"Microsoft's Windows Mobile OS went into around 11 million handsets in the company's fiscal year 2007, and it says it will reach nearly 20 million devices in fiscal year 2008, which ends June 30, said Eddie Wu, managing director of Microsoft's OEM Embedded Devices in Asia, on the sidelines of a news conference in Taipei.

Handsets such as the new HTC Touch Diamond will help Microsoft achieve its goal, he added. "

The full article is at Infoworld.

This is interesting... It would be VERY interesting to see what the roadmap for Windows Mobile is between now and 2012 :) This way we can see what is planned and where Windows Mobile will go.

I found a photoshop PSD floating around with a blue 'today screen' if you will that was a concept or mockup for WM7 and my first reaction was "Woooo Pretty!", however I haven't been able to find any solid details on what's going on...

Oh, and seeing as I can post images now, this is what I found:

Well..that is great news! But I do hope that they do not do a complete re-write of the core...and WM? ends up like a jump from XP to Vista.

40% by 2012????   It's I guess it's good to have stretch goals! 

There are a whole host of factors which make me believe that this is highly obtainable.

Windows Pocket PCs have always been geared for the business user, but when Windows Mobile Smartphones began hitting the scene back in 2002, Microsoft were aiming at the regular mobile phone user. The new naming convention, Windows Mobile Smartphone, has opened the masses eyes to fact that these are mobile phones and not just a personal digital organizer.

Also the size of Windows Mobile devices are shrinking. My first was the original O2 XDA (which I found this afternoon tucked away in old removal boxes). This phone was immense! I now have the O2 Orbit 2 (Touch Cruise) a phone that compares in size with Nokia's N95, yet still packs the larger punches.

Within the past year, Microsoft has Samsung and Motorola making Windows Mobiles and Sony with the Xperia X1. These three manufacturers are the top names in mobile phones for the masses. There are also whispers that Microsoft are in talks with Nokia (the market leader) to produce Windows Mobile.

There is then Windows Mobile 7. From Pocket PC 2000 through WM 6.1, there has been little change. We can all admit that the look beyond the Today Screen is dated, but Windows Mobile 7 promises to be a huge revamp. We will be looking at the difference between Windows 95 and Windows Vista.

All of these put together are creating devices which a regular person waking into a mobile phone store will now consider. When a person walks into a store now and wants the best, the flagship phones for the top brands are Windows Mobile Smartphones, the Today Screen for 6.1 Standard is now attractive as well as functional and the latest built-in features now cater for the home user along with the work user.

I whole heartedly believe that Microsoft can and will be the market leader by 2012. 

I will have to agree.....by 2012 Microsoft will be the leader....remember back when...Bill Gates said that there will be 1 PC in every household....well there are 2.5 PC's in every household. Although I am a Microsoft guy thick and thin.....Bill Gates strength is NOT the product but the MARKETING of the product that has gotten him and Microsoft where they are today! BRING ON WM 7!

I was Sony Ericsson through and through with both their P800 and then the P900, but through chance I swapped my P900 with a friend for his O2 XDA. I haven't looked back since.

Since that point, I have gradually moved most of my software to Microsoft.

Now, coming almost full circle, I am looking to move my hardware to Microsoft, by means of switching my iPod for either a Zun, or a larger capicity MicroSD card in my Windows Mobile Smartphones.