Windows Phone 7: A complete reset
Microsoft on Thursday confirmed that its new phone operating system is as different under the hood as it is to the eye.
In a blog post and at an event with a handful of journalists, the software maker said that those developing software for Windows Phone 7 Series devices will do so using either Silverlight or XNA, the toolset used to create Xbox games.
The all-new look for Windows Phone 7 series isn't the only thing that's new. Developers will also use new tools--Silverlight and XNA--to write apps that work on the devices.
(Credit: Microsoft)"Overnight those developers have become Windows Phone developers," said Charlie Kindel, the Microsoft executive in charge of the mobile developer strategy. "One of our principles is to build on the shoulders of giants."
Microsoft announced its plans for the new phones and showed off the user interface at last month's Mobile World Congress. However, it had been mum on what it would take to write software for the phones although speculation had centered on Silverlight and XNA.
While the move brings the phone closer to Microsoft's Web and gaming efforts, it also marks a pretty distinct break with past versions of Windows Mobile.
"In some cases, some work can be done to get those apps to run, but it's fundamentally a different platform," said Todd Brix, another member of the Windows Phone team.
The company also confirmed that it has no current plans to allow any current Windows Mobile phones to run the new OS, which is due to start shipping on new devices by this year's holiday season.
That the new OS is such a complete break with past versions is a relatively new development in the multi-year history of its development. Roughly 18 months ago, a largely new team of engineers and executives came in as part of what one employee termed "a complete reset" of the project.
What resulted was a product that resembles the Zune HD far more than any past version of Windows Mobile. Also gone was the notion of allowing both hardware makers and carriers a great deal of flexibility in customizing the phone.
In part by design and in part a nod to its weakening market position, recent Windows Mobile devices often hid the look of the operating system under a "skin" designed by the phone maker. With the new OS, Microsoft will insist its interface be preserved.
Microsoft is also far stricter on what hardware will go in the phones, mandating not just the screen size and type but also what buttons can be included and insisting the phone have things like an FM radio and Wi-Fi. Hardware makers will have some choice but mainly around external things such as whether the phone includes a physical keyboard or not.
One of the reasons for limiting choice, Kindel said, is to ensure that developers that write software for Windows Phones can do so without having to do separate testing for each phone on the market.
Kindel said that developers had grown frustrated with the experience of writing software for phones using Microsoft's OS. "To ship my app, I have to test on 35 devices or I will get nothing but support calls," Kindel said was the message he heard from developers.
Microsoft didn't offer the full details on what developers will have to do to write for Windows Phone Series 7 devices, but has said those details will come at the Mix 10 trade show in Las Vegas later this month. There it will offer details on the programming tools as well as the app store that will be part of the phone.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
"Do I have a Verizon phone or a Sprint WinMo? Wait can this app run on my tmo touch? No I have the dash it won't work. Do I buy my apps from the VZW store or the AT&T store?"
One system, one UI, one App store, etc. Unfortunately they would never limit the number of licensees or carriers. That would also help them regain market share IMHO. They need to have the best of the best license their OS. It should be high standards for device - instead of anyone that has a piece of plastic, and touch screen and 2 bucks per unit
Looks like my next phone will be an Android, eh? (Or maybe I'll just keep my Omnia...hmmm.)
OTOH, it makes it easier to determine faults or bugs, whether it lies on the hardware (dfferent production) or software (error coding). Thus, if it fails on one handset, you'll know it's likely to fail on others as well.
Since it's a complete reset, I lost nothing by making the jump to Android. Others will lost nothing by jumping to Android, iPhone, Sumbian, Blackberry, and WebOS.
In a strict functionality sense you might be right about WM6.5 and Android being roughly on par -- but that's not what plagues WM6.5 -- the issues are more like this:
1) Stability: general anarchy resulting in wide variance in driver quality
2) Usability: too many desktop paradigms used in the OS, that don't work on mobile devices (start menu, scroll bars, tiny radio buttons, etc.)
3) Performance: also a result of the general state of anarchy with h/w design
4) Inconsistency: too many apps rolling their own UI etc. to work around WM's limitations -- so UI behaves different in each app
5) More anarchy: carriers were allowed to do any thing they saw fit -- and that generally resulted in them adding artificial restrictions to the phone (locking the GPS, locking Music ID, and other similar BS).
At a minimum, I'm sure Android does not suffer from issues #2 and #4. Perhaps it suffers from none of them - I don't know for sure.
But in general, drinking the Kool Aid is what was needed in this case. Their experience was horribly broken -- they did need a ground up rewrite. I'll reserve my opinion on the result for now -- I mean, I obviously haven't used the damn thing so it's hard to say anything right now. The pics looked pretty though.
I'll say this about Kool Aid -- I'm sure there will be a marketplace on Wm7 -- there's already an app store on 6.5 after all, so they're definitely learning from the App Store (as did the whole tech world -- there's app stores everywhere these days). But I really hope that sense prevails and that they do not make it so that the App Store is the only way to get an App onto the phone. That would be taking Kool Aid drinking too far.
Signing doesn't mean "app store only" -- you could still sign and distribute apps through your own channels whatever they might be. Signing also doesn't mean that MS has control -- the singing certificates (that I'm proposing) would be provided by 3rd party Certificate Authorities just like on Windows. And it doesn't even add cost -- there are now free Root CAs (at least for Windows) that app developers can use if they want to pay for a signing cert.
However, it does mean that there will be at least one more level of defense against malicious software running on your device. (and authors of malicious apps could be tracked down and sued because of the cert they used to sign their app). It's not a cure-all -- you still have to make sure thare aren't any remotely exploitable holes in your s/w -- but it will go a long way in ensuring device health.
Response in Random Order
1) The desktop capablity is exactly what WinMo did that was good. Interface...maybe not so much.
2) Stablity...true enough. They could solve that without dumbing down the destkop ability though.
3) Scroll bars. Scrolling is something they all do. You don't need the bars on a capacative screen. Resistive (like most WinMo of old) works better with the bars. They all scroll. Program design that keeps it simple so you don't need to scroll is the best overall.
4) OEM UI. I never had an issue with this as I always had the straight MS UI. However it's a fair point.
Android is not as funtional as WM 6.5. I've had to find workaround for some of the simple things I could do with WinMo. Then again on my touch the workaround doesn't even exist.
I agree on the App store. It's great having everthing in one spot. However I find that some hobby programmers write some simple and handy programs that were useful. They were my favorite WinMo apps. I want to be able to install these things from their website without having them need to deal with the app store hasstle just to get listed. Android does have this option. Old WinMo did as well. Apple takes hacking. We shall see if new WinMo drank this deep.
With a requirement of signing many times also comes the ability to tell the installation operation to go ahead and continue to install tho its not signed. That way if it screws your system up the blame is on the enduser that clicked OK without heeding the warning. If this option were not provided then it would indeed be a pain at times. MS is getting much better about locking down their systems while at the same time providing methods to unlock/bypass the security of your system with the consent of the end user.
I believe that Microsoft has spent far too much money and time into ActiveSync to simply drop it.
Now whether or not developers will be allowed near that feature? Dunno. I'm willing to wager that they'll be allowed to access certain SharePoint APIs (which naturally require SharePoint on the back-end), but that would be it, unless you wanted to do something web-based. I'm thinking that no Exchange/Outlook functionality clones would be allowed under any circumstances, though... either Microsoft provides it, or you do without.
Windows Phone 7 Series is completely closed. There'll only be 1 app store where you can only buy apps that have been approved first by Microsoft. There'll only be 1 browser, and every phone will have a hard-wired Bing Button that you can't change to Google. It's much more locked down than iPhone ever was.
What's your source? I'm sure CNET would love to quote it for this exclusive info!
Or... in other words, you don't have any more clue than anyone else and are just guessing. And that's fine too. I'm guessing the OS will feature pink elephants myself,and that as much credibility as your own guess.
I love my iPhone, but I'm all for competition.
I wasn't aware that the next generation iPhone will use Windows Phone 7. I'm guessing Microsoft will also out-source their whole Windows Phone division to Apple?
what that you say? yeah it's already a failure.
Mind posting a source?
It looks like MSFT is pretty serious about this one. I thought it would be backwards compatible with prior Winmobile products, but that seems to be not the case here. A clean break.
Rather.... Apple like in that regard. :)
Tech blogs may well be full of geeks who prefer platforms to be open so they can do what they like on them but the vast majority of mobile users prefer the locked down walled garden approach since it means things work easily and a minimum of learning and understanding is required. The more Microsoft locks down their new mobile system the more successful it is likely to be since it is the average person in the street rather than the technologically savvy who dictate whether or not a device is a success or not.
Spot on. Well said artistjoh. The vast majority of users are not feature counters, or spec sheet slaves. To users it's about ease of use, and when all works well, it's about the inuitive nature of the UI. Hence the reason users rave about iphone, and Mac users have long lauded the Mac OS for the same reasons.
Many tech bloggers may despise Apple, but the darling of the enterprise Microsoft has finally realised Apple are on to something, and MS desktop business model that has been so successful cannot be just shoe horned into the mobile market. The big danger for MS though, is alienating the tech bloggers or IT professionals who have supported MS for so many years. RIM has been feeding on this market for some time already.
By closing the Mobile OS, at least in part, many may switch to Android from WinMo just on the principle of not being closed. Symbian may also rise, especially in countries where Nokia is considered favourably. Some of these countries are heavily populated and have a growing global market share. Victory is by no means guaranteed for MS, despite finally delivering an improved mobile OS.
Apple-pi also sums in up well by saying 'I think that at this point, with Android and Symbian free and open, Windows Mobile will be a hard sell...'
Developers can do a lot to influence things but it is a mixed bag and a lot to do with timing. By leading the pack Apple gained the critical mass of developers which then were a large part of its success, but the equally good WebOS from palm suffers because developers are too busy with the iPhone already and because they stay away the platform ends up being a sales failure.
OTOH because of the success of the iPhone developers virtually have to develop for it because if they don't they are turning their back on 75 million devices with the highest rate of app sales per user in the industry and so it is unwise not to develop for the iPhone. In that scenario it doesn't matter that hundreds or even thousands of developers choose to abandon the iPhone in favor of Android because the supply of new developers keeps increasing anyway.
Where Microsoft is being clever is that they do not need those developers who will gravitate to Android because they are tapping into the gaming network that X-Box provides and this critical mass of existing users will ensure that there will be significant numbers of app developers who will develop for WinMob7 especially since Microsoft is simplifying the process by limiting options.
Symbian will be the one left in the cold unless they do precisely what Microsoft has just done and create a simplified and restricted environment because the more truly open environment has already been colonised by Android but Symbian lacks the cool factor that Android exploits. Despite Nokia owning Symbian I expect to see Android based Nokia phones in the not too distant future replacing their own Symbian OS.
Alas if "It just works" means "It only works so long as you give up half of what you want to do" it's really not a better way. My entire family has beat their head in frustration trying to force Apple products to do the job.
And because it is a "clean" break, everyone currently invested into the platform (and that's like what, 40%?) will have a reason to cut the cord and to switch to a different platform.
Given that Windows Mobile, WebOS and iPhone are closed systems, I think Android and Symbian will benefit the most from this. I wonder how much of its market share MS will lose by the end of the year...
My point? I dont know other than that there is more than one market with gaps that need filling....
The iPad suggests Apple think the iPhone GUI is unimproveable and instead, with the sueing of HTC, they're going to stop people making smartphones.
Good Job, Balmer.
You have to admit MSFT hasn't been pushing the Windows Mobile OS for years now and you'd have to have been living under a rock to not know that. They have been laying back quietly preparing their new big thing.
And yes, releasing information about a new product does affect sales of existing one. Apple had this problem with the 1st gen iPhone when they announced the 2nd gen version coming out. It's the way of progress.
I waited until the 3GS model came out mostly because of my contract wasn't up with my carrier. I'm glad I waited.
Here's why:
* Existing WinMo customers probably won't be able to upgrade their existing phones to the new OS.
* These customers will be stuck with riding out their contracts, and thus won't be able to buy a WinMo 7 phone until their contracts die off (or they'll pay a very hefty premium to swap phones, along with carrier-mandated contract extensions).
* These same customers will have a bunch of apps they bought off the Microsoft app store(s?) that will either no longer be useful, or will require re-purchasing if they do get a WinMo 7 phone.
* The number of apps available on WinMo 7 will be next to nothing for a long time. Apple had a similar problem when the iPhone came out, but Apple had the advantage of creating a new market... Microsoft doesn't have that luxury.
The big question for existing developers of commercial products for Windows Mobile: Will there be (A) a version that runs Winforms, or (B) is the solution an out-of-browser Silverlight app? If (A), how long with the support for 6.5 last?
Meanwhile Apple is making over $600 per iPhone before they even sell one cent of music, movies, apps, e-books or "made-for-iPHone peripherals. MS desperately needs an entire ecosystem to make real money off of its WinMo division but they seem to be very far away from that position. The ecosystem won't even start to grow until WinMo 7 can sell 50 million phones.
And I thought Redmond had fallen asleep!
It's like someone said, you know what? Flash just isn't bloated enough, let's make a web platform that takes everything that is awful about Flash and makes it worse. then we'll make it proprietary and force it down everyone's throat.
It's got all the content of a $1 Mcdonald's cheeseburger.
My list of pros and cons...
pro:
* the user interface built into the OS will consume less resources (although previous editions allowed customizations, these were often loaded on top of the existing user interface thus requiring additional memory footprint)
* the user interface will be a lot more responsive (customizations run very slow and hog up CPU thus reducing battery life)
* there will be consistency across mobile phones (this can also be a con)
* it will be easier to write applications that integrate with the user interface thus improving overall experience with running apps.
cons:
* all phones will look just as eachother so differentiation between manufacturers will be difficult.
* users may want more control over what they want
* telco providers may decide to drop support for the OS if they cannot provide a good user experience based on the services provided by them
* application developers may not be able to provide additional capabilities or extend the device to provide additional functionality (such as auto rotate functions provided by developers for earlier versions of windows mobile that did not support it natively)
Add to this list of pro's and con's if you have any in mind.
- by MSSlayer March 7, 2010 10:39 AM PST
- So basically, after making fun of Apple, they are yet again following...
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