back to article Microsoft shuttering Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace

Microsoft has announced that it will close the application marketplace for Windows Mobile 6.x users on May 9, and is warning people to get their last updates in now. "Applications and games acquired from the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service installed on your Windows Mobile 6.x phone will continue to work after the …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    There goes the majority of Microsoft's phone users

    The small percentage using WP 7 will barley make a blip on the charts. {}:>))

    What could WP stand for"

    WP = Worst Possible

    WP = What Phone (market)

    WP = Wait Please (for the next ____ to take over the world)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      All in the name of progress

      And on a more flippant note, will these users be able to upgrade the OS? Nope just forced to buy new.

      ;-(

      1. a_been
        Alien

        Re: All in the name of progress

        Well to be fair, upgrading the OS is all expense, no reward. No one expects it apart from "the faithful shiny ones".

      2. Richard Plinston

        Re: All in the name of progress

        > forced to buy new.

        It is unlikely that the WM6.x users would buy a WP7 phone because there was a complete disjoint between the two. It is more likely that they would get an Android or an iPhone to give better continuity.

        given that the latest stats indicate that there are more WM6.x phones in use than WP7 then this could drastically reduce MS's market share yet again.

        1. Manu T

          Re: All in the name of progress

          Nope some WM6 users went for Symbian (because that's the only one that does exactly the same things that you can on WM6.x)

          Things like:

          - 2-way call recording

          - local PC syncing

          - bluetooth syncing & file transfer

          - connect to hidden SSID's (amongst others)

          - full multitasking

          - install software outside their initial 'marketplace/apps-store'

          trade my Acer F1 (the last WM6.5 models that could record phonecalls WITHOUT 3rd party apps) in for a C7 when it broke down late 2010. And still happy about that decision.

      3. fzz

        Re: All in the name of progress

        In part because WP7 has different hardware specs than previous WM versions, so WP7 may simply not work on older phones. If so, nothing nefarious about no OS upgrade options.

        However, the reason MSFT isn't willing to sell Windows Mobile Marketplace to another party is that continued use of WM phones may retard uptake of WP7 phones. Lesson to be learned: a very old adage in business is that sunk cost doesn't matter. There's a revenue corollary: only present and future revenues matter. IOW, don't expect loyalty from software vendors after you've paid them.

  2. Ryan 7

    I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

    If Nokia or another decent manufacturer made one with a keyboard

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

      You're in luck then, there are (or were at launch) a couple with keyboards.

      1. Ryan 7

        Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

        Dell, LG, or HTC? No ta. I want someone with more than 4 years experience making mobile hardware.

        1. Kwac
          FAIL

          Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

          I've got a HTC; it's older than 4 years, it runs Windows 6.

          It's also been rotting in a drawer for at least 3 years because it runs Windows 6.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Pint

            Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset @kwac

            if its an HD2 and in working order, ill take the rotting lump of your hands for a few quid :)

        2. Fuzz

          Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

          15 years experience enough like HTC?

          1. a_been
            Paris Hilton

            Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

            15 years of producing cheep shit is still 15 years of HTC producing cheep shit. Maybe their new Android phones are good, never gonna find out because I'm not using that shit. If HTC cared about their customers they would offer updates of the OS on their website for those willing to root. The carriers wouldn't say anything for the 1% that jailbreak/root.

            Nokia was the best phone company in the world until they committed suicide, I'd like to think that they considered buying Palm but some idiot vetoed it. Realistically they were so far up their own arses they never understood what they were missing. Shame really as my Nokia died today and the only realistic replacement is an iPhone.

            *Paris because well just because.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset @a_been

              Cheap shit? well some of the android devices are nowadays yes i completely agree, but its long history is anything but cheap. They were solid devices and i never came across build faults an ive been using most of them since the first XDA, a solid metal device that could take more punishment than anything modern and still function, i have an HD2 that i brought on day one, back in 2009 i think it was, 3 years later i still use it, ive played with android, WP WM even some forms of Linux on it but even today its still going strong.

              Point of fact, dispite what you may have been led to believe, iOS and android did not create the concept, when you remove apples RDF you will see that infact it was not them that created the concept, what everyone else did do was get off their arse and take it to the next level. No the reality is that WM played a huge part in this and HTC has been there more or less from the start.

              1. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset @a_been

                I have to agree - my HTC trophy is the best phone hardware I have ever had. The build quality is rock solid, it's a lovely design and rugged. Some people may nor like th OS it runs, but it is certainly nit cheap or shit.

            2. Manu T

              Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

              iPhones can't record calls, partial multitasking, no proper (free) navigation but hey they have much pixels on their screens and lot of fart apps.

              Now, Nokia didn't suicide. Stephen Elop is destroying Nokia, quite the difference.

              It's only a pitty that current bunch of shareholders are a bunch of weeny little girls whom haven't got the balls to fire that POS.

              If I appointed a jackass CEO whom singlehandedly destroyed 30% of my present marketshare in LESS then one year. I not only fired him, I killed him on the spot and fed his body to the dogs! Luckily I'm NOT CEO of Nokia ;-)

        3. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

          given that HTC and MS more or less made the market for android and ios devices i think its a bit cheeky to say they have no sales history. Ive still got a perfectly working XDA kicking around somewhere and several others, including the King of all phones the HD2, which was more or less directly ported to WP in the form of the HD7 and its design has been the basis for a whole host of other devices..

          So yeah, HTC, they have quite a history in making them and i dare say, there a lot more solid then their counterparts at least the ones ive had from them are.

    2. Charles Manning

      For how long?

      Give MS another few months and they'll be yanking the carpet out from under WP7.

      A walled garden is one thing. Walled obsolescence is something far, far worse...

      MS seems to be doing everything it possibly can to annoy their customers and OEMs.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I'll nevar forgive

        MS or HTC for the abortion that is my Touch Pro 2. How they could sell that piece of shit to consumers and companies with a clear conscience, I'll never know.

        Bar none, it is the worst, most buggy, and most unreliable consumer electronic device I have ever experienced.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: I'll nevar forgive @ac Touch Pro 2

          really? i had one of those too and didnt have any issues with it. The HTC Artemis was a bit dodgy tho and build quality was not up to par with the other devices, and the touch HD suffered greatly because no one would pay for graphics drivers but i still have that one and use it to run GPS software, mostly because its touch screen is not effected by water unlike all current phones.

          Its worth pointing out at this point that MS had almost nothing to do with WM devices. They licenced out a core OS, it was up to the OEMs and networks to shaft i mean customize it as they saw fit. this was hugely benificial to us in some ways because it have us a very open OS and lots of potential updates, the OEMs and more specifically the networks totally screwed WM over tho, filling it with bloat, not updating it, not testing it and generally ignoring it after launch. This was the reason MS has taken such a stand with WP, WM got slated and for the most part it was nothing to do with them.

          Take the Touch HD as an example, a more than capable device that neither the networks or OEMs would pay for graphics drivers, meaning whilst it was pretty quick for its time, it sucked big time with anything like, videos, camera, games, graphical programs anything that used the screen in a heavy way.

          HTC also started the Sense UI on WM which is used on many android phones, it actually performed amazingly well on the HD2, the HD2 was unfortunately too late to the game to make a difference, had it came out earlier then there is a good chance things would have been different in the OS wars. Bare in mind that the hardware in that thing is essentially the same as many android phones, even today!

    3. Manu T

      Re: I'd gladly use a WP7 handset

      Nokia E7?

      Motorola Milestone?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No, we aren't bothered by the marketplace

    Thanks to heaven 6.x can install software from any source you like. I bough my first smartphone in 2002, the next one probably won't be a smartphone as long as I am forced to create an online account to use it, buy applications only from manufacturer marketplace and sync to anything that isn't my computers.

    1. B Candler Silver badge
      Go

      Re: No, we aren't bothered by the marketplace

      Android lets you install software from anywhere, at least my HTC Desire (2.2) does. There's just one tickbox you set in the settings to allow it .

      It also allows direct sync to PC over USB - although I don't use it because (a) I don't suppose there's a Linux client, and (b) I don't mind Google knowing what's in my address book.

      I'm not sure if you can use it without setting up a google account at all.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No, we aren't bothered by the marketplace

        I don't use any software "made in Google". Simply don't trust them.

  4. gurugeorge

    Progress

    Back in the 70s it took 2 hours Lon-NYC now its 7. We had a 15 minute Dover Calais hovercraft (hoverspeed) and now it takes almost 2 hours.

    Ok let me get this straight. 12 years ago my pocketPC device had Microsoft Word, Excel etc and allowed me to edit those documents on the go, with a colour screen, internet, handwriting recognition in running hand, wifi and bluetooth...

    12 years later not ONE mobile device on the market can match that, and WP7 doesnt let me edit word or excel documents. Progress is amazing.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Progress

      LHR->NYC was never 2hours. 3->3.5 more like

      Dover-Calais by Hoverspeed was more like 35mins not 15.

      Nice pair of rose tinted glasses you have on.

    2. Fuzz

      Re: Progress

      I don't know what you're smoking but my WP7 lets me edit word and excel documents. It can also open documents stored on sharepoint or skydrive. There are loads of things wrong with WP7 but its abilities with Office documents is not one of them.

      1. Manu T

        Re: Progress

        it would be REALLY a shame if even THAT didn't work.

        As it completely fails to sync with M$ own PIM (outlook) through M$ own OS (windows xp/vista/7) using M$ own local Mobile center/activesync. Unless you BUY another bunch of M$ software (exchange).

        They're fXXXX maggots.

        Wonder what all those 'customers' will do when in late 2012 M$ pulls the plug on WP7 to make room for WP8 and 'decides' that older WP7-devices (early 2012) are 'incompatible'.

        Luckily, WM6.x is so open that it doesn't rely on a centralized apps-market. So I really doubt that this will be missed.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Progress

          Bit of development news for you, looks like the good folk at XDA dev are working on getting WP7 working with WMDC, its no where near complete yet but there is little those guys cant do given some time and beer, right now im connected and can browse my phone and its storage card in Explorer, no third party apps required and its very very quick. Because contacts etc are all head seperately its going to take a while to get sync working if you so needed it but apparenty its in the works this will only work on 1st gen devices as 2nd gen has yet to be cracked open

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    WP / WM

    I happen to like WP, its a great phone, but WM was and still is by an large the best pocketPC.

    It makes me a tad sad to think that a device developed 10 years ago can do almost as much in a few cases and much more in many other cases than a cutting edge smartphone.

    now to the author, i can assure you that people using WM still is nothing to do with them only using it as a phone, and very little to do with the "app store" ive been using WM since day one an i cant say ive ever used the MS app store for it, there were so many other alternatives to that which allowed users to install stuff from anywhere, with out the need to jump through hoops unlocking it.

    I honestly cant see why they didnt co develop WM and WP, one for jo blogs public that is looking for a PHONE the other for power users / business users needing a POCKETPC. The smartphone bastardization of the two could have been left to android and iOS, its not as if they didnt have enough money!

    1. Fuzz

      Re: WP / WM

      Problem is there was no money in it for the device makers. I'm nursing a small collection of WM devices at work that I keep going because of a business critical app we have running. We have to wait and see what the software house turns out as an Android alternative.

      I agree that no one is holding onto WM for use as a phone. The things WM always excelled at were email and calendaring.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: WP / WM

        Indeed, but that was more down to it being around at the wrong time. Manufacturing costs where high due to unit sales being low(actually quite high for the time but not enough to increase margins). The actual price of the devices has probably gone up a little compared to WM days but not greatly, its mainly that the margin has improved.

        But at the very moment where unit sales would have improved thus would margins, MS stops development (for the most part, 6.5 was a dying knee jerk reaction an not a serious attempt) and cans it for a few of years to develop WP by which time two other concepts have landed on what WM built up and gained market dominance.

        But anyway, lets not slate WM for the sake of it being "old" it was neglected but it still does a good job, its like the smart kid in school, great at most stuff, but hit every ugly branch on the way down.

  6. Mikel
    FAIL

    Once again around the bend

    They'll be closing the doors on Windows Phone marketplace too. Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo", and the new one will be "Windows Marketplace."

    Tired of this? Abandonment issues? You know what to do.

    1. dogged
      Boffin

      "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

      Source for this, please?

      1. Mikel
        Devil

        Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

        >Source for this, please?

        Source: me. If that's not good enough for you then wait and it will be revealed to you in the fullness of time.

        1. Richard Plinston

          Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

          WP7 phones are restricted to being single-core by MS decree, and by the fact that WP7 could not use more than one core - it doesn't multi-task very well if at all.

          The indications are that Apollo will _require_ dual-core. This is to ensure that the UI remains active even if a program uses all the CPU it can get.

          Thus an existing, or future, WP7 phone will not be upgraded to Apollo.

          Microsoft is using the Osborne Effect as much as it can.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

            @Mikel

            No its not enough, its called FUD when you make something up like that, which is what you have done unless you can back up what you said.

            @Richard Plinston

            WP wasnt restricted to a single core, it was just never designed to use it, there for why would OEMs put one it in?

            Apollo, doesnt requirer a dual core, the update is designed to make the OS support dual core, enabling OEMs to make dual core devices if they wanted too combined with the Tango update which is designed to make WP run on slower devices, ie to make a budget phone enables WP to support a much larger device base than it currently does.

            MS has stated openly that the first release was to get out there, after that they would build and improve appon it. The UI is already setup to take full priority over anything else, this is why it is quicker in most cases than many "other" smartphones.

            and finally It multi tasks just fine if the developers choose to enable it, i have a sat nav program that when switched to another task, say a web browser or sms messages then go back to the sat nav program, its placed me exactly where i should be rather than having to work it out again, so it does do it.

            1. Richard Plinston

              Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

              > WP wasnt restricted to a single core,

              http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2011/11/22/nokia-the-reason-microsoft-kiboshed-dual-core-windows-phone-handsets/

              > i have a sat nav program that when switched to another task, say a web browser or sms messages then go back to the sat nav program, its placed me exactly where i should be rather than having to work it out again, so it does do it.

              That sounds like 'task switching' not 'multi-tasking'. Perhaps you don't understand the difference.

              http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/10-awesome-new-features-in-windows-phone-7-5-mango/

              1. dogged

                Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

                If it didn't do multitasking, you couldn't - for example - listen to music while checking your email or navigating to somewhere. Both of which I do fairly regularly.

                Granted, most third-party developers are restricted in this via managed code but MS have clearly worked with many devs to provide native code apps, which do multitask.

                Which leaves us back at speculation and Mikel making shit up to try to boost Android. Which is in turn, fucking weird - Android doesn't need boosting.

                1. dogged

                  Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

                  Confirmed as FUD

                  http://wmpoweruser.com/microsoft-reps-claiming-windows-phone-8-definitely-coming-to-second-gen-handsets-probably-to-first-gen/

              2. Anonymous Coward
                Anonymous Coward

                Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

                perhaps you dont understand that there isnt a difference on single core CPUs on ANY device

                But technicalities aside, Task switching would not allow the sat nav app to continue to work in the background, ie, knowing where it is and when reloading that program place you exactly where you should be without any delay in recalculating or reloading graphics. Or to put it in simple terms for you, its still working in the background.

                And your point on dual cores is what exactly? its completely meaningless, that is saying that MS wasnt going to bring forward dual core support for WP to allow Nokia to use it for there new devices. Theres no reason at all Nokia couldnt put one in it but there would be no point because it wouldnt work as ive already stated, MS has said it is bringing more features out but the initial release was to get it out and get feedback.

                And as someone else has just posted, it looks like some MS bloke has said its coming! and yes before you jump on your high horse and say that 1st gen isnt getting the whole works, ill just point out that there once again wouldnt be any point in 1st gen devices getting the full treatment, but we dont need it, for example, we have no front facing camera but i suppose in good old anti MS fashion your next line will be "ah but what else are they not going to give" my answer to that is, since you hate it so much why the hell would you care.

        2. This post has been deleted by its author

        3. Manu T

          Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

          http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Windows-Phone-7.x-Windows-Phone-8-Upgrade-Windows-8-apollo,news-14348.html

          Has more coverage of the (im)possible Apollo upgrade.

          1. Manu T

            Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

            Oh and there's also something about it on ZDnet:

            http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/reading-between-the-lines-office-on-ipad-windows-phone-upgrades/12101?tag=mantle_skin;content

            Also give me one reason why e.g. a Lumia 900 of today should be made Apollo-able tomorrow when they can sell a Lumia 900 2013-edition?

            HTC customers are at least familiar with this (remember how HTC screwed those HD2 customers by telling that it couldn't run WP7 because it 'lacked' the search button while it was mostly sold with upgradability in mind by most customers as it had ALL of the technical requirements bar the search button.)

            It's Microsoft folks! Remember them?

            Windows 3.0 --> Windows 3.1 +new PC --> 95 +new PC --> Win98 + new PC --> Windows XP + new PC ---> Vista + new PC

            It's with Windows 7 only we didn't need to buy yet another new PC and apparently with Windows 8 we again aren't enforced to buy a new PC. But now they'll screw us with the smartphones (which is a much larger, not yet saturated, market).

            What's that saying about an old Fox and New tricks?

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

              well, after reading all those (which is better evidance than most folk give) it is all still very much guess work because no one knows.

              However there is one simple fact that was pointed out in those links which could stop the upgrade and thats the carriers, its not in their interest to do any upgrades (bane of Windows Mobiles life!)

              as for the HD2 upgrade, There was never any official MS statment saying it was going to get the good news, there was however a MS website that had the HD2 listed as a windows 7 device (running WM6.5 i might add!) There was probably leaked reports saying the opersite because the HD2 was well known to have been used as a test device in the development of WP7, when carriers and others were told they had this info up it was always taken down, the reason being it was never fully indended to have it.

              MS did say it wasnt going to get it because it didnt have the correct buttons, but thats probably just a smoke screen, whats more likely is that carriers would have gone ape if MS aloud the upgrade which would have seriously dented their HD7 etc sales. The whole thing was one be cluster fuc* but remember the carriers now have MS by the balls, they cant afford to piss them off.

      2. Manu T

        Re: "Current phones are not compatible with "Apollo""

        This is mentioned somewhere on Tom's hardware.

        Perhaps you might look here below:

        http://www.tomsguide.com/us/Windows-Phone-7.x-Windows-Phone-8-Upgrade-Windows-8-apollo,news-14348.html

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Once again around the bend

      can you point out where you heard this about apollo?? not FUD statments i mean direct MS linkage please,

      And by your second statment i take it you mean that because of windows 8, apps would be installable on desktop and phone, and thus the need for only one app store? Perhaps in concept yes but i can assure you that windows Apps wont be directly portable to Windows phone unless its made that way and lets assume for a second that it does, then it will take all of a couple of hours to roll out an update pointing phone users to a new app store without much faffing around and the user would hardly notice.

      But i do agree that they abandoned WM, but id sooner use WM than android or ios again, infact i still do use it, as a pocket pc :)

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    This is why

    I make every effort to no longer use proprietary software/hardware.

  8. BernieC
    Trollface

    Classic

    Hmm, running an HD2 with absolutely no issues. Tried an HTC Mozart with phone 7 and decided it was a steaming pile of ass.

  9. Arclight

    And there lies the reason....

    ... why I don't like the trend of moving to DL software.

    Buy a pc or console, buy a game on a disc, and you can play that game for as long as you like and can keep the machine running. DL software is only there for as long as the company wants it to be there.

    1. Michael Kean

      Re: And there lies the reason....

      You're somewhat right there. However, on Android I use a free AppBackup utility that lets me store copies of the APKs, so if I have to wipe and start over I don't need to get online to get my software back - including purchased apps.

      Recently I thought I'd try to find a GPS program for my old Symbian E51 - found one but the only way to install it was to turn the clock on the phone back to 2006. Then it turned out to be an undisclosed 30 day trial anyway. Some things are better now than they used to be - the whole process on Nokia was painful. "Installation not supported" blah blah "certificate expired" blah blah, no wonder they died.

      1. Manu T

        Re: And there lies the reason....

        "Recently I thought I'd try to find a GPS program for my old Symbian E51 - found one but the only way to install it was to turn the clock on the phone back to 2006. Then it turned out to be an undisclosed 30 day trial anyway. Some things are better now than they used to be - the whole process on Nokia was painful. "Installation not supported" blah blah "certificate expired" blah blah, no wonder they died."

        Typical anti-Nokia crap. Comparing a 2007 phone with an very old version of the NON-TOUCH S60v3 OS against 2012 phones. Besides the certification and signing is only relevant if you want to install illegally obtained apps. If you download from developper's sites or Nokia market then there ARE NO signing nor certificate problems!

        On a side-note. The certificate and signing of apps can be circumvented quite easily by several one-click solutions which I shall not delve deeper in, use your imagination or Google ;-).

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Microsoft have really stuffed up here.

    Working for a small ISV. We have three customer for whom we have developed and support Windows Mobile applications. Guess what? The next iteration of the application will be for Android and iOS.

    Why?

    Because they (the customer) perceives Windows Mobile 6 as "end of life" (and this news enforces that impression) despite the likes of Motorola Solutions who produce the Windows Mobile "enterprise" devices promising 4 year support for new devices.

    So they want to move away from Windows Mobile. Do they make the seemingly obvious migration to Windows Phone?

    Nope.

    Why?

    Because there is no migration path from Windows Mobile to Windows Phone (software 100% incompatible) and they perceive Windows Phone as immature with a doubtful future. If they could easily migrate their existing apps to Windows Phone it would have a chance, but its a full rewrite whatever they choose, so they choose iOS and Android.

  11. kain preacher

    Yes there is

    "It also allows direct sync to PC over USB - although I don't use it because (a) I don't suppose there's a Linux client, ."

    If you get the android SDK you can push files and programs on to you android. You can even do it from the command line if you like .

  12. Novex
    Black Helicopters

    Outlook Sync Locally

    Personally I'm still using a WM6.1 HTC Blackstone, because it allows me to sync my contacts, calendar and tasks from Outlook (NOT Outlook Express!!) directly to my phone without pissing around with that untrustable abomination that is 'The Cloud'. If any of the phone/OS manufacturers get off their asses and do a full and decent local sync app for Outlook AND remove the need for any form of Cloud account, then I'll use their phone, be it Apple, Google or Microsoft. Until then I'm stuck with WM6.1

    1. Manu T

      Re: Outlook Sync Locally

      No you're not.

      The following phones also can sync data locally from outlook:

      iPhones (yes, indeed... it uses iTunes as a go-between but works. I've no idea how GOOD it works though but it works (at least for contacts and calendar). You can even sync with an old iPod.

      Android phones: there's a very nice donation-ware tool called Phone-Explorer which was originally created to sync SE-featurephones like K700/K750/K800 etc... but it also works with Android phones (not necessarily from SE.). HTC phones also come supplied with an HTC exclusive sync-tool (but I've no idea how good that works).

      Symbian: I currently have a C7-00, 701 and N8 and they all sync very well with outlook using Nokia suite as ago-between (similar like phone-explorer). Contacts (including categories), calender and tasks. You can even sync favourites and RSS-feeds from IE.

      Both Android and Symbian devices can also sync over bluetooth while the iPhone only syncs over USB.

      So there are plenty of options to replace your existing WM6.x device.

      Now I don't now what other requirements you have but both my Samsung Omnia (WM6.1) and Acer F1 (Wm6.5) could also record incoming and outgoing phonecalls. This is only possible on a few old Android 1.6 phones and Nokia Symbian devices (including latest Belle phones). So if you really need that, then Symbian is currently your only option (appologies if you hate Symbian but that's currently the situation on the 'smartphone-market'). As an added benefit all Nokia Symbian devices come equipped with Nokia Drive & Maps. A great door-2-door navigation app reminisent of TomTom's offering on WM6. It's not as polished as e.g. iGO on WM6.x but it works great and has speed- and traffic-camera-notifications too ;-) And installation/configuration is a breeze unlike iGO which was quite messy to setup properly.

      SO there's plenty of options today. Some are not bad at all. I mean the iPhone has a beautifull look and feel, Some Androids too look very nice (notably the HTC models are IMHO very stylish). I went for Nokia because of the call-recording and free navigationtool. I currently find the N8 and C7-00/701 the most attractive models in their range, but that's just my (conservative) taste of style.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Headmaster

    Shuttering

    Isn't that something that builders make with wood to contain concrete until it sets in the required shape?

    Shutters, on the other hand, one brings down.

    Shan't blame the moderators if this post gets the final curtain, of course!

  14. Tom C
    FAIL

    So much for contracts

    My HD2 is still in contract - I cannot upgrade it until next month. Yet, already Microsoft has shut down the live sync site - a business essential for me as it contained the remote kill functionality essential to allow me to carry information on the phone covered by the data protection act. I now cannot put more than the bare essentials of my business contact details on the phone and so I am just marking time until I can change phones. Will I get another MS phone after this experience? No chance! Call me old fashioned but I expect vendors to support kit until the end of the contract as a bare minimum.

  15. RAMChYLD
    Mushroom

    What marketplace?

    I don't see no stinkin' marketplace app on my HTC TyTN! Never did!

    Oh, it's not available in Malaysia...

  16. Paul Huxley

    Ironic really!

    Only just started using marketplace instead of installing apps via a pc - as my grandfather used to do.

    Won't be moving to Windows 7 though as I won't waste my data plan syncing Outlook.

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