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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.
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
... 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!
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
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.
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.
-- 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.
But will it speak to me in the voice of Ian McKellen?
The days of the digital watch are numbered.
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!
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.
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
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
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.
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?
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...
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?
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.
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.
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.
Good job.
UTF-8: There and Back Again
i agree with you on most points.
however, having used a blackberry, a treo, and a pocket pc device, i honestly have to say that the blackberry's design and form factor are geared more specifically towards effective mobile communication than the other two devices. for calls, both outgoing and incoming, most blackberries are a one-hand device. scroll wheel to a contact number, one click and i'm on a call. one click and I'm taking an incoming call. I can parse contact data from text messages and emails directly into my contacts, again with one handed operation... no stylus... no menus. Its practicality as a communications device more than makes up for its ugly form factor. As an end user, I'm no so much concerned that hardware and software protocols are closed. I care that it works and it's pretty f*cking useful. Well, I do care that exporting data from contacts is a f*ckin bitch, but it's my only major gripe. It works so well that I don't really care that it doesn't look so good. It's like that chick that isn't so hot but is a really good no-strings lay.
I know I'm gonna get flamed by all the treo fanboys, but I don't get the hype about this POS. I had a palm tungsten C and that's a great f*ckin piece of work... but the treo is a joke. It weighs a ton and is unwieldy. It requires the use of a stylus which means two handed operation which all but obviates the usefulness of a communications device because it precludes multitasking. It's slow, and unlike other palm devices, not cleanly organized and functional. It's like the suicidal really hot chick with an eating disorder who, if you catch her in between well-measured medication doses, might be a really good lay. You're willing to be around her cause she's really hot, but ultimately, it just isn't worth your time.
pocket PC devices have the most upside to me because they allow for the evolution of handheld devices. in that sense i think pocket pc devices will scale well. But that's the downside. having used many iterations of pocket pcs, you're so locked in by your hardware platform. The exact same build of pocket pc on one handheld could be brilliant on the one hand and excruciating on the other. hardware configurations are the monkey here. If you're not gettig top of the line hardware, you're f*cked. But pocket PC is definitely the dog's bollocks... and they're getting better about one handed use (again, depends on your hardware). this is like the really hot chick that you can only hook up with if you have all the bells and whistles that really hot chicks dig ($) - and she's a great f*cking lay.
That said... blackberries serve their purpose well, but they will be killed off because I can't see how they can scale their hardware and software. As consumers begin to demand more and more from their handhelds, blackberries will need top-down redesigns to compete. If they're not in the pipeline with that already, I'd say that thy're f*cked.
un burrito me trampeó.