Microsoft To Shut Down App Store For Windows Mobile

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Microsoft To Shut Down App Store For Windows Mobile

Posted by Soulskill on Friday March 9, 2012 @01:52AM from the if-an-app-store-falls-in-the-forest dept.

angry tapir writes "Microsoft will soon shut down the app store for Windows Mobile, the phone platform it is phasing out. Starting May 9, users of Windows Mobile phones won't be able to browse, buy or download apps to their phones from the Marketplace, Microsoft wrote in a letter to customers. The move doesn't affect users of Microsoft's new mobile OS, who will continue to be served by the Windows Phone Marketplace."

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Windows Mobile? by BiggestPOS · 2012-03-09 01:52 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm sure both users are going to be really upset.

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What, me worry?
1. Re:Windows Mobile? by Oswald+McWeany · 2012-03-09 01:54 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Well- I'm sure they wouldn't have done this before running it past Gates and Allen. So the two users are probably fine with it.
  
  --
  "That's the way to do it" - Punch
2. Re:Windows Mobile? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 01:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I still actually use Windows Phone 6.2 by HTC. It is actually really good phone and more open than any other phone platform, as you can run binaries for whatever source. Symbian used to be like this too, but it looks like everyone went the app store route in recent years.
3. Re:Windows Mobile? by mws1066 · 2012-03-09 01:59 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  You can run unsigned code on Android. There's an option you can enable in the settings. Then you can just drop a .apk onto the device via USB, wifi, whatever, and install it manually.
  
  --
  Nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver.
4. Re:Windows Mobile? by mwvdlee · 2012-03-09 02:04 · Score: 2
  
  All of their users is.
  
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  Slashdot social media options: AIM, ICQ, Yahoo, Jabber and Mobile Text. Why no MySpace?
5. Re:Windows Mobile? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 02:23 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  If the launcher process on your Android keeps crashing you should take it back. Android apps crash less than iPhone apps so if yours is having issues its because your phone is fucked up. Citation for trolls
6. Re:Windows Mobile? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 02:27 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I am no fan of Windows 3.1 (Android interface).
  What does that even mean? This is actually the second time I've seen this reference made in the last two days, and it is legitimately bothering me, in a "if it wasn't for my horse I never would have spent that year in college" kind of way. I'm literally staring at my phone right now trying to make the connection, and I just can't find it.
7. Re:Windows Mobile? by Tridus · 2012-03-09 02:30 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  It means they want to disparage Android in some way, but can't do it on the basis of sales since it's infinitely more successful then Windows Phone (and Windows Mobile for that matter, but unlike WP7 Windows Mobile was actually relevant in the market at one time).
  
  --
  -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
8. Re:Windows Mobile? by sensationull · 2012-03-09 02:36 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Stacks of the UI just remind me of it unless you have some vendor skin on top of it. The icons on the home screen are just like the old program manager and it has distinctly a 3.1esk look in some places almost 16bitish in some ways.
  I know there are lots of differences but I just can't shake the 3.1 feel that it gives me.
  That and the buy top of the line or deal with aweful performance issues that many of the handsets have without needing to kill the default firmware to optimise for low ram/get rid of vendor filth.
9. Re:Windows Mobile? by sensationull · 2012-03-09 02:47 · Score: 2
  
  Oh I see, in which case it is Apple's fault and/or a conspiracy perpetrated by Sony... Better?
10. Re:Windows Mobile? by EvilBudMan · 2012-03-09 02:53 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  I don't think every Android device will let you side load especially AT&T.
11. Re:Windows Mobile? by zrbyte · 2012-03-09 02:54 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It had an app store? Wow.
12. Re:Windows Mobile? by MobyTurbo · 2012-03-09 02:56 · Score: 2
  
  You can run unsigned code on Android. There's an option you can enable in the settings. Then you can just drop a .apk onto the device via USB, wifi, whatever, and install it manually.
  You can download CAB files, or use special EXE files, to install stuff outside of Microsoft's app store on Windows Mobile too.No option enabling required. In fact, before they made their app store, that was the only way to do it. The best app store for winmo is Omarket anyway, which offers tons of freeware for download instead of the expensive (especially in MS's store) winmo commercial apps.
13. Re:Windows Mobile? by Ucklak · 2012-03-09 03:15 · Score: 2
  
  I'm so glad I only buy things with the 'Plays For Sure' badge.
  
  --
  if you steal from one source, that is plagiarism, if you steal from many, well, that's just research.
14. Re:Windows Mobile? by hobarrera · 2012-03-09 03:28 · Score: 2
  
  AT&T? That's a new Android device I'd never heard of.
15. Re:Windows Mobile? by awshidahak · 2012-03-09 03:29 · Score: 2
  
  I haven't gotten around to putting CyanogenMod on it yet to get the stock [launcher] on there
  Actually, CM uses ADW for it's defualt launcher, which also crashes from time to time.
16. Re:Windows Mobile? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-03-09 03:44 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  At&t doesn't lock them down lake that any more. On my latest phone, a galaxy 2S skyrocket, it's just a matter of enabling it in the settings.
17. Re:Windows Mobile? by hoborg1 · 2012-03-09 04:00 · Score: 2
  
  You can if you install any other android os to your sd card. Sd is set to boot first. You can do whatever the hell you want with Cyanogen mod on your nook.
18. Re:Windows Mobile? by hairyfeet · 2012-03-09 04:02 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Yeah you THINK its funny, but we are about to get a ring side seat for the biggest trainwreck since....hell i can't even think of a trainwreck that big. Its gonna finally put those MS Bob and WinME jokes to rest, let me put it that way. I mean have you TRIED metro? Its a fricking smart phone UI that MSFT expects users to run on a fricking non touch enabled desktop! Even the Yahoo product shill who answers everything with "Buy it now! you should really buy it! Seriously buy it now!" after trying it said 'Uhhhh...you should probably wait until you have something touch enabled and get it then" which for her is "My eyes! the goggles they do nothing!" and all because every single mobile attempt by MSFT has been a disaster. I mean for the love of God they are gonna have Windows 8 on ARM! You are gonna have a version of Windows that won't actually run Windows programs! Do you have ANY idea how massive the returns on all those "Windows tablets" is gonna be?
  I think this just proves what I've been saying for ages, Ballmer is a shitty CEO that has zero common sense, much less vision, and that the mobile division should have been spun off so they wouldn't be held back by the lumbering PHB dominated desktop division as it would have protected them both from that dreaded buzzword "synergy". I mean his whole damned plan hinges on developers being so damned stupid they'll waste their time developing Metro apps just so they'll have something to sell on the WinARM app store! When we all know that for anything more complex than a fart app you're gonna have to write two versions, one for x86 and one for ARM as those two platforms are as different as night and day when it comes to IPC and memory constraints. And all so Ballmer can go "and with this we'll FINALLY get a big chunk of the pie now owned by Apple and Google and we'll be as sexy and hip as they are! yes we will! We really really will! STOP LAUGHING AT ME!"
  Allow me to end with this heartfelt apology to the Appleites: Remember when we all laughed our asses off when you were stuck with the Pepsi CEO, you know, the one that went from one lame idea to another, with just this big sprawling mess of fail? yeah well..I'm sorry alright? Jokes over, ha ha...its not funny anymore! Hey fairs fair, you got Jobs back, can we have Bill back please? The sweaty monkey has gone crazy!
  
  --
  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
19. Re:Windows Mobile? by morgauxo · 2012-03-09 05:18 · Score: 2
  
  I totally agree that you shouldn't have to do that. But... if it's the carrier that is creating the limitations for you, not the platforms themselves then there really isn't any value making comparisons of platforms. It's the carrier that sucks and you are just screwed by only being covered by one. In other words.. Old versions of Mickeysoft phone aren't the only platform that allows sideloading.. it's just the only one that happens to be available to you.
20. Re:Windows Mobile? by sensationull · 2012-03-09 17:58 · Score: 2
  
  If you hate the productivity provided by actually being able to launch your preferred apps quickly then remove every single icon from your home screen and replace them with widgets. Or nothing at all. It takes less than a minute to do and I'm sure that's not too much of a burden since you will likely keep your phone for at least a year.
  I have a galaxy nexus and saying that anything on the interface looks "16bitish" in any way is pure lies.
  Design is subjective, I just get that feel from it, and yes I keep my phones while they are still useful, my current one is around 3 years old but I have been looking for a replacement.
  
  Have you ever considered the possibility that you're just an idiot? Because it has definitely occurred to me that you are probably the dumbest motherfucker on Slashdot today.
  Awwwww, how sweet, all ragey that someone has a different opinion than you. I bet you got kicked out of debate club with arguments like that.
  
  There are tons of middle of the road android handsets with 512 MB of RAM that are next to free on contract that perform very well. You are either a shill or you are a completely ignorant dumbass on here spreading FUD. Please remove your head from your ass.
  Well I don't live in the US or UK, our plans are much more expencive and it takes a while for the latest phones to get here so I outright buy my phones. I am not "completely ignorant dumbass", I just don't happen to live where you do. We may also have different views on 'very well', the UI lag on some of the phones I have seen with 512mb or RAM has been worse than my WM6.5 device. That seems like a backwards step to me, I don't care if it can compete with a tablet with regard to processing power, I want it to do its job quickly and not get in my way, is that so wrong?
There was an app store for WinMo? by bemymonkey · 2012-03-09 02:03 · Score: 5, Interesting

Holy crap, I used WinMo for years and never knew. WTF?
1. Re:There was an app store for WinMo? by jonnythan · 2012-03-09 02:54 · Score: 2
  
  It was just being introduced when Android was getting big, back in mid to late 2009 IIRC.
2. Re:There was an app store for WinMo? by awshidahak · 2012-03-09 03:34 · Score: 2
  
  The fact that it's being closed down kinda makes me leery of using any future Microsoft app store, though. The whole marketplace goes away at Microsoft's whim? Why would they do that?
  
  Yeah, for a short while they had a marketplace for Vista that had all sorts of goodies in it, firefox, gimp even, and it got whut down after less than a year too IIRC.
3. Re:There was an app store for WinMo? by Voyager529 · 2012-03-09 06:03 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  There was, and the issue was the fact that it was about the worst implementation of a mobile app store I've ever used (and I've used Apple's, Google's, Amazon's, and the WP7 implementation).
  The first issue was the inherent problems of getting software for Windows Mobile in general. Windows Mobile 5/6 came at a time of some ludicrously awkward and diverse-in-a-bad-way hardware. Some devices had a resistive touch screen. Some had a keyboard. Some had both. Some only had hardware dialpads. Some had 2 hardware softkeys, others had four. Some had 240x320 displays, some had 240x320 displays, some had 480x640, some had 480x800. Some had barcode scanners. Some had IR ports. Some had Bluetooth. Some had Wi-Fi. Some had GPS. Some had a CompactFlash slot. Some had 200MHz CPUs and 64MBytes of RAM, others had 1GHz CPUs and 512MB of RAM. Try - just TRY - developing for a platform where you can't make a single assumption about input *or* output. There were essentially two ways that developers overcame this hardware diversity. The first was to develop for a handful of specific models. While this streamlined support and produced a standard of compatibility, it was problematic for the developer (whose market was limited by the phones available) and the customer (who either couldn't get a piece of software, or had to choose a particular phone/PDA based on the necessity of an application). The second route that could be taken was to have a developer extensively test as many handsets as possible, and develop the UI to compensate. While this made applications mostly consistent, I'm sure I don't have to describe the nightmare of testing (and debugging) dozens of handsets, and implicitly the fact that programs of this nature were typically much larger as the installation CAB file had to include all the different permutations. Even this second route led to the first to some extent. Some developers (notably SPB and Jeyo) sidestepped this a bit by making extensions to the OS itself and leaving the input/output/display to WinMo to figure out, but others like DeLorme had applications that would technically function (street maps for all of the USA for my laptop, and an export function for my phone so I can GPS for free without a data plan? yes please!), but in the most arcane way possible no matter what hardware you threw at it.
  So now that the nightmare of developing for WinMo has been established, consider the pathetic history of selling software for WinMo. I remember working at Staples, having a revolving rack of PDA software, priced from $9.99 to $49.99, that shipped on SD cards. Back then, the PDA software market used the retail model that PCs used, because back then, smartphones were considered portable desktops that did the core subset of PC functionality. The concept of buying apps on the fly made little sense when data was transferred over a serial cable, and later USB, from Outlook. On the flip side, the developers of mobile OS software were following the PC model as well; many listed their stuff on Download.com/Tucows/Softpedia, each of which had a mobile section. Other companies like Handango and PocketPCFreeware.net catered to the mobile crowd exclusively. This was, of course, in addition to developers hosting their own websites, taking care of their own transactions, and providing their own e-mail support.
  When Apple came out with the App Store for the iPhone, it wasn't entirely breaking new ground. Apps had been sold for mobile devices forever, Steam modeled a successful software distribution channel, Apple had plenty of success with selling songs and movies in their media store, and Installer.app and Cydia had been enabling the installation of software on the iPhone for nearly a year before. The iPhone and the App Store did help make a critical change in the way that the smartphone was thought of: no longer was a mobile phone the extension of a desktop that facilitated the sending and receiving of e-mail and integrating one's Outlook contacts with their phone. The Smartphone started to be looked at as its own pla
Still late to the game by mws1066 · 2012-03-09 02:03 · Score: 5, Insightful

The real question is how successful M$'s next app store/phone offering can possible become. Google and Apple are quite extensively entrenched in the market - Microsoft has its work cut out for it. They are VERY late to the game. I think the only place their phones likely will excel is in corporate settings, becoming kind of the new Blackberries. iPhones aren't corporate enough, Android phones aren't supported enough for corporate cronies to like them, so they COULD possibly fill that particular niche.

--
Nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver.
1. Re:Still late to the game by fast+turtle · 2012-03-09 02:23 · Score: 2
  
  Don't forget that Win8 has access to the same app store that WP8 uses. From what I've seen Ms is trying to consolidate WiMo/WP7 and all versions into one code base called Windows8 with the metro interface being the default for phones/tablets
  
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  Mod me up/Mod me down: I wont frown as I've no crown
2. Re:Still late to the game by semi-extrinsic · 2012-03-09 02:25 · Score: 2
  
  In my experience, both iPhones and and Android phones are being used in corporate settings. Both have decent Exchange-support, and reasonable enough security policies to go along with it. I know one large company here still clinging to Windows Mobile 6, but rumor has it they are slowly moving to Android instead. So I don't think the "corporate niche" exists for MS to fill; at the very least it is not big enough to make WP7/8/whatever sustainable.
  
  --
  for i in `facebook friends "=bday" 2>/dev/null | cut -d " " -f 3-`; do facebook wallpost $i "Happy birthday!"; done
3. Re:Still late to the game by Tridus · 2012-03-09 02:35 · Score: 2
  
  Maybe. Or maybe the negative reputation that Windows 8 is getting in the corporate world for the asstacular new desktop UI will cause decision makers to also shun it on tablets, particularly since x86 tablets won't have very good battery life and ARM based Windows 8 tablets can't join Active Directory domains anyway (nullifying one of the advantages).
  I don't see how it can take off as a corporate tablet OS at the same time as it's being shunned as a corporate desktop OS, and you're NOT going to see significant deployment of it in the corporate world over Windows 7 for a very long time (if ever).
  
  --
  -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
4. Re:Still late to the game by afidel · 2012-03-09 03:35 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Nope, we know that WP8 will be based on the W8 ARM kernel and will run Metro apps, see here.
  
  --
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5. Re:Still late to the game by DogDude · 2012-03-09 03:51 · Score: 2
  
  I found that the iPhones and Android phones don't do Exchange well enough (for me, at least). And, of course, there's the thing with trusting your data with Apple or Google, which I don't.
  
  --
  I don't respond to AC's.
Re:It's a Shame by ulricr · 2012-03-09 02:05 · Score: 2

there are many windows mobile app stores, you can install apps from any source from the phone
Re:forced user by rootnl · 2012-03-09 02:40 · Score: 5, Funny

After passing the problem through marketing, designers and handing it over to the project manager, who in return ordered a project leader, I can confirm your problem is solved. You will now be able to use the keyboard on your mobile to enter text on your computer.

--

We are the people our parents warned us about.
Wasn't that useful anyway by Mithent · 2012-03-09 02:41 · Score: 2

Even when I used a Windows Mobile phone, I barely ever used Marketplace. It seemed to be rather empty, and was too little, too late for app distribution on that platform.
A bit off topic by Gazzonyx · 2012-03-09 03:07 · Score: 4, Insightful

A bit off topic, but please stop referring to Microsoft as "M$". It looks really childish and makes people think you're a troll.

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If I mod you up, it doesn't necessarily mean I agree with what you've said, sorry.
1. Re:A bit off topic by Gazzonyx · 2012-03-09 03:23 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I run Linux. I'm the president of my local LUG. I have patches in Samba. Just because I think that saying "M$" looks childish doesn't make me a shill.
  
  --
  If I mod you up, it doesn't necessarily mean I agree with what you've said, sorry.
2. Re:A bit off topic by vux984 · 2012-03-09 07:35 · Score: 2
  
  A$$le looks like it should be pronounced Asshole.
  So yeah, that works for me.
I think the last sentence should read... by jrumney · 2012-03-09 03:30 · Score: 5, Insightful

The move doesn't affect users of Microsoft's new mobile OS, who will continue to be served by the Windows Phone Marketplace."
Translation:
The move should serve as a warning to customers considering purchasing a Windows Phone 7 phone about future support prospects, with the impending release of Windows 8 based phones.
Just one more way of many that Microsoft/Nokia have screwed up their marketing message
1. Re:I think the last sentence should read... by roc97007 · 2012-03-09 03:59 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  > The move should serve as a warning to customers
  ...and developers.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Re:Forgiving Microsoft by s73v3r · 2012-03-09 05:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

Microsoft is forgivable for several reasons
None of which really make up for the shit they did.
MS has no commitment by Nyder · 2012-03-09 08:38 · Score: 3, Insightful

You know why MS can't break it into the markets that Apple is dominating?
They have no commitment, no follow thru. None at all.
Zune? gone. Windows Mobile shit? gone. each generation didn't work with the next, and since they have no problem scrapping things, no one wants to commit.
MS Kin? Not supported when released.
MS tablets? they have those? rofl!
The only thing MS has had any commitment to is their main software. Windows OS and Windows Office. If MS showed the sort of commitment they put to those items in any other market, they might actually do okay.

--
Be seeing you...
Re:Why is he at -1? He is correct. by ozmanjusri · 2012-03-09 13:36 · Score: 2

Sad to say, Windows Mobile 6.x is the only game in town if you are interested in anything remotely related to software freedom.
What a weird thing to say, given Microsoft's history.
You can get the full source code for Android here http://source.android.com/.
There's a repository of FOSS Android apps here http://f-droid.org/, it has a market-style installer to make it easy.
The full SDK is here http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html, and there's an O'Reilly Cookbook available http://androidcookbook.com/home.seam.
If Java/Davlik coding is beyound you, try MIT's very clever App Inventor RAD http://appinventoredu.mit.edu/what-is-app-inventor. It's quite cool.
Note that all of these resources are gratis, and most are free as well.

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