Magneto vs BlackBerry: Fight!

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/04/11/microsoft_blackberry_magneto/' target='_blank'>http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/0...kberry_magneto/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The next move in Microsoft's bid to control mobile email - as a basis for broader middleware presence - will come with the forthcoming upgrade to the Windows Mobile operating system. Codenamed Magneto, one of its most significant functions will be a push email application designed to rival the widely installed BlackBerry server software. . . .The software giant is to freeze the Windows Mobile 2005 code this month and provide new technology in Exchange 2003 Server Pack 2 that will push email out to mobile workers, say sources. The new generation of devices would then be ready for the autumn. . . . Beyond that, Microsoft is at work on a more feature-rich upgrade of Windows Mobile, codenamed Photon, with efforts to extend battery life significantly"</i><br /><br />Interesting. We've now heard a fair few snippets about <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=38850&amp;">push email in Magneto</a> and this Register article fleshes out a few more of the details. I wonder if Microsoft thinks it's the next big thing? ;-) I also wonder when more light will be shed on Photon...

[dMores]

hehe :) light ... photon ... funny !

also, a "feature rich" version that will simultaneously increase battery life seems a little odd.
usually more feature = more things running in the background = more juice needed.
or am i off track here?

[Phillip Dyson]

Beyond that, Microsoft is at work on a more feature-rich upgrade of Windows Mobile, codenamed Photon, with efforts to extend battery life significantly"[/i]

Sounds like Magneto is not going to be the answers to all of our dreams.
I wonder how long before Photon comes out. Perhaps it will be a OEM independant upgrade. Here's hoping.

[Raphael Salgado]

If Microsoft really wants to help dust the competition, they first should allow direct upgrades of the OS to all (or at least most of the recent) Pocket PC owners. We are at the mercy of these manufacturers who are either too busy to "turn around" to assist their current customer base, or don't know their SDIO slot from their TFT display because they simply rebrand someone else's work and expect to turn over a quick fortune like a Hollywood blockbuster on a holiday weekend.

Really, is it that hard to throw Windows Media Player 10 on a handful of Pocket PCs when you can install it on practically any PC running any flavor of Windows XP? Heck, some Pocket PCs are still stuck at version 8 when 9 is a considerably big step up.

Following that pseudo-naive logic, revamped versions of Office Mobile and this alleged push-email technology shouldn't be that unfathomable on, say, a Casio E200 to an i-mate PDA2k. Rumors of a denied upgrade of Windows Mobile 2005 on such an advanced device like the PDA2k (which I proudly own) is heartbreaking.

Microsoft best get a better relationship with these manufacturers, or take the initiative to go directly to the end user with these upgrades, even if it means a paid upgrade. We've paid from going to 98 to 2000 to XP, and each paid step was worth its price.

If advocates will claim that it wouldn't be the manufacturers' best interest since it would falter sales of newer devices, they still forget its the specs that people want, and the OS can still be provided by Microsoft. Isn't that how we handle our PCs anyway? Some people will take the latest equipment and still run 2000 on it, and others will take an older machine and slap XP on it, and those who want the best of the best will still pick up the best hardware and throw XP64 on it.

[dMores]

going straight to the end user. that's definately something that should happen.
and yes, i'd pay for the upgrades. just like you said ... win98 to win2k to XP required you to invest, but it was so worth it.
(my father-in-law has a laptop that's still running win98. blergh ! :))

[PPCRules]

I know it's a little hard to get used to it, as I too have been able to upgrade a couple devices in the past, but people need to wake up to the reality that there are no more upgrades. Then we all need to adjust the pricing levels we are willing to pay for these shorter life devices that aren't going to morph into something new in the future (for now, read: Buy Dells). Upgrades were a thing that happened for a while as the manufacturers were feeling out the marketplace and the platform was maturing.

Actually, upgrades serve to divert the manufacturer's attention, money and resources, so as to slow down the innovation and introduction of new models. So be careful what you wish for. Instead, demand a lower price for a shorter life device, and give your kids or neice/nephew a fun toy to play with.

[threedaysdwn]

I remember reading one of the Windows Mobile developers' blogs a little while back and seeing something about focusing on the users ability to upgrade components (without relying on full ROM packages being provided by the manufacturer).

So I sort of have the expectation/hope that progress is being made in that direction.

[sundown]

Magneto would totally wipe out Blackberry. He'd extract some of it's own metal and use it to destroy itself. :twisted:

http://www.draddog.com/toys/retailaf/famouscovers/magneto.jpg

[Jonathon Watkins]

Magneto would totally wipe out Blackberry. He'd extract some of it's own metal and use it to destroy itself. :twisted:

Nice. :lol: I originally thought of posting a picture of a squashed blackberry to accompany this post, but could not locate one. Next time however........ :devilboy:

Seriously though, if MS are going to give the functionality away for 'free', then RIM should indeed be worried.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

At the enterprise level, this is huge. Love it or not, push technology has carried RIM far and at a premium price. I can speak for the company I currently work for that while users love the Blackberry, it's difficult to deploy any kind of mobile solution on a Blackberry other than email.

RIM may be looking to address that shortcoming now as it proposes development tools and a better application platform in the future (as alluded to in the final paragraph of the article), but if MS can successfully bring these new solutions to market soon and offer it for a fraction of the cost, RIM may find itself "a day late and a dollar short".

Of course, don't underestimate the loyalty that RIM has now, but IS managers will have to successfully explain to their superiors why spending more money for less is better (unless one of their superiors is a devout RIM fan).

[Damion Chaplin]

Instead, demand a lower price for a shorter life device, and give your kids or neice/nephew a fun toy to play with.

IMHO, this is EXACTLY what's wrong with the industry right now. My $600 PDA is not a toy and should not be passed down like one, even if I had spent $300 or even $100 on it.

These are not disposable devices, or at least they shouldn't be.
It's precisely because people are willing to 'just let go' of their PDA and buy a new one that this paradigm still prevails! :evil:

@#$%!!!!!!!!!

[powder2000]

You know, this topic always gets me thinking about the other side. You could always say goodbye to MS and HP and just go to a Palm. They already have push email. Seriously, I have considered it. As a consumer I want to get the most out of my money and I will let my wallet tell the manufacturers how I feel. We simply can't expect another upgrade for any device from hp or dell. It may happen, we just can't expect it. If palm1 is willing to get wifi going on a good machine as well as offer upgrades, I would seriously consider them. What more needs to be said, if someone offers a valued item that the other doesn't, give them your hard earned money.

[Mr. PPC]

"Palm already has push email"

That's kinda true (but not really), they have third party software providing this capability. Which is available for the Windows Mobile platform as well. So there is no advantage to Palm in any way.

I've got XDA II, XDA IIs (PDA2k), Smartphone SP3 &amp; SP3i (XPhone II) devices all using push (real-time email, calendar, contacts, tasks and notes) right now using GPRS.

[Jonathon Watkins]

You could always say goodbye to MS and HP and just go to a Palm.

Now, now Powder2000, play nicely. :)

They already have push email.

As Mr. PPC already said, only in the same way that the PPC already has push email. We are talking about Free push email funtionality here.

If palm1 is willing to get wifi going on a good machine as well as offer upgrades, I would seriously consider them.

Palm, upgrades and wifi????? :lol: Yes, let us know how that works out for you. You could always be the first one to buck a historical trend :wink:

[PPCRules]

... go to a Palm. ...
Earlier, this comment got me thinking that we sure don't hear much about Palm anymore (apart from Treo) and I reflected breifly on "how the mighty have fallen". Then, I just ran across this and had the best laugh I'd had in a couple days. It speaks of the newest Palm offering just released.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120402,00.asp (sorry, I'm not going to look up how to not display the whole link)

I see that the blind continue to lead the blind over in Palm land. More "if this doesn't do it, you don't need it" and a "multitasking" system that almost works. Read it and enjoy a chuckle. 25% price increase, as well, I might add.

[cmorris]

This is going to be a very interesting battle indeed... I've always thought push e-mail should be a native feature rather than an add-on anyway. I'm sure RIM must have seen this coming though.

One other factor is the price of the devices, particularly organizations that buy in bulk for all of their managers, for example. AFAIK, Blackberry devices can be had for very little compared to an average PPCPE. This could offset some of the cost savings of having the capability bundled into Exchange, but it will ultimately depend on what the device manufacturers on the PPC side come up with.

[Phillip Dyson]

... go to a Palm. ...
Earlier, this comment got me thinking that we sure don't hear much about Palm anymore (apart from Treo) and I reflected breifly on "how the mighty have fallen". Then, I just ran across this and had the best laugh I'd had in a couple days. It speaks of the newest Palm offering just released.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120402,00.asp (sorry, I'm not going to look up how to not display the whole link)

I see that the blind continue to lead the blind over in Palm land. More "if this doesn't do it, you don't need it" and a "multitasking" system that almost works. Read it and enjoy a chuckle. 25% price increase, as well, I might add.


The E2's specs are impressive, but in my admittedly brief hands-on trial of the product, I noticed a few glitches. When I was listening to MP3s stored on an SD card, the E2 would occasionally crash without warning. I wondered if this was an overheating problem, but the unit didn't seem particularly warm. Stay tuned.

Heating problem? Is this showing her ignorance or mine? I know my PDA gets warm when its in its charger, but I never considered that my PDA could have problems from over usage. Excluding overclocking of course.

[powder2000]

Well, well, I sure stirred the flames a little now didn't I. I am as pro ppc as they come, never owned or wanted a palm. I was merely saying that if someone else (palm1 or anyone else) could step forward and start listening to consumers a little more, they might get the ppc side of things listening as well. It would take a lot for me to switch, but as has been mentioned here before, competition is a good thing. It keeps the development of the ppc platform in a productive direction.

[powder2000]

... go to a Palm. ...
Earlier, this comment got me thinking that we sure don't hear much about Palm anymore (apart from Treo) and I reflected breifly on "how the mighty have fallen". Then, I just ran across this and had the best laugh I'd had in a couple days. It speaks of the newest Palm offering just released.
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120402,00.asp (sorry, I'm not going to look up how to not display the whole link)

I see that the blind continue to lead the blind over in Palm land. More "if this doesn't do it, you don't need it" and a "multitasking" system that almost works. Read it and enjoy a chuckle. 25% price increase, as well, I might add.

I laughed at this latest offering as well. I have one of these, it was released two years ago and its called the ipaq 1940. It has bluetooth, sdio and non-volatile storage and a 266mhz samsung processor that I am still impressed with. The palm camp is definitely pround of this offering though :roll: .