Microsoft news: Windows Phone 7 Series is not backwards compatible with Windows Mobile 6.5, yes, not backwards compatible. Many a user will see this as a major factor when deciding to buy a Windows Phone 7 Series phone. Microsoft doesn’t seem to be phazed by this as they say they have taken the new software in a drastically new direction. Microsoft will however continue support for Windows Mobile 6.5 for a long time
“We will continue to support, ship and sell 6.5,” Chang said in an interview at the CTIA Wireless conference. “Windows Phone Series 7 is a departure and a break at a code level. Doing so wasn’t an easy decision. It’s a tough decision to move away from a platform like Windows Mobile, but one we were willing to make.”
Ballmer has said that Microsoft “screwed up” on Windows Mobile, and the company apparently hopes that the new Windows Phone 7 can help restore Microsoft’s slipping share of the mobile operating systems market.
Chang said that while Microsoft expects to offer a rich multimedia experience on Windows Phone 7 Series devices, the OS initially won’t include Adobe Flash player. “We won’t support Flash at general availability, although we do have a very deep relationship with Adobe,” he said.
Chang said that adding consumer friendly features like multimedia support and rich browsing to its mobile operating system doesn’t mean that Microsoft will abandon its place as a supplier of enterprise handhelds, including some rugged ones.
“We think of this OS as an extension & of our scope,” Chang said. “I wouldn’t say we are building a consumer phone at the expense of our heritage of supporting work productivity. We are taking that and adding to it features that include entertainment and a focus on a new experience. Windows Mobile was all about productivity, but we had relied on someone else to deliver a great experience. Not anymore.”