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16 Feb 2010

Forget everything you know about Windows Mobile. Seriously, throw the whole OS concept in a garbage bin or incinerator or something. Microsoft has done what would have been unthinkable for the company just a few years ago: started from scratch. At least, that’s how things look (and feel) with Windows Phone 7 Series. This really is a completely new OS — and not just Microsoft’s new OS, it’s a new smartphone OS, like webOS new, like iPhone OS new. You haven’t used an interface like this before (well, okay, if you’ve used a Zune HD then you’ve kind of used an interface like this). Still, 7 Series goes wider and deeper than the Zune by a longshot, and it’s got some pretty intense ideas about how you’re supposed to be interacting with a mobile device. We had a chance to go hands-on with the dev phone before today’s announcement, and hear from some of the people behind the devices, and here’s our takeaway. (And don’t worry, we’ve got loads of pictures and video coming, so keep checking this post for the freshest updates).

First the look and feel. The phones are really secondary here, and we want to focus on the interface. The design and layout of 7 Series’ UI (internally called Metro) is really quite original, utilizing what one of the designers (Albert Shum, formerly of Nike) calls an “authentically digital” and “chromeless” experience. What does that mean? Well we can tell you what it doesn’t mean — no shaded icons, no faux 3D or drop shadows, no busy backgrounds (no backgrounds at all), and very little visual flair besides clean typography and transition animations. The whole look is strangely reminiscent of a terminal display (maybe Microsoft is recalling its DOS roots here) — almost Tron-like in its primary color simplicity. To us, it’s rather exciting. This OS looks nothing like anything else on the market, and we think that’s to its advantage. Admittedly, we could stand for a little more information available within single views, and we have yet to see how the phone will handle things like notifications, but the design of the interface is definitely in a class of its own. Here’s a few takeaways on what it’s like to use (and some video)…

Gallery: Windows Phone 7 Series first look

Gallery: Windows Phone 7 Series UI walkthrough

Continue reading Windows Phone 7 Series hands-on and impressions (updated with video)

Windows Phone 7 Series hands-on and impressions (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tags: drop shadows, garbage bin, incinerator, iPhone, longshot, visual flair, webos, windows phone, Zune

The New Windows Phone: How Does The Enterprise Fit In?

In: web resources

16 Feb 2010

The Windows Phone 7 received a lot of praise after its launch at the Mobile World Congress today for its elegant, minimalist interface. From what we’ve seen, it does look striking.

What we also find to be crystal clear: Microsoft is putting far more emphasis on the consumer market than its productivity features for the enterprise.

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Windows Mobile 7 Series is getting rave reviews. Bloggers say Microsoft really has started from scratch to get back in the game with Apple and Google. It is a brand new OS. And it’s like nothing like we have seen on the market. It is similar to the Zune HD but apparently it goes deeper than that.

According to Engadget:

“First the look and feel. The phones are really secondary here, and we want to focus on the interface. The design and layout of 7 Series’ UI (internally called Metro) is really quite original, utilizing what one of the designers (Albert Shum, formerly of Nike) calls an “authentically digital” and “chromeless” experience. What does that mean? Well we can tell you what it doesn’t mean — no shaded icons, no faux 3D or drop shadows, no busy backgrounds (no backgrounds at all), and very little visual flair besides clean typography and transition animations.”

Microsoft is playing to win in the consumer space but we wonder where the enterprise fits in.

Philippe Winthrop of Enterprise Mobility Matters says there was almost no mention of its enterprise applications:

“However, the amount of time devoted during the presentation to “Productivity” was disappointing for me. Sure, I’m not expecting to see a full blown technical demo when a company is launching a brand new platform, but I would have loved to see how an actual email (and not just the Inbox), as well as accepting a calendar entry looks.”

It’s not unusual to have a lot of questions when a company like Microsoft makes such dramatic changes in its technology strategy. Microsoft is keeping mum about all sorts of issues that are important to the enterprise. Here are a few questions that are popping up:

Windows Phone will most likely not support Windows Mobile legacy applications. The OS is entirely different. What does that mean for the enterprise now using these applications?
What security features does it have? Can data be wiped from it remotely?
How will the Zune software be adapted to the enterprise? Will IT permit people to sync to their PC’s?
How does Azure fit into the picture?
Is this a service the CEO would use or is it really best as a consumer service?

We are very curious about how this will play out. Enterprise collaboration is becoming deeply tied into mobile platforms. The Blackberry, iPhone and Android devices all have their spots in the enterprise. The Blackberry is a messaging device. The Android and iPhone are both application and Web-centric.

Windows phones are a bit of a mystery.

Consumer and enterprise markets continue to overlap. It may just be that people find Windows Mobile 7 more to their liking. And in that case, they will find ways to use the phones for their personal and business use.

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Tags: congress today, consumer space, google, minimalist interface, mobility matters, productivity features, technical demo, visual flair, Zune

Microsoft reboots the experience with new Windows Phone OS

In: web resources

16 Feb 2010

Via Engagdet: “The phone operating system does away with pretty much every scrap of previous mobile efforts from Microsoft, from the look and feel down to the underlying code—everything is brand new.” Video:

Microsoft has officially unveiled its new mobile OS and wiped its slate entirely clean of the oft derided Windows Mobile platform. New code, new name, and a new experience that builds on that of the Zune. It’s great to see Microsoft really do its own thing here and by the looks of it do it well. Looks like we may have three viable smartphone OSes now.

Microsoft’s new UI makes the iPhone’s actually look out-of-date and it’s fantastic to see so much courage and innovation from them. I would actually be more excited about a tablet with this OS than the iPad. The official video:

Check out the official site, too.

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