04-12-2005, 10:00 AM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Magneto vs BlackBerry: Fight!
"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"
Interesting. We've now heard a fair few snippets about push email in Magneto 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...
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04-12-2005, 11:47 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 539
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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?
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04-12-2005, 01:42 PM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,520
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Re: Magneto vs BlackBerry: Fight!
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Jonathon Watkins
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]
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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.
__________________
Phone: Nexus one Backup Phone: AT&T Samsung Jack; Future Phone: I'm Watching WP7; Media Player: Platinum Zune HD 32GB; Home Server: HP MediaSmart Server LX195 Console: XBox 360, PS3, Wii |
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04-12-2005, 02:53 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 349
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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.
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04-12-2005, 03:12 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 539
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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 ! )
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04-12-2005, 03:23 PM
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Thinker
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 481
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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.
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04-12-2005, 04:15 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 43
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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.
__________________
In pocket:* Sprint PPC-6700In car:** iPaq hx4700
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04-12-2005, 05:15 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 302
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Magneto would totally wipe out Blackberry. He'd extract some of it's own metal and use it to destroy itself. :twisted:
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04-12-2005, 06:39 PM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by sundown
Magneto would totally wipe out Blackberry. He'd extract some of it's own metal and use it to destroy itself. :twisted:
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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.
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04-12-2005, 08:37 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,386
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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).
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