back to article Windows Phone Classic to coexist with Windows Phone 7

Windows Mobile 6.x is to be known as "Windows Phone Classic" once its replacement launches, and apparently isn't to be taken out and shot as might have been expected. When Steve Ballmer announced Windows Phone 7 Series, he did emphasise that Redmond wouldn't be pulling the plug on Windows Mobile just yet. Instead, Microsoft …

COMMENTS

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  1. abigsmurf

    Windows Phone classic will stay for a while

    Because Windows Phone 7 is not designed to work on small, cheap, non-touchscreen phones.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Classic - XP?

    "So for the moment it's "Windows Phone Classic", but don't expect the moniker, or the platform, to last for long"

    Like XP vanished immediately when Vista was launched? Or more like how XP vanished immediately when Win7 was launched?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Hum...

      Looks like you don't know much about the embedded channel, Windows 3.11 was still available until November 2008 via this route, even though it was pulled from the retail channel sometime in 1995.

    2. Stuart Castle Silver badge

      Not really

      Not really the same thing.. How long was Windows Mobile 5 sold after Windows Mobile 6 was launched?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Not really

        WinMo 5 is still available, via the embedded oem channel.

  3. The Other Steve
    FAIL

    Do Keep up

    "isn't to be taken out and shot as might have been expected"

    Who expected that ? Not me, because I've been paying attention. It was very clear from the licensing deal that MS did with BSquare back in November 2009 that there would continue to be WinMo 6.x licences and WinCE licences available.

    God knows I don't blame you for not reading the comments on your own stories given the current quality of commentard and the fact that we're always so mean to you, but come on guy, GIYF.

    "But Windows Mobile, even version 6.5, is aimed at mobile phones"

    Not necessarily, no, it is designed for mobile devices with cellular radios, which is not the same thing. It was shoe horned into being a phone OS, a task at which it is notoriously unsuited due to it's PDA focussed heritage.

    "A few diehards might prefer the mobile-computing capabilities of Windows Mobile, but they will be a vanishingly-small minority."

    Erm, the vast majority of installed winmo images aren't in phones, but in various other handheld devices, bar code readers, stock systems, logistics kit, vehicle tracking, etc, etc. Always have been, always will be. Compared to those, it is the consumer WinMo phone market that is actually "vanishingly small".

    Epic Fail, I'm afraid.

    1. Los Conquistador
      FAIL

      It's a good job someone's paying attention

      Well done for spotting the most ridiculous piece of non-story in the history of forever!

      WinMo 6 is going to be around for some time to come in all those supermarket and warehouse barcode scanners and mobile terminals.

      I can't see someone in a Barcoded warehouse having to confirm all their latest friend requests on their terminal before getting on with their picking schedule

  4. Bilgepipe
    Gates Horns

    WTF?

    What an incredibly stupid idea. But then they are supporting IE6 until about 2074; Redmond seems to have a problem with getting rid of old crap.

    1. Big-nosed Pengie
      Gates Horns

      Old crap

      Damn right. They're still selling Windows.

  5. amanfromMars 1 Silver badge

    Meanwhile, in AI Fabless Cloud Lab ......

    "It's hard to imagine Microsoft running two application stores, maintaining two developer communities and tolerating the inevitable confusion that keeping Classic going would entail."

    Bill Ray,

    There is no Confusion in the Classic Community which keeps Microsoft Running. For them is IT a Passion which Grows and Steam Rollers all before them to do their Bidding. It is just that MS prefer not to articulate too well their Global Ambition, although that does rather tend to make them look like Lost Dorks rather than their Ideas Reflecting well upon them as Finely Phormed Binary Pioneers?

  6. Torben Mogensen

    Backwards compatibility

    This is to be expected when WinPho7 is not backwards compatible with WinMob6. Some manufacturers want to keep using the software they developed for WinMob6, and some users might want to continue using the same applications even if they buy a new phone or PDA.

    Making a clean break with WinPho7 and keeping the old around for a while is, IMO, better than making a backwards-compatible OS. MS should really do the same for their desktop/laptop OS, but this is much harder, as there is much more 3rd party software that a new OS will miss out on.

  7. John 62
    Gates Halo

    Nokia

    Has lots of 'Classic' phones. My mum is on her second.

  8. Annihilator
    Thumb Up

    Taken out and shot

    Taken out and shot is far too quick and merciful an end. No, it should be tortured and made to stick around next to its (presumably) non-abominable successor. Finally, when it begs for mercy, then it should be taken out and shot. Along with IE6.

  9. OrsonX

    The Brand Itentity Slant

    Win7 will present the user with the new OS interface, which is non-custmisable, i.e., no HTC Touch Flo allowed. Whilst this is great for M$, in that all of their Win7 phones will be easily recognizable, increasing the Microsoft branding mindset, this will be bad for, e.g. HTC. I expect the reason 6.x will hang around will be to allow those companies which want their own corporate image on their phones to persist.

    Having seen the new Win7 interface, for me, it's too simple. The thing that these days I found most boring on my iPhone is its lack of home screen customisability... hence why I am now drawn to 6.X and Android phones. Having MY phone look only the way M$ wants it to look is very Apple-esque, and dull!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    great

    so we've got phones with GPS, internet, video playback and friggin Windows, can we finally start work on phones that can make good clear phone calls?

    1. Neoc

      Re: great

      Never had a problem with my HTC here in Oz. I'm starting to think the lack of clear phone calls has more to with a lack of bandwidth on the carrier's side in the US and EU.

    2. David Beck
      Happy

      There's an app for that, not.

      no explanation necessary

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    i am mocking

    windoze fone users, when will you learn that M$ peddles crap. Come and use any form of *nix you will love it.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    re: Anonymous Coward

    Every smart phone I've used does make clear phone calls. And they were all Windows Mobile (I rather like the current platform, but then I do want a PDA with a phone attached. Really I want a very small netbook with a phone attached).

    I am sorry that you can not accept that not everyone wants the same thing from a phone. That some people want shiny extras and you don't must make you life hell. But don't worry "simple" phones are all that rare, just look at Nokias classic range.

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