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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.
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
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.
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...
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?
Yes, you should. Linux isn't going to kill Windows any time soon, if ever. It's too deeply entrenched and too many people and companies have too much invested in it.
It's official. Most of you are morons.
Microsoft: The new Apple wannabe?
New? Where have you been for the past 20 odd years?
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
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
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
WM 5 is just the shell. The OS is the new Win Ce 5.1, on which you can run any shell. One of its main features is the integrated
Surur
Information is the location of things. Computation is moving things around.
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.
I've used a Windows Mobile Smartphone for the past year. Am I concerned about getting spyware on my phone? Not in the least.
I'll tell you why.
First off, any program you try to install must be confirmed that you want the application. You (or your carrier) can also set the phone up so it will only accept signed applications, which I beleive means Microsoft approved it for use with the OS.
Do you worry about getting spyware on an XBox too? Every game that is put out for the XBox is signed by Microsoft as being legit. It's the same deal on MS Smartphone.
About your comment on Pocket Internet Explorer, Web browsing (no matter what browser you are using) over GPRS (celluar data) is slow. Think around 14.4, dialup speeds. My phone has a 200MHz processor and 32MB of RAM, so that influences how fast pages load, etc.
So any pages I visit, I goto them for a reason, because I want to view that page, and something important is there. For example while at work I can check on the status of a package on FedEx.com and see if I should go home for lunch and put the package inside the house instead of letting it stay outside for 8 hours.
I personally do not go browsing or searching for things on my phone that I do not implicitly trust.
On the otherhand, on my PC with fast internet, I could get a emailed link, get a link sent by a friend saying "hey this is cool"... my PC is so fast compared to a phone that you can click a link, and within seconds your machine is infected.
The problem is user authentication and proper policy management. For people who use their PC at home, this is a "nuisance" because many people would be using the PC, many people would want to install applications, and for a computer to ask for the master password whenever a program is installed is really just a out there idea. Most people want to be able to install whatever they want, whenever they want and not have to authenticate themselves.
Mac OS X can be set to authenticate when you install programs, there's no spyware for Macs. Linux authenticates before you start your user session, there's no spyware for Linux.
Windows for PC is meant to be stupid user friendly. That's what makes it a target for spyware. I talk to people almost daily who have gotten a major infection of spyware on their PC and that's because their 12 year old son installed Kazaa, or downloaded some free smiles, or wanted to check the weather. If there was user authentication on the PC when installing programs, it might be less of a target, because only an authorized user can install things.
That said, I do install unsigned applications on my phone. But at least I know what I am installing and when.
Why don't you shut up if you don't have an informed opinion, and I would ask you to call me as know as soon as there's a virus out there that bypasses user authentication and can install it onto my cellphone, but I'll be reading it via RSS -- on my phone.
http://www.fsckin.com/
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.
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...