Is it possible to install or convert .cab instead .xap file?

Question

I have HTC HD7 with OS Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately it doesn't support installing of .cab files as far as I know. But I need it very much to install or run application from .cab on Windows Phone 7. Does somebody has idea how to do it?

Answer 1

Cab files were used for applications in the Windows Mobile OS up until 6.5 Windows Phone 7 is a completely redesigned OS and therefore does not support the installing of .cab applications. Charlie Kindel made an official announcement on this back in March 2010

For us, the cost of going from good to great is a clean break from the past. To enable the fantastic user experiences you’ve seen in the Windows Phone 7 Series demos so far we’ve had to break from the past. To deliver what developers expect in the developer platform we’ve had to change how phone apps were written. One result of this is previous Windows mobile applications will not run on Windows Phone 7 Series.

Answer 2

Never heard of it.

And to make it more official: The platform overview on MSDN says:

Applications are submitted in an .xap file format, which is essentially one compressed file that contains all the files that are needed by the application.

No mentioning of CAB anywhere.