Microsoft to Launch MyPhone for FREE! - First Step Towards Free and Open Source Desktop Strategy?

Technology is real fun sometimes. You can’t but laugh at unexpected turn of events. I mean, who could ever think that Microsoft is going to make an application web service for FREE (yes, I am not dazed) quite similar to another that Apple sells for $0.99! Microsoft is developing an Application for Mobiles called My phone which synchronizes with your address books, calendars and to-do lists at absolutely no cost. You may ask, what is the high point? You can easily do that with your desktop and any free mobile synchronization app. Here is the catch. It will also give you 200 MB space to back up your data, a system restore privilege and many more but for Windows Mobile currently.

Microsoft Takes On Google and Apple

Apple has an incredibly useful app for its iPhone i.e. MobileMe which keeps the former in sync with your desktop as your email, contacts, and calendar stay the same wherever you check them, no matter what device you use. But the pain is it costs you $ 0.99.

Google has a GoogleSync running for iPhone but the problem is, quite uncharacteristically Googlesync has some bugs inside it. So we don’t recommend it as yet fully. If you insist, make sure to take a backup before you use it.

How Microsoft MyPhone is Going to Work

Microsoft® My Phone syncs information between your mobile phone and the web, enabling you to:

• Back up and restore your phone’s information to a password-protected web site
• Access and update your contacts and appointments through your web account
• Share photos on your phone with family and friends

What Microsoft MyPhone Can not Do!!!

• If you have an active connection with Microsoft Exchange server (which is frequently used for corporate e-mail), My Phone will not synchronize your contacts, calendar appointments, or tasks.
• If you have an external memory card and selected My Phone’s recommended settings, information on the external memory card will not be synchronized.
• If you store contacts on the SIM card provided by your mobile operator, My Phone will not synchronize these contacts.
• If you have any documents stored outside the My Documents folder on your phone, My Phone will not synchronize these documents.

My question: Then what is it worth?

Conclusion

This may just be the beginining of Microsoft’s realization of moving towards more freebies and approach an Open Source Desktop Strategy. Considering its Microsoft, we can not expect much and most certainly with so many features not included in the list, MyPhone is supposedly not going to create any storm yet. But we will see how Microsoft takes this FREE product service and as far as Open Source is concerned, I don’t think Microsoft will ever think that they are ready. Anyway, free will do for now.