Windows Live may seem like a failure in the eyes of many a TechCrunch reader, but there are a number of services that continue to thrive within the scope of a vast, mainstream audience. Hence it’s worth noting that Microsoft has released a new application for Windows Mobile devices that encompasses a slew of Live services used by dozens of millions of people every day.
The new version (v10.06.0046.0800) of the Windows Live For Windows Mobile client, which is evidently free of charge, includes mobile versions of Windows Live Hotmail (works with both both pull and push sync), Windows Live Messenger (finally!), Windows Live Contacts, Windows Live Spaces, Microsoft Live Search and enhanced photo upload capabilities. The app comes in a Pro version for touch-enabled devices and a Standard version for non-touch phones, and is available in 25 languages.
The mobile web version is also still available, and features a new beta version of Windows Live Hotmail which offers a number of welcome additions like the ability to see full HTML pages within e-mail messages and a new email search feature, next to a revamped UI and navigation enhancements for touch-screen devices.
(Hat tip to Microsoftie Coolz0r on Twitter)
They had to bring out these features to keep up with all the Google tools for cells and of course the recently launched Skype app for iPhone.
But seriously, does Microsoft really want to compete in the mobile software and cell phone operating system market? Their only advantage is the Office – Cell sync. Blackberry and iPhone are just two players they cannot beat.
Microsoft has an army of people using Live services, and most of them have mobile phones. I doubt they’re adding new mobile services and enhancing the existing ones to keep up with competitors rather than facilitating those existing users.
Why is their only advantage Office? Windows Mobile is still running on more types of cell phones than any other mobile OS. Even apple uses Windows Mobile on their store’s mobile checkout stands. In terms of features, power, and accessibility, Windows Mobile is still a more open platform than the iPhone or Blackberry and more 3rd party applications exist for it than the other two combined.
As far as web apps go, Microsoft has the ability and talent to create mobile apps that are years ahead of what google has put out there. Try comparing Outlook Web Access to any web email tool out there and you would be amazed by its features and usability.
Oh, and cell sync? You must be joking. Both Blackberry and iPhone (and even google at this point) are using ActiveSync for their enterprise messaging sync.
This is the problem with Microsoft haters. They are so clouded by their hatred that they can not see past it.
OK, I confess. I am terribly afraid of them, because they are a nasty big-stick-swinging monopoly and they have a long history of only innovating under pressure. I fear them because there was a better process dispatcher in OS/360 than there is in Windows Vista, some forty years later.
Do I fear their innovation-stultifying presence in mobile applications? You bet I do. He who cannot remember the past is doomed to repeat it.
So if IBM decided to do online software, you’d bash them as well? They had the same practices years ago as Microsoft. What about Siebel, Oracle, and most of the other powerhouses of the 90’s?
A lot has changed in the last 10 years. Microsoft did not see Google coming. Siebel did not see Salesforce.com coming. Oracle did not see SQL Server or mySQL coming. All of these companies have changed both their approach to software and business practices due to the last 10 years.
To say that Live is a failure is overstating things. Hotmail and messenger alone are used by more people combined than any other service and many of the companies that are competing with them only think of one thing – how to beat Microsoft. Still after all of these years.
I would not count Microsoft out just yet…
Nice to see free service from Microsoft. Working hard to increase their mobile market share.
Yeah, they are doing hard work to capture a good %tage in mobile app share. I will try that thing
http://www.smartbloggerz.com
Thanks for the info Robin. Installing now.
I still laugh at anyone still using Microsoft online services, especially Hotmail. Talk about puppets on a string.
Go Google!
Anyone? All half a billion of them?
I use hotmail messenger cuz alot of my friends still use it and they didn’t switch to google , and use gtalk also for who switch
.
Go Google?
Talk about a puppet.
How am I a puppet?
Hummm…I’ll give you a free email account, but you have to go to our site to use it, and we much prefer you use IE to view it, and even then, we have an altra-crappy user interface that doesn’t even work properly in IE.
Or, here is a free email account, use our site, or use ANY IMAP CLIENT to access your email from your desktop or phone. On top of that, if you want to sync your contacts, just use your built in SyncMl client on your phone.
Hummm….who’s the puppet again?
Half a billion what, kids? Parents? People that don’t know anything about computers but what Microsoft tells them? Give me a break.
“doesn’t even work properly in IE”
Really? What doesn’t work? Do tell!
“Half a billion what, kids? Parents? ”
Ah I see now. Sorry, I didn’t realise that parents and kids weren’t relevant. Thanks for bringing me up to speed!!!
Gmail doesn’t have reading pane like Outlook and Hotmail have and doesn’t update me about news from my friend like Hotmail does on its Today page.
I can keep my contacts from Windows Live Messenger in sync Hotmail contacts. Can I keep my Messenger contacts in sync with Gmail? No, I can’t.
greats..
they are working
God I hate Live’s colors. My eyes! It sears my eyes! Oh, God!!!
This is good timing. Skype recently released support for iPhone Apps.
Read it here.
http://www.sm.tv/d
Cheers,
EM
Have you tried using it? Not exactly the most usable product on earth…
Doesn’t work with 3G.. what’s the point?
As much as I’d like to give it a try, here are the reasons I won’t: (from the FAQ)
1. Can I install this product on a Storage Card?
No, Windows Live can currently only be installed to your device’s internal storage.
2. Can I configure multiple Windows Live Hotmail accounts through Windows Live for Windows Mobile?
No, Windows Live for Windows Mobile only supports one Hotmail account at a time. If you wish to access additional accounts you can use the web version…
So, sounds like sticking with the web version (http://mobile.live.com) will have the same (if not better) result for me.
thanks for sharing the information.
I am heavy user of Msn messinger and really welcome the launch of mobile messinger.
More goodies … I’m looking forward to the new client. But, will the cell phones be powerful enough?
http://videos.t....com/tag/mobile
“Windows Live may seem like a failure in the eyes of many a TechCrunch reader..” Robin, you never explain why that is or what “many” constitutes. 10? 100? 1,000?
Is there a specific service that you’re pointing to? Hotmail? MovieMaker? Messenger? All are freely provided services that have held up for years with generally positive consumer and reviewer comments. While I don’t use all of them, I appreciate the fact that I can buy/build a new computer and have a myriad of choices from which to choose, including Microsoft.
I fault the general nature of blogging for this, but you really should qualify statements like this if you want to be taken seriously, or perhaps you’re fine with making bold statements for the sake of hits & revenue.
I don’t think Robin is insinuating that Windows Live is a failure, he’s insinuating that most TechCrunch readers would have that opinion. He’s probably not far wrong!
Yes, thank you. Whatever your opinion of MS, you would have to be blind not to see the size of the audience Live Services actually serves.
Spiel – to correct some of your misconceptions:
1) You can use any email client with hotmail
2) You don’t like the interface that’s fine, but it’s just your opinion. Gmail is horrible in my view and their use of tagging instead of folders is enough to make me avoid it
3) Yes hotmail has many, many more users that gmail. I don’t think it’s reasonable to write hotmail users off as “people who don’t know anything about computers”. Maybe you’re happy with your superiority complex but you’ve just insulted a good chunk of the human population, I think you’re underestimating people.
I can’t bring myself to use any google services given their track history with privacy. I don’t want them snooping on my emails and online activity, and frankly I don’t trust google enough.
If you’re happy with them, great. But don’t insult 500 million people in such an offhand way.
Hotmail is now POP3 enabled.
You can use it with any email client that has POP3.
Windows Live for Mobile, is probably the best thing on Windows Mobile OS. And before you start bashing that statement, it’s the same as MobileMe but has been around longer and is free.
It’s a shame the blog post/discussion is around Microsoft bashing instead of evaluating the products actual benefits over the previous version.
Live Messenger withing this client has actually been available for years over at XDA. But fanbois wouldn’t know what that is.
I don’t think the blog post is “Microsoft bashing”. Is it?
Too little, too late.
- Better mail on klunky old phones – does that increase usage?
- Same question for Live Spaces.
- Yeh, I can IM over Windows Mobile! Is that the IM/SMS crowd of twitter/iphone adopters?
Seems like the committee output of group think – more focused on political agendas than consumer reality.
My clunky old phone still runs. Why would I waste money on a new phone when the old phone still works?
Why should people using older phones be denied upgrades to popular services?
But the question is, where is Sarah? Why is Robin still writing so much when there is a new gal in the office?
i use windows live mobile all the time. swipe left or right to different email accounts and to sms/mms. it would of been really cool if they had added the dynamic background as it is on the computer.
i’ve never used gtalk before so i cant coment on that (i dont trust google: i installed google maps for mobile but wen looking through the agreement i see something along the lines of ”we might take your phone number on record” what? i’m using a map i’m not making calls with your service, why do you need my phone number again? no way, i uninstalled).
i like their new efforts, hopfully they continue adding more and more features while keeping usability in mind.
@DJ Chang
what the hell are talking about? i’m having a hard time following your statements made to look like questions.
a lot of people dont go out buying new phones every year (as a certain fruity company wants all its users to do) so they stick with what they have, as for me i have an x7501 and i havent seen anything to rival this in the states so i hold on to my presious for years now.
and an answer to your so called question: better mail on old phones = a smile on the user’s face and this improves usage stats.
so if you dont use it then you just dont and you have no right to coment on it, because your coment will be half assed, bias and fanboyish.
Surprisingly, those Microsoft haters try not to use Microsoft products at all cost, yet they are the first ones to criticize its products. I don’t get it, if you stop using hotmail 10 years ago, how can you come out now and say it sucks. At least give it a try and tell us what you don’t like about it before you make comparison. Maybe I am just asking for too much. Am I?
Wake up people, Skype client has existed for a very long time on Windows Mobile and other platforms. There is no news value in that it is now available also on iPhone.
Competition in services is good for the user.