The lion will not touch the true prince - Shakespeare, Henry IV, Pt I
|
|
|
Microsoft will relax hardware specifications for Windows Phone 8
SOFTWARE REDEVELOPER Microsoft will relax the hardware specifications for its upcoming Windows Phone 8 (WP8) operating system (OS), as revealed by details that have been leaked.
A video of Joe Belfiore, Microsoft's Windows Phone manager has revealed that the upcoming Microsoft mobile OS will finally ditch the Windows CE kernel and use a cut down version of the Windows NT kernel that will be shipped in the Windows 8 PC OS.
According to Pocketnow, Belfiore said the operating system will support four display resolutions, near-field communications chips and even allow for microSD removable storage.
Long time Microsoft blogger Paul Thurott confirmed Pocketnow's Windows NT kernel claims, adding that existing Windows Phone applications will be able to run on WP8.
One of the most surprising aspects of the leak is the news that Microsoft might do away with using its Zune client to synchronise Windows Phone devices with desktops and laptops. It will essentially go back to an updated version of Activesync, the application used for years by the buggy and woeful Windows Mobile OS.
Microsoft's WP8 operating system is expected to make its debut later this year. It will be interesting to see how much customisation, if any, Nokia will manage to do with the WP8 OS to make it stand out from other equally anonymous handsets. µ
Tags: Microsoft
Share this:
Share
@Lanpocalypse The part that makes things more confusing is the fact that Microsoft is trying to create a competitive advantage my "merging" (I'd call it Frankensteining) their mobile, tablet, desktop, laptop, server, and who knows what other platforms into "one".
The promise is that _theoretically_ you will be able to take Metro apps across all of them. The implementation details and a sound transition plan (or lack thereof, depending on one's view) are the things that cause the confusion.
And that's even before we get to actual implementation, which Microsoft has shown the ability to screw up just as badly as any other large organization with many moving parts.
But I don't nor won't own a smart phone. I took a few minutes to try out windows 8. Smart phones are just a hackers delight and I refuce to look at a tiny screen for info. That being said MS at least for now has a "fail" on the desktop if this is truly there plan.
I would seem the want to use the same OS on both.
aki009,k s lavida, Scott, embeddable...
This article is about WINDOWS PHONE 8, not Windows 8....
It's obvious that Microsoft is not communicating its product plans around Windows 8 very clearly. That's a natural outcome of how they do business when combined with rapid change.
Safe to say, there will be multiple binary flavors of Windows 8 for various target platforms with different UIs and feature sets. Enough for even an insider to get overwhelmed. And when it comes out in small bits like this, it sounds like they've lost it.
So I'm just hoping that everyone holds their horses until we know more, either in the form of clarity from Redmond, or in confirmation that the company is pulling a Nokia.
I have a poster on my wall that somebody put together a decade or more ago. It says that Microsoft has combined three of its operating systems into one. Windows CE, Windows ME, and Windows NT are now Windows CEMENT. "As hard as a rock and as dumb as a brick."
I am not a fan of MS but looking at there latest os win 8 it looks like there going in the wrong direction at least for desktops. They may change the format but for desktop it's a joke no one will like. There alwasys late to the party and under whelming. If I was a stock holder I might look elsewhere.
Slapping a smart phone on win 7 is not impreesive nor eeasy to use. I stopped using MS a few years ago becasue I prefer Linux and Os x. But for many people it will be worse than vista.
If MS wants to compete in the smart phone-tablet market they have already lost.
Now you should be good reporters and ask Microsoft what does this mean for Windows 8 Embedded, is that staying on CE and how will the whole thing loko like? What the general unwashed does not know is that Windows CE kernel, despite its shortcomings is a HARD REALTIME OS (NT kernel is not) which is fundamentally important for mission critical devices. (look up RTOS on wiki if you do not know what it is).
Does this mean that MS is again foresaking a large market segment to pursue a fad only to find itself at the bottom of that segment years later when it becomes really important?