Windows App Testing: History of Windows Mobile and its versions - Part 1

To begin with this article, I'm sharing my experience in learning Windows Mobile, Windows Phone and Windows App Testing. The focus of my learning will be intended towards testing (that is, I will be seeing from the perspective of Windows Phone App testing).  To be there, I need to understand why did Microsoft think about having mobile phone with their OS? It dates back to 1994-95's where people started to vision this. 

I don't know what exactly made Microsoft to think about it in 1990's (the year when research begins) to build the mobile platform. But, I want to know the history about Windows Mobile and Phone. So that, it would help me to understand the platform evolution and build the thought process of Windows App testing.

I will be sharing my learning on Windows Phone App testing as the series posts, this being the first post in the series. I found this detail which says why and how Microsoft thought about mobile devices on their platform and what made them to step back in initial days. It sounds interesting in knowing the attempts to bring the OS operating on a hand held OEM.  I have referred Wikipedia and earlier referenced website for this information.

History:

Company: Microsoft Corporation

Release Version:
Below mentioned are the Windows Mobile OS release details with its code name.

• Windows CE (Embedded Compact)
• Pocket PC 2000: 19th April 2000, Rapier
• Pocket PC 2002: October 2001, Merlin
• Windows Mobile 2003: 23rd June 2003, Ozone
• Windows Mobile 2003 SE: 24th March 2004
• Windows Mobile 5: 12th May, 2005, Magneto
• Windows Mobile 6 : 12th February 2007 , Crossbow
• Windows Mobile 6.1: 1st April 2008
• Windows Mobile 6.5 :  11th May 2009
• Windows Mobile 6.5.5: Jan 2010
• Windows 7 : 8th Nov 2010
• Windows 7.5 : May 2011 ,, Mango
• Windows Phone 7.8 : Jan 2013
• Windows 8 : 29th Oct 2012 
• Windows 8.1 : 2nd April 2014(Latest Updated Version)
• Windows 9.0 (Upcoming Version)

In this post, I have shared the references which provide the information about Windows Mobile OS evolution and the release details. In the next post, I will be sharing the main features and the problem faced by them in each release version.

Next post will contain brief information about

• Windows CE: 
• Pocket PC 2000:  April 19, 2000: Rapier