Microsoft to Offer Free Windows Mobile 6 Upgrade for Device Manufacturers

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Wednesday, February 28, 2007 8:53:06 AM

In what might be just the impetus Palm needs to release a Windows Mobile 6 (or, maybe not) update for their older 700w/wx Treos, Download Squad are reporting that Microsoft are offering free WM6 licenses. These licenses are being handed out by Microsoft to their device partners wishing to release OS upgrades for their existing devices.

This strategy could benefit device manufacturers such as Palm in several ways. Tthe hardware companies could pass the savings directly along to their customers and offer the upgrade at no charge. Or the hardware suppliers could charge the customer for the OS license that is provided at no charge to them, realizing substantial profits in the process.

Treo 750 Windows Mobile 6The rub in all of this is that OS upgrades for smartphones (regardless of OS) are required to pass a stringent and tedious carrier approval process. This essentially leaves niche unlocked WM5 devices and the handful of remaining WM5 PDAs as the only suitable destinations for these "free" WM 6 dates. Treo 700w and 700wx owners should be cautioned to not hold their breaths while waiting on a free Treo 700w/wx update to be released.

As of this writing Palm has not made any sort of official announcement about their Windows Mobile 6 upgrade plans outside of the Microsoft presentation from 3GSM about vague plans for a Treo 750 update, as reported here earlier.

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Oh...there was an upgrade cost?

SeldomVisitor @ 2/28/2007 1:05:18 PM # Q
Silly me - I had assumed Mobile 6 was simply the "no cost" replacement for Mobile 5 and the only thing keeping PALM from upgrading was inertia on PALM's part.

That is, of COURSE they were going to 6 since 5 was EOL.


RE: Oh...there was an upgrade cost? Yes?
SeldomVisitor @ 3/1/2007 6:40:34 AM # Q
There is now some debate going on w.r.t. the plot of this article:

-- http://msmobiles.com/news.php/6110.html

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Microsoft seems to be learning...

joad @ 2/28/2007 4:08:21 PM # Q
I remember not too long ago that "Service Pack 2" for PocketPC 2003 came out and they were charging for it - *IF* your device vendor was "nice" enough to offer the update (HP wasn't).

Microsoft seems to be learning (maybe because of Google) that you don't gain much customer loyalty for screwing customers every time you release a bugfix with some minor improvements. Now that they're working with Palm, maybe they can teach that to Colligan and crew.

...of course AFTER the "Sherlock" gets released with the anticipated bugfixes for the 700p....

RE: Microsoft seems to be learning...
AdamaDBrown @ 3/1/2007 7:46:50 PM # Q
Actually, it was WM 2003 Second Edition, not Service Pack 2. And whether or not to charge for an upgrade is at the discretion of the company releasing the upgrade--most do so, if for no other reason than to recoup costs associated with licensing and producing such an upgrade (which isn't as simple as taking Microsoft's package and reselling it), as well as offering customer support for it.

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