It’s October 2011 and from what I can see, Microsoft is on a hot streak. With the recent slew of product updates and releases, Microsoft annouces more, innovates more, and shows us more of whats to come. For the Microsoft slow moving behemoth, this really is welcome change.
Today’s announcement includes more streaming and live TV on Xbox 360 from over 40 partners, including Comcast, HBO, VEVO adding to UFC and YouTube which has previously been announced. The new content comes alongside an announced update for the Xbox 360 dashboard that follows their new Metro design UI. The update will also add Bing search, that will allow you to search (with your voice) any of the content partners including the current apps for Netflix, Hulu, and ESPN.
Alongside of Xbox TV was the Xbox Companion app for Windows Phone. Find content, learn more about what you’re watching, listening to, or playing, and control & play content.
Last week, Microsoft released to market the Windows Phone 7.5 update known as “Mango” to over 98% of devices in market. That’s multiple carriers, multiple OEMs, multiple phones, across the world – in one beautiful, SIMULTANEOUS update to over 98 percent of existing Windows Phone customers. Mango includes catchup features like visual voicemail and voice-text-voice but also added innovative features like IE 9, Groups, Threads, Outlook conversation view, Live Tiles while adding built in support for LinkedIn and Twitter. By the way, Windows Phone is already one of the fastest and easiest smartphones out.
Late last week, Microsoft update the already great Zune Pass. Now, for $9.99/month, you get all you can eat music on your PC, Xbox, and Windows Phone. Soon, you’ll be able to stream full-length music videos as well. Zune Pass is a great deal.
Microsoft has already started to show us Windows 8, not due out until later 2012. Reinventing the PC as we know, while at the same time delivering a useful and beautiful change in how we use the PC.
Office 365, another stellar Microsoft product was launched in June 2011. Delivering email, documents, and IM via the cloud for professionals, small business, and the enterprise.
I’m ALL IN with Microsoft, I have been for sometime and it’s never been better. You should be too.
“The only question is whether that will ever happen and whether consumers will wake up to the fact that their favorite platforms are hopelessly outdated by comparison… And I think if you actually gave Windows Phone a chance, you’d come along for the ride as well….Windows Phone 7.5 is the most usable and innovative smart phone OS available today, and is highly recommended.” – Paul Thurrot winsupersite.com