Windows Mobile Marketplace closing

Got email from Microsoft, Windows Marketplace for Mobile will be closed on May 9th, 2012.

Last year they closed the website, but you could still access the Marketplace app on your WM6.x device. But soon that's no more.

Those who bought software from there better download everything and back it up somehow... I'm not sure but I think you can save the CAB file or prevent it from self-delete. I haven't bought anything though so I'm guessing.

Windows Marketplace comes preinstalled on Windows Mobile 6.5, and is a free downloadable app on Windows Mobile 6.1. It was one of MS first online software distribution services for 3rd parties (other than XBox Live Marketplace).

It will go down in history as a very little known service, but preceded other MS online app stores such as Windows Phone Marketplace, Games for Windows Live, and the upcoming Windows Store.

Are the apps in the marketplace just for WM phones, or are there some for WM 6.x pdas as well? I have an iPAQ 110 and it would be great to add some functionality to it.

Edited by PDXMark 2012-03-10 4:03 PM

Interesting question. AFAIK for WM6.5 there is no "classic" version, or non-phone PDA; all 6.5 are phones.

I guess you might as well just try it on your iPAQ. TBH I don't even know where to download the Marketplace app for WM6.1 anymore. It SHOULD work for non-phone version of WM.

If you get it working though, you might be able to buy some software that will no longer be available for purchase from the developers or publishers any more after the closing.

I think it's just for the phone version. It installed on my iPAQ, but wouldn't run. And the site seems to indicate that it's just for phones.

It might need phone.dll and sms.dll to open.

The date changed to May 17... otherwise no one seems to care oO