So now Microsoft is happily seeding buzz through Twitter account @officethemovie, which is tied to the marketing website for ‘Office 2010: The Movie’. The account was created recently and starting sending out tweets about 14 hours ago at the time of this writing. One of the first messages revealed a bit about the type of social networking integration the next version of Office is going to boast: “Office 2010 will include Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks integrated right into Word. That’s just a hint of what’s to come!”
Update: turns out it was a fake Twitter account, so fortunately Microsoft didn’t link to it on their official website or anything … except, of course, that’s exactly what they accidentally did. Doh.
Right after that one, there was another cryptic one about Zune, of which I’m not entirely sure what it has to do with Office exactly. It read: “June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers”, and was followed by another one that asked some people who expressed interest on Twitter that it concerns a ‘new product launch’ and that they should ‘hold off from buying an iPhone or Palm Pre’.
Neowin is considering this to be either a hint for a new (HD) version of Microsoft’s media player (which CrunchGear confirmed was coming this year) to be announced next month at E3 Expo, or the introduction of the much-rumored Zune Phone, a touch-screen multimedia cellphone Microsoft was reportedly working on together with Verizon.
Fact is no one knows for sure what’s coming, but Microsoft has in the past made it abundantly clear that it wasn’t planning on entering the mobile device manufacturing market with a proprietary device, and that it wasn’t building a Zune-specific phone. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s actually never going to happen, but I wouldn’t put any money on something like that being introduced next month.
More likely, devices equipped with the latest versions of Windows Mobile will be extended with software that tightly integrates with Zune services (a project code-named ‘Pink’) although Microsoft could also plan the announcement of a major distribution partnership with carrier Verizon, despite rumors that the latter is also in talks with Apple for an iPhone contract when the current deal with AT&T expires.
Or both. Or something else. Or maybe MS says June will be important for Zune just because it has a nice ring to it and they simply really don’t want you to buy a Pre or iPhone.
Not it says – New product launch, that’s all I’m allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre.
Ultra smooth interface of zune phone.. yumm.. and, grr, vid rec.
It’s weird to think of Microsoft as an underdog. However, I do find myself rooting for them in this case. The mobile phone/internet device is the PC of the next decade, and there needs to be more strong competitors in the mobile world.
I’m not a fan of Apple’s closed ecosystem. Palm is about 6 months from bankruptcy unless the Pre’s a big hit (fingers crossed). Nokia can’t figure out how to make a touch-capable device, or how to crack the US market. Android is off to an extremely slow start. Blackberries…
As far as I’m concerned, no one has got it right yet. A decent mobile device from a reinvigorated Microsoft would be fantastic, and would push the rest of the industry to keep moving forward.
However, i’m still pretty skeptical. WinMo 6.5 was looking pretty weak a month ago. If Microsoft was sitting on a better mobile OS or a Zune Phone, why wouldn’t they have showed that off instead?
My guess is it will be a new device that will compete with the iphone. For iphone lovers, I did not say it will replace the iphone.
I just want to know if a zune phone comes out that how many times do I have to reset the firmware in a week?
I used to have a zune (the Halo edition) and wow!!! Twice a week was the least…
Why instead of creating a new software they reinvented the one called Windows Mobile?
Hopefuly the Zune phone doesn’t run Vista on it.
Really I have had each generation of Zune and never had to reset any of them. In fact I have both my Zune and an ipod touch, the touch sits in my backpack because I need something that will play video for longer than an hour.
I love the interface of the Zune, very clean, very simple. The built in wifi which let’s me sync without connecting, and the fact that I can use a subscription that allowed me to download 10 new albums so far this month, and now I can own 10 of the songs. I would love to see MS do a better job with the Zune Marketplace software, more podcasts and videos, but for a service only 3 years old it is very close to where itunes is.
I have never met a Zune lover. Still holding out for iPhone on Verizon.
I have never ever seen a Zune in my life.
I have one, and quickly forgot my iPod Shuffle even existed. Then of course I got an iPhone …
I have a Zune and 4 iPods – Zune is definatley a more user friendly interface and much slicker overall.
Im a zune fan right here. Its FAR FAR FAR superior to iphone. The desktop interface is beautiful and works amazingly, and more important is that it doesn’t LOCK ME DOWN the way iTUNES does.
Bought an iPhone for my wife and all it does is crash and lock and take forever to update and syncs soooooooooooo slow.
But…. I still wouldnt buy a WinMo device. Not unless the phone is at least 1 Ghz processor. WinMo 7 may be nice but will all my experience (and I have a lot) on WinMo devices…. Ill wait.
Loving my G1 right now, I think Andorid is poised to take a huge bite out of the mobile market.
Shut your b1tch ass up.
You are a troll. iPhone all it does is crash? long time to sync? If that were true, iPhone wouldn’t be selling as it is. I do believe the Zune has some good qualities. But it’s just like that girl in high school that you knew was nice (had a good heart) but she was kind of ugly and you didn’t want to be caught dead with her in public.
The Zune is a surprisingly good product. I used to say that Microsoft has only done three things really well: SQL Server, the original XBOX and the Zune.
The marketing strategy has always just been “well maybe it will catch on,” which is pretty silly. But as a PMP it’s been solid and far easier than any ipod I’ve used.
I can’t imagine the MS phone that would make me think twice about getting an iPhone. It would have to have just sick hardware specs, a completely redesigned UI and at least the promise of a thriving app store.
I just don’t see MS pulling that out of the bad from a standing start.
I would totally buy the Zune! Enough iPhone monopoly!
The iPhone only has a little over 1% marketshare of all phones and finished second among smartphones for the quarter. I think it’s interesting that this twitter came from tweetie which is a Mac/iPhone client. LOL! I could see a Zune phone being a total disaster. Windows 6.5 already looks like an outdated OS and early sneak previews of WM7 look just as bad. Microsoft is now just trying to stay relevant with the new iPhone and Pre.
BTW, Office with Twitter and Facebook support? Office 2010 is shaping up to be the most bloated version yet by far. This next Office looks to be the worst version.
A Zune phone? That’s pretty cool, but they should call it the zPhone or something to compete with Apple. Might not be the smart legal thing to do but hey, everyone can try, right?
What about an enhanced touch screen Zune with built in Skype-like functionality? So, you actually don’t need a phone anymore.
What about implanting it into my skull so we don’t need fingers anymore?
Let’s just go all the way with this one. Brain Mobile.
Who cares about a Zune phone when you have Idou coming out?
Idou? Link?
“Idou? Link?”
http://www.yout...h?v=88b2MbtyRsI
http://www.yout...h?v=LOzXBsxniJg
Microsoft said something like “We aren’t making a phone” but for sure did not say “We’re not getting someone lese to make a phone for us”. I think they have a large hole thru which they can drive any plan without contradiction. However, it is fairly unusual for one corporation to say “Don’t buy that other company’s new product about to be launched” because it has all kinds of OTHER ramifications (like Poor Palm’s stock price) that might even make them liable in some manner. I’ve expect Microsoft to come out with some more words soon like “Not official Microsoft opinion”
How can Microsoft NOT have a Zune Phone? The iPhone has been out for about 3,000 years. All you have to do is take the !#$% Zuneware and stick it in a phone?!?
“Im a zune fan right here. Its FAR FAR FAR superior to iphone. The desktop interface is beautiful and works amazingly, and more important is that it doesn’t LOCK ME DOWN the way iTUNES does.”
iPhone DOES NOT lock you down to the iTunes store. I buy music from CD baby and other online stores all of the time. You download them as MP3s and add them to your iTunes library, cover art and all. No problem here.
Have never had stability issues either with my previous iPods or current iPhone 3G.
Not trying to nitpick, but how are you confirming that the twitter account is run by someone associated to MS Office or Microsoft? Sure the link on the twitter page points to OfficetheMovie, but I can’t find anything that points back to the twitter account.
I remember seeing an ad on a small car “When I grow up , I want to be a Mercedes”
May be microsoft should have something similar in their office.
It’s hard to think that Microsoft will not jump into smart phones. The product category is growing way too fast in a slow economy to ignore. I thought Microsoft would just buy Palm and takeover the marketing of the Pre, but everyone wants to build their own baby.
With Windows 7 and a new Zune phone, could this be the year for a Microsoft comeback? I doubt that Apple is scared, but maybe they should be a little bit.
MS does have a smart phone. dozens of them.. like the motorola q, palm treo 700w series… they just don’t make the hardware.
I have the zune and the ipod. the zune device rocks but it is the zune app is the one that stinks; very surprising that MS could not come up with a better product being a software company.
Is that the Klingon theme on the right? Wow that’s an ugly interface. I actually like the looks of Zune screenshots I have seen in the past, but I have never tried one.
Unfortunately the screenshots shown here are uninspired at best and downright ugly at worst.
It better be a pretty powerful device if they want to take a bit of the iPhone market.
Anyone who doesn’t see this as a typical Microsoft vaporware attempt to stifle people buying from the competition is naive.
This is a classic Microsoft tactic they have used since they decided to do Windows, and played a large role in establishing their dominance in the market. The only thing just as sure is the lemmings who listen to them.
Does anyone really want to admit they actually follow this particular Twitter account?
innovation, please.
a Zune phone. The very idea makes people laugh in derision. I hope they make one, tho. I want to see it crash and burn like everything else they do.
If a company was run by a bloated, loud mouthed buffoon, this is just the sort of thing they would develop.
This may have been a fake or hack:
http://www.mobi...one-tweet-fake/