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.
  
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  "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.
  
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  Nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver.
4. 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).
  
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  -- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
5. Re:Windows Mobile? by zrbyte · 2012-03-09 02:54 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It had an app store? Wow.
6. 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!
  
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  ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
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?
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.

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Nothing is more dangerous than a programmer with a screwdriver.
1. 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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  There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
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.

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We are the people our parents warned us about.
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.
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.