Photon to Bring Windows Mobile Together [Archive]

Mike Temporale

12-08-2005, 09:30 PM

I've been able to gather a little information on Photon. For those that are not aware of Photon, it's the code-name for the next major version of Windows Mobile. When I say a little information, I mean <i>little.</i> I have been told by some people inside Microsoft, that Photon will see the merge of Pocket PC and Smartphone platforms together into one common base. That means there will be no more Smartphone and no more Pocket PC. It will all be Windows Mobile. :mrgreen: Unfortunately, there is no official release date in mind. :(<img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/windowsMobile_masthead_ltr.gif" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/>

Jerry Raia

12-08-2005, 09:40 PM

I thought WM5 did this.

Sven Johannsen

12-08-2005, 10:11 PM

I thought WM5 did this.

Getting' there. Not sure the prospect excites me. The user interfaces will continue to be different I expect, with phone centric devices being hard screens, relatively few buttons and geared toward one handed use, while PDAs will have touch screens (with handwriting recognition) and a different and potentially greater key complement. I would hate to see programmers gear toward the lowest common denominator and write code that doesn't take advantage of the PDA UI elements to allow Smartphone compatibility.

Kris Kumar

12-09-2005, 12:42 AM

I thought WM5 did this.

Getting' there. Not sure the prospect excites me. ... I would hate to see programmers gear toward the lowest common denominator and write code that doesn't take advantage of the PDA UI elements to allow Smartphone compatibility.

I agree.

I hope the installer is made smart enough to understand what all hardware components are needed for the application to run, so that developers don't have to do all that dirty plumbing in their installers. Instead they should be able to specify in the cab that this application requires touch screen, Wi-Fi and keyboard. Or this application requires keypad and minimum resolution X.

Darius Wey

12-09-2005, 03:51 AM

Ed Hansberry

12-09-2005, 03:58 AM

keep in mind the SP was written from scratch using WinCE. the only thing it shared with the Pocket PC were concepts. I suspect any consolidation would be the underpinnings so there is one basic os. given different needs of users, I can't see only one platform in the future, or near future.

and maybe the PPC will finally be able to be turned off. Really off. :-)

Kris Kumar

12-09-2005, 05:19 AM

Mike, now we know what you saw. At least the quantity. ;-)

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000890071630/

"but we did just get a sneak peek at Photon, the codename for the next version of Windows Mobile. We can’t say too much about it — we didn’t sign an NDA, but the meeting was officially off-the-record — but what we saw was hot, it’s without a doubt a big (and much overdue) leap forward for the platform. The new OS is still “years” away"

How do you guys sleep at night? How can you guys contain all that information? Don't you feel the urge to spill the beans? :lol:

Mike Temporale

12-09-2005, 08:03 AM

That means there will be no more Smartphone and no more Pocket PC.

Right. So the Pocket PC will tuck the Smartphone under its belt, and then relabel itself as a single Windows Mobile device - not the other way around, yeah? Ya know what I'm sayin'? :mrgreen:

Hahahaha! That's a good one. :lol: ;)

In all reality, it's clear that PPC is merging into Smartphone. WinMo5 is a clear example of this. The majority of changes in WinMo5 are ones that bring the PPC closer to the SP. The changes in SP are very minimal.

Mike Temporale

12-09-2005, 08:05 AM

I can't see only one platform in the future, or near future.

Well, Microsoft has stated that Photon has no official release date. Which, to me anyway, means that it's a long way off.

Mike Temporale

12-09-2005, 08:09 AM

Mike, now we know what you saw. At least the quantity. ;-)

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000890071630/

Ah, yes. Those engadget guys. It was great to meet them and put a face to the names. :D

As for how I sleep at night; usually on the bed. ;)

surur

12-09-2005, 11:36 AM

and maybe the PPC will finally be able to be turned off. Really off. :-)

I believe the K-Jam (ppc phone) can be "turned off. Reall off." so its probably true that PPC is merging into smartphone and not the other way around.

Surur

encece

12-09-2005, 12:15 PM

Hey! I didnt see this thread! ;)

I agree. In WM5, PPC has inched it's way toward Smartphone but Smartphone barely changed at all.

I think I and others have called this a long while ago. But I was hoping WM5 would show a bit more evidence of it....at least from the SP side. Let's hope we dont need to wait too long.

My WishList Item for Photon: More Style. More function.

If it's just PPC in a Smartphone....I'll be pissed. (Not really! Just disappointed.)

encece

12-09-2005, 12:15 PM

What will happen to SPT when that happens. Do we all move over permanently to PPC?

Kris Kumar

12-09-2005, 01:14 PM

What will happen to SPT when that happens. Do we all move over permanently to PPC?

When the time comes, we would need a mediator. :-) I am not moving to PPCT. ;-)

encece

12-09-2005, 01:39 PM

Yeah....who needs those guys prancing around with their BIG screens and HUGE software library. :wink:

Mike Temporale

12-09-2005, 03:21 PM

I agree. In WM5, PPC has inched it's way toward Smartphone but Smartphone barely changed at all.

Well lets face it, the world is going "phone". The SP is already there. There was a lot of work required to get the PPC to be more phone-like.

I think I and others have called this a long while ago. But I was hoping WM5 would show a bit more evidence of it....at least from the SP side. Let's hope we dont need to wait too long.

I was hoping for more change in WinMo5 for the SP. I'm not really surprised we didn't get that. Since it is closer to the feature list of the merged device. While PPC needed a lot of work (Persistant Storage).

My WishList Item for Photon: More Style. More function.

I agree. It would be nice to see some movement in the style and function arena.

Mike Temporale

12-09-2005, 03:24 PM

What will happen to SPT when that happens. Do we all move over permanently to PPC?

Well, the way I see it; since PPC is becoming more phone-ish, I think they need to merge their forum into ours. ;)
:mrgreen:

Rocco Augusto

12-09-2005, 10:06 PM

subzerohf

12-09-2005, 11:27 PM

look ill be honest here. the main thing that caught my eye with SPT was that its orange and orange is my favorite color. PPCT would have to merge over here because i dont think i could handle a color change :lol:

I second that. That's also why I bank with ING, they're orange, too. Too bad Orange the mobile carrier isn't available in Canada, or else I will go with them, too. :)

OSUKid7

12-10-2005, 09:14 PM

What will happen to SPT when that happens. Do we all move over permanently to PPC?
WMT perhaps? Sure looks that way. :)
WindowsMobileThoughts.com (http://www.whois.ws/whois-com/ip-address/windowsmobilethoughts.com/)
WMThoughts.com (http://www.whois.ws/whois-com/ip-address/wmthoughts.com/)

Rocco Augusto

12-10-2005, 11:34 PM

jasons getting sneaky ;)

Darius Wey

12-11-2005, 07:21 PM

Hahahaha! That's a good one. :lol: ;)

In all reality, it's clear that PPC is merging into Smartphone. WinMo5 is a clear example of this. The majority of changes in WinMo5 are ones that bring the PPC closer to the SP. The changes in SP are very minimal.

Yeah, I've seen this coming for a long time now. Sometimes, I hate it when reality backfires on me - it means I can never win against you in a PPC vs. SP debate. Well, at least we have touchscreens. ;)

Mike Temporale

12-11-2005, 07:57 PM

Yeah, I've seen this coming for a long time now. Sometimes, I hate it when reality backfires on me - it means I can never win against you in a PPC vs. SP debate. Well, at least we have touchscreens. ;)

Well, you can win if you bring up percentage of the market. ;)