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Microsoft Operating Systems Software Communications

Gates Releases Details on New Mobile OS 265

Posted by Zonk from the little-blue-screens dept.
rjelks writes "Microsoft's Bill Gates released details about the company's new mobile operating system, code-named Magneto, at the Mobile & Embedded Developers Conference in Las Vegas today. There has been a lot of recent speculation about the new OS. People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.' Windows Mobile 2005 will be released to hardware manufacturers immediately. The OS will integrate Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition operating systems into one platform. It will also include updates to the mobile versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint." Relatedly, ZDNet has an interview with Gates about the initiative.
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Gates Releases Details on New Mobile OS More

Gates Releases Details on New Mobile OS

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  • Magneto? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @01:58PM (#12490495)
    We'd better call the X(org)-Men!

  • Blackberry killer... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Thud457 ( 234763 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @01:58PM (#12490498) Homepage Journal
    as in "man, this Magneto OS is really killing my Blackberry, It takes 128 MB RAM and a 1gHz processor".

  • Magneto (Score:5, Funny)

    by Rei ( 128717 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @01:58PM (#12490500) Homepage
    ... so-called because it has a nasty tendancy to wipe your hard drive every so often. I still wish Microsoft would go back to the naming scheme used with WinCE - naming their operating systems after their users' first reactions.
  • People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.'

    10 bucks says it turns out to be more useful in the weed-killing sense...
    • Well, I don't know about killing Blackberries, but it will certainly kill your wallet.

      How many manufacturers will have software upgrades to allow users to install the new OS version on their PDAs/Smartphones? I'm willing to bet "Very, very few".

      Most manufacturers are going to insist that users buy an entirely new device to get the benefits from this new version. So instead of paying $50-150 for a new OS, you're going to be paying hundreds for an entirely new bit of hardware.

      Software upgrades drive sale

  • Screen Shots of Windows Mobile 5 (Score:4, Informative)

    by davidconger ( 849513 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @01:59PM (#12490506) Homepage
    For more about some of the new features and to see screenshots from Windows Mobile 5 (including ActiveSync 4.0, PowerPoint Mobile, Smartphone User Interface, One-Handed Interface for Pocket PC, Internet Explorer Mobile, Excel Mobile, Word Mobile, and Pocket MSN Client) here: http://www.davespda.com/special/wm5/ [davespda.com] There is also improved WMP 10 Mobile DRM support, new photo and video API's for developers, 3G and UMTS support, and more.
    • One-Handed Interface for Pocket PC

      I'm sure many slashdot readers would like this feature for their desktop machine.

  • PUSH (Score:4, Insightful)

    by whackco ( 599646 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @01:59PM (#12490514) Journal
    When they have effective PUSH EMail built into Exchange 2k3 in SP2 it WILL kill blackberry. I for one HATE the BB Ent Srv.

    That said....flame away
    • Yeah, push email will be just great when somebody mail-bombs you with more email than you have memory in your PDA to store...
      • That's why you sync your inbox and set up proper filters at the mail server (for spam, virus, phishing, etc, emails) at the client (for organization into projects, etc). That way what comes through to your phone is deemed important enough to go directly into your sparsly populated inbox (and Magneto device).
    • I for one also HATE the BES :)

    • Re:PUSH (Score:2, Insightful)

      by apnar ( 199973 )
      It already exisits and works well. If you use a recent windows mobile phone or PDA with Exchange 2k3 SP2 you can set it up. The way it works is the exchange server will send your mobile an SMS when it gets a new message. This SMS is eaten by your phone and you never see it, it does trigger active sync in your phone though which then downloads the new messasge. Works well. You can read up on it here:

      http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/chats/t rans/exchange/exc0428.mspx [microsoft.com]
    • I think you are 100% correct. I don't see this release REALLY being aimed at RIM. There are some improved features and you can kind of see that in the next couple years they probably have plans to aim for RIM, but for now I don't think that is the main goal. Your comment on push exchange integration I think is probably right on and we may see it before long. Along with that they will also need (ok maybe not need but it would help) DELL or some other hardware vendor to create a small form device to house
  • A wise move, consolidate all your security holes, viruses, worms, BSODs and spyware all under one OS umbrella!

    Smart MS, very very smart.

  • Blackberry Killer (Score:5, Insightful)

    by kevin_conaway ( 585204 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:00PM (#12490522) Homepage
    OK, I think its safe to disregard this product and the person calling it that. Whenever something is described as an XKiller, it never kills product X and such claims are usually FUD or just hype.
    • You mean, I should stop referring to Linux as "the Windows killer"?!?

      • Re:Blackberry Killer (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Tim C ( 15259 )
        Yes, you should. Linux isn't going to kill Windows any time soon, if ever. It's too deeply entrenched and too many people and companies have too much invested in it.
    • I heard their new slogan is, "10,000 Critical Objects, In Your Pocket."
    • The only thing that would prevent this OS from being a blackberry killer is the lack of "blackberry style" device form factors. Other than that, it does everything a blackberry does, and then some.
    • OK, I think its safe to disregard this product and the person calling it that. Whenever something is described as an XKiller, it never kills product X and such claims are usually FUD or just hype.
      Except of course for Mozilla, the Mosaic killer. That was the code name, the commercial name was Netscape.

    • Re:Blackberry Killer (Score:3, Interesting)

      by MojoStan ( 776183 )
      Whenever something is described as an XKiller, it never kills product X and such claims are usually FUD or just hype.

      Voodoo Killer [wired.com]? 3Dfx's Voodoo cards were the first products I can remember being targeted for "killing." Graphics history buffs know Voodoo got eaten by NVIDIA.

      Unless the market leader makes it very difficult and/or inconvenient to switch, they can get killed. What makes the Blackberry so un-killable?

  • More on Magneto: (Score:5, Funny)

    by mr_don't ( 311416 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:00PM (#12490524)

    More information on Magneto:

    Years later Magnus reemerged as Magneto, who was determined to conquer the human race to prevent their oppression of mutants. Xavier's original team of X-Men thwarted his first public move in his war with humanity, the takeover of the Cape Citadel missile base. When they next clashed, Magneto was leading his original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which included Wanda and Pietro, now known as the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

    Not until years later would Magneto learn that they were actually his children. At one point Magneto genetically engineered a being called Alpha the Ultimate Mutant, who rebelled against him and turned Magneto back into an infant. Magneto thereafter had a series of battles with Xavier's new team of X-Men.

    • Yeah, that was the first thing I thought of. The second thing I thought was that when Apple runs out of cat names, maybe they should go with other animal names for the OS releases like ... oh, say ... "Wolverine."
      • The grandparent post is simultaneously funny and informative.

        Other computer software companies would do well to follow Microsoft's lead and use naming schemes based on mythology (Cyclops, Phoenix), natural phenomena (Storm, Sunspot not an X-man last time I checked, many years ago ) and as someone else said, animals.

        Microsoft could have picked some really off the wall names from comic books...Galactus or the Silver Surfer.

        Oh, here's one that would strike a chord on /. :

        Penguin.

  • Quick, Dial 911!!!! (Score:5, Funny)

    by dfn5 ( 524972 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:01PM (#12490533) Journal
    OK, just as soon as my phone is done rebooting.

    • Re:Quick, Dial 911!!!! (Score:3, Interesting)

      by brasten ( 699342 )
      You joke, but you'd be surprised how often I have to reboot my Symbian phone to get things working properly again.
    • Quick, Dial 911!!!!
      OK, just as soon as my phone is done rebooting.

      How horribly ironic it would be if the man in need of an ambulance died while you were rebooting after a blue screen of death.

  • Finally the proof : MS IS evil (Score:5, Funny)

    by TekGoNos ( 748138 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:01PM (#12490543) Journal
    Why else would they name their new OS after a super-villain?

  • Ah, (Score:3, Funny)

    by uberjoe ( 726765 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:02PM (#12490549)
    But will it speak to me in the voice of Ian McKellen?

    • Heck, I would by a copy for that alone.

      "White shores...and beyond... the far green country under a swift sunrise."

      Um...your phone is ringing

      Shut up, let it ring (sigh)

      Sera

  • Magneto? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by neuro.slug ( 628600 ) <neuro__ AT hotmail DOT com> on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:02PM (#12490552)
    Is it just me, or is Microsoft attempting to re-invent their image? "Magneto", like "Underdog" (the new search engine) is definitely a far cry from "Longhorn" in terms of target audience.

    Microsoft: The new Apple wannabe? I dunno.

    -- n

  • OS's code-named after supervillians... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bonker ( 243350 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:03PM (#12490556)
    Yeah, that's a good PR move.

    What happened to MS naming their releases after cities?

    Next OS is going to be 'Red Skull', but with none of the anti-semitism that so many would like to accuse MS of.

    After that, look forward to 'Kingpin' OS, with plenty of features to make sure that Microsoft stays at the top of the heap, wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

    The 'Juggernaut' OS will mark MS's return to using the X-Men's enemies as code names, but will also describe the install footprint.

    'Apocalypse' OS will be release immediately after Billy G. has been declared world dictator for life, forever and ever amen.

  • Possible? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Tenebrious1 ( 530949 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:04PM (#12490571) Homepage
    People have been describing it as a possible 'Blackberry killer.'

    I think that was part of the original script that got cut from the movie; just as Arthur is losing his arms and Ford is turning into a penguin, Microsoft releases a "Blackberry Killer" OS. On the other hand, the Microsoft "iPod killer" was determined to be of such high improbability that it would have occurred before they were rescued from certain death.

    • ...if you watch the movie very carefully, you can see this new Microsoft product sneaking up behind blackberries and squishing them.

  • My bet (Score:3, Funny)

    by c0ldfusi0n ( 736058 ) <admin.c0ldfusi0n@org> on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:07PM (#12490598) Homepage
    I have $50 on Wheels for that new mobile OS' name.

    ...think about it..

    ...a little bit more..

    There you go!

  • Looking good... (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Cmdr Whackjob ( 883018 )
    I'm looking to replace the current line of PDA's for our company and this sounds very interesting. Employees are often out of office and an all-in-one device like this will be great for them to keep in touch - and maybe even do a bit of work on.
  • Marvel is suing Microsoft for damaging their intellectual property. [marveldirectory.com]

  • Well (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Sv-Manowar ( 772313 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:08PM (#12490615) Homepage Journal
    It's good to see that they are targetting the Blackberry domination of the market, hopefully it will lead to manufacturers battling to achieve market share, which would mean better products for us, the consumer.

    I just wouldn't want to be beta testing that ;)
  • So I guess it answers that question: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=148791&cid=124 70295 [slashdot.org]

    Now if they could only make the bundled apps (Pocket Whatever) actually useful. Thus far, I have had to purchase replacements for the crap versions. Of course, I'm still waiting on Minimo.

  • Xavier (Score:4, Funny)

    by bitswapper ( 805265 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:15PM (#12490683)

    Namewars - So now Blackberry needs to come out with Xavier.

  • Why SmartPhone is crap (Score:5, Informative)

    by hirschma ( 187820 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:17PM (#12490697)
    I have one, won it in a contest, an Orange SPV-C500.

    They're going to have to make a whole lot of changes to make this dog hunt. Problems with the current SmartPhone:

    * Sync: you can sync with (just) one device. Don't ever try to unsync with that device, tho - in my case, you just can't. My notebook and phone are bonded forever.

    * Interface: One more time: the Windows Start button metaphor doesn't work on small devices. Other issues include that it can take several steps to get to common programs.

    * Non-intuitive/inconsistent UI: Sometimes, you can cancel out of something with the "red phone" button like on other phones. Sometimes you have to back out of things with the cursor button. Users of pretty much any other phone UI will go crazy.

    * Not invented here syndrome: MMS uses AMR encoding for audio. Smartphone (at least my version) just doesn't support it, period.

    * Crashes: It crashes a lot more than other phone OSes I've tried. Sometimes the crashes are partial - like losing networking ability.

    * LONG boot time: takes over a minute for my phone to come up.

    * Difficult to configure: the interface for configuring email and other internet apps is horrid and slow. Can't do it from a desktop app.

    * Web browser is just totally wonky: some things load. Some things don't. What loaded yesterday doesn't work today.

    * Slow: I believe that my device as a 200mhz processor in it, but screen updates and nav is really, really slow.

    * You get charged for everything: there is seemingly no community, but just software vendors. Folks that are spoiled by all the nice gadgety apps available on Palm and Symbian are going to be disappointed.

    Give me a Treo or Symbian device any day. I only use the thing because it was free, and I'm thinking seriously about ebaying it anyway.

    Microsoft has a lot of work here before they kill anything. I'm hating this thing so much that I'm about ready to go back to my "dumb" phone and PDA combo that I used before.

    jh
  • I hope Marvel sues.

  • Why spend hundreds of dollars on a phone? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by mcho ( 878145 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:18PM (#12490712) Homepage Journal
    Personally, I don't think an all-in-one phone is practical.

    Computers are overly complex as it, why make phones the same way? For example, a friend of mine asked me to help him export/import his contact list from Outlook. He couldn't figure it out even though this is a feature that's been around for a good, long time, but probably a majority of users don't know how to use it.

    That's why I've started messagingreminder.com [messagingreminder.com] so you can automatically recieve reminders on your appointments (which are stored in Microsoft Outlook or Mozilla Sunbird) -- you don't have to do anything but run the software!

    I rather have a $50 with a good battery life and reception than a +$300 phone that I can't figure out how to use and quickly drains its battery.

    • Four words (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Locke2005 ( 849178 )
      "Single point of failure." I for one don't want to be unable to make or receive calls just because my PDA gets a virus or otherwise decides to act up. Think it doesn't happen? It happenned to Chad Dickerson [infoworld.com] No, I think all-in-one is a very BAD idea.
  • They jerked the helmet off Magneto to reveal...


    Bob.
    "D00dz!" said Bob, but it was no use: Bob was crushed like the useless crapsack that he was.

  • It'll take Hardware (Score:3, Insightful)

    by At0miC ( 7174 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:22PM (#12490750)
    It will take new Hardware to 'kill' blackberry not the software running it. The blackberry is popular because it's compact and does it's job.
    If/When microsoft can pressure hardware makers into creating something that has form and fucntion, then all the bells and whistles of a new OS will help push them over the top. Until then, the blackberry will continue to own the business communications market...
  • The "Palm-Sized PC" and then Pocket PC apps were crippled version of the original Windows CE applications, with the ability to view multiple documents and navigate the file system removed in an apparent effort to make was might have been a viable laptop replacement into something that emulated the limitations of the Palm OS without managing to pick up any of the advantages that came along with them.

    That was when the Pocket PC was supposed to be a "Palm Killer". Well, it was cellphones that really tromped on the traditional Palm, and Microsoft almost completely failed to get a position in that market while I see the Handspring/Palm Treo all over the place.

    Now they're going for a "Blackberry Killer". I wonder what that portends for their applications. Will they finally let the Windows CE platform really compete with the ultralight laptops and Tablet PC on anything like a level playing field?

  • one device that will be running it (Score:4, Interesting)

    by utexaspunk ( 527541 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:24PM (#12490767)
    drool... [msmobiles.com] say what you want about windows mobile, but i don't see any other devices with other operating systems that can do what windows mobile does. sure, there's plenty of room for improvement- it seems i have to reboot my ipaq 6315 every day or two, but no other device does as much as it can...

  • Blackberry Killer? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by CynicalGuy ( 866115 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:27PM (#12490812)
    People dont use blackberries because of the OS. They use them because of the small form factor (new ones are even better) and the push email.

    Hell, I think PalmOne's Treo could kill the blackberry if it offered REAL push email and instant messanger applications.

    But knowing Microsoft, this thing is going to end up bundled with Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, the entire Microsoft Office suite, and be just slightly too big for my pocket.

    I want: 1. small as possible 2. best screen possible 3. blackberry/treo keyboard 4. push email 5. IM

    That's it.

    • Re:Blackberry Killer? (Score:3, Informative)

      by praxis ( 19962 )
      From what you want:

      1. small as possible -- Got that, I have a Mpx200 which is 4 oz. and 1.90x3.5x1.06 in. Certainly a phone form factor first.
      2. best screen possible -- It's an old phone, so it's only 176x220 pixel display, but certainly works for my phone/PDA needs. Newer devices will have better displays I'm sure.
      3. blackberry/treo keyboard -- Nope, shortcoming here, but once again, it's an old device.
      4. push email -- EAS allows push email, calendar, etc.
      5. IM -- Has that too.

      Added things I like you d

    • Re:Blackberry Killer? (Score:2, Interesting)

      by o-hayo ( 700478 )
      Hell, I think PalmOne's Treo could kill the blackberry if it offered REAL push email and instant messanger applications.

      There is a REAL push email option. The software you seek is Good. No, really. Check out GoodLink ( www.good.com ) and see how they are already one-upping blackberry [good.com] by doing crazy wacky things like letting you CHOOSE from a bunch of different phones and setup a new managed phone without touching or cradling it, EVER. Palm and Windows Mobile devices are supported with talks of Symbian on

  • Does anyone actually use Pocket Office? (Score:4, Interesting)

    by FatRatBastard ( 7583 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:28PM (#12490822) Homepage
    I have used the Handcom Office software maybe twice on my Zaurus, neither time for anything actually work related. Working on Word and Excel documents is pretty difficult on a PDA form factor, I have to imagine its downright useless on a phone screen.

    Is anyone really doing last minute alterations to presentations on their phone?
    • I use Pocket Excel to keep track of my bowling scores when I'm at the bowling alley. It's neat to be able to generate a bunch of statistics. But I have to agree and imagine not too much "real" work gets done in Pocket Office.
      • It really depends on what you mean by "real" work.

        Word Mobile is not primarily designed to provide much support for editing -- as the GP said, trying to edit much of anything on a handheld device is not a compelling user experience. The primary use the team optimized for was high-fidelity viewing of documents along with occasional small deltas with minimal feature loss. WordMobile supports lossless editing during roundtrip (to the extent possible: it doesn't support revision marks). The product team foc
    • i use pocket excel to keep track of my fill-ups and mileage in the car. it's handy for stuff like that, but i don't know if that constitutes real work

  • But how big? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by MosesJones ( 55544 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:39PM (#12490952) Homepage
    The OS will integrate Smartphone, Pocket PC, and Pocket PC Phone Edition operating systems into one platform.

    That is quite a large functionality footprint, what is the target footprint for this thing? It would also be great if in the new version they could realise that a SmartPHONE is a PHONE first and a PDA second and stop with all the stupid bloody modal windows (volume is MODAL for godsake).

    Interesting, but in terms of marketshare its about as relevant as a new release of Mac OSX is to the desktop.

  • Personally... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Progman3K ( 515744 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:43PM (#12490991)
    For me, it doesn't matter what product Microsoft develops anymore.

    I will always avoid all their products like the plague and use my influence to guide others to avoid them also.

    I know it sounds like trolling, but I'm not posting anonymously, and I AM serious, this is my opinion, and this is reality.

    I represent a segment of consumers who are completely fed up to the gills with Microsoft and are tired of constantly giving them another chance.

    This will again be just like all their other products; it'll be inferior, there'll be interoperability problems with everyone's else's products, and Microsoft will continue to promise that the next version will be perfect, which by now, we've all realized is bunk.

    Of course, if the product ever takes off at all, Microsoft will have realized their goal: to drive another competitor out of business. They'll then proceed to completely ignore the product and its users, just like they've done with Internet Explorer or Office. With no competition, there is no impetus to improve.

    So again, NO THANKS, Microsoft.

    There are alternatives, so support the other vendors, buy their products!

    Free speech AND free beer? YES, PLEASE!

    • Re:Personally... (Score:3, Insightful)

      by praxis ( 19962 )
      I pitty the poor folk that take advice about a product from someone who has formed an opinion about it by avoiding it. Granted, past history can certainly be a factor, but I personally like to make informed decisions. Sometimes I do the research myself, other times I turn to sources that do credible research on my behalf. I never take advice from an opinionated source which does not do credible research, and hope to urge others to also make informed decisions.

      • Re:Personally... (Score:3, Informative)

        by Progman3K ( 515744 )
        >I never take advice from an opinionated source which does not do credible research, and hope to urge others to also make informed decisions.

        And well you should.

        I've used Windows since Windows/286 and I've written lots of software for Windows. I've also rolled-out lots of Microsoft products for various projects and work environments.

        I've made up my mind based on my own research and come to the conclusion that I have through logic.

        Sounds like you do the same. I can't argue that.
        • I was responding to your statement:

          "For me, it doesn't matter what product Microsoft develops anymore. I will always avoid all their products like the plague and use my influence to guide others to avoid them also."

          If you've "come to the conclusion that [you] have through logic" it's exactly the logic I avoid in advice from people. To ignore a product or idea because of past products or ideas of an entity is just fine. Perhaps you don't feel that the time to research the new product or idea is worth yo
          • You're right that I DON'T feel evaluating their product is worth my time.

            No wait, that isn't quite true; there's ALWAYS time to evaluate it, but I've lost that urge to download the obligatory "this one is free, but the next one won't be" SDK that inevitably follows the first tangible release of one of Microsoft's new technologies (I use the terms 'new' and 'technology' loosely).

            I've learned that the deeper you put your hand in that particular meat-grinder, the more of your arm you'll lose.

            So yes, BY ALL

      • Y'know... (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Akardam ( 186995 )
        Take the example of two people:

        The first person sticks his hand in boiling water, gets burned, and from there on out avoids sticking his hand in boiling water.

        The second person sticks his hand in boiling water, gets burned, waits a while, then sticks his hand right back in the boiling water just to see if its still hot.

        History generally considers the first person to be the wiser. No pun intended, but you can only get burned so many times before it just isn't worth it any more.

  • Why magneto? (Score:5, Funny)

    by panurge ( 573432 ) on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @02:44PM (#12491007)
    For the few who don't know, a magneto is a self-energising spark generator for spark-ignition internal combustion engines. It consists, basically, of a magnet (duh), a coil and a contact breaker. Either the coil or the magnet rotates, generating current which passes through the coil until the breaker opens when, in accordance with the laws of conservation of energy, the energy has to go somewhere and some of it ends up in the spark. (Yes, this is real electrotechnology 101.)

    The hand-cranked generators used on early telephones and, for rather longer, on field telephones was also called a magneto, and I guess this is why Microsoft has expropriated yet another common word for its products.

    So from this important piece of information we can work out the features of magneto the operating system:

    • It will be capable of doing only one thing at a time
    • It will generate a lot of stray EMI
    • The user interface will suck: it will need a lot of hand cranking and point setting to work properly
    • It will be replaced by something better just as soon as it becomes available.
    And yes, I still have bitter and twisted memories of the magnetos on my Vincent, my Velo...in fact, every British motorbike I ever owned. Not that I'm in any way prejudiced (I was stupid to buy the things)
  • ...but it still won't replace my Treo 650. PalmOS and the UI Jeff Hawkins has crafted are just so much more intuitive and efficient, and UI efficiency is something that power users tend to appreciate.
  • ... Microsoft is admitting that WinCE was an utter failure?!

  • When he commoditized the PC market, he made his own support by creating the clones, and wiping IBM off the PC map.

    But now that that game is over, none of the mom and pop PC assemblers have two nickels to rub together.

    He's in a real bind because NOBODY can just break into the telecom market. Its too well regulated. The FCC can be bought to mandate AGAINST phones that have lousy characteristics just like the auto industry was mandated against selling cars that have jousy characteristics (Name "Corvair" ring

  • Microsoft Reader? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by AmicoToni ( 123984 )
    Something that has been inexplicably missing for a long time from Microsoft's Smartphone software is Microsoft Reader.

    Now that all the versions of Windows Mobile have been unified, it is legitimate to expect Microsoft Reader to move to smartphones as well. It is a market Microsoft has surprisingly neglected to explore so far.

    Any reports about Reader and WM2005?

  • Its NOT the OS... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by hacker ( 14635 ) <hacker@gnu-designs.com> on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @03:41PM (#12491695)

    Bill Gates and many other senior members of companies that produce operating systems delusionally believe that people somehow care about the OS that their computer or device runs.

    They don't.

    People care what their device DOES , not what their device is POWERED by.

    If these devices run OS/2, Amiga, DOS, whatever... does not matter. If it does what they want, talks to their other devices in a non-confusing way, and can read their data formats (PIM data, documents, media formats, etc.), the OS does not matter.

    In fact, with virtualization becoming more and more popular (and available), your hardware will be running multiple OS' at the same time and guess what... you won't care.

    The data is what matters. The function is what matters. The OS does not matter.

    The only reason we care about the OS right now, is because in most cases (i.e. Microsoft), the OS lacks that functionality, or the functionality it provides is horribly broken, so we fight with it, instead of work with it.

  • Named after... (Score:3, Funny)

    by halcyon1234 ( 834388 ) <halcyon1234@hotmail.com> on Tuesday May 10, 2005 @04:15PM (#12492033) Journal
    An OS... from Microsoft... named after a character... who is an evil super villian bent on taking over the world.

    Good job.

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