WinMo Wrap: New Version Unveiled
The week marches on and today being Saturday means it is time to recap the recent happenings in the world of Windows Mobile. Microsoft presented another interim release of Windows Mobile this week. Version 6.5.3 is not the big version 7 that enthusiasts have been waiting for, but it adds OS support for multitouch for the first time. WinMo 6.5.3 made an appearance in the new Aspen announced by Sony Ericsson.
China Mobile made a very strange claim that its Android phones will run Windows Mobile apps. The company claims its Open Mobile 2.0 will run Windows Mobile apps, but didn’t give any details on how that works or what apps fall under this claim. Open Mobile supposedly runs the “Windows Mobile API”, but it is not clear if this claim is legitimate or how it might work.
WinMoSquare is coming for those who can’t wait any longer for a native FourSquare app for the platform. It is being developed by Touchality using FourSquare’s public APIs. You must send an email to get your WinMo 6.1 or 6.5 phone (touchscreen mandatory) included in the beta program for WinMoSquare.
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Why would anybody want to run legacy WinMo apps on modern Android (or iPhone) platform. That just makes no sense, stylus excluded. No useful purpose, maybe for nostalgia or something, like some people running those old atari video games on a modern PC. Weirdos are everywhere in the tech world that is for sure.
I would think it has more to do with those who use a particular special app for their work that has no equivalent on the Android platform. I could see this would be useful for such applications.
Yeah, I guess it’s only a matter of time before Android gets a Virtual Machine (VM) that can host WinMo, Symbian, Maemo,Blackberry,Linux and maybe even iPhoneOS (non A4 specific). That way they can run that much-needed legacy app/game. Personally I am for making a hard & fast break with the past, if you need an old app’s feature(s) than it is time for a rewrite.
I’d do it if I could use Spb Mobile Shell on Android.
New OS versions are cool, but I wanna get my hands on a 32GB micro SDHC card for my WinMo device. :) Sandisk has been teasing us for a year, they were due out last summer, yet still not one in sight.
According to Sandisk, they would only release 32GB cards if consumer demand was there and platforms offered support. The former has been valid for months, while the latter would surely be a non-issue for today’s hardware and this latest OS.
16GB is too easy to fill, and I don’t want to carry around multiple cards. Come on Sandisk, give us MinMo users what we want!!!
Rant end.
32GB microSD cards should be available soon: http://jkontherun.com/2010/01/14/samsung-intros-32-gb-microsd-cards-how-small-can-large-get/
:) Don’t know how I missed that. Very good to know.
It ‘might’ be because WinMob 7 apps will be written in Silverlight. Silverlight is also available for Linux (Moonlight) It’d take quite a bit of effort because the released versions of moonlight are based on Mono (linux port of .Net), and the mobile version of Silverlight is native C++ not C#/.Net it’s not impossible to think that WinMobile 7 apps could be cross platform (WinMob7, Symbian & Android)
I’ve been playing with a Winmo device recently (6.1) and I’m astounded that Mobile Office is still as crappy as it was in 2003! It still refuses to open files I’ve created on their very own desktop versions (2003 and 2007)! Not just password protected files but ordinary ones! I despair of ever finding a replacement for my beloved E90.
And don’t get me started on how many times I’ve had to soft reset it, although, admittedly, I have been experimenting with tons of freeware.
On the plus side, having a resitive touch screen is fantastic – being able to write down notes with just my finger nail is brilliant.