Microsoft's on-device marketplace is now available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1, allowing older phones to download the very latest in farting applications. Microsoft reckons there are more than 800 applications in the Marketplace: we assume that's worldwide, as the UK offering seems somewhat Spartan. But everything you might …

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 10:42 GMT Jim Coleman

That's the trick

"Except a decent version of Go, for that you'll have to go to Vieka and download manually."

Which is kinda the point isn't it? That you *can* go to a software vendor's website and download whatever software you like, outside of the Marketplace.

Microsoft have provided a nice convenient alternative to downloading from the 'net, and I'm sure it'll expand over time, but as far as I'm concerned it's just another way of obtaining Winmo software among many (e.g. handango etc.)

Long may the freedom of distribution method remain in the hands of the developers!

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 11:00 GMT Lockwood

Yay!

Filling up your memory? There's an app for that.

I'm sure that Marketplace 1.1 will let you change where it puts stuff...

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 15:03 GMT Anonymous Coward

Lack of taste and common sense...

Why oh why would you design such a bloody mess of an appstore app, where you cannot even read all of the few items on the screen? Steve Jobs was right: Microsoft has no taste. I might add: They don't even have one tiny bit of common sense.

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 16:34 GMT Jim Coleman

@anonymous coward

Did it occur to you that maybe that screenshot was of an old device with a crap screen resolution and that the phone's user had increased the font size, possibly because he has poor vision? On my phone, which has 800x480 resolution and the fonts set to the smallest size, I can see and read everything - nothing gets cut off at all.

But I forget, Apple apologists never do any research before they criticize, do they, because researching stuff is for PC people.

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 17:16 GMT Bill Ray

Re: @anonymous coward

It was a Samsung Omnia (240 x 400 pixels), and I hadn't increased the font size, and I don't have poor vision (I could do with some new glasses, but it was those or an Omnia II).

The interface improves when listing applications, but it does need work. When there is space the installation routine works as well as iTunes.

Bill.

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 19:00 GMT Anonymous Coward

@ Jim Coleman

That would be the point though - what 'modern' Winmo device with a 800x480 resolution is still running 6.0 or 6.1 you effing idiot? This is an article about the store being released for OLD PHONES WITH A CRAP SCREEN.

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Tuesday 17th November 2009 23:17 GMT idasben

re: Anonymous Coward

Quite a few 6.1 version phones run that kind of resolution, Touch HD, Xperia etc, mainly very high end ones, but still they're out there.

I've got an Xperia, and the market place is awesome, bit thin on the ground at the moment which might let it down, but hopefully once it gets going this will improve.

Also, installing software from the web to your phone is seamless which is great.

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Wednesday 18th November 2009 11:24 GMT Jim Coleman

@Anonymous Coward

Actually, even my Touch Diamond 2 ran Winmo 6.1 until a few days ago when I upgraded it. About 95% of all Winmo phones with decent resolution (640x480 or above) run 6.0 or 6.1 as a point of fact.

240 x 400 is a pretty crap resolution by modern standards, and even if the author hadn't increased the font size, it is bigger than the smallest possible by default.

If you don't like Microsoft's Marketplace, well, you don't have to use it. Being forced to use the OS manufacturer's app store is a tactic reserved for......you know who.

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