“A Microsoft insider took a major chance by spilling an internal Microsoft document containing details about the upcoming Windows Mobile 7 platform. Among the juicy tidbits of info are that WinMo7 will forgo stylus input and will be finger-touch based a la iPhone instead. Once again, Apple innovates, Microsoft follows,” Eric Zeman blogs for InformationWeek.
“The majority of his post discusses how users will interact with WinMo7. The big change? Everything about the user interface will be revamped so that users’ chubby digits can interact with it via a touch screen. No more stylus. No more ballpoint pen. No more pecking with your finger nail. Windows Mobile 7 is going to copy the iPhone,” Zeman blogs.
Full article here.
Nathan Weinberg for the Blog News Channel’s “InsideMicrosoft” lays Windows Mobile 7 bare with tons of images and information here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “MacVicta” for the heads up.]
Really, did anyone expect Microsoft to try anything else? This is what they do. It’s they have always done. This time, however, as Steve Jobs explicitly stated when he unveiled the iPhone, Apple has over 200 patents relating to the iPhone and its multi-touch user interface and they plan to vigorously defend them. We’ll just have to wait and see if Microsoft thinks they can get away with it again.
What, no tiny plastic-buttoned keyboard, Uncle Fester?
Direct link via YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5oGaZIKYvo
me kick their ass now
it is things like this that really make me hate microsoft.
scumbags
Pathetic. Can we all play that Ballmer video in which he says the iPhone will fail because it lacks a keyboard? Gosh gee look here, the copy cat W7 will use a virtual keyboard also. First he throws out FUD to scare people, then they copy the iPhone. LOL… Pathetic.
Wouldn’t it be great if MSFT could just innovate – say develop a flawless voice actuation interface.
Can you imagine that abortion?
Entire transcript of Ballmer’s recent private meeting on Microsoft’s innovation strategy:
Assistant: “We’re out of toner.”
Ballmer: “Should we buy a copier company?”
Assistant: “Or we could just order more toner.”
Ballmer: “Huh. O.K. Here’s $14 million. There’s an Office Depot on 24th. And bring me a few dozen doughnuts and a tongue scraper while you’re out.”
THEFT. It’s what Microsoft does best!
This is ridiculous! They copied details right down to the .?123 button and the letter overlays over the keyboard button when you press it.
This looks just like the iPhone, only ofcourse, much uglier.
Can’t say I didn’t expect to see this.
That said, I can’t wait to see how Ballmer is going to try to sell a device without a physical keyboard after everything he has said about the iPhone. What a joke the man is.
The good news is, there is no way they will be able to make this thing half as elegant and easy to use as the first generation iPhone is. And by the time they get it out the door, chances are we’ll all have third generation iPhones in our pockets.
–mAc
PS: Apple, do the world a favor and sue them into the stone age.
The image in the center takes the cake. How do you exactly replicate prominent features of an Apple product like that – right down to the key callout?! It’s not taking the concept and advancing it – it’s flat out stealing it! Either the MS PR machine is broken or they’re really so pathetic as not even TRY glossing over the fact that they’re thieves.
When will Windows Mobile 7 be released? 2010???
This ticks me off.
Unbelievable how people continue to support such a weak company that only has a lot of money to throw at any market.
Is that last image just highlighting or copy and paste?
This guy is the richest moron in the history of the world.
Again M$ are planning to copy Apple; but also to cover all the possible hardware designs from Nokia, Sony et al – be it keys, touch-screen or stylus.
It is therefore going to be a long time coming, and lump of bloat-ware when it gets here.