Archive for the ‘Microsoft’ Category
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24
Mar
2011
Microsoft Windows Phone 7 finally getting copy/paste
For a company that has been losing ground in the mobile division for the past couple of years, Microsoft sure seems to have turned its ship around, patched the leaks and gotten a new crew. While the launch of the Windows Phone 7 platform was not met with blockbuster success, the company has seen moderate success with the platform and so far they are happy with the results even though Samsung claims they were expecting better numbers but declined to elaborate.
One of the things missing from Windows Phone 7 was copy and paste. If you remember, back in 2007 when the original iPhone was launched, copy and paste among many other features were missing from the device. It took Apple over two years to finally bring the feature to the device and of course when they did, they added a little extra something to justify the waiting period.
Well just a little over six months after the launch of the Windows Phone 7 platform, Microsoft is bringing the much anticipated copy and paste feature to the device. The update is not that huge as the company is saving the next major update of the device (codenamed Mango) for the fall of this year. But among other things it will also bring CDMA support to Windows Phone 7 which might not be important to us Brits, but for those living in North America, where the technology is still in use, it is ever so important.
Those owning a Windows Phone 7 device will be able to download the update over the air or from the Zune application. The update will also fix some minor bug issues such as errors when updating on a Samsung device.
22
Jul
2010
Microsoft: People Do Not Want Multitasking
It is interesting to have a quick insight into the opinions that developers may have sometimes. And this is not one of those times.
There is nothing interesting about Microsoft’s senior product manager telling the world that multitasking is not what the end users want. While it is true that running multiple programs would slow down any mobile phone and plenty of importance is placed on the overall performance of the handset –that is a decision for a user to make.
But for the option to be taken away, Microsoft is obviously asking for trouble.
Apple has already been through a couple of years’ worth of fans and users demanding that multitasking be added to the iPhone OS. It may have taken them until just recently to relent, but in the end, they did. And this is because people want multitasking. Besides, no credible tech critic would put down a phone for slowing down when it is running several apps at once.
Microsoft’s fears about the performance have no basis, people running multiple apps know what they are doing. Of course, it would be nice if MS’ app handling allows users to easily shut down or simply place an app in the background instead.
Multitasking is not the only feature missing from Windows Phone 7. Cut and paste is also not present –making things a whole lot worse. Not only are these two features important, but it feels like Microsoft is planning to follow every single mistake that Apple made with the iPhone –instead of allowing recent tech history to give them a lesson.
For some strange reason, Microsoft’s tech teams have decided that they need to go through the issues firsthand before learning anything at all. Anyway, the new Windows Phone 7 OS is expected to be launched this coming September, a full month ahead of the originally announced October launch.
15
Jul
2010
Ballmer: Windows Phone 7 and the New Direction for Microsoft
There is no doubt that Steve Ballmer know that the Google Android and the Apple iOS are the two biggest reasons why even the upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform is going to have a tough time dominating the mobile phone industry.
Despite that, the man is adamant that the Windows Phone 7 has everything that Microsoft needs to succeed. During the Worldwide Partner Conference, Steve expressed that Microsoft has missed out on an entire generation of smart phone owners. But with WP7, they will not only address the needs of the general market but also that of IT specialists.
The new OS will not just be a standalone product, it will be able to connect, communicate and even sync with the Xbox 360 console and any computer running Windows 7. Cross platform compatibility is a big dream, and MS is certainly on its way to pursuing it.
We have all seen the demonstration where a game that was being played on the Windows Phone 7 handset was transferred in real time to a desktop computer. This is more than just a person loading the same game file on a different platform –this was literally continuing the game as is from the phone straight to a computer. Then the game was once again transferred to an Xbox 360 console and back to the smart phone again. The transition was fast, smooth and took only moments.
And that is just the games. Microsoft can certainly do much more with the current technology. While the Xbox 360 will certainly be taken out of the loop when it comes to non-gaming functions, the ability to continue working on a document that is being edited in real time on a phone straight to a desktop computer will certainly work wonders –especially when everything gets ported over, including the “undo” history.
8
Jul
2010
Microsoft Database Reveals LG E900 and C900
Korean phone maker LG has yet to confirm what the LG E900 and C900 phones are, but if the leaked database is to be analyzed, it seems that the two handsets are going to be WP7 devices.
Microsoft Mobile is currently busy with the development and support for their operating systems: Windows Mobile and the newer Windows Phone 7. With the upcoming launch of WP7 this coming October, it is expected that a large range of handsets will be available for buyers to choose from.
While the spec differences will not matter much (thanks to the pre-released minimum hardware requirements and chassis form factor), being able to choose a phone from a wide range of trusted phone makers is certain to be a great factor in marketing the new OS.
LG’s name has already been one of the leading brands in the WP7 handset department –and by leading, we mean the very first to announce their handset, show off the device in images, and later, even release a quick video demonstrating what the device looks like. The LG Panther is far ahead of its competitors in the industry, as WP7 handsets from many other manufacturers do not even have names yet. And those that did still have not released any other hardware details.
Unfortunately, the same can be said about the E900 and C900. Without any confirmation from LG or Microsoft about the two devices, it is difficult to determine if they really are upcoming smart phones or if they are completely difference devices. There are some early presumptions that one of the devices might already be the LG Panther’s designation code -which means that there really is a second LG WP7 handset that is currently in the works.
According to Microsoft, the Windows Phone 7 operating system is expected to launch during October and many devices that use the OS will be launched during the holiday season.
22
Jun
2010
Microsoft Announced New Business Class Platform
If there is one part of the mobile phone community that is not too excited about the upcoming, super dynamic and incredibly stylish Windows Phone 7 operating system, it is the business sector. For many years, Microsoft has been the primary option –though, second to RIM’s BlackBerry handsets. Thanks to the many business solutions offered by the handsets that come with the Windows Mobile operating system, most businesses find themselves relying heavily on either one of these two phones.
It was not too surprising that after Steve Ballmer went up onstage at the Mobile World Congress at Barcelona, Spain, many heavy users of the WinMo operating system felt worried that Microsoft would shift on their mobile phone focus.
This worry however, is something that Microsoft has chosen to address. Initially, they announced that Windows Mobile will still be developed and continued –a promise that they are living up to with the recent announcement of new WinMo devices such as the Samsung Omnia Pro 4 and Omnia Pro 5.
However, Microsoft is not just going to stop at Windows Mobile 6.5, just recently, they announced the release of Windows Embedded Handheld which will serve as a new alternative to business clients. The software developer intends to support three main operating systems: Windows Phone for the general class users, Windows Embedded Compact and Embedded Handheld for business clients. This combination provides the company with plenty of market range with their services and products.
Despite the growing number of casual smart phone users, the number of business clients is still substantial. Last year, about 2.3 million business smart phones were shipped, that volume is expected to double for this year, with a continuous degree of growth in the coming years as more companies adapt to the use of smart phones for conducting business.
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