Pender's Blog

Blog archive

Windows Mobile 6.5 Is Alive

Michael Phelps's recent and unfortunate reentry into the news got us to thinking about Windows Mobile. No, really.

Phelps has mastered one of those sports, swimming, that only really gets much attention every four years -- at least here in the U.S. It's the same for track and field or for downhill skiing in the Winter Olympics; most Americans only care about this stuff once every four years. Then it goes back being the domain of enthusiasts' and the participants' families. (Again, we're talking about the U.S. here; we're well aware that Australians love swimming and Austrians love skiing, for example. But we digress.)

We don't write much about Windows Mobile here at RCPU, mainly because it falls just outside the enterprise technology niche that (we hope) is most interesting to our channel audience. But recently, Windows Mobile -- which, in our defense, was kind of dormant on the news front for a long time -- just won't leave us alone. And with mobile technology already well-integrated into the enterprise, we figure more than a few partners are working with Microsoft's mobile OS, anyway.

So, there was even more news about Windows Mobile this week, albeit nothing earth-shattering, with the rollout of version 6.5 of the operating system, along with the expected announcements about Microsoft's My Phone service and the launch of a new developer site. Microsoft chose the entirely sensible occasion of a conference in Barcelona to roll out the news, and Steve Ballmer also spoke about openness and interoperability, two ideas we hope Microsoft pursues not just in the mobile space but across the board.

Of course, Windows Mobile isn't like desktop Windows in terms of market share. It's got some very stiff competition, and some observers note that the OS isn't yet where Microsoft needs it to be functionality-wise. Supposedly Windows Mobile 7, a much bigger forthcoming release, will be more of a blockbuster than the relatively pedestrian 6.5. We'll await Windows Mobile 7, then, with the same curiosity that leads us to watch stuff like bobsledding on TV every four years. Maybe by then Michael Phelps will be endorsing the product...but we doubt it.

Any thoughts on Windows Mobile to share? Share them at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on February 18, 2009


Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.