It seems that the most unethical application for the iPhone has already been built, or has it? MyPhone2008 has an interview with Erik Kristiansen, a Norwegian developer, who claims to have managed to run Windows Mobile on the iPhone. The application seems like Bootcamp which is currently available on all Apple’s Mac computers, and allows you to run Windows XP or Vista when you first launch your Mac. Eric demonstrates the application which hits in the moment you turn the iPhone on, and presents you with 2 icons: an Apple icon which of course will launch the iPhone’s default OS, Mac OSX; as well as a Windows icon which will launch Windows Mobile 6 from the looks of it.
Is it true, is it not?
As you see, the video is quite funny especially at the end, and almost a bit too funny to be taken as legitimate. Also, all videos published on MyPhone2008 look a bit fishy, like that seem to have that same sarcastic mood in the end. You should also note that WM6 booted a little too fast, making the video even less plausible. It may just be a bunch of graphics running on the iPhone, or maybe even a video with synchronized touchscreen taps and movements.
On the other hand, Windows itself is known to run faster on the Mac compared to other computers, so why wouldn’t Windows Mobile run faster on the iPhone compared to other manufacturers like HTC and HP?
We’re personally excited about it, that’s why we’ll call it real until proof of the contrary.
What if it was true?
If the application is truly in beta and due for release in January, then the iPhone may move from being a very expensive locked handset to the most ultimate Windows Mobile device. Apple are known for utilizing resources better, and providing a great overall experience, so Windows Mobile might end up working on the iPhone without the hiccups and sluggishness that it faces on HTC, HP, E-Ten or other manufacturer’s devices.
Another thing to note is that Windows Mobile applications will be available for users and developers, without the need for them to use Apple’s Software Store, which will provide tuns of additional features to the iPhone.
Would Apple support this?
Currently, Bootcamp on the Mac is fully supported by Apple: it’s featured on the Mac tutorials, and the software that allow running Windows as a Virtual Machine are present in the Apple Software Shop (namely Parallels and VMware). This is due to the fact that there are many applications which are Windows-only that users rely on, and Apple had to offer a substantial Windows support in order for it to make its way through to these users.
Will Apple use this same strategy with the iPhone? I believe that this won’t be the case. The iPhone has already trumped any WM device in sales in the US, which means that instead of trying to catch up with the competition, Apple will try to do anything to move ahead and leave the competition behind. Another reason to back this up is the loss of control from Apple over software installed on the Windows Mobile component, as well as their inability to deny multitasking.
Via iClarified