Microsoft has reiterated that it will continue to support, ship and sell Mobile 6.5 alongside Windows Phone 7.
However, senior product manager Michael Chang told Computer World that the latest iteration of the OS represented “a [definite] departure and break at a code level.”
“It [was] a tough decision to move away from a platform like Windows Mobile, but one we were willing to make,” said Chang.
“[We] expect to offer a rich multimedia experience on Windows Phone 7 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.”
Chang also emphasized that Microsoft had no intention of abandoning its role as a supplier of enterprise handhelds just because it added a number of “consumer friendly” features, such as advanced multimedia support and rich browsing to its mobile OS.
“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,” he added.
