Windows Mobile

The living dead never looked so good.

For several years now Microsoft has been written off by friends and foes alike as a shuffling shadow of its former self, doomed to feed off the profits of past successes while it goes gentle into the good night of irrelevance. And yet Microsoft's profits remain enviable and its outlook far from bleak.

It may be too soon to engrave Microsoft's headstone as Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently did.

Microsoft, after all, has a history of making dramatic changes in direction, changes that have saved it more than once from software … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--For me, testing a cell phone is about living with the phone. Phones are interesting in demos and videos, but that's not where they get used. They get used at restaurants and on buses, in the office and on the go.

That's the approach I take with trying most portable gadgets, actually. I had fun taking the original Zune around San Francisco looking for someone to share music with me and then, when the Wi-Fi-based Zune HD came out, I took it on the road to see which hot spots were compatible. So I thought the same … Read more

Although the Kin is aimed at folks somewhat younger than myself, I was nonetheless eager to get my hands on Microsoft's latest phone foray.

The Kin may not be an app phone, but when it comes down to it, the main things I do on my phone are e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and a bit of the Web. So, during the next 24 hours, I'll be putting the Kin through its paces and reporting back on what I experience.

I got my hands on the Kin Two Tuesday morning and have spent much of the day getting it ready … Read more

Microsoft has now joined Apple in a guerrilla war against Google's Android, and Google's next steps are far from certain.

The smartphone industry is still in its infancy, but its strategic importance to computer companies big and small can't be overstated. Recent moves from Apple and Microsoft show that the big guys are not going to be shy about deploying their array of patents as competition increases.

HTC's lawyers have had a busy couple of weeks, responding to a wide-ranging patent lawsuit filed by Apple and negotiating a patent licensing deal with Microsoft. The common thread? … Read more

One of the central features of Microsoft's just-announced Kin phone is the "Loop" feature, which shows recent updates from a variety of social networks.

However, not only doesn't the Loop get automatically updated with new posts, but it refreshes itself only every 15 minutes. Those who want updates more frequently have to either open the Kin's built-in feed reader application or lock and unlock the phone. (The Kin automatically fetches new updates when it is unlocked.)

Microsoft characterized the setting as a battery-saving move for the phone, which is aimed at the 15- to 30-year-old &… Read more

Microsoft's introduction of the Kin One and Kin Two on Monday answered a lot of questions about the company's long-running, secretive "Pink" effort. But the unusual devices also left a lot of folks scratching their heads.

Well, CNET is here to try to clear some things up. We'll try to answer as many questions about the device as possible. And, if we missed one, just let us know and we'll do our best to track down an answer.

Also, be sure to check out Bonnie Cha's initial hands-on look at the Kin.

Who … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--The Kin isn't the iPhone and it doesn't have to be.

That was the message from both Microsoft and Verizon Wireless executives at the launch of the new smartphone line on Monday.

Instead of focusing on apps, the Kin focuses on bringing together in one interface all the social networking and other tools that the "upload generation" wants in its phone.

But executives also took pains to characterize the Kin One and Kin Two as entry-level smartphones, not part of the feature phone market that they admit is in decline.

Instead, they tried to create a new niche aimed at those who are really into social networking but haven't gotten what they want on their phone.

In an interview, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices President Robbie Bach and Verizon Senior Vice President John Harrobin made their case for their new family of phones. Here's an edited transcript:

A couple real quick questions. Add-on applications, yes or no? Bach: From a marketplace standpoint, there's certainly a video and music marketplace. There isn't an app marketplace, but we do support over-the-air (upgrades), so we have an opportunity as we get feedback from customers to add additional things if we choose.

We had to make a choice early on, are we going to do an integrated experience or one that is an app-specific experience. We chose from the start to be an integrated experience and I think you see that. We concentrated on the apps we thought this audience would want...Twitter, Facebook, that all comes with the device.

The user picks up this phone and they don't have to install anything. They don't have to start anything. They just have to enter their account.

Zune video--is that over the air or do you download that from your computer?… Read more

Apple's announcements on Thursday don't spell doom for Windows Phone 7, but they sure do highlight the challenges of trying to play catch-up in the fast-moving smartphone market.

When Microsoft first started talking about Windows Phone 7 earlier this year, one of the challenges I highlighted was the fact that it was comparing its phone, which wouldn't be out until the holidays, to where Apple was at as of last year. I was sure that Apple wouldn't be standing still. Indeed, the iPhone is becoming an even fiercer competitor this summer, well before anyone will be … Read more

Microsoft's mystery event is a mystery no more.

A source confirms I was on target with my prediction that the event will herald the introduction of Microsoft's long-awaited new phones for the always-connected crowd. The devices, code-named Pure and Turtle, are both slider phones, each with a touch screen and keyboard, a source told CNET. In the U.S., the devices will run on Verizon Wireless' network and go on sale within the month following the event.

Microsoft plans to unveil the devices at the April 12 event in San Francisco.

However, those wanting an iPhone should really … Read more