Nokia adds MS' Silverlight to phones, tablets
updated 08:40 am EST, Tue March 4, 2008
Nokia Adds MS Silverlight
Nokia today said it would add support for Microsoft's Silverlight web plugin, resulting in some of the first mobile devices to support the new rival to Adobe's Flash. The update applies to virtually all of Nokia's handhelds and ranges from the most basic Symbian Series 40 cellphones to Series 60 smartphones and the company's Linux-based N800 series Internet tablets. Adding the feature provides the phones with support for animation, videos, and even software programs running inside of Silverlight and helps mirror the experience a user would have on a desktop.
Microsoft should make Silverlight available to Nokia's Series 60 devices first; developer tools should arrive later this year with support for end users themselves coming shortly afterwards. Neither Microsoft nor Nokia has said when they expect either the Linux or Series 40 updates to appear, though Nokia hopes to clarify their release schedule later.
