We knew that the Microsoft’s Application Store – codenamed Skymarket – was going to launch at some point. They would be stupid NOT to launch something like this as soon as possible. But with everyone looking to differentiate with names like App Store, App World and App Market, it’s a bit funny that Microsoft pretty much cloned the face of the Android Market and rebranded it:

Microsoft launched a placeholder for their Application area that seems to be named “Windows Marketplace for Mobile“… how creative! But not only will (potentially) Android and WinMo share the market name but their icons are nealy identical now too (see above)! Are you kidding me?

Make the bag blue, add our logo and add “place” to market. Oh yeah, oooh oooh… and make it…. 2D!

That’s what one imaginary Microsoft Windows Mobile Engineer said just as he thought of the brilliant idea. Seriously though, going the “App World” route and making an original name for the sake of being original is corny but this is at the other extreme. I mean, couldn’t they make it look like a lemonade stand kind of icon or something? Does anyone else find this sad like Windows Mobile waving their arms in the air saying, “Hey! Us too!”

The placeholder can be found at: http://client.marketplace.windowsmobile.com/

Windows Marketplace was initially supposed to launch with WinMo 7 but due to its delay will come out with WinMo 6.5

[Via MobileRoar]