Microsoft Announces Windows Live for Windows Mobile

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/feb07/02-11WindowsLiveMobilePR.mspx' target='_blank'>http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/...veMobilePR.mspx</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20070213-windowslive.jpg" /><br /><br />With Windows Mobile 6 no longer a secret, Microsoft saw it fit to make <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/microsoftprograms/live.mspx">Windows Live for Windows Mobile</a> official today. Alongside Live Search, which <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/index.php?action=expand,53852">we posted on earlier</a>, there is Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, and Windows Live Spaces, which are available as applications and plug-ins in Windows Mobile 6, and also <a href="http://mobile.live.com/">web-based services</a> accessible from almost any Windows Mobile-based device. A portion of the official press release can be found after the break. <!><br /><br />"Windows Live for Windows Mobile will provide customers with a rich set of Windows Live services, including Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, Live Search and Windows Live Spaces, uniquely designed to work with Windows Mobile software. Windows Mobile powered devices, with their advanced software, processing power and memory, make ideal platforms for the delivery of Windows Live services. Windows Live for Windows Mobile offers one of the first industry examples of a single integrated and presence-enabled contact list on a mobile device. One consolidated list provides customers with easy access to all their Windows Live, Microsoft Office Outlook® and other contacts, as well as relevant presence information. Customers using Windows Live for Windows Mobile will enjoy the following:<br /><br />• Windows Live Messenger. Windows Live Messenger for mobile helps customers stay connected to the people who matter to them most while they are on the go. All the things customers love about Windows Live Messenger on the PC — a presence-enabled contact list, dozens of emoticons, instant access to friends — is available on their mobile phone. On Windows Mobile powered devices, Windows Live offers customers brilliant new ways to connect and share with friends, including the power to send messages via voice as well as text, join multiparty chats, see friends’ display tiles, and send and receive files, including personal photos.*<br /><br />• Windows Live Mail. Microsoft’s e-mail service for mobile devices allows consumers to manage their Windows Live Mail or Hotmail® account while on the go. Using the power of Windows Mobile 6 software, consumers now get all the richness of HTML to view graphics, Web links and more in their e-mail messages. New e-mail technology sends new e-mail messages automatically to mobile devices, so customers can trust that their inbox is always up to date.<br /><br />• Live Search. Live Search brings customers an expansive mobile search experience so they can quickly and efficiently search the Web for news, local businesses and entertainment, directions, maps, images, and more. Results display in easy-to-read categories and include click-to-call capabilities and Instant Answers for easy access to information on a mobile device.<br /><br />• Windows Live Spaces. With Windows Live Spaces for mobile, Microsoft’s global blogging and photo service for mobile devices, customers can stay connected to their communities while on the move. With Windows Live Spaces on Windows Mobile powered devices, customers can access links to friends’ spaces within contact cards and can send photos and videos directly to their space from their mobile device.<br /><br />Windows Live for Windows Mobile also offers value and opportunity for the mobile industry. Windows Live for Windows Mobile enables operators and OEMs to differentiate their products in the marketplace by offering customers new, innovative services while helping to minimize the time to market and certification costs for operator partners. The product was designed and tested with mobile operators in mind and is immediately available for launch.<br /><br />Microsoft continues to invest in Windows Live as a platform and is enabling development opportunities with open application programming interfaces and a robust partner and developer program. The Windows Live Developer Program for Mobile now supports the development tools for independent software vendors (ISVs) to create applications such as Windows Live for Windows Mobile. The developer program provides software development kits, testing guidelines and support to ISVs to develop Windows Live for mobile solutions for Windows Mobile, Java, Symbian and Palm devices, and deploy them with mobile operators. Developers who are interested in joining the Windows Live Developer Program for Mobile should contact [email protected]."

[Ed Hansberry]

Windows Live Messenger for WM6 is really cool. It supports grouping of contacts just like the desktop version does, and if you have a lot of contacts, you can choose to filter the contact list so only your online contacts show up. It is a little slow to log on. You first sign on with no online contacts then ove the next minute or so, it starts pulling down the info and showing people online one at a time. This might be a GPRS/EDGE limitation. Still, it is better than the previous version which just gave you the spinning colored pie until the list was pulled down.

[Phillip Dyson]

• Windows Live Messenger. {...snip...} All the things customers love about Windows Live Messenger on the PC

I wonder if it gives access to other networks like Yahoo Messenger.


Windows Live for Windows Mobile Availability
Windows Live for Windows Mobile is coming soon through a growing number of wireless providers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Contact your wireless provider to find out about the new Windows Mobile 6 devices that will give you the richest mobile connection to your Windows Live world.

Could this mean no availability outside of the phone carriers?

[moaske]

Jak-jak-jak... so where's the download-button eh ? ;)

I just hate these announcements that bring us the rich functionality we've been waiting for for ages, but then go on to mention that WM6 will bring you all the good stuff, and (AGAIN! :evil: ) the current users of WM5 are left in the cold... Just like what happens everytime with the latest version of VoiceCommand; no support for any previous OS versions... :evil:

I've just had it with M$ and sticking our eyes out with new (just plain) applications we can't have as current users.... :mecry:

Oh, and same goes for the WM6 upgradeability of existing devices: only a handfull will get it... when will M$ start the real support of the user-base, instead of fire-and-forget bombardments of new hardware every other month...? (yeah, i know it's the OEM's responsible for device-updates....but THAT's exactly what i mean should be changed)
:soapbox:

[/rant] ;)

Anyway; did i mention that i-want-it i-want-it i-want-it !!?!?! :drool:

[stllhogan]

I'm weary to say the least. If windows live messenger is anything like the desktop version I rather stick with msn. I doubt it will be bad but with the name it holds reservations for me. The file transfer part sounds great especially since im planning a road trip and all i will carry as gadgets go are gps receiver, pda, and camera and I wanted to have the pics updated daily and without file transfer i was running into a dead end. I have faith this won't be as bad but im weary of the change.

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Oh, and same goes for the WM6 upgradeability of existing devices: only a handfull will get it... when will M$ start the real support of the user-base, instead of fire-and-forget bombardments of new hardware every other month...? (yeah, i know it's the OEM's responsible for device-updates....but THAT's exactly what i mean should be changed)
:soapbox:


From WM6 onwards, updates and service packs will come directly from MS ;)

[lanwarrior]

Hmm... where's the NEW and RELEASED version of Windows Live for WM5 for us to DOWNLOAD? The version I have is super buggy, so much that I used Google Search instead, now that they have a WM5 application instead of the Java file.

[moaske]

From WM6 onwards, updates and service packs will come directly from MS ;)
Hmmm...that's great news :)
But i'm still sceptical; i gotta see it before i believe it... Isn't there still the problem of the very specific hardware in our devices that has to be tweaked still...? Or does this only apply to the original ROM that leaves the factory...? How would changing the whole OS from WM6 to WM7 work in that case...? Are the specific drivers/OS files/apps/shell a modular system? Or Does WM6 and up offer such good generic drivers that no tweaking is needed anymore
It all just sounds a bit 'to-good-to-be-true' 8)

And like 'lanwarrior' said: where's the download for all these faithfull WM5 users? So much for upgrades coming from M$.... (or am i seeing things too dark now?) ;) :lol:

[Nurhisham Hussein]

Are the specific drivers/OS files/apps/shell a modular system?

I think you hit the nail on the head with that - I've read that this was the goal. So as far as OS-specific updates are concerned, MS will have that covered. Of course, there's always the potential for conflicts to occur between OS updates and device drivers, in which case it's probably back to the old way.


How would changing the whole OS from WM6 to WM7 work in that case...?

Given what's been hinted and speculated about Photon, I'm not sure if it's doable through an update pack, but we'll see.