Future of Windows Mobile
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So, from what I've been able to glean from the Internet, native Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x applications (which is most of them) can't run on Windows Phone 7. Only new applications that use XNA or Silverlight will be allowed. Is this really true? No native code? No way to write VPNs or other complex software that must deal directly with the OS? Windows Phone 7 is based on Windows CE 6, so it really isn't all that different from Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x. It should be possible to do native development as always... but apparently this is not allowed, or is it? I have heard that Adobe is writing a Flash plugin for Windows Phone 7. How are they doing this, if they aren't using native code? I assume they aren't doing it in XNA or Silverlight. Maybe you would need some kind of code signing or logo certification before being allowed to run outside the sandbox????? Any enlightenment would be appreciated! Thanks
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So, from what I've been able to glean from the Internet, native Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x applications (which is most of them) can't run on Windows Phone 7. Only new applications that use XNA or Silverlight will be allowed. Is this really true? No native code? No way to write VPNs or other complex software that must deal directly with the OS? Windows Phone 7 is based on Windows CE 6, so it really isn't all that different from Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x. It should be possible to do native development as always... but apparently this is not allowed, or is it? I have heard that Adobe is writing a Flash plugin for Windows Phone 7. How are they doing this, if they aren't using native code? I assume they aren't doing it in XNA or Silverlight. Maybe you would need some kind of code signing or logo certification before being allowed to run outside the sandbox????? Any enlightenment would be appreciated! Thanks
As you've probably found by now Windows Phone 7 is in no way compatible with Windows Mobile. You can't really infer much from it being based off of Windows CE. My Zune's OS is based on Windows CE, the Slingbox's OS is based on Windows CE, some remote controls and Picture frames are based on Windows CE, and Ford Sync is based off of Windows CE. Yet I would not expect for software for any one of these to be able to run on any other. I know Adobe's expressed interest in Windows Phone 7, but have't heard confirmation they are making a flash plugin. There does exist native development for Windows Phone 7 but access to it is limited. Applications will need to be signed to be run and th eonly method of distribution will be the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Joel Ivory Johnson
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As you've probably found by now Windows Phone 7 is in no way compatible with Windows Mobile. You can't really infer much from it being based off of Windows CE. My Zune's OS is based on Windows CE, the Slingbox's OS is based on Windows CE, some remote controls and Picture frames are based on Windows CE, and Ford Sync is based off of Windows CE. Yet I would not expect for software for any one of these to be able to run on any other. I know Adobe's expressed interest in Windows Phone 7, but have't heard confirmation they are making a flash plugin. There does exist native development for Windows Phone 7 but access to it is limited. Applications will need to be signed to be run and th eonly method of distribution will be the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Joel Ivory Johnson
Yup, certainly more information out there since last month. I realize the UI shell would certainly not be the same. But some system level components (like Layered Service Providers or device drivers) that ran on Windows Mobile 6.5 under Windows CE 5 should work on Windows Phone 7 under Windows CE 6, if you can get them installed... And like you said, there does seem to be the capability to run native applications on Windows Phone 7, if you are Microsoft or Adobe: http://www.istartedsomething.com/20100317/microsofts-applications-windows-phone-7-series-not-silverlight-based/[^] I have no problems with signing--we had to do that for Windows Mobile, but some of these other issues with Windows Phone 7 are a bit concerning. Some ISVs have already thrown in the towel: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=5654[^]
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Yup, certainly more information out there since last month. I realize the UI shell would certainly not be the same. But some system level components (like Layered Service Providers or device drivers) that ran on Windows Mobile 6.5 under Windows CE 5 should work on Windows Phone 7 under Windows CE 6, if you can get them installed... And like you said, there does seem to be the capability to run native applications on Windows Phone 7, if you are Microsoft or Adobe: http://www.istartedsomething.com/20100317/microsofts-applications-windows-phone-7-series-not-silverlight-based/[^] I have no problems with signing--we had to do that for Windows Mobile, but some of these other issues with Windows Phone 7 are a bit concerning. Some ISVs have already thrown in the towel: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=5654[^]
Dr. William J. Blanke wrote:
Some ISVs have already thrown in the towel: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=5654\[^\]
I wouldn't read to much into that. While I expect some developers to leave the Windows Phone platform at the same time the move Microsoft has made brings a much larger body of developers to the platform (or rather it brings the platform to the developers). There was already a number of XNA developers and an even greater number of Silverlight developers. Both will be able to use their existing skillset to target Windows Phone. So developers supporting the platform will be plentiful.
Joel Ivory Johnson
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Dr. William J. Blanke wrote:
Some ISVs have already thrown in the towel: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=5654\[^\]
I wouldn't read to much into that. While I expect some developers to leave the Windows Phone platform at the same time the move Microsoft has made brings a much larger body of developers to the platform (or rather it brings the platform to the developers). There was already a number of XNA developers and an even greater number of Silverlight developers. Both will be able to use their existing skillset to target Windows Phone. So developers supporting the platform will be plentiful.
Joel Ivory Johnson
True, there will be a bigger pool of developers. But no matter how many developers you have, you can't write a VPN for Windows Phone 7 in Silverlight or XNA. And it looks like large, existing projects that could run on Windows Mobile (like Firefox) can't be ported to Windows Phone 7. Rather they will need to be rewritten from scratch. Firefox says that won't happen in their case. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I hope Microsoft doesn't bury Windows Mobile just yet.
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True, there will be a bigger pool of developers. But no matter how many developers you have, you can't write a VPN for Windows Phone 7 in Silverlight or XNA. And it looks like large, existing projects that could run on Windows Mobile (like Firefox) can't be ported to Windows Phone 7. Rather they will need to be rewritten from scratch. Firefox says that won't happen in their case. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. I hope Microsoft doesn't bury Windows Mobile just yet.
Dr. William J. Blanke wrote:
But no matter how many developers you have, you can't write a VPN for Windows Phone 7 in Silverlight or XNA.
true. Microsoft acknowledges that there are scenarios (Especially business scenarios) that will not be possible for third party developers to implement on Windows Phone 7 with the access that they are giving us to the system today. But Miocrosoft has also repeatedly expressed that satisfying enterprise and business needs isn't first priority in the initial release of Windows Phone 7. ( see the Focus, Focus, Focus [^] blog post). I thought that Ginny Caughey expressed the same concept so eloquently in the MSDN forums not long ago. In this post [^] she says "...for most folks, the measure of a phone isn't whether it has multitasking or a SQL database or removable storage, but how the thing works in their lives." The iPhone started to erode away at the Windows Mobile marketshare at release even without the ability to add applications. But it provided a great experience out of the box. Needs for databases, network access, and other needs will be addressed later on. Right now Microsoft is concentrating on making a phone that provides a good user experience. For now note that Microsoft is still directing enterprises to Windows Mobile 6.5 for their mobile needs.
Joel Ivory Johnson