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Microsoft Prepping its Own iPhone Competitor

Monday, November 24th, 2008 at 8:50 AM - by

Microsoft is apparently ready to go after Apple's iPhone, and has plans to announce its own Windows-based smartphone early in 2009. Sources familiar with the matter claim that Microsoft will be powered by Nvidia's Tegra processor, according to iTnews Australia.

Microsoft's iPhone competitor is expected to make its first appearance at the 3GSM conference in February with a likely ship date shortly after that.

The Redmond-based company has already tried to take on Apple on its own turf with the Zune portable digital media player. The device was touted by some as an 'iPod killer," but has yet to gain traction against Apple's media players even though it has been on the market for two years.

Should Microsoft move forward with its own smartphone, that could be bad news for other cell phone makers that rely on the company's technology. The device could follow in the Zune's footsteps and take business from Microsoft partners instead of eating away at Apple's marketshare.

Microsoft has not yet officially announced its own smartphone product, so the company's partners still have some time to prepare for the new competition.

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mahuti said:

member since 09 Jan 2003 with 377 posts, TMO Staff, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:35 am

So, it's a phone AND a Zune? Tastes like awesome right? Will it have Norton Anti-Virus on the home screen?

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davebarnes said:

member since 12 Jan 2005 with 130 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 11:59 am

I wish them luck.

The competition will make Apple's offerings better.

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xmattingly said:

member since 31 Jul 2007 with 266 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:15 pm

mahuti wrote:
Will it have Norton Anti-Virus on the home screen?
Haha, it probably will. Along with some seriously cool pre-installed crapperware!

Same old song and dance: M$ adds nothing new or innovative - they will simply be going head on with Apple with also-ran hardware. How many Zunes have been sold in the past couple of years - a couple million? This thing will tank as badly as the Zune did.

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A guest said: (hide)

Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:32 pm

Hell yeah move forward! Isn't making weak copies of apple products in it's missionstatement.ppt? We'd all be disappointed if they didn't. I can't wait for Vista Mobile.

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mahuti said:

member since 09 Jan 2003 with 377 posts, TMO Staff, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:03 pm

missionstatement.ppt. Classic.

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A guest said: (hide)

Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:10 pm

I forgot. When are they releasing MS-OS-X and Microsoft-TV?

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jimothy said:

member since 04 Jun 2004 with 612 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:27 pm

Business users aren't going to like it because it won't come with a keyboard.

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A guest said: (hide)

Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:32 pm

MS is desperate to find a winning formula for the mobile market. Intel will have too will need a winning platform as well. If they both had any brains they would spin a joint venture into WINTEL mobile inc and get on with the business of competing with the only mobile platform that has a future (iphone+OSX).

Why goth? It's going to take Software, Hardware, Apps, content and a new processor to compete with the Apple platform. The iphone/ipodtouch is an eco-system the is evolving into a mobile computing environment that either by themselves can't produce.

My feeling is that desktops, laptops and legacy cell phone are on a decline post 2H10. To me Apple is putting together all of the pieces needed to revolutionize computing with the purchase of PA semi and using a full blown OS on the iphone and ipod-touch. I continue to believe by 2H09 we will see the first fruit of the PA semi purchase in a platform that will lower cost and power consumption for both the touch and iphone. With the new iphone, I futher expect apple to sell 100 million in 2009--mostly in the second half.

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Tiger said:

member since 17 Jun 2003 with 1018 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 3:38 pm

With all that money, you'd think they'd buy a clue.

But, apparently not.

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A guest said: (hide)

Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:11 pm

jimothy wrote:
Business users aren't going to like it because it won't come with a keyboard.

Oh, but it will! Along with an 2lb external battery, a hardwired Princess-Leia-earmuff-style headset, and a backpack to carry it all in complete with Nvidia Inside and Certified for Microsoft Vista Mobile Ultimate for Professionals logos.

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rpaege said:

member since 16 Dec 2005 with 96 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:28 pm

It'll probably be brown.

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A guest said: (hide)

Mon Nov 24, 2008 8:19 pm

HTC already develops Windows mobile handsets and they have all failed and HTC is the leading manufacturer of Windows Mobile handsets. There is no way MS can do better. The flaw is in the OS. any other 'visual' or 'navigational' enhancements will just bog down the machine. Apple's done this through years on OSX getting it right for scalability and years balancing performance, battery life/ power consumption, processor power, etc. Apple's R & D is akin to a chef at a 5star michelin restaurant who crafts a meal, balances taste and quantity. Microsoft is on the other hand like the 'Heart Attack Grill' - quantity not quality and it'll really kill you in the end

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dhp said:

member since 22 May 2003 with 182 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Mon Nov 24, 2008 10:28 pm

You lost me at "Windows-based."

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saintlouisranger said:

member since 19 Dec 2006 with 6 posts, unranked, send him a message or view his profile

Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:03 am

[color=#]Let's see they did Windows Mobile in a number of flavors, Windows Tablet in a number of flavors, Vista in five fruit flavors, Zune in brown and a few other colors, a music store, a search engine, a social site - ALL OF THEM ABJECT FAILURES. I can see a mediocre cell phone too. M$ will sell millions of 'em due to the Microsoft "halo effect", (it is one heck of a game.) Also, the "I won't buy anything from Apple" backlash syndrome; This has something to do with Mac user smugness and The Steve reality distortion field allergy. My best guess is the folks in the Pacific Northwest just don't see enough sunshine and it shows in every thing they do, let just say, Vista?

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