Monthly Archives: July 2008

Does the New T-Mobile SideKick Foreshadow the end of Windows Mobile?

Microsoft isssued a long press release about the new T-Mobile Sidekick (its developer, Danger, is now a Microsoft subsidiary). Here are the two main paragraphs from the press release:

The new Sidekick features key software improvements including support for video capture, playback and sharing; wireless stereo music and media sharing via Bluetooth; quick friend search and optimized group chats in instant messaging (IM); customizable Web browsing; and universal search across all phone applications and data. In addition, the phone’s shell is customizable, creating a unique look for every device. The result is a Sidekick that is fun to use and showcases the owner’s individuality and style.

“Mobile phones aren’t soulless devices. They’re personal expressions and our lifeline to the people that matter to us as we navigate through all of life’s moments,” said Roz Ho, corporate vice president of Premium Mobile Experiences at Microsoft. “Playing such a significant role in our lives, mobile phones should reflect our individual style. T-Mobile clearly understands this, and we’re very excited about what the new Sidekick will offer consumers.”

At $149, after a discount and mail-in rebate, it comes in below the price of the low-end iPhone. Although it doesn’t have all the features of a Windows Mobile phone (WiFi, for example), it probably has enough features for 99% of people who want fun non-enterprise features (IM, camera, web browser, email, and a QWERTY keyboard). I commented a while back that I think Windows Mobile 7 may be the end of the line or near the end of the line for the WiMo platform. So, take a close look at the new Sidekick. It may be the path that replaces WiMo at Microsoft.

Microsoft Live Mesh Mobile Web Interface


Microsoft Live Mesh is one of several cloud storage services offered by Microsoft (along with Skydrive and Office Live Workspace). One interesting feature of Live Mesh is its web interface for mobile devices. I looked at it from both a TyTn (Windows Mobile Professional Edition 6.0) and iPod touch (2.0 firmware) Both allowed retrieval and photo upload (but not the uploading of other file types). However, when I tried to upload a photo from my TyTn, it was unable to see any photos on the storage card. It could only see files in system RAM rendering this feature near useless. However, I uploaded one of the sample images left in system RAM. And, it did indeed get uploaded to Live Mesh and was visible on my PC.