reveal...
Bob.
"D00dz!" said Bob, but it was no use: Bob was crushed like the useless crapsack that he was.
Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
It will take new Hardware to 'kill' blackberry not the software running it. The blackberry is popular because it's compact and does it's job.
If/When microsoft can pressure hardware makers into creating something that has form and fucntion, then all the bells and whistles of a new OS will help push them over the top. Until then, the blackberry will continue to own the business communications market...
It reminds me of how NASA was always so proud of the fact that the Space Shuttle is "the most complicated machine ever built by mankind".
Seastead this.
The "Palm-Sized PC" and then Pocket PC apps were crippled version of the original Windows CE applications, with the ability to view multiple documents and navigate the file system removed in an apparent effort to make was might have been a viable laptop replacement into something that emulated the limitations of the Palm OS without managing to pick up any of the advantages that came along with them.
That was when the Pocket PC was supposed to be a "Palm Killer". Well, it was cellphones that really tromped on the traditional Palm, and Microsoft almost completely failed to get a position in that market while I see the Handspring/Palm Treo all over the place.
Now they're going for a "Blackberry Killer". I wonder what that portends for their applications. Will they finally let the Windows CE platform really compete with the ultralight laptops and Tablet PC on anything like a level playing field?
These are the products that Microsoft PR engine machine once called a "killer product" and believe me, these MSFT PR "DID" uses these two words literally.
.NET
Xenix
DOS 3.1 (kills competing DR-DOS and IBM-DOS)
OS/2
Windows 98 (it should have been 95.1)
IE (all versions)
Clippy
IIS (reminds me of SpongeBob SquarePants, porous, isn't he?)
FrontPage
Barney ActiMates
Windows Millinieum Edition (ME)
JVM
C##
Longhorn??
Not to mention the biggest revenue making...
OEM Licensing Restrictions
Or their vaporwares...
Spyware Killer (yes, this one is STILL ineffectual)
iPOD
UNIX-replacement to Xenix
Google
Looking back in retrospective... it seems rather bland and porous to me nowaday.
"One World, One Web, One Program." -- Advertisement for Internet Exploder
"Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuehrer." -- Adolf Hitler
44,513 publicized bugs since Windows 3.11. If this were an automobile manufacturer, they be sued out of existance.
drool... say what you want about windows mobile, but i don't see any other devices with other operating systems that can do what windows mobile does. sure, there's plenty of room for improvement- it seems i have to reboot my ipaq 6315 every day or two, but no other device does as much as it can...
She's about as welcome now as a BSoD or spam; she's already proven to be less competent than the lowest politician; as ugly as vi or emacs, but without the redeeming features, and as empty of content as notepad when you hit "file->new"; more cracked than the mods on slashdot ...
Nww, back on-topic - don't be surprised if she gets a job whoring/shilling/pimping this "latest and greatest" from her puppetmasters in Redmond.
...named after a psychotic mutant, hell-bent on wiping out humanity.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
People dont use blackberries because of the OS. They use them because of the small form factor (new ones are even better) and the push email.
Hell, I think PalmOne's Treo could kill the blackberry if it offered REAL push email and instant messanger applications.
But knowing Microsoft, this thing is going to end up bundled with Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, the entire Microsoft Office suite, and be just slightly too big for my pocket.
I want: 1. small as possible 2. best screen possible 3. blackberry/treo keyboard 4. push email 5. IM
That's it.
I have used the Handcom Office software maybe twice on my Zaurus, neither time for anything actually work related. Working on Word and Excel documents is pretty difficult on a PDA form factor, I have to imagine its downright useless on a phone screen.
Is anyone really doing last minute alterations to presentations on their phone?
Interviewer: Are you Satan, Mr. Gates?
Gates: <munch munch munch munch> Ah no, that will come with Windows XP SP5.
Interviewer: Do you believe that MS has any place in the mobile world?
Gates: <chew chew chew chew> Ah yes, I believe that we should stick it to mentally handicapped twenty-somethings at every opportunity.
Interviewer: Are you a malignant cancer on the ass of humanity?
Gates: <scrgggchmmlzzz ahhh....> No, no, but that is a patent we're pursuing.
Interviewer: Why are you inserting that chip into my brain?
Gates: <phhzzzzz plung pop> It's our latest mobile feature, the Longhorn visualizer, which will make you believe that Longhorn is actually a major leap in technology, rather than just a pack of vaporware.
Interviewer: Yes my master...
Would tha be considered 'Informative'....
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
Well given that I know not one person who I actually take seriously that uses a Blackberry, what's left?
Microsoft cannot possibly give it a name that makes anyone want to buy it except the dumb, drunk, and half-asleep crowds. Microsoft Orgasmatron. Microsoft Raspberry. Fark, no, I can't think of anything. Something pharmaceutical like Microsoft Amitricin. No...
Even numbers are no good after 2000, 2003, XP. Microsoft MCXVII. Microsoft 0111001001010. Microsoft AE21B19A. Bleah...
Magneto is just too stupid. Either purposely or accidentally matching a villain from a comic well known to geeks. Referencing something from electromagnetic and electrical engineering? To what end? Okay, bad question with MS.
No way I can see that there's any way to market it but use it in a media player and call it M-Pod. No, not even that.
Okay, so if coolness isn't happening, then does it have anything that we can't already get by stripping down a Linux distro and fiddling with it?
Apparently not.
So the point of them even bothering with this is... what?
If my grammar and spelling are off, I am [distracted/tired/careless] (take your pick)
FYI the name "magneto" is not a Marvel trademark except when associated with a comic-book character.
A magneto, proper, is a part of an engine and cannot be a copyright-able name except when asociated with items that are NOT that part of an engine. Therefore, it is a trademark of MS with respect to their software program.
...if you watch the movie very carefully, you can see this new Microsoft product sneaking up behind blackberries and squishing them.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Skipping over the comic book character for a moment--
Isn't "magneto" the British-English term for what Americans call a "carburetor?"
Comic book villain, or old car part...great marketing, either way.
while this is true, perhaps grandfather poster
formats his posts in such a way as to conceal his
true identity.
This seems so weighted towards the Phone/PDA segment I have to wonder if Microsoft writing off the rest of the Embedded market to go after the PDA/Phone market?
Of course Palm is going to build on top of Linux for there new version so It will be interesting to see what they do.
See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
The OS will integrate Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition operating systems into one platform.
That is quite a large functionality footprint, what is the target footprint for this thing? It would also be great if in the new version they could realise that a SmartPHONE is a PHONE first and a PDA second and stop with all the stupid bloody modal windows (volume is MODAL for godsake).
Interesting, but in terms of marketshare its about as relevant as a new release of Mac OSX is to the desktop.
An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
IS DEAD
But without a way to test whether his skeleton is metallic by trying to rip it out of his body with my magneto, I have no way of knowing whether he is a mutant or not. They look just like everyone else you know.
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
"Single point of failure." I for one don't want to be unable to make or receive calls just because my PDA gets a virus or otherwise decides to act up. Think it doesn't happen? It happenned to Chad Dickerson No, I think all-in-one is a very BAD idea.
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
For me, it doesn't matter what product Microsoft develops anymore.
I will always avoid all their products like the plague and use my influence to guide others to avoid them also.
I know it sounds like trolling, but I'm not posting anonymously, and I AM serious, this is my opinion, and this is reality.
I represent a segment of consumers who are completely fed up to the gills with Microsoft and are tired of constantly giving them another chance.
This will again be just like all their other products; it'll be inferior, there'll be interoperability problems with everyone's else's products, and Microsoft will continue to promise that the next version will be perfect, which by now, we've all realized is bunk.
Of course, if the product ever takes off at all, Microsoft will have realized their goal: to drive another competitor out of business. They'll then proceed to completely ignore the product and its users, just like they've done with Internet Explorer or Office. With no competition, there is no impetus to improve.
So again, NO THANKS, Microsoft.
There are alternatives, so support the other vendors, buy their products!
Free speech AND free beer? YES, PLEASE!
I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
The hand-cranked generators used on early telephones and, for rather longer, on field telephones was also called a magneto, and I guess this is why Microsoft has expropriated yet another common word for its products.
So from this important piece of information we can work out the features of magneto the operating system:
- It will be capable of doing only one thing at a time
- It will generate a lot of stray EMI
- The user interface will suck: it will need a lot of hand cranking and point setting to work properly
- It will be replaced by something better just as soon as it becomes available.
And yes, I still have bitter and twisted memories of the magnetos on my Vincent, my Velo...in fact, every British motorbike I ever owned. Not that I'm in any way prejudiced (I was stupid to buy the things)Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
Heck, I would by a copy for that alone.
"White shores...and beyond... the far green country under a swift sunrise."
Um...your phone is ringing
Shut up, let it ring (sigh)
Sera
Slashdot, where armchair scientists get shouted down and armchair theologians get modded up.
...but it still won't replace my Treo 650. PalmOS and the UI Jeff Hawkins has crafted are just so much more intuitive and efficient, and UI efficiency is something that power users tend to appreciate.
I wonder how long before marvel sues them for this.
I can see the settlement now. The new addition to the ultimates will be "clippy" the mutant paperclip.
Obama is a twitter sock puppet
3 PowerPC CPUs at 3.2GHz
No, those are just the latest Longhorn system requirements.
(Yes, I know, she was actually a product manager or some such, but it's funnier this way...)
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I saw some one here had a sig line that says it all:
" WinCE + WinME + WinNT = WinCEMENT "
I think from today forward M$ is going to have trouble getting the computer world (excluding the M$Fanboys) excited about anything.
That is over even if they are and will continue to be rich
Cheers
* Carthago Delenda Est *
... Microsoft is admitting that WinCE was an utter failure?!
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
Actually a magneto is for use with small engines that do not have access to a battery for creating an ignition spark.
A carburetor is to mix fuel and air before intake to a cylinder for compression and combustion.
Another MS item Miguel Icarza will want to integrate into the Gnome Desktop/WM system.
I can't wait. Mono meet Magneto.
When he commoditized the PC market, he made his own support by creating the clones, and wiping IBM off the PC map.
But now that that game is over, none of the mom and pop PC assemblers have two nickels to rub together.
He's in a real bind because NOBODY can just break into the telecom market. Its too well regulated. The FCC can be bought to mandate AGAINST phones that have lousy characteristics just like the auto industry was mandated against selling cars that have jousy characteristics (Name "Corvair" ring a bell. That was car crashed for no reason too. And don't ghet me started on the steering columns...)
All it takes is some persons who couldn't call 911 because their phones crashed and Microsoft will be up to its ears in litigation. Granted they are getting practice shutting up their own fansites but that is in civil court.
This could send people to jail criminally.
And don't count out civil court ability to do damage to Microsoft.
Somebody who's unnecessarily crippled, after lying there holding a crippled phone, makes a convincing witness in front of a judge trying a case for damages based on potential future earnings and 'pain and suffering'.
Besides, Microsoft doesn't make hardware (Some keyboards, mice and the XBox excepted.)
Telecom is a hardware business. They may make their money from charging you every month but they can't charge you without seling you the hardware.
Gates won't be able to leverage his closed standards because NONE of the telecom providers are going to just GIVE HIM CONTROL.
They KNOW what Gates did to the PC hardware business.
MSBPodcast.com The opinions expressed here are my own. If you don't like 'em... Think up your own stuff.
Something that has been inexplicably missing for a long time from Microsoft's Smartphone software is Microsoft Reader.
Now that all the versions of Windows Mobile have been unified, it is legitimate to expect Microsoft Reader to move to smartphones as well. It is a market Microsoft has surprisingly neglected to explore so far.
Any reports about Reader and WM2005?
Bill Gates and many other senior members of companies that produce operating systems delusionally believe that people somehow care about the OS that their computer or device runs.
They don't.
People care what their device DOES , not what their device is POWERED by.
If these devices run OS/2, Amiga, DOS, whatever... does not matter. If it does what they want, talks to their other devices in a non-confusing way, and can read their data formats (PIM data, documents, media formats, etc.), the OS does not matter.
In fact, with virtualization becoming more and more popular (and available), your hardware will be running multiple OS' at the same time and guess what... you won't care.
The data is what matters. The function is what matters. The OS does not matter.
The only reason we care about the OS right now, is because in most cases (i.e. Microsoft), the OS lacks that functionality, or the functionality it provides is horribly broken, so we fight with it, instead of work with it.
The key reason why RIM has been so successful is because of their network architecture. RIM has the capability to trickle emails down to a device. Since the device is always connected to the network they have the ability to constantly receive these messages. The way the PocketPC devices are built they are not meant to be always connected to a network and if you did you would likely only get about 4-6 hours battery life. When you compare that to > one week for a RIM device there is no comparison.
I do like that Microsoft is making an alternative to the BlackBerry, I do not think that they will be much competition for RIM unless they build a network architecture like RIM's and they look into the battery life issues.
Adventure City Tours
I'd gladly pay M$ for a copy of this so that I'm no longer burdened with having to be at the beck and call of my boss!
Good job.
UTF-8: There and Back Again
Why did they call it that way? Because it's a magnet for viruses and spyware? (Insert bad joke music )
Word, Excel, etc...that's all well and good. But can I run my favorite software from the FSF on this new OS? Me thinkist not.
I'm not a troll, but I play one on Slashdot.
more memory... better security... what a load of crap. You wanna give me details there Biily Boy? How about some Kernel source?
Details my ass... flamebait!
Take the example of two people:
The first person sticks his hand in boiling water, gets burned, and from there on out avoids sticking his hand in boiling water.
The second person sticks his hand in boiling water, gets burned, waits a while, then sticks his hand right back in the boiling water just to see if its still hot.
History generally considers the first person to be the wiser. No pun intended, but you can only get burned so many times before it just isn't worth it any more.
OK, the master of magnetism. However, to get around some obvious limitations, they have magneto able to move non-magnetic materials "because of the nuclear magnetic moment" in all materials.
Oh, come on!
If he could do that, the magnetic strength would be enough to rip atoms apart!
Just leave him with the ability to manage magnetic materials and he's fine.
Silly over-powering. Just like a lot of Star Wars books re: Luke's power.
I don't understand why the Blackberry is so popular. It's expensive. Its software is closed and ugly. Its hardware is ugly and cheap. It requires an expensive, proprietary server to connect to your enterprise's Exchange server. The Blackberry's only apparent advantage is that it has "push" email notifications, but that can be added to another device sooooo easily using background SMS.
I think the Blackberry's success has been driven by their focus on The Enterprise. Once they get their proprietary server in your company's data center, new users will start adopting the Blackberry and you aren't likely to dump it.
cpeterso
MS is rumoured to have a new AllInOne phone coming out to work with this OS. The electronics are near production at Lucas in the UK...
Obviously the press has never caught on to this and just keep quoting some polished MSFT press release docs to collect their payment for the articles.
Regardless, it's always the acts of the company( Microsoft ) preventing actual competition/choice that's done any harm to the competitor.
And another thing, Microsoft has lost about $1 Billion / year on their mobile Windows OS( WinCE ) since it went on the market some 8+ years ago. How could anybody in their right mind even think that this is just going to magically change because Microsoft says it is?
BFD is what I say.
LoB
"Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
I'm so sick of it only working on Verizon's network, and J2ME sucks so bad.
I am not opposed to Microsoft technologies, and if "Magneto" is indeed a superior mobile product I would contemplate owning a smart phone that used the OS. However, I know that the functions of the phone will most likely be rather useless to me because Microsoft fails to recognize that not everyone is using Windows.
This is where Microsoft must begin to support Linux if they want other product lines to be able to succeed. I think their is a misconception that everyone who uses Linux would never use any Microsoft product, but I believe that the situation is quite contrary and that many Linux users simply want the best technology and operating system wise Linux can be the superior technology and most facets, especially to geeks.
Math
I made the mistake of buying an iPaq (2215) with PocketPC 2003 on it. In the last two years, there have been ZERO improvements to IE, zero MS patches or updates to the UI, and absolutely no additons to Windows Mobile Media Player 9 for it. That really cool landscape feature that's coming out....won't work with my version and there is no planned ROM upgrade.
This is as much of a problem with Compaq/HP as with MS, to hear the MS guys tell the story. This *still* absolutely sucks. I don't care whose fault it is, I just want updates like I see for 2000 or XP; which isn't much but it is something. I expect it for the price I payed.
It's a neat GPS/MP3 Player/Digital Picture viewer, but the lack of updates just pisses me off.
Never ever again. Don't care what it'll do because I know they'll just let me down as far as continuing support.
It was wrong to mod down the topic !
We just got a lot of blackberries here. Brand new dual CPU 1U Dell server and all... Seemed nice (and expensive), I had pretty high expectations.
... I wish I had never seen one.
Turns out we got reception problems, and the sync'ing sucks - it just doesn't happen. Now the people that struggled to empty their inboxes daily still have to empty it, and empty their blackberry's inbox, too. You delete mail from either and sync, and the deleted mail is still on the other... And it's no good for opening any attachments (not surprising, but a lot of the users were expecting more features). The tech support is truly laughable as well. There is 1 semi-knowledgeable person at the telco for the whole region, and every time we call, we get a different (usually wrong) answer. And the keypads suck, especially if you got big fingers. It's so bad it's making me wish for a stylus so I can scribble stuff instead.
Overall? It's more burden, more stuff for the helpdesk to support (and to be trained into), another server to look after, more expenses, more frustrations for everybody,
Carmack is too used to developing on PCs with C and assembler to have an objective viewpoint on Java.
So does this one feather both SODs? I cant wait to get the BSOD wherever i go, but then, wait, theres more!, you can even get the RSOD wherever you go now!
Your skill in reading has increased by one point!
...that every time Microsoft introduces a "new" version of their Windows platform for another hardware platform, that it MUST come with some version of Word and Excel? I mean think about it... This version of Windows is supposed to unify multiple mobile devices, including things like phones. I don't know about you, but I long for the day when a phone is JUST a phone. I don't want to go typing up Word documents on it for crying out loud!!! That's just plain stupid! If I want to do text entry, just allow me to use something useful like Dasher and combine it with plain text notepad. It's not like I can't take that text and cut and paste it into Word when I get back to my desk. (Or more likely, Writer from the wonderful OpenOffice.org suite) Microsoft has been beating this concept of Windows everywhere to death. And in many cases Windows is just not a good fit. At least not until those knuckledraggers realise that they need a better interface than stylus or pen...
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
"The OS will integrate Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition operating systems into one platform"
And here I've been writing code for the past year or so as if they already were one platform? Did I miss something?