http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
Specifically, WinMo is overextended to a point where MS doesn't seem to be able to control the user experience any more. Any carrier is free to lock the navigation (Verizon), lock the connection settings (ATT), add crapware (all of them), dream up ridiculous charges for using software that should be free (Pandora, Music ID AKA Shazam) etc. etc.

So MS really does need to work much closer with its partners (the carriers) to keep them from screwing stuff up for their customers.

Having said that -- at the same time, they need to work really hard on improving their OS. Their partners only contribute about 20% of the suckage to WinMo -- the rest 80% is all MS's own doing. (Don't get me wrong -- I'm a dedicated WinMo user because I have business needs and it meets them the best, but that's no reason to not call a spade a spade -- and WinMo needs an overhaul). Looks like they're doing that with WM7 - so even though improvements are a long way away, at least they are in the pipeline..

Funny thing -- even as a WinMo user, I actually think I owe a gratitude to the iPhone here. Apple+ATT have managed to give the carriers a different view of how they need to view the software on the phones they sell. I don't think MS will ever be in a position where it can control the user experience to the extent that Apple does, but perhaps that level of control won't be necessary. Time will tell. In the meantime, the competition just gets fiercer and fiercer (cue the Palm Pre) so they don't have a moment to relax until WM7 comes out..]]>Jan 16th 2009 9:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
Tired of the carriers adding bloat and charging all types of 'additional content' on phones. And making the interface sometimes spectacularly ugly. Sometimes the hardware makers do so too, but most of it is the carrier's fault. I'm still surprised Apple managed to get AT&T to not kill its first phone.

Yeah, MS has a lot of catch-up to do to make WinMo more consumer-friendly in its own merits, and not the hardware makers implementations. Buddying up more closely with the hardware makers should have been thought out years ago, but at least it looks like their headed in that direction. Microsoft makes some awesome technology, and they could put out something much, much better and still make something a bit more original, rather than just trying to be an exact iPhone clone. Perhaps WM7 will just be catch-up, and WM8 might be where the real innovations start. But if MS keeps going the same route by adding a few new features, then I can only see it going downhill. MS usually doesn't give up without a fight.]]>Jan 16th 2009 11:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
Microsoft just can't say no. That's why they're still selling Windows XP. Get some chest hair, Microsoft - tell those OEMs that it applies to that their products simply aren't good enough. Otherwise the already tarnished Windows brand is going to deteriorate under the weight of poorly designed and technically inferior hardware. That would be a real shame, because lots of their products are actually quite good.]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
I'm sure Microsoft's PlaysForSure partners would agree. :|]]>Jan 16th 2009 5:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
"no" so fast, "no" at all, "no" necessarily, viewing "anger", "anger" friends..... it made me look like a 2yo for crying out loud.]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
Btw, I thought "viewing anger" was pretty funny. Ought to be used more often.]]>Jan 16th 2009 5:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 2:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
Easy - they all have pickup / hangup buttons, as well as screens.

Lt. Obvious just got a promotion!]]>Jan 16th 2009 5:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
If so I have yet to see it.]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
iPhone has whooped them ALL... not just one MS phone.. but nearly all the MS smartphones put together. And people USE their iPhones to surf the net, play music, and watch video and they BUY apps for their phones in droves. The sales numbers 3 years ago and the market momentum was Microsoft's baby to lose.. I'm stuck with an older MS/Sprint phone (quite nice- wifi, 2G internet, Bluetooth, touch screen, media player? outlook email) for work and it's awful compared to an iPod Touch. The screen is fidgety and items hard to select without the stylus. the screen is packed with useless Win 95-style UI elements and a drop down "start menu" (on a 3" screen?) because the pre-canned CE apps all have to work on 25 different screen sizes. The phone makes calls and has lasted thru two other employees, but every other feature is extremely hard to find and difficult to use with the little stylus/pointer thing. I would not buy this phone for myself, it's horrible to use.

Touch and iPhone are slick.. the features are less, but smooth like butter. You pick it up and want to touch it and for the most part it does what you'd expect, before even reading any manuals. Frankly I like the UI of the classic iPod as the peak of music players... I could use any classic or nano without looking 75% of the time inside coat pockets, can't do that easily with the touch screens... no tactile feedback. ]]>Jan 16th 2009 11:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
I love the Touch and have nothing but positive things to say about WinMo.]]>Jan 16th 2009 6:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
These partners should be limiting the amount of Windows they use not the other way around.]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
HTC could hardly wait.]]>Jan 16th 2009 3:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 3:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 6:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 19th 2009 7:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 5:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
New WinMo phones should be made "WinMo 7 Ready" just like all those PCs that were sold just before Vista came out.

I will say though, upgrading your OS on your phone is much easier than a PC considering there are (with few exceptions) no peripherals. It's really just up to the third party software developers to have versions of their apps that are compatible with new versions of WinMo.

It was always easy for me with my HTC devices. Upgrading from WM5 to WM6 was cake on my old AT&T 8525. The upgrade to 6.1 was easy on my Tilt. Tricky part was getting the timing of the "bloatware" removal right. ]]>Jan 16th 2009 7:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 4:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/-
Now its the Mobile verison which I have one of those m99i (MiPhone, iPhone clone for China) running WinMobile 6.1 which has the slowes processor to run the OS, it truly should not be running WinMobile.
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Is it too late? yes and now. For WinMobile 6.x its too late, I am sure they are trying make WinMobile 6.5 and 7 be place on hardware that ppl will like and not have the experience of Vista running on hardware that simply can't run.
They pissed there pants once and there trying not to do it again.]]>Jan 16th 2009 4:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
def. not a blackjack, epix, or saga.]]>Jan 16th 2009 5:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 5:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
http://www.uscc.com/uscellular/SilverStream/Pages/b_showphone.html?zip=61270&mkt=605970&tm=0]]>Jan 16th 2009 5:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
I like what WinMo is capable of but MS's idea of what the GUI should be is way off. Hopefully, with 6.5 or 7, that all changes. Preferably 6.5. ]]>Jan 16th 2009 7:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/
The less devices out there, might be better in the end. As long as a company can produce one GREAT device, that's what matters more.

It'd be better than Microsoft creating their own hardware, watch their former partners buddy up with Android and see it take off. I'm quite sure the hardware makers would rather make sure their WinMo phones don't die in sales. ]]>Jan 17th 2009 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 16th 2009 8:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/16/microsoft-spokesperson-clarifies-report-its-limiting-the-number/Jan 17th 2009 1:01AM