Okay, so he doesn't have a
thinner Xbox 360 than the rest of us -- at least, not one that's been captured on camera -- but Paul Thurrott still knows his way around Redmond, so when he utters the phrase "Zune Mobile," the cellphone-using world probably ought to sit up and listen. Rumors of
Microsoft's so-called Project Pink have failed to quiet down, but the latest intel seems to suggest that we're looking
not at a Microsoft-branded device but an entire software and service platform -- something Danger's pretty good at managing, and something Microsoft had said it liked when it closed the acquisition earlier this year. How does that tie into Zune Mobile, though? It seems that Pink might include Zune support as part of its offering, which could translate into a Zune Mobile software package for Windows Mobile (prior to the mythical version 7, says Thurrott) that would bring far more robust media support than any Microsoft-powered phone before it, and maybe -- just maybe -- a wireless download store. Ballmer's
already said Zune support would filter down to Windows Mobile eventually, and for what it's worth, those
alleged Windows Mobile 6.5 shots sure look Zune-ish, which would make true Zune support fit right in -- and Danger's in the
PMX group alongside the Zune peeps, so that adds some credence to the potential Pink tie-in. Is it enough to resurrect WinMo from the brink of obsolescence in the consumer space? Likely not, but it's a heck of a start, and might just quiet down those endless Zunephone rumors for a wee bit.
Read - Paul Thurrott mentions Zune Mobile
Read - Project Pink includes Zune support?
posted Dec 14th 2008 12:40PM
Welcome to the comments section. You may post your comments here.
Thanks, I wasn't sure where to do it, not very many people post comments on Engadget......
Amazing.
Welcome to failure.
Welcome
to the com
ments sect
ion
What.
@ Decoy
i see what u did!
You mean I can't post my comments on this article on another website?
Sorry, guys, the Zune is never going to be popular.
The iPod Touch is currently the best selling MP3 player right now on Amazon's MP3 player page. The Sanza is like 20 and the Zune 120 is number 23. iPods occupy just about all of the other spots on the list. By the time Microsoft gets caught up to the iPhone and iPod Touch, people will be addicted to all their little iPhone apps and their gigabytes of iTunes music.
It's the ecosystem, not the device.
Even the Zune's biggest fan dumped it for an iPod Touch.
@ Esat
you forgot Paul Chappel
@ Paul
It doesn't need to be popular to be a damn fine player.
Wow. Paul's so low ranked he's invisible. I like this game!
Come on, guys, you know you clicked that link. LOL. Here it is again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBbOBc-L720
Just watch it, one more time. It's quite addicting.
Why, thank you for having me.
@Paul Chapel
Zune guy, being a deluded maniac is hopefully not your typical consumer.
I don't know about you guys, but I always read the low ranked comments because I want to know what someone said to get low ranked. Half of the time, the people who get low ranked are trolling. The other half of the time, the Anti-Apple brigade is just knocking down anybody that says anything remotely positive about Apple. You could say, "I like Steve Jobs's turtleneck" and people would low rank it.
Therefore, I see low ranks as a badge of honor.
I'm a PC user, but I'm not going to be so hypocritical that I delude myself that the Zune is better. The iPod Touch is obviously the better choice. All the low ranks in the world won't change that fact. So Low Rank away. Apple is still going to sell a bazillion iPods this Christmas, while the Zune stays in fourth place.
As a WinMo fan, I really hope Microsoft gets their act together soon. With talk of WinMo 6.5 and 7, one can only hope it materializes as quickly as possible.
Theres such a thing as a windows mobile fan?
Surely the point of a window rules out the use of a fan.
"Surely the point of a window rules out the use of a fan"
This is like the Life without Walls (ahahaha, so why do you need windows) joke.
Witty stuff.
Where theres a will, theres a whimsy
The function of windows can be increased by the use of fans, but only when the windows are open.
"Resurrect WinMo from the brink of obsolescence in the consumer space"
Man, this is getting old. The amount of Pro-Apple bias around here is just getting hard to ignore. The above statement is just inaccurate. WinMo is still THE MOST attractive choice for serious business and power users. Apple's OS is pretty but that's about it. It doesn't offer the functionality OR vast array of 3rd party business/tech/tool software that many of us find vital to a pocket pc phone. Android is still very premature and is also in the same boat as Apple. It just cant compete yet. I hope one day Android becomes the premier mobile OS but that isn't even close yet - it needs serious work. RIM's stuff is garbage much like PalmOS. Most new Treo's come with WinMo.
I admit, WinMo 6.1 is a bit crusty. I dont even consider a standard, vanilla install of WinMo 6.1 to be usable. The UI sucks and its hard to get around quickly with a touch screen and fingers. HTC has come a long way to fixing this with its custom UI software and there are MANY 3rd party options that make WinMo a dream (see SPB Pocket Plus & Mobile Shell). That being said, WinMO is STILL the preferred choice among most serious users because of what it has to offer. It is mature, it is well supported, there are tons of software options and customizations. It has good enterprise and corporate integration. iPhones are for kiddos and soccer moms. Real users prefer HTC Tough Pro (or other hardware) and the latest WinMo rom loaded down with all kinds of software apps and customizations.
Get a clue people... WinMo is here to stay. I welcome Google challenging it with Android. This is good for all consumers. But this pro iphone/apple bias has got to go or Engadget will lose readership.
@g00n
TLDR
You were adopted and your parents dont like you go type long ass comments elsewhere
@ g00n: I totally agree. I'm tired of the need for (ill-founded) snark coming from the Engadgeteers (and Gizmodo which I took off my RSS feed yesterday because of their horrible WinMo browsing 'rundown').
Windows Mobile can't be so obsolete in the consumer mind, when it was the only other smart phone OS to sell BETTER than overall market growth during the iPhone 3G launch quarter. Symbian, Palm and Blackberry didn't manage to do so.
(not to mention that they link to those 'leaked' screenshots of 6.5 which most sites have all but debunked as fakes)
Hell, at least when Ryan was more involved, the Apple bias was tempered with a more realistic overall look at the various markets.
Seriously? A "WinMo Fan"? I wouldn't expect that such a thing could exist... Do you have any idea how bad that OS is?
@ loosely: *snore*
I know 3 not very tech savvy people who picked up the Diamond (their first smart phone) and love everything about. The only complaint they've had (two of them voiced) is wanting a place to make downloading programs easily.
WinMo fanboys are proof that there are people who will still root for Goliath, even if he has no redeeming qualities.
It's just an all-around terrible OS. I gave up a FREE WinMo smartphone after a week because it worked so poorly. Going back to my Samsung A930 "dumbphone" meant I could at least make and receive phone calls reliably, which is more than I can say for WinMo.
Get an iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian or Android device. Please. I don't see how anyone who has ever used WinMo can tout it -- especially if they've used ANYTHING else.
UnixSystemsEngineer : "Samsung A930 "dumbphone" meant I could at least make and receive phone calls reliably....Get an iPhone"
LOLWUT?
g00n, did you seriously make the exact same comment twice just to get it on the first page?
Dude who didn't get my self-explanatory post:
I thought it was implied that I was saying, if you want a smartphone, get any competitor device other than WinMo. I'm not sure where your reading comprehension failed, but hopefully this helps.
@UnixGuyWithAppleBeamerLogo:
I'm not surprised that you gave up your "free" WinMo phone for another phone, because you didn't like it. I can tell from the logos you proudly display as "you" that what you pay for something is directly proportional to your perceived value of it. Maybe if you'd bought a decent WM phone rather than taking one that they didn't think they could sell, you might have liked it better. Maybe if you'd overpaid for one, you'd like it even more.
All that aside, I've used Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile (since 2003) and I'm currently developing on Android (but I will admit to not owning a G1). And yet, I still recommend Windows Mobile to most people who are looking for Smartphones for business use. The non-touchscreen versions are incredibly stable, and are in a wider variety of form factors. My girlfriend loves her Pantech Duo, I've got workmates on everything from Motorola Qs to that weird HTC with the standard keypad and full keyboard...what's the problem? I've never owned an iPhone, but a little bit of playing led me to ask "what's the big deal?" I guess I still don't REALLY get that. I mean, is it just because of the music player or something? Most people who own iPhones that I know don't use it as a music player anyhow. They use it as a web browser, of which it is still only mediocre. I much prefer Opera 9.5 with Flash support on an unhindered, faster network with 2x the screen resolution (Touch Pro).
But whatever, everyone is going to make their own decisions. I think it's weird to eliminate an entire swath of products based on your personal bias, but that's what people who drive BMW's and use Apple products tend to do anyhow, so I guess you fit nicely into your market segment: what works for me is right for everyone.
Hell yeah, I've loved the Zune since it came out and mixing a Zune and a cell phone sound like the perfect combination.
I thought the Zune had a lot of promise before it was released. I expected something good to come of the Wifi. But Microsoft screwed up so badly with the first Zune's cripple Wifi, that at the time, I woulda taken a Sandisk Sansa Connect instead cause its ability to listen to internet radio made 10 X more sense than just being able to share songs with deactivation timers.
But when iPod touch came out, Microsoft was left in the dust.
The way I see it, Microsoft needs to copy the apple iphone/ipod touch strategy andjust improve on it with more features we want.
Firmware upgrades via WiFi
syncing via WiFi/ Bluetooth
data tethering
Bluetooth stereo audio
Xbox Live integration would be nice.
MSN messenger
I think Microsoft would be best to offer the device in a sliding candybar style so we get a full QWERTY keyboard as well as physical keys, even though the temptation is to offer yet another touch screen phone.
Zune and Zunephone could be a major success if done properly.
Flashpoint, you have become very wise.....
WTF WHO ARE YOU????
Flashpoint.....there is wifi syncing on the zune.....
@FlashBack
"Flashpoint.....there is wifi syncing on the zune....."
He said FIRMWARE updates over wi-fi.
@rattyuk
If you would get your head out of your ass, you would realize that he said "syncing via WiFi/ Bluetooth."
@Flashpoint:
I've been confused with Microsoft's strategy for a while. I mean, they've got a solid device but, they've limited (authorized) sales to US and now Canada? ...add that they never actually advertise any of the Zune player's features, just makes no sense.
The only thing that I've come up with is that they feel the iPod is too entrenched with consumers to actually take it on directly. I think they see a weakness with iTunes and want to compete with that first hoping that it lifts up sales. I'm sure they're refining the Zune Marketplace until they see marketshare start growing steadily and they'll launch a full attack on the iPod/iTunes platform globally.
Right now the Zune Pass is looking pretty nice and if they dropped it below $10/month, it'd be hard to pass up. Plus, the Zune software's interface is just nicer. (even the colorful slideshow showing the artist's pics that comes up when you're idle is pretty cool)
...look what they did with the Xbox/Xbox Live. I think that's what works for them.
@Sindo
That was aggressive? why so serious?
PynkFloydd
Technology nowadays is all about convergence.
If you are Microsoft and you control the rights to Internet Explorer, Xbox/Xbox360, the world's most widely used Office programs and the world's most widely used Operating system,
sure you should be able to come up with intelligent, desireable ideas for a portable media player/ cellular PDA.
The way I see it, Microsft should have a Zune Phone already with downloadable, customizeable apps
@Flashpoint:
...I see what you're saying.
It seems they've been treading carefully with the Zune platform. So far, (with the Win7 betas) they've been including a new version of Windows Media Player and that doesn't make any sense if they're trying to push a profitable multi-platform store (with the Zune Marketplace).
The way I look at it, they either have no clue what they're doing (with the Zune ecosystem) or have such an awesome plan that they've gotta keep it a secret.
Colbert will not be amused
...of course not. Behind the scene Apple sponsorships prohibit him from enjoying anything Microsoft.
As long as the GUI is more Zune like than WinMo like then I'd seriously check it out. Although I just gave up Verizon and the BlackBerry Storm to go to AT&T for the iPhone. The iPhone lives up to the hype, but I'm a Microsoftie at heart.
Oh the drama.
copy this link www.google.com/iasnfk$223.html into your browser then send me and MMS of whats there
I hope this is not a duplicate, but I don't see it posted:
I'm sure a lot of people use MMS, I however, am not one of them. I never used it when I had my XV6700, Voyager or BlackBerry Storm all of which could do it.
But I will admit that the Verizon network blows away AT&T. I went to the Universal City Walk, in Universal City, in Los Angeles to see Cheech & Chong. I was on Edge network while I was there and then after the show I could not make a phone call for about 3 minutes. The phone would just not dial out. And the sound quality is not as good either. The Storm however had awesome call quality especially when paired with the Bluetooth in my car. Everyone could hear me and I could hear them very clearly, this is not the case with the iPhone.
My At&t network works fine everywhere i travel on my handy dandy HTC Touch Pro plus i can do whatever you can plus more and with alot less $. ooh and yeah i can multitask.
Weird that this is basically about a Zune interface on a mobile, yet we're looking at a picture of WinMo on a Zune.
Yeah i can't say i have ever used mms,
I do enjoy the luxury of copy/paste though when im feeling decadent.
I carry a Verizon device (BB 8830) for work, and an AT&T device (BB Bold) for personal use. I can tell you from personal experience that "It's the network" sounds more like an excuse than a slogan at this point. (Neither is my first device from either carrier for either purpose.)
I had to laugh at my old boss. He used to swear by the Verizon's service. Would probably have bet his kids' lives on it. On a number of occasions, he'd call me on my work cell, and only a minute or two into the conversation, he'd say, "You're breaking up. Call me back!" I'd call him from my personal cell and we'd carry on our conversations.
After a few weeks of this, we were all sitting at the lunch table, and he finally wondered out loud why our connection always got better when I called him back. I responded: "It's the network." I got a confused look from him. I then said, "You always call me on my super awesome Verizon phone. Whenever I call you back, I use my shitty AT&T service."
I never heard him compare the two ever again after that...and neither did anyone else =)
Must.....
Have......
Now!!!!!!!!!!!!
but will it have a Surface-esque touchscreen?
but will it play Doom?
but will it blend?
Will you be original?
The Surface touchscreen is original though.. never heard that one before..
Yeah exactly. I've read these lines on engadget and giz countless times. Seriously, fimd something original.
Could it be used as an impromptu whisk, if a circumstance arose wherein the user was required to bake a cake with limited access to utensils?
Why do people still use pictures of the fugly old Zune just to make microsoft look bad? Seriously, get with the times engadget, the Zune 120 looks awesome, stop using subliminal messaging to make us not like Microsoft.
Same reason Apple uses a Windows 9x-era BSOD in their "This is not an Apple Computer" icon for networking.
they even have the icon bluescreened
It bothers me too. Although... you will notice that microsoft still uses the old image too.
http://www.syncmyride.com/#/overlay/overlay_music_player
Even better, what's with using the oldest possible WM smartphone OS dialer as the screen? The blatant effort to make WM look awful is really low, engadget.
You know better than trying to pull crap like that. At least with WM you can choose just about whatever dialer you want.
Why, you ask? Well, simply, because you touch yourself at night.
I actually kind of like the looks of the old Zunes better. I think it's the doubleshot. If I could mod a new Zune with an old case I would... maybe a bit thinner, but regardless.
Dude it's engadget...
It was a CHOICE they made. Another example of clear bias. This zune is not a representation of the current hardware. It's really getting old engadget.
I totally agree! I like this image of ZuneMobile betterer...
http://www.zuneboards.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=599&Itemid=1
Maybe they're just trying to remind us how old Zunes still get all the new firmware updates and features ;)
By the way, does anyone else's backspace get stuck down on the iPod/iPhone? I try to delete a couple words and it goes on a rampage and takes out my whole comment.
all we need now is a blurry cellphone pic to confirm it
I would love to see a zune phone with a bunch of storage. But then it could take advantage of the wireless function on the zune itself and could stream music from the zune. That would give me 80 gigs of music (or 120 gigs) on the phone plus the internal storage.
the omnia has 8gb of internal storage... and bluetooth... and wifi....
I think they can pull it off, if it has a slide-out keypad, the exact same media player and software that resembles the zune software and not at all windows mobile. I am a big apple fan and a proud macbook and iphone user, but I've played with the zune and I really, really like it. It just isn't mac compatible and doesn't have the same ecosystem of accessories. They could also go full touchscreen, but that wouldn't differentiate them at all from the other players in the market (no pun intended) and an app store (in an app, like apple -- I think they got that part spot on) would be cool as well.
With windows mobile out there too, I see this as more of a feature phone. Heavy on the text and media player.
as long the first unit won't shipped in that dookie brown they shipped the zune first time I'll be okey with that devise...and i'll concider buying it if the menue does not suck like all other winMo devices....and nope i'm not using an I-product I'm oldschool I'm using nokia:)
Oh, Microsoft. You goofy bastards just don't stop*, do you?
* copying Apple. Or Sony. Or Netscape. Or BlueJ, FatWallet, Yahoo, MUMPS, Sun, Macromedia (Adobe), AVG, Wordperfect, Lotus, Borland, QDOS, MS Dynamics, KDE, Ubuntu, IBM, SyNet, Novell, ...
Bill Gates even stole his glasses from a poor orphan kid, who he then kicked.
Man I totally agree !
Since Apple actually invented the mobilephone everybody copying them ! even motorola and Sony ericsson !
total rip off of the iPhone btw !
Thanks for the comment, and then for letting us know why you made this kind of comment with the title of your URL.
what happened to the old iKurt?
@ Hombre Phaty
That's not even funny. That comment makes you sound like a jerk. Even if Microsoft copied all those companies (which they didn't) it's the broadest market-appealing product that wins in the end and as you can see Microsoft is no slouch.
Two points:
1) I meant "goofy bastards" in a light-hearted way. Like in the movie "There's Something About Mary" when Matt Dillon's character is trying to win Mary. That movie always brings me joy.
2) Uh, Microsoft did copy all those companies. That's their business model: copy/steal and then leverage. That offends some people, but other people don't mind. And it's an effective strategy (think: Thomas Edison, Walmart, ...)
I'm sorry, this is like trying to figure how many times one opponent lapped another after coming back from the snack bar at a track & field event.... Does Microsoft still make the Zune, and btw how do I pronounce it again?
Who's buying these, and why would I get a mobile device that doesn't get me access to itunes app store?? (I spend so much time not using my iPhone as a phone or ipod that it's not even funny.)
I'm afraid for you,
I think you will be voted down, because of the itunes references, because of the craaaazy URL and because you mentioned Track and Field.
It doesnt look good for you. Sorry
This is what i learnt from that website:
Monkey Man and Rat Woman
If there is such a thing as a “match made in Heaven,” this is it. He appreciates her diligent, penny-pinching manner, although washing out the Ziploc bags might be taking it a step too far (but he still will not complain). This rat is perfectly content in her role as Little [...]
He became an bigger dick and stuck mark 2 on the end.
Microsoft ----- chase -----> Taillights(Nintendo|Google|Apple)
Oh i see
Are you loooking for me????
Deep down inside, Kris120890 is just another Apple fanboi.
He is in the state of denial by posting a Windows and Apple logo side by side as his main display pic.
Anyway, how's the redundant comment whoring going Kris? I was on a long break checking engadget on my iPhone 3G until I saw your post.
Keep up the great work.
'lo
Obviously coming along very well. Just because you're an idiot doesn't make me an apple fanboy.
hey maybe this will finally get us UNICODE support.
"Resurrect WinMo from the brink of obsolescence in the consumer space"
Man, this is getting old. The amount of Pro-Apple bias around here is just getting hard to ignore. The above statement is just inaccurate. WinMo is still THE MOST attractive choice for serious business and power users. Apple's OS is pretty but that's about it. It doesn't offer the functionality OR vast array of 3rd party business/tech/tool software that many of us find vital to a pocket pc phone. Android is still very premature and is also in the same boat as Apple. It just cant compete yet. I hope one day Android becomes the premier mobile OS but that isn't even close yet - it needs serious work. RIM's stuff is garbage much like PalmOS. Most new Treo's come with WinMo.
I admit, WinMo 6.1 is a bit crusty. I dont even consider a standard, vanilla install of WinMo 6.1 to be usable. The UI sucks and its hard to get around quickly with a touch screen and fingers. HTC has come a long way to fixing this with its custom UI software and there are MANY 3rd party options that make WinMo a dream (see SPB Pocket Plus & Mobile Shell). That being said, WinMO is STILL the preferred choice among most serious users because of what it has to offer. It is mature, it is well supported, there are tons of software options and customizations. It has good enterprise and corporate integration. iPhones are for kiddos and soccer moms. Real users prefer HTC Tough Pro (or other hardware) and the latest WinMo rom loaded down with all kinds of software apps and customizations.
Get a clue people... WinMo is here to stay. I welcome Google challenging it with Android. This is good for all consumers. But this pro iphone/apple bias has got to go or Engadget will lose readership.
Read the very quote you're referencing -- I said "in the consumer space." Agree 100 percent, WinMo is still a force to be reckoned in business and (to a lesser extent) power user communities.
The "power & business" users are generally always ahead of the curve. If the iphone had a better OS with more functionality I would adopt it. It simply isnt there yet and cant offer what WinMo can. I expect Winmo 6.5/7 to make some pretty good avances in this area as well. MS is aware that the stakes have increased significantly and mobile OS's are now very important.
The point is, as mobile tech increases and evolves the mainstream users (soccer moms and kiddies) will slowly demand the same features, software, and funtionality that power users demand. This is a natural progression. To argue that WinMo is dying because the mobile OS market is still in its infancy is foolish. Most people use iphone or android because its the popular new thing, not because its the best. Your bias and lack of credibility is glaringly obvious in this article.
First off, I'm a Windows Mobile user (Touch Diamond and Mogul before that) and have been around Engadget for a while now.
You've got it totally backwards. As-is, Windows will never catch on with the mainstream crowd. If it were to catch on, it would have done so years ago since WinMo5 basically has the same UI as WinMo6.1. Actually, when I picked up the Mogul, I regretted it (for tons of reasons but, the UI was one of them). The Diamond has been great though...
Mainstream CONSUMERS and business/power users are a completely different market. That'd be like trying to sell a $10k amplifier to college kid that just wants sound. ...or telling an average consumer, "here's your parts, now put your own PC together". They don't need the extra features and wouldn't know how to set them up anyway!
I used to have an MV Agusta racing bike. I remember having a bunch of friends with Yamahas and Hondas that'd beg me to ride it and when they did...they hated it. Why? It wasn't meant to be an enjoyable ride. It was meant to be the best handling bike that allowed customization of everything from the gear ratios to the ride stiffness. Seriously, on the street it was a pain to ride. The shocks weren't intended to absorb pothole suprises and the ride position was optimized for riding at 90mph+. ...you'd literally have to lay on the tank for a comfortable ride and if you sat up (pretty much anytime you rode under 60mph), your wrists, back and neck would be sore for 3-4 days. ...now, put me on the track and nobody would touch me.
My point is: while people on the iPhone want some of the feautres, they don't need them. The iPhone has the 12-30yr old market range pretty secured. Seriously, do you expect a 12yr old to learn how to use Windows Mobile (even with TouchFlo 3d)? Seriously? That's what Apple does really well. It's not that Windows Mobile is that hard to use, average people are just frustrated by and scared of it. Microsoft caters really well to the business market and Apple caters really well to the mainstream consumer. ...that's just how it is.
Related to anti-Microsoft/pro-Apple bias: Engadget hasn't been anti-Microsoft for a while now. ...actually pretty much after iPhone 1's luster wore off, they've been really fair to both parties and reported both on flaw and features of both.
You know what's getting really old? The conspiracy theories. Stop trying to read into something that isn't really there. To suggest that Windows Mobile 6.1 isn't behind the 8-ball in the mass market is pathetically foolhardy. I want to see it be competitive as much as anyone else, and that's what this piece is really getting at. As I've said before, I'm not going to take these baseless claims of Apple favoritism lying down, particularly when I have an X1 in my pocket as we speak. The iPhone speaks to consumers in ways that Windows Mobile simply doesn't right now; that's not my fault, and all we can do is hope that Microsoft gets that.
@Chris:
Sure MS is competitive and they make a great product. ...but, as-is, I really don't think that it's a mainstream product. I really don't think that some of my non-tech friendly friends would be able to set it up and use it (let alone flash to a custom ROM). The Sony needs its Panel Interface and the HTC needs TouchFlo 3d to make it a good user experience. ...even those additions are fresh (but, HTC's Diamond sales estimates have been awesome so far). I was using the Sprint Mogul and I can't count how many times I wanted to throw it up against a wall. That was my first smartphone experience and if I would have let that be my only experience, I would have never bought another Windows Mobile phone again.
I think the big 'problem' with WinMo is not that it's bad...far from it. ...MS has just been complacent for a long time. I think Apple's quick adoption created a good message for companies that needed to realize that people want a more streamlined solution. It's arguable that the iPhone converted users from traditional cellphones instead of from other smartphone platforms though...
I think you guys have been really fair to all companies for a while now but, you'll have to admit that a reader (in the past) could have gotten the impression of a pro-Apple site with some articles. Stuff like this:
"Microsoft launches the Zune, world keeps on turnin'"
http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/14/microsoft-launches-the-zune-world-keeps-on-turnin/
and
"We're not entirely sure when the "Wow" starts, but our Vista coverage certainly starts now."
http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/29/windows-vista-in-pictures/
Add in that every single Apple keynote was live blogged and Microsoft articles had huge anti-Vista Apple advertised on the side of them...a reader kinda got the impression that Microsoft wasn't liked much here.
That's fine. Your back tracking is very convincing. You make good points. The simple fact is you declared WinMo dead and said it needs resurrecting. This is an opinion (an inaccurate one at that), not fact. I think I speak for a lot of Endgadget readers when I say we are tired of the lame Pro-Apple/iPod hype and articles. WinMo especially gets downplayed. It never seems to end and its been a pretty obvious trend on engadget. There are many of us (power users, business users) which make up your CORE audience of the site who are sick of it. WinMo is far from dead and by the looks of this is just getting warmed up. I'm just telling you that you're losing credibility with many of us. Dont shoot the messenger.
Engadget used to be way more insufferable with respect to having their tongues lodged far up Jobs' emaciating behind but you can;t blame them. It's gotten exponentially better this past year. The MS snark over here has dialed down but I think the folks at Gizmodo have picked up the slack down to reporting the frequency of weekly Jobs's BM"s. I've noticed most the rabid iBoi's I know from work have gone Giz only. With Win7 looking so robust it will be interesting to see how they balance it out with OSX Snow Kitty.
As far WinMo goes, you gotta give Chris and Engadget a break. Hyperbole aside what they are implying at the core is that the world is really waiting for MS to respond in the consumer mobile market. Sure the PC partners model is working....but incorporating Zune, Danger,Surface etc is still open. They have all the components, the know-how and the money so its understandable a gadget blog would speculate.
As far as the Zune pic goes....well they can't help themselves.
here I am using WinMo 2003SE and the amount of functions it has still makes me go wow. that's right, a 5 year old mobile platform is still more functional than the new iphone platform. I can copy and paste and send MMS if I wanted to.
I use the phone function least on my WinMo phone, can't say that about any other mobile platform.
WinMo Fanboy 4 Life
chris, i think you're generally right and had good intentions, you just need to be careful what language you use in the articles...