Is Microsoft turning into a slow Apple?

7 February 2010 by Shaun 4 Comments

If the latest rumours from PPC Geeks about Windows Mobile 7 turn out to be true then it is a very sorry state of affairs for Microsoft. Check out the parts in red below- they scream of Apple, but 2 years too late. Where did the originality go? Microsoft won’t win the battle by copying others…

-The User Interface is based upon codename “METRO”. It will be very similar to the Zune HD User Interface with a complete revamp of the “Start” screen. The UI is “Very Clean”, “Soulful” and “Alive”
-Unfortunately there will be no Flash support at the get go as there was not enough time to implement these features.
-Windows Phone 7 will only support application installation through service based delivery. (i.e Marketplace). Application installation via storage card will not be possible.
- No Multi-Task support. Applications will “Pause” when in the background, however will support notifications via push notifications.
-Marketplace will now support “try before you buy” as well as an API
-No NETCF backwards compatibility. This means the original rumor of no backward compatibility for applications holds to be true. That being said, there are high hopes of porting the NetCF to the newer platform easily.
-Microsoft is confident that devices will be ready by September 2010
-Full Zune Integration
-Windows Mobile Device Center will no longer be used. Zune software to take over syncing via PC.
-OEM Interfaces will not be allowed to run on the device. Say goodbye to Sense UI / SPB Mobile Shell / Point UI / Infinity, etc, etc
-Full XBOX Gaming Integration (Gamer tag, achievements, friends, avatars, merchandising, etc)
-Full support for social networking

4 Comments »

Steve said:

I am astounded at how poor Microsoft has performed in making a mobile OS. They ARE a software company, right?

Let’s compare what’s happened in the last 4 years:

1) Apple has made a full mobile version of OS X which is now on the iPad

2) Google has made the Android OS with many diverse devices

3) Palm has made web OS and new devices

4) Microsoft has done what? Poor new versions of their mobile OS that offer no major new features over any of these other devices.

What ARE the MS software teams DOING?

# 7 February 2010 at 9:13 pm

Joel said:

Well actually I like a lot about WM as an OS more than either Android or Iphone OS (which I wouldn’t call a full version of OSX sorry, any more than CE is a full version of Windows).. BUT Microsoft have let the UI portion get a long way behind… If they fix the UI then it is still a much more complete OS than the competition despite being around for a LOT longer..

Closing it down like Apple, dropping NETCF support and mutitasking is a big problem to me and will see me moving to android if true.

# 8 February 2010 at 3:17 am

Graham N said:

I quite like WM and recently spent a bit of time trying out an HD2 in an O2 shop. I was seriously thinking of getting one but if Microsoft are going this way I may well jump on the Android bandwagon as well. Seems like two steps forward and two steps back.

On the other hand it could all be rumours.

# 8 February 2010 at 10:28 am

tonyk said:

Potentially they are opening up to broad commercial market where they can make money from apps and supply stable closed down phones that will be relatively easy to use. Not so good for hobbyist hackers/tinkerers/part time developers though. If the rumours are all true personally I don’t think I’ll be going down the Windows Phone route.

# 8 February 2010 at 11:20 am