msmobiles.com/f

msmobiles.com_robot · Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Posts: 16777215

Great, after many times ensuring its hardware manufacturing partners, that it will not enter hardware market when it comes to mobile phones, Microsoft will announce in 3 months their own phone! Read on!

Read more at http://www.msmobiles.com/news.php/7837.html

laxity · Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Posts: 1

Wasn't this already common knowledge? We already know the Tegra based devices are going to be running Windows Mobile so isn't this where the rumor of the Microsoft involvement stems from?

I'd be surprised if MS wanted to get into the hardware phone market after all this time rather than just leaving the hardware to the 3rd party manufacturers like HTC as they currently do.

Anyway, nice demo and info here of the Tegra devices :

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=1324

indiekiduk · Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

I'm wondering how this announcement will affect 3rd party WM device manufacturers. Surely if MS released hardware then they would want to withdraw Windows Mobile to prevent compeititon. I guess they could increase the WM license fee to make more profit and also stop any new companies becoming interested. With I-Mate going under its likely more will follow. And perhaps this is the worst possible time for Sony to enter the WM handset market, all that R&D and marketing for a device with a lifetime of only a couple of months. Oops.
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indiekiduk · Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

virain · Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 124

My take on it is that manufacturers have nothing to worry about. Looking at the MS history, it is unlikely it will jeopardize its relationships with OEMs and ODMs. What it might do with this new device, is use it as an example, to steer and spur manufacturers in the right direction (look at Intel development of MIDs and Moblin OS), or MS might enter an "unexplored" market of some sort of PMP/Phone devices, or MID or something like that. I mean MS wouldn't give up so easily on its Origami project, unless it has something newer and better. Besides, from the beginning of mobile devices, MS was more interested in mobile computers, than phones. That's how MS works, if you look at the history of its product development. So if there's one product that might stand on MS way, it would be HTC Advantage, and that's a very, very small fraction of the market. HTC wouldn't even feel a pinch. Razz

mirekluza · Joined: 25 Nov 2008 Posts: 12

Well, so far it is just a rumour... Iphone fans talking about the Microsoft planning a crappy (they did not see, but they know) copy of their beloved Iphone are not patrticularly trustworthy...

I do not say it is not true, just that it could be something similar to "Nokia & Windows Mobile" nonsenses which appeared here in past... At the moment it has a value of a title in a tabloid newspaper that the celebrity X Y did this or that - that means minimal.
And speculations on speculations are even more pointless...

Mirek

Stoic33 · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 96

Its about time! I hope this is the production version of NVIDIA's APX 2500 GPU that they developed with Microsoft and showcased back in Feb/2008. If so then this is a great move by Microsoft to push the platform even further. The problem with most WinMo and HTC devices on the market today is the lack of good GPU's (if any or bad drivers!) that limit WinMo devices to minimalistic Ui's or fancy ones that lag..

NVIDIA upcoming APX 2500 CPU/GPU if official (with 10+ hrs playback) will most likely be the saviour of Windows Mobile and a giant leap in the right direction, it was partly developed by Microsoft and has some very interesting high-end features that make all past and current WinMo/HTC devices look like dinosaurs in comparison. Video of the Device in action running on-top of WinCE 5 (the core OS WM6 runs on): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsYFXGKUIpE

MarcTGFG · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Germany

Isnt anyone detecting the irony in that statement?

Microsoft unsatisfied with hardware partners not coming up with a decent iPhone competitor? Oh, really?

The problem is the sluggish and not finger friendly software. The hardware is more than decent. HTCs latest offerings have a larger screen than iPhone, four times its resolution, same storage space through Micro SDHC cards and yes even a faster processor.

Its not the hardware partners fault, that WM is so sluggish, doesnt make use of GPUs by default and has an overall confusing and touch unfriendlich UI.

Give us a modern OS, with capacitive touch screen support, consistently larger UI elements, get rid of suuuper long menus exceeding 5 items, and make better use of hardware ressources.

HTC et al are perfectly capable of producing an iPhone competitor if they wouldnt have to be concerned about developing theit own UI!
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virain · Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 124

MarcTGFG · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Germany

Having used WM touchscreen devices for at least 4 years, beginning with the Casio E-105, going to a T-Mobile MDA, then Samsung SGH-I750 and then a 3.5" VGA XDA Flame I couldnt disagree more. Capacitative is the way to go. Its so much easier to type, doesnt take as much force to actually write and is even more precise.

I was always a big fan of hardware keyboards and couldnt believe that a softz keyboard could be anywhere near as effective. But the iPhone - with autocorrection turned off for non english text input (!) - makes a darn good job at typing.

When I do it nowadays, I remember the awkwardness of having to pull out a stylus before doing anything. The looks in my friends eyes, imaptience growing and finally using it (with both hands, which isnt possible in every situation) and trying to type on a tiny soft keyboard, even tiny for a stylus. On regular 2.8" screens, the most common on WM phones right now, hand writing recognition works pretty good in theory, but the actual screen dimensions again dampen the experience. You simply cant write a lot on the screen. It certainly doesnt feel natural to me. And the error rate isnt that much better than on the iPhone keyboard.

Comparing the responsiveness of the iPhone keyboard with WM softkeyboards: The only one which gave me a decent experience was SPB fullscreen keyboard, which has the big disadvantage to fill the whole screen so you cant see the app itself anny more.

All in all. User experience trumps features for me anytime. And look at the rate, new applications are coming out for iPhone. I first hesitated to buy one, because there was no remote desktop app. Then came a FREE VNC app. I still wasnt sure. Then came a FREE Remote desktiop app which is actually more usable than the the WM built in one. I hesitated because I wanted to stream videos from my Windows MCE PC. But there was no Sling Player and no Orb software. Now you can get Sling player on pwned iPhones and Orb Live is available in App store.

I am no Apple fanboy. I actually used S60 devices more than any other OS during my lifetime, with only Palm OS escaping me completely.

I think MS needs to catch up A LOT usability wise and judging from the leaked screenshots from months ago, I am still not convinced that MS "gets it".
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virain · Joined: 23 Dec 2007 Posts: 124

That is the problem. You are comparing yesterday, pressure screen technology with today capacitive screen! It would be much more fare if you try compare iPhone capacitive screen with HTC Touch HD, I did try one it is as good as capacitive but gives you advantages of using stylus. As far as using keyboard? again, you comparing 2.8" screen with larger iPhone. And as far as choice for text input, let's try it again HANDWRITING is better for long text input be it either virtual or hardware keyboard. But that's is the matter of preference. Besides are you aware that Apple is working on handwriting recognition software? I guess when iPhone 3 comes out with pressure sensitive screen and handwriting, capacitive wouldn't be so good anymore, would it? Wink