It was bound to happen here pretty soon, right? I mean after all, they are working on the next OS for the desktop and all. So the mobile crowd was the next logical fertile field in which the race for OS dominance would continue. And with the Palm OS continuing to slip, now seems to be the perfect time for Microsoft to make a new push into the spotlight with their new mobile software.

Microsoft is set to unveil Tuesday the next version of its Windows Mobile operating system, codenamed Magneto, according to sources familiar with the situation.

The launch corresponds with Microsoft’s (Profile, Products, Articles) Mobile & Embedded DevCon event taking place in Las Vegas this week, where company Chiarman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates will make a keynote address on mobile development strategies.

Details of the new mobile OS have been scarce, but an online review of a leaked version of the software cites improved navigation and contact functions, as well as a significant expansion in Microsoft Office for PDA capabilities. The newly named Office Mobile includes changes to Word and Excel and the emergence of PowerPoint Mobile, according to the review at www.mobile-review.com. [Read the rest]