Microsoft has released three papers designed to help mobile application developers from other platforms migrate their applications to Windows Mobile. The first and second papers involve migrating developers and applications from Symbian OS and the third paper is a guide for developers moving from Palm OS.
Microsoft Woos Symbian, PalmOS Developers
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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To my knowlegde most Symbian and Palm OS developers are not moving to Windows Mobile but to Linux despite of Microsoft’s attempts. Windows Mobile is a bloated power hog that ensures short battery life and troubles while Linux is fast and secure and is getting increasingly well suited for mobile devices.
Is it comfy over there in your fantasy land?
Just thought I’d ask.
Fortunately i’m not a mobile developer anymore, because i hate all 3 of these systems =)
Microsoft has the best tools, so more developers are moving to windows mobile.
If linux can’t make it on the desktop, what makes you think they can make it on mobile devices?
Let’s see…
Microsoft don’t have an automatic monopoly on mobile devices. They don’t all come with Windows already installed, and there’s no particular resistance to non-Windows devices.
Mobile devices are not set up administered by the users. Ever. They’re set up by the device manufacturer, and they don’t (or shouldn’t) require maintainence aside from charging the battery.
It really doesn’t matter at all what OS a mobile device is running. The vast majority of users will just use whatever happened to come on the thing in the first place, because that’s what they bought it for.
Microsoft require that devices are branded with Microsoft Windows all over the place. No other OS for these devices requires that, so device manufacturers are free to do whatever they want. Considering that the software is the only thing they have to differentiate themselves from their competition, being forced to run a specific set of software (with Microsoft branding) is unacceptable in most cases.
That enough, or should I continue?
It won’t take off on the PDA market, just like *NIX is failing to take off on the desktop – geeks don’t understand users or business requirements. Those who use PDA’s want to be able to syncronise easily with their current software.
From the business point of view, they want the PDA to fit into their work flow, they want it to work semlessly with all the software they have; they want the whole setup, mobile, PDA, laptops, email and so forth to all work effortlessly together, and like I said, *NIX developers just don’t get it – if they did, we wouldn’t have such misguided and half assed attempts at catering for desktop users.
Microsoft isn’t the devil; want to blame someone for the destruction of competition, blame the crappy management of those companies who spent more time whining and less time developing solutions to solve REAL business problems. Imagine if PalmOS spent more time improving their operating system in regards to being more than just a PDA operating system; you’d see the possibilities of PalmOS being used on more than just PDAs; the fact is, however, PalmOS management are shorted sited and lack vision.
You live in a world of dreams. MS products integrate with MS products and that’s about it.
My company (very large) runs a heavily customised version of windows2000, to make it do things on the desktop that even XP doesn’t do as standard. and linux is being deployed more and more, because it can do anything from db serving to run thin clients networks and grid computing.
The nokia web tablet runs linux but you will never be able to guess.
But I share your opinion about these whining competing companies that complain about microsoft and still confort its monopoly in everything they do and fail to do.
You live in a world of dreams. MS products integrate with MS products and that’s about it.
And what is wrong with that? Microsofts vision is to create a end to end product line up that caters for every facit of a business, and then get them to work nicely together in concert.
I don’t see anything wrong with that, and SUN is working towards the same thing with their product stack; don’t be surprised to see closer integration between the SUN Application Server and StarOffice; or greater features in the Groupware component that is being built upon the existing OpenOffice/StarOffice API.
My company (very large) runs a heavily customised version of windows2000, to make it do things on the desktop that even XP doesn’t do as standard. and linux is being deployed more and more, because it can do anything from db serving to run thin clients networks and grid computing.
Which is using Linux is niche places; nothing wrong with that, but the fact remains that Linux lacks the network of ISV’s that make it a viable alternative for the desktop, and lacks the depth and breadth of enterprise support in regards to third party service and software vendors – sorry, IBM is but one company; not everyone is willing to toe the line and go with their global services.
The nokia web tablet runs linux but you will never be able to guess.
Interesting, where is it? I go down to the local computer store, I can’t seem to be able to purchase it. A product that I can’t purchase is as useless as a product that is fautly; if it can’t do what I want or I can purchase the product, then it is a waste of time – just like the Sharp PDA which was only available in one country.
But I share your opinion about these whining competing companies that complain about microsoft and still confort its monopoly in everything they do and fail to do.
Or worse, they *SEE* the threat and do nothing OR worse still, they do a Netscape, and rather than improving their product, they create competing Javascript standards that NO ONE supported – had they added Javascript features that HELPED developers, then its a different story, but the fact remains, Netscape tried to out-Microsoft Microsoft.
I moved from Netscape 4.7 because of the cronic crashing, it was bloody awful on Windows 9x and even under Windows 2000 – it was a bloody attrocious product that was poorly developed resulting in legions of companies deciding that IE and Outlook were ‘good enough’ and decided to go with the ‘good enough’ solution as they actually saw the short comings being corrected, and errors being solved.
Don’t be daft.
He’s talking of the Nokia 770, and it is simply not
released yet to the market. Wait a couple of months.
>>And what is wrong with that? Microsofts vision is to create a end to end product line up that caters for every facit of a business, and then get them to work nicely together in concert.
he never said there is anything wrong with it. He’s merely pointing out what should be obvious to anyone who actually listend in American Government and History class – that this country is founded on the idea of the free market and part of that means a level playing field. Yet today we have a company that was found guilty of violating that horribly yet is allowed to continue those practices because the politicians and judges have too much stock in it to punish it in the way other monopolies were from Rockafeller to Standard Oil.
True, but the only people to blame for the creation of Microsoft are the consumers who continued to purchase Microsoft products, even with viable alternatives were offered, and for the abuse of their position as a monopoly – remembering that being a monopoly by itself doesn’t constitute violation of anti-trust/anti-competitive legislation – coupled with the inaction of the relevant enforcement bodies.
ehh yea but they were found guilty of anti-trust. One of the many charges levelled against them was just this by locking out other OS’s from hardware vendors. That’s the charge Be added to the government’s list and MSFT had to pay up. Too little too late of course by that time the company had been bought out by Palm.
It won’t take off on the PDA market, just like *NIX is failing to take off on the desktop – geeks don’t understand users or business requirements. Those who use PDA’s want to be able to syncronise easily with their current software.
Again, you’re somebody who’s knowledge of the desktop computer world simply does not apply in the mobile world. In the mobile world Linux is not an end product but something that can be moulded and combined with a front-end like Qtopia to be a user friendly PDA/phone better than Windows Mobile could ever be. That’s why Apple will continue to kick Microsoft all over regarding music, media and the iPod because in the consumer, brand conscious world, customisation, differentiation, brand and polish are kings. Now put two companies called Microsoft and Dell together with this, compare and contrast and ask yourself if they’ve got that X factor. Not a chance, and that’s on top of all the economic reasons why it’s just not going to work out.
No mobile or consumer electronics company is going to sign an OEM agreement with Microsoft to put Windows on every device that they develop from a toaster to a mobile phone. Economics just simply won’t allow it.
Linux is just such a natural fit for the mobile world, more so than the desktop, because that’s what different manufacturers, networks and providers want and need. They do not want a Windows Mobile OEM agreement with Microsoft otherwise where’s the differentiation, cost and customisation benefits? The market demands it.
Hopefully hopefully mobile developers wont be “asimilated” …
Some will fall for this thoug… Verizon is in some pact with Microdevil… so they are gona bring many to thier HELL…
“tu. ti. tu. Whe are sorry, but you call need to be upgraded in other to continue… Pleas pay again, to get yor Windorks upgraded!”
“news flash… movile phone maker urges users to intall Norton’s Antivirus v2006 in order to keep your nubers safe…”
“Pink elefants run all over Redmond tramping phone users that where updatig there err cellphones, and where trying to find the “Ctrl, Alt, Del” keys on there phones….”
-iMoron, Happy as a troll…
LOL … wonder what Nokia thinks of that move and what it intends to do about it. Will it put MS on its phones? Strenghten Symbian? Or finally make the jump to Linux?
“Windows Mobile is a bloated power hog that ensures short battery life and troubles while Linux is fast and secure and is getting increasingly well suited for mobile devices”
Bloated power hog? You mean like the Sharp Linux devices that have gone absolutely nowhere in the market? You know the ones? Those slow, bloated and huge pieces of crap that consumers don’t seem to want?
Your argument is nothing but a recycled piece of FUD, borrowed from some asinine Palm-zealot from the last century.
You mean like the Sharp Linux devices that have gone absolutely nowhere in the market?
Funny, I always thought that applied to Windows SPVs seeing as I’ve never seen anyone buying one at all. How many people do you see using those things or buying them in mobile shops? None, that’s how many. Additionally, it’s quite difficult to see what phones actually use Linux or the more widespread Symbian these days unless you’re told.
In terms of a market, practically all of the new mobile companies springing up in China these days are using Linux and a combination of something like Qtopia and it’s a fast growing market. They ain’t using Windows. In the western world the mobile market’s growth has levelled out quite a bit, but I’d expect to see more Linux-based phones gradually coming through in the future. Not that you’d know as an end consumer really, as Linux/Symbian/Windows is a decision a manufacturer makes based on cost, availability and customisation, none of which Windows Mobile has in its favour. It might have a cost advantage in some cases, but that’s simply because Microsoft pays millions to companies like Orange to produce SPVs until they say “Oh, alright then”.
In terms of branding and acceptance by your average brand-conscious consumer Windows is simply not something they expect to, or want to, see on their new mobile. Windows is that thing they have at home that causes them no end of problems. If I were Microsoft I’d just hide the name.
It’s funny how deluded Microsoft and a lot of their supporters are about how desktop dominance translates to automatic acceptance in the mobile world. People do not choose to use Windows on the desktop – computers, and certainly Windows, are simply something people put up with.
Those slow, bloated and huge pieces of crap that consumers don’t seem to want?
Yer, consumers are flocking to Windows Mobile because they trust the Microsoft name and the Windows brand holds real sway with them because they’re just so keen to show it off. Oh wait……
Your argument is nothing but a recycled piece of FUD, borrowed from some asinine Palm-zealot from the last century.
Right…..
microsoft supports windows mobile developers. nothing wrong with it.
linux, symbian and windows mobile, three great OS for mobile devices
“Funny, I always thought that applied to Windows SPVs seeing as I’ve never seen anyone buying one at all.”
I’m sorry. Are you directing your ranting banter to me? My point was the Linux mobile devices can be every bit as slow, bloated and power hungry as WM devices. I gave the unsuccessful (market-wise) Sharp Linux devices as an example. The example stands.
“It’s funny how deluded Microsoft and a lot of their supporters are about how desktop dominance translates to automatic acceptance in the mobile world.”
Again are you directing your irrational bantering to me? Where did I suggest this? I own a Linux powerered handheld device just to help clue you in a little btw.
“Yer, consumers are flocking to Windows Mobile because they trust the Microsoft name and the Windows brand holds real sway with them because they’re just so keen to show it off. Oh wait……”
What has this got to do with my statement that describing WM as bloated and powerhungry is FUD nowdays? Anyway, you do realise Palm just licenced WM because their customers were asking for it right? So who is flocking to Linux again? The Chinese you say? Those guys that hate paying for licences of anything? I guess you think Apple should start quaking in their boots just because every Chinese manufacturer is going to start using Linux in their music players? Do you see the idiocy of your correlation there? What works in the Chinese market does not necessarily translate into the Western market.
BTW Every smartphone OS grew in marketshare last year. It’s a growing market. You like to dishonestly paint a picture of consumers avoiding WM but it simply is not true. You arn’t being honest at all.
“Right…..”
Yes right. To address the orginal point again, since you went off on your little banter and missed it. Describing WM nowdays as bloated or powerhungry is pure FUD. I don’t see Linux performing any better in any measurable sense on any equivalent hardware that I am aware of. In the case I cited, it has performed arguably worse and consumers have avoided it as a result.
I’m sorry. Are you directing your ranting banter to me?
Please keep your self-righteous comments to yourself. It doesn’t become you. Oh, and learn how to use the reply link.
My point was the Linux mobile devices can be every bit as slow, bloated and power hungry as WM devices.
The problem is that there are different types of Linux based phones and PDAs. The only thing they share in common is some sort of Linux kernel and tools underneath. The graphical tools on top might be Qtopia or something else possibly Java based, and how that is designed makes the device slow and bloated.
However, by definition all Windows Mobile systems are the same, because Microsoft defines it, which means you’ve admitted that Windows Mobile systems are just slow and bloated whatever happens ;-).
What has this got to do with my statement that describing WM as bloated and powerhungry is FUD nowdays?
You went off into a talk about markets and no one wanting to buy these particular Sharp phones which happened to use Linux. You conveniently forgot that no one buys Windows Mobile phones period.
Anyway, you do realise Palm just licenced WM because their customers were asking for it right?
No, Microsoft gave them a wad of cash because no one wants to use Windows Mobile – as usually happens. There is no one clamouring for Microsoft Mobile, and hope that there are is just wishful thinking on your part.
The Chinese you say? Those guys that hate paying for licences of anything?
Irrelevant ranting about the Chinese not paying for Windows licenses…… Has a familiar ring to it…..
I guess you think Apple should start quaking in their boots just because every Chinese manufacturer is going to start using Linux in their music players?
No, because Apple actually have something people want to buy – something you cannot understand that Microsoft does not have. Whether the Chinese use Linux, or whether even Apple starts to use it, is irrelevant. They actually have demand for a product as well as the economies of scale that go with it.
What works in the Chinese market does not necessarily translate into the Western market.
In what way? The western market is a hell of a lot more saturated than the Chinese one, so what makes you think there is room for a second-rate Windows based phone in it for I don’t know. The Chinese market is where the big growth is, and Windows Mobile ain’t a part of it. You’ll then have economies of scale generated by the Chinese market which will translate into the sorts of software used in the West (down to cost of software, availability, supply, demand etc.) which will translate into Windows Mobile just simply fading away. Not even Microsoft can spend that kind of money.
BTW Every smartphone OS grew in marketshare last year. It’s a growing market. You like to dishonestly paint a picture of consumers avoiding WM but it simply is not true. You arn’t being honest at all.
What’s WM? Oh, Windows Mobile. Sorry, Windows Mobile is not familiar enough to be recognised by an acronym. I guess you work for MS or are doing something promotional for this stuff if you are that familiar.
Look at how many phones were sold last year and compare that to how many Smart Phones were sold. You have a srange idea of how many phones actually get sold every year. How many people do you see using Smart Phones in ordinary life who are not sad losers (or people given one by their Microsoft buying company) who already think they should buy large amounts of Microsoft software and products anyway? The point is – no one who is not an IT Microsoft-oriented person chooses to buy a Windows Smart Phone, as difficult as that might be to grasp.
Yes right. To address the orginal point again, since you went off on your little banter and missed it.
Yer, whatever, Microsoft is plainly crap at this and you want to dismiss it all as mindless FUD etc. I get the picture, which is funny considering Microsoft invented the term ;-).
I don’t see Linux performing any better in any measurable sense on any equivalent hardware that I am aware of.
You need to get out more then.
In the case I cited, it has performed arguably worse and consumers have avoided it as a result.
If you’d actually read what I’d written rather than dramatically shouting “FUD!” from the rooftops, you would have gathered that Linux is merely the small base for all of these phones. In terms of the software on top, many might use Qtopia or some other development tool to develop the user facing parts. That doesn’t make Linux slow or bloated on mobile devices, but as the usual uninformed Microsoft twit you think that Linux is one end product as Windows is.
Conversely, Windows Mobile is one product, so if it’s crap in one place it’s crap everwhere :-).
“In the mobile world Linux is not an end product but something that can be moulded and combined with a front-end like Qtopia to be a user friendly PDA/phone better than Windows Mobile could ever be.”
Yet, I very much doubt you could site us a single product where this has translated to be true.
I love the liberal use of the acronym FUD.
Yet, I very much doubt you could site us a single product where this has translated to be true.
The mobile market is based on this principal. At the moment it is Symbian, and not Windows or Linux, that is the most popular for this. Nevertheless, customisation and differentiation is vitally important in this market and only Symbian and Linux as bases really provide it.
“The mobile market is based on this principal. At the moment it is Symbian, and not Windows or Linux, that is the most popular for this. Nevertheless, customisation and differentiation is vitally important in this market and only Symbian and Linux as bases really provide it.”
You can’t name a single Linux product that meets the criteria you assigned to it to make it superior to competing WM products, so you bring up Symbian instead? To-ss-er.
You can’t name a single Linux product that meets the criteria you assigned to it to make it superior to competing WM products, so you bring up Symbian instead? To-ss-er.
That’s because we know Linux is being used, but it’s impossible to know what exactly by because there’s nothing that says ‘Linux Inside’ and there’s no tell-tale user interface. You could probably get on the internet and find a few.
I certainly know no one is using Windows Mobile – that’s a fact – so please try and stop swinging this the other way.
” 1000 milliards de mouches ne peuvent pas se tromper, mangeons de la merde ! ”
It does apply well to the Microsodream of been omnipotent, ominiwhere, omnieverything, even in your bed, your car, your brain.
It’s not technology or security that drive me off Microsoft devices and system, I just dont want to be another shaved sheep in their trusted farm.
“Please keep your self-righteous comments to yourself. It doesn’t become you. Oh, and learn how to use the reply link.”
Oh please. Don’t be such a hypocrite. We are here to play. Stop whining about somebody querying something you have said and just deal with it. I’ll quote however I like btw, regardless of how much you whine.
“The problem is that there are different types of Linux based phones and PDAs. The only thing they share in common is some sort of Linux kernel and tools underneath. The graphical tools on top might be Qtopia or something else possibly Java based, and how that is designed makes the device slow and bloated.“
I know.
“However, by definition all Windows Mobile systems are the same, because Microsoft defines it, which means you’ve admitted that Windows Mobile systems are just slow and bloated whatever happens ;-). “
No I have not admitted that. You are just being horribly dishonest yet again. WM running on handheld devices are as fast, or faster on any handheld devices I have seen- see the Sharp Linux example again. If you would like to compare an alternative to illustrate your point?
“You went off into a talk about markets and no one wanting to buy these particular Sharp phones which happened to use Linux. You conveniently forgot that no one buys Windows Mobile phones period. “
The Sharp device wasn’t a phone. It was handheld. More people buy WM handhelds than Linux handhelds. Simple fact for a simple person.
“No, Microsoft gave them a wad of cash because no one wants to use Windows Mobile – as usually happens. There is no one clamouring for Microsoft Mobile, and hope that there are is just wishful thinking on your part. “
No, Palm are actually quoted as saying some of their customers refused to use the Palm OS and wanted WM. You are being dishonest and fabricating again.
“No, because Apple actually have something people want to buy – something you cannot understand that Microsoft does not have. Whether the Chinese use Linux, or whether even Apple starts to use it, is irrelevant. They actually have demand for a product as well as the economies of scale that go with it.”
People do, and are buying WM phones. Your point falls.
“In what way? The western market is a hell of a lot more saturated than the Chinese one, so what makes you think there is room for a second-rate Windows based phone in it for I don’t know. The Chinese market is where the big growth is, and Windows Mobile ain’t a part of it.”
Western consumers are heavily into branding. That is how they differentiate.
“What’s WM? Oh, Windows Mobile. Sorry, Windows Mobile is not familiar enough to be recognised by an acronym. I guess you work for MS or are doing something promotional for this stuff if you are that familiar.“
Actually because we have both been using the term “Windows Mobile” to refer to MS’s mobile effort, I thought you would be intelligent enough to clue into the acronym. Silly me. No I do not work for MS btw. Got any other paranoid fantasies rattling around in that head of yours?
“Look at how many phones were sold last year and compare that to how many Smart Phones were sold. You have a srange idea of how many phones actually get sold every year. How many people do you see using Smart Phones in ordinary life who are not sad losers (or people given one by their Microsoft buying company) who already think they should buy large amounts of Microsoft software and products anyway? The point is – no one who is not an IT Microsoft-oriented person chooses to buy a Windows Smart Phone, as difficult as that might be to grasp.”
I know more vanilla mobiles get sold each year than smart phones. That does not deminish the fact that the smartphone market is growing substantially. Oh, and I wouldn’t be calling other people “sad losers” btw, it just comes off as hypocritical on your part. I do know non-IT people that buy MS smartphones too. I could just point you to any Pocket PC Phone newsgroup to enlighten you on that fact. You really need to get a clue.
“Yer, whatever, Microsoft is plainly crap at this and you want to dismiss it all as mindless FUD etc. I get the picture, which is funny considering Microsoft invented the term ;-). “
Do you ever stop whining?
“You need to get out more then. “
This coming from the guy who thought the Linux handhelds were phones, or that only people in IT use smartphones?
“If you’d actually read what I’d written rather than dramatically shouting “FUD!” from the rooftops, you would have gathered that Linux is merely the small base for all of these phones. In terms of the software on top, many might use Qtopia or some other development tool to develop the user facing parts. That doesn’t make Linux slow or bloated on mobile devices, but as the usual uninformed Microsoft twit you think that Linux is one end product as Windows is.”
I already know that. What you failed to realise is that by shouting your little rant about Windows being bloated and power hungry that somebody would call you on it for being the outdated myth that it is.
“Conversely, Windows Mobile is one product, so if it’s crap in one place it’s crap everwhere :-).”
For someone in desperate need of a clue- It isn’t one product. It is several.
” but as the usual uninformed Microsoft twit you think that Linux is one end product as Windows is”
Can I just address this again separately. I have already stated I have a Linux handheld, so stop trying to paint me as somebody who only uses MS products, as it is just gross dishonesty on your part.
To be quite honest, people like you make me sick. I have no problem you being on your little vendetta against MS products, but at least try to be honest in your defence of this attitude without resorting to lies, mistruths or deception.
Who do you want to call today?
“That’s because we know Linux is being used, but it’s impossible to know what exactly by because there’s nothing that says ‘Linux Inside’ and there’s no tell-tale user interface. You could probably get on the internet and find a few. ”
Oh, what nonsense. The whole point of this article and thread was that MS is trying to “woo developers”. You think some other company could do the equivalent for a Linux device without mentioning Linux? Are you really that idiotic to think this?
Now there are actually more than a few phone and handheld device manufacturers who have made it quite clear they run Linux. Sharp made the premier Linux handhelds that went nowhere in the market- this is the 3rd or 4th time I have mentioned them so I am hoping it sinks into that rather dense cranium of yours this round. TomTom also makes some great GPS (Do I have to spell the acronym out for you diddums or do you know what I am talking about?) handhelds that run Linux. Motorola also make it quite clear when their smartphones run Linux.
“I certainly know no one is using Windows Mobile – that’s a fact – so please try and stop swinging this the other way.”
Like an ignorant twit like you would know anything. Here are the figures from market research firm Canalys for 1st quarter 2005.
World Market Share for Smartphones:
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2127243/nokia-claims-half-smartph…
Symbian 2/3
Windows Mobile 18%
Palm 10%
This is of course leaving out handhelds where Windows Mobile is doing very well.
Do you wish to waste any more of my time with your ignorance and lies are you not quite done yet?