The two largest Windows Mobile handheld makers have both confirmed that they will not be releasing OS upgrades for their existing models, although future units will use the new OS.
In separate announcements, both HP and Dell have confirmed that they will not be releasing upgrades to Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition for existing handhelds.
HP, far and away the largest Windows Mobile licensee, had claimed to be "investigating" an upgrade possibility for some time. However, it has now concluded that it will not offer such an upgrade, although it did not state its reasoning. However, it did say that it will offer Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) support as an update for selected models. HP already released such an update for the h5400 and h5500-series. HP did say, however, that it intends to use Windows Mobile 2003 SE in its future handhelds.
Number two Windows Mobile licensee Dell has never officially stated that it would release an upgrade for the Axim X3 and Axim X5 lines, and has now confirmed that a Windows Mobile 2003 SE upgrade will not be coming. On the other hand, Toshiba and ASUS have stated that they will be releasing upgrades for some recent models, and Toshiba has already released an OS upgrade for the Toshiba e800.
Handheld operating systems, unlike operating systems for most desktop PCs, are not easily swappable as they have to be customized for each model. Historically, not all handhelds are even capable of being upgraded as not all models include flash ROM. Even with those that do, some manufacturers release upgrades for free, others charge for them, and others do not release full updates at all. Some manufacturers also sometimes release upgrades only for certain models.
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