Windows Phone 7 Series won't run any existing Windows Mobile Apps

[dguy6789]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iSmgJ3kvEl3kLq5yj2rufGMcbPQQD9E8IQ3O0

NEW YORK — Microsoft Corp. has said its new software for smart phones, Windows Phone 7 series, is a "clean break" with the past. Now it's clear just how clean that break is: The new phones, expected late this year, won't run any applications written for older versions of Microsoft's phone software.

In a blog post Thursday, Microsoft executive Charlie Kindel, who handles contact with outside software developers, said that jettisoning support for older applications was necessary to make the new operating system as powerful and user-friendly as possible.

The announcement is perhaps most disappointing to companies that have created their own software to run on Windows phones issued to their employees. The news also leaves software developers with a dilemma: they can write applications for Windows Mobile 6.5, which will soon be a dead end, or they can write for Windows Phone 7, which isn't coming out until later this year.

Phone providers compete in part by providing support for as many applications as they can, and everyone is trying to catch up to Apple Inc.'s successful App Store, which has more than 100,000 applications. Microsoft is leaving behind tens of thousands of applications written for different versions of Windows Mobile that go back more than a decade.

Few of those applications are up to today's standards. They're also designed for phones that came with styluses for precise input. Windows Phone 7 Series is designed for touch screens that work well with fingers but don't work with fine styluses.

Palm Inc. made a similar "clean break" last year, abandoning an operating system that was more than a decade old in favor of a completely new one. However, the new system is able to run applications written for the old one.

Kindel said Microsoft still will support Windows Mobile 6.5 "for years to come," and expects some new devices with that software will come out.

I'm not so sure this is a good idea for MS.

 

[Slick5150]

Id bet, similar to WebOS vs. PalmOS, there will be an app for Win 7 that'll run older Win apps. It just won't be native support.

 

[Deeko]

This is not surprising. Its a new operating system, with a totally new interface, designed around new types of phones. Do you really expect an app that was designed with the Palm Treo 750w in mind to work well on a slate WP7S phone?

It sucks to lose out on the thousands of apps out there for WM - especially for businesses - but really not surprising at all.

 

[radioouman]

I think that this is a good thing. Too many apps don't run correctly even though they are supposed to run on WinMo 6. Standard/Professional/Touchscreen/non-Touchscreen... too many variations.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Good and bad. WinMo actually has a LOT of apps out there. There's enough stuff out there to compete with Android. maybe in numbers, Android is great but a lot of them are widgets, small font packs, addons, not full outright apps. My experience with Android and WinMo is that when compared to iPhone, you lack in the apps that can do the things the iPhone can do, but there's enough out there to get by.

This kinda makes WinMo have to start over like WebOS...

 

[foghorn67]

Almost expected, maybe even hoped for.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Sometimes it's best to start from scratch.

 

[erwos]

The iPhone did fine without running WinMo apps.

 

[destrekor]

They stated that the very first moment they revealed the new platform.

 

[WelshBloke]

Ouch! This combined with the other Win7 Phone news is not making me a happy bunny winmo user.

 

[hanoverphist]

Ouch! This combined with the other Win7 Phone news is not making me a happy bunny winmo user.

ya, same here. i dont want it to be locked down like the iphone is, i enjoy the freedom to fuck up my phone that i currently have with winmo 6.1

 

[aceO07]

WP7s seems like it's going to be a mix of mostly iPhone and some Android. They certainly want to be the same in the way of App Store profits..

I think we'll find out the facts at MIX.

 

[WelshBloke]

WP7s seems like it's going to be a mix of mostly iPhone and some Android. They certainly want to be the same in the way of App Store profits..

I think we'll find out the facts at MIX.

Which is daft really.

If winmo users wanted iPhones or Android phones they would be using them already.

 

[Deeko]

Which is daft really.

If winmo users wanted iPhones or Android phones they would be using them already.

You assume that all they're interested in is appeasing their current customers?

Windows Mobile is losing market share fast, while Android and iPhone are gobbling up more and more. I'm sure Microsoft doesn't want to abandon their current users, but of course they're interested in grabbing more market share, not just maintaining.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Which is daft really.

If winmo users wanted iPhones or Android phones they would be using them already.

False. I would love an iphone but I'm not going to AT&T for it.

 

[zerocool84]

ya, same here. i dont want it to be locked down like the iphone is, i enjoy the freedom to fuck up my phone that i currently have with winmo 6.1

Well seeing as how major of a release 7 is supposed to be, I'm not surprised at all. I think it's a good thing.

 

[A5]

There are lots of WinMo apps out there, but many of them haven't been updated in years and even more are designed to be used with a stylus. This pretty much had to be done.

 

[hanoverphist]

Well seeing as how major of a release 7 is supposed to be, I'm not surprised at all. I think it's a good thing.

im actually looking forward to seeing it, i really like the zuneHD interface and hope it is similar. i think i could work around the other issues ive heard about it, ive nailed it down to one thing that keeps me on winmo over any other phone OS. the ability to save email attachments to the phone or SD and transfer/ forward them to my laptop. if any other phone os had that ability id use one. otherwise i do like android so far.

There are lots of WinMo apps out there, but many of them haven't been updated in years and even more are designed to be used with a stylus. This pretty much had to be done.

ya, i agree. im not so worried about them calling it done for the old apps, theres so many that wont work but on specific phones as it is.

overall, im excited to see this phone come out, and i will be looking at them as a replacement maybe. theres always the omnia 2 with wm6.5 if i dont like it tho (or all the other new phones that will come out by then)