Summary: Cold reception for future releases of Windows and its variants

THE reality behind Vista 7 is not so pleasant, but either way, Microsoft Nick admits that Microsoft tried to bury Vista this year.

Microsoft's old friends from IDC opine that Vista 7 might be the "last PC OS from Microsoft", but this does not mean that Vista 8 will be called off. Under codenames like "Midori", Microsoft has spoken about this for a long time, since 2008 in fact. Mozilla talks about this too and Google already implements this with Chrome OS (which Microsoft daemonises because it's based on GNU/Linux).

Mozilla Claims Browser Will Run All Future Apps

Mozilla is claiming that its new mobile web browser, currently dubbed Fennec, will spell the end of application stores for mobile phones because once developers start writing for it, apps will run on any platform and can bypass platform specific app stores. Yes, that's right, the old "write once, run anywhere" promise. It didn't work when Java gained popularity in the 90's, and I don't think it will work any better as the new decade dawns.

PC Pro interviewed Jay Sullivan, the vice president of mobile at Mozilla. Mr. Sullivan claims that as developers get more frustrated with mobile app stores and the approval process, they will move their apps to the web. They won't have to fool with app approval nor with rewriting apps for the major mobile platforms, now numbered six.

"As developers get more frustrated with quality assurance, the amount of handsets they have to buy, whether their security updates will get past the iPhone approval process... I think they'll move to the web."

In other news, the reality behind Windows Mobile gets uglier as nothing seems to go right. The next version of the operating system slips as usual (Microsoft cannot ever stick to deadlines, not even last week).

Microsoft has revealed that Windows Mobile 7 - the next version of its smartphone OS - is unlikely to be released until "late 2010".

Here is where the date came from, obviously leading to disappointment:

The news comes from Microsoft's UK head of mobility Phil Moore who is quoted as saying: "It has been put back until late next year but it is definitely coming".

It gets even worse because Xperia X2 too is delayed.

Xperia X2 Delayed Again

[...]

It has been quite a while since Sony Ericsson officially announced the Windows Mobile powered Xperia X2.

Sony Ericsson moved closer to Linux in recent months. Might they just abandon their Windows Mobile plans now that Microsoft reveals further delays and a poor strategy overall?

CNN has written about Linux-powered phones from Google and we include links on the subject of Android on an almost daily basis

Google (GOOG) announced on its mobile blog Saturday what dozens of staffers had already leaked: the company has given employees around the world free handsets running its Android mobile operating system. The idea, according to the official report, is to have Google's own people test various advanced features and offer feedback to the company's designers — a process known in the business as "dogfooding" (as in "eating your own dogfood").

Microsoft bloggers are trying to steal the thunder by mentioning Google's products, in this case the Google phone. Oh, how things have changed (gotten reversed). The Microsoft-sponsored TechFlash blog did the same thing a few days ago when Yelp moved towards Google. There is a lot of Google envy at Microsoft, as the previous post hopefully showed. Microsoft is also very jealous of the iPhone and news coverage from the past week includes:

● Windows Mobile on Life Support, Drops Behind iPhone

● Apple Tops Windows in Smart Phone Share

● Microsoft admits it was “caught napping” by the iPhone

● Microsoft mobile chief 'We're still playing catch-up' - with Apple

Apple scored a home run with the iPhone, and rivals are still struggling to catch-up, even while Google’s Android OS poses an additional threat to former smartphone industry leaders.

Here is new analysis from the Gerson Lehrman Group, a self-admitted "big fan of Windows Mobile":

Microsoft - Losing Ground in Mobile

[...]

This year, I've been closely watching the horse race between iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile. As it's turning out, it's not much of a race for Microsoft. As a big fan of Windows Mobile, I've been concerned that Microsoft would blow it as we headed into this crucial fourth quarter.

Some people argue that Microsoft will try to buy RIM. Older rumours said that Microsoft had already attempted to do this, maybe because it royally messed up Danger/SideKick (more information below). ⬆

Posts about the Microsoft-imposed SideKick disaster:

• Microsoft Pink is Already Declared Dead and Danger Dies with Permanent Data Loss
• Microsoft Sued for Data Loss
• Lawsuits Against Microsoft Turn to Class Action Lawsuit While Microsoft Mobiles Become Dying Breed
• Microsoft Recovers Sidekick Data? Not So Fast!
• Microsoft Sued for Sidekick Disaster, Fined for Using “Money Power” to “Harass” Defendants

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Direct link (Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer laughs at Apple's iPhone in 2007)