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  #1  
Old 01-27-2010, 06:00 AM
Eriq Cook
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Default Official Windows Mobile 7 Release Date (and demo?) at MWC in February?

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20100122PD216.html

"Alongside the launch of Windows Mobile 6.6 at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2010, Microsoft is also expected to announce a date for the commercial availability of WM7, according to sources familiar with Microsoft's roadmap."

Finally, Microsoft will be announcing the official release date of Windows Mobile 7 at the MWC Conference in Barcelona (February 15th - 18th). Microsoft has been very quite regarding the timing of its Windows Mobile 7 release, but many sources including some manfacturers such as LG and HTC have already announced that we should start seeing WM7 devices between Q4 2010 and early 2011.

A lot can happen between now and Q4, but I have to believe that Microsoft will really try to push the appearance of WM7 devices this year as opposed to next. It's been long enough! From device manufacturer announcements to the recent rumours of WM7's features, I think 2010 will be the year that breathes new life back into the platform.

I hope that we not only get an official date announcement from Microsoft at MWC, but see a real working demo of Windows Mobile 7 in action. We'll have to wait about three more weeks to see...

 

 
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Old 01-27-2010, 04:13 PM
wspears868
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I have been using Windows on portable devices since HP's LX95(?). But, I am getting extremely tired of having to buy a new phone every time Windows Mobile gets an upgrade. If Microsoft and the Phone companies try to repeat the same procedures as previous upgrades, I am getting an Android phone.
 
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Old 01-28-2010, 12:37 AM
griph
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wspears868 View Post
I have been using Windows on portable devices since HP's LX95(?). But, I am getting extremely tired of having to buy a new phone every time Windows Mobile gets an upgrade. If Microsoft and the Phone companies try to repeat the same procedures as previous upgrades, I am getting an Android phone.
Well - you could always buy an iPhone - at least you get regular updates on Firmware and the ability to seamlessly restore backups between devices when upgrading - those with iPhone 2.0 will have seen iPhone 3.0 (and incremental upgrades) and when it comes out iPhone 4.0.

WP could actually learn from Apple - but I expect it to remain a fragmented mess requiring a new device for each OS upgrade in the majority of cases. A shame really as I used to love my PocketPC but progress - there has been very little of that for many years!

As for Android - dont do it!
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Old 01-28-2010, 01:26 AM
Sven Johannsen
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Well, that makes sense because Android has a long legacy of providing software upgrades to old hardware. The OEMs that support the OS have no interest in selling new devices and the folks running Android have no particular interest in newer hardware. in 5 to 10 years current Android users will still be perfectly happy with what software improvments can be squeezed into 2009 hardware. They are the altruistic ecosystem d'jour.

Apple, now that's the way to go. They have shown a commitment to keeping their customers current on software...except of course those things the old hardware doesn't support, like all the stuff in 3.0 that you need a 3GS to run.

It's amazing how folks complain that MS is so darn slow at upgrading their software, and at the same time gripe that they don't appreciate having to get new hardware every year. Guess what, selling stuff is what funds developement.
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Old 01-28-2010, 02:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Sven View Post
Guess what, selling stuff is what funds developement.
May be - but it would be nice to be able to have a choice of either upgrading hardware or just firmware - not everyone wants to buy a new machine each year but would be very interested in having an upgrade to the OS - after all we do it on PC's and MACs! If they want to sell stuff to fund development then they need to crack the consumer market - and they are not doing it - market share continues to drop and is unlikely to change this year!

Why would anyone be daft enough to by WP 6.5 now when WP 7 is supposed to come out this year and in most cases they wont be able to get an upgrade?

When PPC first came out - ROM updates were a real possibility and a marketing tool. I remember the arguements and hoo har when a couple of manufacturers had the gall to say that they weren't bringing out a ROM upgrade for their device! How contributors on this very site said 'I am never going to buy another XXXX machine!'

Of late despite having a device that could be firmware updated, the option hasn't been realised in the majority of cases. On the WP front all that has happened is incremental upgrades being released and in most cases unless you used XDA Developers you had to buy a new machine to get it! If it hadn't been for HTC and other hardware manufacturesr bolt on goodies like TouchFlo etc WP would - in respect of the consumer market have been dead in the water with an old cranky interface that was sooo last century!

Nice to hear that WP7 may be with us Q4 2010 or Q1 2011 - and I will be very interested to see if MS have learnt any lessons at all? Personally ... I'm not holding my breath. Oh and what the competition will have out by then ...

This is all too little, too late! Remeber the parable about the hare and the tortoise? MS got fat and settled down to a nice sleep and lost the lead that was theirs for the taking! I'm pissed off and rightly so - cos I dont like saying this, and I want a WP device that does what the iPhone does well combined with what WP does well too - but I dont think even WP7 will do that! If they do I will drop the iPhone like a stone - but there is much to fix!
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Old 01-28-2010, 03:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sven View Post
Apple, now that's the way to go. They have shown a commitment to keeping their customers current on software...except of course those things the old hardware doesn't support, like all the stuff in 3.0 that you need a 3GS to run.
Interestingly I had a 3G that I upgraded to 3.0 - and it was fully functional and had many of the new features - well worth the �0 cost! Agreed it didnt have the faster graphics, video or compass or other things I now have in my 3GS - but for many that would be no big deal and the device was in no way cobbled by not having them.
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Old 01-28-2010, 06:19 AM
Sven Johannsen
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Quote:
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Interestingly I had a 3G that I upgraded to 3.0 - and it was fully functional and had many of the new features - well worth the �0 cost!
Gee, so did I. And what earth shattering enhancements did you get? Not saying I got nothing out of the upgrade, but it wasn't a WM 5 to 6 or even 6.1 to 6.5ish upgrade. Keeping in mind that Apple is one company, with one device and one carrier, the upgrade problem is significantly simpler.

Quote:
but it would be nice to be able to have a choice of either upgrading hardware or just firmware
Won't dispute that, but why do you feel put out when you aren't provided with that opportunity? When Ford added sync to their product line, they didn't call me and say, hey bring you car in, we'll add it. When BLU-Ray players came out, Panasonic didn't call me and offer to upgrade my player. When I upgraded my PC to Win7, I lost capability on some printers and scanners, because their manufacturers didn't choose to provide (develop) new drivers. I was incensed. These products that had Win2000 and XP drivers on their CDs should be supported through Vista and Win7 shouldn't they? Of course they should. The OEM should invest development dollars into a product they haven't sold in 5 years. So yea, you can upgrade your desktop, but it isn't always without issues.

Then the phone model is totally different than the pc model. Try to remember that your beef is with the hardware manufacturers and carriers, not MS. If you have an HD2 or TD2, it is HTC that is not offerring you a WM7 update (if they don't) not MS. If you have a Pure or Tilt II blame AT&T. That is who produces, and controls, the build that goes on your particular hardware. MS can't provide a tailored version for every device out there, technically or legally. That's just the reality of the WM landscape. Starting to look like the Android landscape is going to see some of the same issues. Who knows, maybe if we see a Zune-phone, it may be structured more like the iPhone, one device, one vendor (MS), no choice.
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