10-16-2008, 02:00 AM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Windows Mobile 7: 2010 and Counting
"Recently it was revealed that the newest version of Microsoft's mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 7.0, would be delayed until as late as 2010. The updated version, which the company's partners had reportedly been hoping to have by early 2009, was aimed at giving Microsoft a bigger presence on the mobile stage. But delay or no delay, I don't think it would have been enough. With competition from a resurgent BlackBerry platform from Research in Motion, Apple's iPhone and most importantly, the Google Phone platform (I will analyze Nokia's Symbian platform in a separate post at a later date), Microsoft's mobile platform is facing its toughest environment yet." 
Despite the title of this article I ran across on CNN today, Why Windows Mobile is in Trouble, it is not the usual doom and gloom scenario that appears to be popping up in the Internet consciousness as of late regarding Windows Mobile. Om Malik goes on to write a fantastic piece on how Microsoft is now more than ever fighting an uphill battle in the mobile handset world in a means to stay relevant in the consumers' eyes, especially with the release of Google's new Android platform which Malik describes as "Windows Mobile done right". This article also quoted VentureBeat in stating that we might not even see new Windows Mobile handsets until 2010!
With all of these delays surrounding the Windows Mobile 7 world, the only logical thing we can assume is that Microsoft is rebuilding Windows Mobile from the ground up and maybe even possibly merging the Standard and Professional platform into the mythical Photon platform which we haven't heard anything about in a while. Unfortunately we only have speculation to work with at this time. Windows Mobile Group Product Manager Scott Rockfeld has been quoted as stating that Microsoft is "not publicly sharing our roadmap at this point."
However there is that completely irrational and paranoid portion of my brain secretly thinks that with this latest delay Microsoft is planning some big marketing event to have Windows 7 and Windows Mobile 7 launch at the same time in a scheme to try and build an amount of excitement and giddiness from a Microsoft product(s) that has not been seen or rivaled since the release on Windows 95. While I could not blame them for doing something such as this, as from a marketing standpoint it is a no-brainer, I would be extremely irate as a Windows Mobile customer if this was the case. Then again, that is me just being completely paranoid. I doubt as a company Microsoft would be that cruel to their Windows Mobile customers and enthusiasts.
Whew! I thought sitting around and twiddling our thumbs until 2009 was difficult, but 2010 is just downright torture. Come on Microsoft, throw us a bone! We can understand not wanting to tell us everything Windows Mobile will have baked into the OS when it is released, but it couldn't hurt too much to tell us why the heck it is taking so long to get this latest release out the door! Heck, right now I would settle for the ever so coy and awkward "adjusting of the shorts" just to know that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about us!
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10-16-2008, 08:56 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 471
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That's surprisingly well informed and well written for a mainstream press article.
In my eyes, Windows Mobile's greatest asset is also its greatest hindrance- Microsoft. For example, look at the situation regarding web browsers. Microsoft's philosophical opposition to open source software stops the WinMo developers from using an existing and advanced rendering engine like WebKit. Microsoft is also the reason why they've got no choice but to use Internet Explorer, despite the whole world knowing how feeble IE 6 is.
The Windows Mobile team has its hands tied and can't compete properly.
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10-16-2008, 12:40 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 22
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Well,first that not mainstream press at all is Om Malik from Giga OM!.
Second, lets see were he lifted that "Windows Moblie 7 in 2010 BS : Windows Mobile 7 phone release now seriously delayed � could be as late as 2010 VentureBeat
Venture Beat linking to Cnet and spinning the sorry a lit bit for more sensationalism.
So I'll just fill this under: Kinda useless article especially on the day he put up his HTC G1 review...
Just my IMO
Last edited by MAK11; 10-16-2008 at 01:08 PM..
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10-16-2008, 08:46 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 202
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Might be picking up an iPod touch after all...
__________________
Joel Crane
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10-16-2008, 09:32 PM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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2010 & 6.2
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
I thought sitting around and twiddling our thumbs until 2009 was difficult, but 2010 is just downright torture.
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I think that 2010 number is just a misunderstanding. If Microsoft were originally going to release WM 7 in early 2009, it probably would have taken 3-6 months for OEMs to ramp up and release devices, giving a device ship date in mid to late 2009.
Now, with a release date in mid to late 2009, which I think is what C|Net <i>et al</i> reported, that would obviously lead to device shipments in late 2009 to early 2010.
So 2010 doesn't sound like another delay, as some people seem to be taking it. It's just a logical consequence of not releasing the OS until later in 2009.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Come on Microsoft, throw us a bone!
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They are. One of the articles mentioned WM 6.2, possibly coming later this year with the new IE 6-based browser.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
We can understand not wanting to tell us everything Windows Mobile will have baked into the OS when it is released, but it couldn't hurt too much to tell us why the heck it is taking so long to get this latest release out the door!
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Why would they do this? Do you air your personal problems in public? Worse, telling what the problems were could also give competitors an idea of what was coming, so they could try to get a jump on their response.
While I'd like explanation, too, I don't seriously expect one. Apple doesn't tend to pre-announce things, either.
Steve
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10-16-2008, 10:19 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pony99CA
Why would they do this? Do you air your personal problems in public? Worse, telling what the problems were could also give competitors an idea of what was coming, so they could try to get a jump on their response.
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This isn't a personal problem, this is something that effects millions of business customers world wide. As a business owner and a purchaser of Microsoft products, I expect Microsoft to keep us updated and to let us know why things are taking as long as they are. If Microsoft cannot be expected to do even that one little simple thing, how do they expect their customers to make educated decision on the upgrading or purchasing of new equipment?
If all we hear are rumors or a late 2009 to 2010 release, and Microsoft does nothing to either stop those rumors or let them get out of control, then that is just irresponsible on Microsoft's behalf, especially when the competition is releasing new and interesting devices left and right.
As I said before, I don't expect Microsoft to spill the beans about the whole operating system, but they can still come out and say "We're working to make it more awesome" or "We're rebuilding it from the ground up. Making it stronger and faster." These are things that a) keep your customers from jumping ship to something more readily available. b) shows those customers that you actually value them as customers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pony99CA
While I'd like explanation, too, I don't seriously expect one. Apple doesn't tend to pre-announce things, either.
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At this moment in time Apple isn't a viable option for businesses and their user base is mostly classified as consumer. The moment Apple's market starts teetering more towards catering to business customers, their attitudes towards updating their customer base will have to change. If not, they will have a lot of angry businesses on their hands.
No business owner that I know, myself included, likes to make snap decisions on matters that involve new electronics. In my personal life, sure, I buy a ton of junk I shouldn't all the time. And that is fine as a consumer, but the moment your business is involved you have to sit down and seriously consider how these things will affect your infrastructure. This is why Microsoft has events like PDC ( PDC2008 Professional Developers Conference October 27-30, 2008) so business partners and developers can make the necessary decisions about how to best utilize upcoming Microsoft products in the future.
Last edited by Rocco Augusto; 10-16-2008 at 10:26 PM..
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10-16-2008, 10:30 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MAK11
So I'll just fill this under: Kinda useless article especially on the day he put up his HTC G1 review...
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It isn't really useless if you follow Microsoft's previous release patterns. From the time of announced software update, to the release of new devices, can take anywhere from 3-6 months.
If Microsoft doesn't announce Windows Mobile 7 until the later half of 2009, following their previous release cycle, we can expect to not have devices until 2010. Since Microsoft is being very closed lipped about everything, we can only speculate off their previous actions, which is what everyone is doing right now.
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10-17-2008, 03:11 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 25
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Any way MS spins the release of WM7 as being "on track" for a 2009 release doesn't matter. IMO WM7 would be late even if phones appeared magically with WM7 on them TODAY. Those phones would still be behind the iPhone and android based phones in customer facing features and UI/App/HW integration.
I'm disappointed at the laisez faire attitude MS is having towards the cell (smart) phone OS market when two major competitors (Apple and Google) have leapt in, Blackberry has surged, and when the overall non-phone PDA market which MS dominates has shrivelled to almost nothing.
It's as if MS just looked at Palm being their main competitor and once Palm self destructed, MS just rested on their laurels.
This is coming from an exclusively MS smartphone owner... the lure of the iPhone is taking a lot of effort to resist, especially after the addition of 3G, GPS, third party apps and activesync.
Call me a conspiracy nut, but the delay says "zunephone in 2009" to me. ;-) (Half in jest and half serious)
Microsoft has shown that they're willing to screw their partners already (most recently with the playsforsure vs. Zune thing).
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10-17-2008, 06:35 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 667
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
As I said before, I don't expect Microsoft to spill the beans about the whole operating system, but they can still come out and say "We're working to make it more awesome" or "We're rebuilding it from the ground up. Making it stronger and faster." These are things that a) keep your customers from jumping ship to something more readily available. b) shows those customers that you actually value them as customers.
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Well, my guess is that they don't say those things (awesome, ground up, stonger/faster) because they're not true. I'd be pretty skeptical about b) as well. My experience with new versions of WM is that they usually add one feature I like and 3 features I don't care about, then they take away 2 features I used to like and ignore at least 3 things we've all complained about for years.  I am well past caring how long it takes them to get out the next version.
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10-17-2008, 08:07 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 15,171
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
At this moment in time Apple isn't a viable option for businesses and their user base is mostly classified as consumer. The moment Apple's market starts teetering more towards catering to business customers, their attitudes towards updating their customer base will have to change. If not, they will have a lot of angry businesses on their hands.
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You've nailed this, and Apple's only slowly, reluctantly, changing their strategy in an effort to engage the business market. That said, Apple has been getting a bye as of late because they've been regularly releasing significant updates for the iPhone. There have been multiple major OS upgrades in the last 15 months.
I understand Microsoft is keeping coy to avoid Osborning their product, but given the intensified competition (not just from the iPhone or the G1, btw -- have you seen the PR blitz starting up about the Blackberry Storm, which looks damn cool?), they should somehow elaborate on their strategy to compete, even if it doesn't have precise timeframes.
--janak
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