14 DAY TRIAL // There are less than two weeks left until Microsoft pulls the plug on its older Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace, or Windows Marketplace for Mobile, as it was called when launched.
The Redmond-based software giant announced several months ago plans to discontinue the service in mid-May, and is now reminding all Windows Mobile users of the fact.
The Windows Marketplace for Mobile service was launched back in October 2009 with support for devices running under the Windows Mobile 6.x platform.
Since then, Microsoft came out with Windows Phone, a major upgrade for its mobile operating system, which did not offer support for legacy applications, and which was accompanied by its own app store, the Windows Phone Marketplace.
The new service picked up Steam, and is currently nearing one hundred thousand applications available for the owners of Windows Phone 7.5-based devices (Windows Phone 7.0 handsets are being barred from the store).
The software giant is focusing more on the future of its mobile OS than on keeping older versions and services alive, and this is the main reason for which it is killing off the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
“Beginning May 17, 2012, the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service will no longer be available,” the company reportedly informed users via email.
“Starting on this date, you will no longer be able to browse, buy or download applications directly on your Windows Mobile 6.x phone using the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace application and service. Please note: The service discontinuation date has changed to May 17, 2012.”
Users should review the applications and games that have been installed on their devices, and download any available updates before the shutdown takes place.
They should also consider transitioning to a newer version of Microsoft’s mobile platform, since all of these apps, along with the phone data, will be lost in the event of a phone’s hard reset. Data on external storage will also be deleted.
“All phone data, including applications acquired through the Windows Mobile 6.x Marketplace service, data and user-specific settings, will be deleted from your Windows Mobile 6.x phone in the event that your phone is wiped or "hard reset",” the company explains.
Owners of Windows Mobile 6.x devices may still find compatible applications available for download through their developers, Microsoft adds.