Gates: Smartphone will be 'big, big hit'
Seattle PI | at | by Mike
"We'll make sure it's a big, big hit," Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said at the news conference, adding that he sees a "market of many tens of millions" of so-called smartphones. "This is a high-growth market. In our view, every professional will have a phone that connects up to their e-mail."
Gates and Palm Chief Executive Ed Colligan said that by putting Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system on Palm's popular Treo, buyers will get speed dialing, the ability to decline a call with a text message explaining why it's inconvenient to answer, and single-button controls for managing multiple voice-mail systems. E-mail will be "pushed" to the phone, with no need to call in and retrieve it.