Rumors: Windows Mobile Photon coming and Microsoft prepares for massive attack at RIM BlackBerry
April 02, 2005 [General] | By Edward J. R.
Now, that time for April Fool's Day pranks is over, we can summarize some latest rumors (or should we say "unofficial leaks") about upcoming changes at Microsoft regarding mobility...
- Microsoft realized that RIM BlackBerry endangers the very market at which Windows Mobile and MS Exchange are directed: enterprise customers. This is general "top-down" idea behind upcoming actions of Microsoft: to destroy RIM BlackBerry.
- We, at msmobiles.com, were pointing out that MS Exchange doesn't deliver true e-mail push for years (see for example this interview from year 2003) but Microsoft was failing to notice it. On the other hand RIM BlackBerry enables true e-mail push by placing special servers between 3rd party e-mailing solution (like MS Exchange, Lotus Notes server, etc) and the customer (with RIM BlackBerry device or other device with BlackBerry software on board). Clearly this leads to the situation, where RIM BlackBerry technology becomes the most important part of the communication chaing, to the point, where Microsoft software (MS Exchange included) are no longer needed!
- We, at msmobiles.com, were the first to reveal (see this news item) that Microsoft is planning an upgrade to MS Exchange that will enable true e-mail push! By now this rumor has found many other confirmations and is considered to be certain by most journalists and analysts.
- the next (after Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition) Windows Mobile, of code-name "Magneto", is imminent: code freeze is expected in April 2005 (this month) and this new version of Windows Mobile is expected to be fully and officially released during Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 next month (May 9-12, 2005, Las Vegas). Soon after that Service Pack for MS Exchange with full e-mail push will be released too for existing users of Exchange 2003 server software.
- Windows Mobile, of code-name "Magneto" will have, among others, the following features:
- internally powered by Windows CE 5.x not by Windows CE 4.x as the second edition
- .NET Compact Framework 2.0 pre-installed (previously: 1.x was the current version)
- no distinction between smartphone and Pocket PC - Windows Mobile will run both Pocket PC 2003 and Smartphone 2003 programs
- ActiveSync 3.8 to be replaced by ActiveSync 4.x that handles Windows Mobile magneto
- to get support for new features (like camera APIs and notification APIs) software development possible only with Visual Studio .NET - in other words: no more free development tools like it was with eVC++ 3.0 and 4.0 (eVC++ = eMbedded Visual C++).
- direct support for Qwerty keyboards, so that new products from HTC, Motorola, HP and Samsung will be better usable just through the Qwerty keyboard
- support for new push functionalities of Exchange, but not only for e-mails but also for contacts and calendar events
- Wi-Fi support for smartphones (devices without touch screen)
- "Storage" - a place in memory that doesn't dissapear even without battery - now will be available also for Pocket PC
- improved Pocket office applications like Excel and Word; Pocket PowerPoint added
- improved Windows Media Player 10 included but still no possibility to see graphics embedded in MP3 files (very popular among users of MP3 files, not only for music but also for podcasts)
- after Windows Mobile code-name "Magneto" (probably to be released as "Windows Mobile 2005") the new version of Widnows Mobile is already under development: it has code-name "Photon" (probably it is to be released as "Windows Mobile 2006") and it features special design improvements to enhance battery life of devices significantly.
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