Windows Mobile 6.5 video appears- kind of… strange
We’ve been hearing rumors about the next big version of Windows Mobile for a while now. Several sources are stating that Microsoft will be unveiling WM 6.5 this coming week at the Mobile World Congress in Spain. We’ve largely ignored most of the rumors we’ve heard, figuring we’d soon get the scoop about this NBT from Redmond for the smartphone, but today’s appearance of a video is too much to overlook.
This video appeared and while no one can say for sure if this is the real WM 6.5, it sure looks legitimate. The fact that it’s over 9 minutes long makes it pretty hard to fake so for now just watch it for amusement, if nothing else. I have to say having watched this that it leaves me with the impression that WM 6.5 is… bizarre, if nothing else.
It’s prettier than the current WM 6.1 but that honeycomb start menu seems strange to me. It’s also apparent that if this is the real deal that 6.5 is sort of like lipstick on a pig. The same ugly, dated underpinning with a fresh coat of varnish on top. I sure hope not.
UPDATE: a commentator has stated that this is an early build so it’s not smooth.
http://www.youtube.com/v/RAq5lFQFyMI&hl=en&fs=1
(via engadget)
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It is very disappointing to see this. Have microsoft learnt nothing since the introduction of the iPhone and android? Microsoft is just shovelling up the same thing AGAIN with this OS.
Well if MS wants to maintain backwards compatibility, they have to work within the constraints of existing programs.
I don’t understand what you expect from them. They made an OS. It’s up to the developers of the programs to make them look pretty, not the OS.
OK, I have to comment on this because JK’s post is somewhat misleading.
1) YES, this is real. I’ve already tried it myself. You can get it at xda-developers forum.
2) NO, this is NOT the final thing. It’s not even close to the final thing. It’s a very early alpha build that’s only 50 builds up from the latest WM6.1 version.
3) It’s still slow because of the debug code.
4) That scrolling you see there is still TouchFlo. The real WM6.5 scrolling will be perfectly smooth (as already seen on other devices)!
5) As I already tried it, here are some thoughts:
It’s great. I love the new today screen and honeycomb menu, I love IE8, I love the scrolling and the new design and finger-friendly menus are very nice.
However, they’ve not yet changed the built-in applications like Mediaplayer or the calendar. Perhaps they’re going to make them more finger-friendly, too, but that’s not something we can expect from a minor release.
Please, JK, correct your article with that information (it’s real but not even close to the final thing).
Taking into consideration the fact that this is a very early build, what is it that you don’t like about this James? The lipstick comment is fairly lazy and not particularly constructive.
I updated the post that this is an early build.
Jake, I was hoping to see a major redesign of the underlying apps in WM. The old apps are not finger friendly and if this is accurate they will be hard (or impossible) to operate without the stylus. It’s time for a major overhaul of WM, not a minor update which this is looking like to me.
Hi JK,
Is it required for a mobile OS be finger friendly always ? If MS makes an OS which is finger friendly and Jazzy GUI, we will start commenting that they have copied Apple and Android.
If they make it stylus friendly,we comment that they have to be finger-friendly.
Given many of WM OS are corporate customers, they would want to maintain the existing way of interacting with the software to avoid rebuilding their mini enterprise applications (that too in this market where money is hard to be found :-)
Thanks,
Srini
ANY update to Windows Mobile is welcome in my book, HOWEVER, I do agree completely that WM is in desperate need for a complete finger-driven overhaul, and it needs to be sooner rather than later if they want to stay relevant in the mobile market.
I just installed the Pointui Home 2 beta on my Sprint Touch Pro, and so far I am really liking it a lot, although they admit it’s still far from done. It is still just a cover-up of the main OS and apps though.
I will say this though… at least you CAN DO this type of UI replacement on a WM device.
Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iV3wNMqcj8
Actually WM is already finger friendly on the HTC Touch HD. The videos show how to make it even more (perfectly) finger friendly.
But, actually, it’s not so much about the OS and its interface – it’s about the screen.
I don’t get why companies still release devices with those tiny 2.8 inch screens.
All the menus are huge on the Touch HD and there is NOTHING that you can’t control with your fingers. And that’s with WM6.1 and TouchFlo only!
WM6.5 is a minor release and we can’t expect major changes to the built-in applications.
But anyway it’s not necessary to make those major changes because there’s alternative, finger friendly applications for everything!
The most important things Microsoft has to change are the Start menu (and they did change it!) and the scrolling (and, again, they did already change that).
Everything else can be done by the user and/or the manufacturer.
That said, I am definitely content with WM6.5, because:
- On a big screen like the Touch HD’s, controlling Windows Media Player, calendar and all the other built-in applications with just the finger is no problem at all.
- The only thing that’s bad about WM6.1 on the Touch HD is the lack of smooth scrolling, nice animations and style/design. WM6.5 does add those things.
WM6.1 is not bad at all. It does lack some “style” (which means smooth scrollig, finger friendly buttons and beautiful graphics) BUT WM6.5 fixes the most important issues and there’s still lots of things where Windows Mobile is actually ahead of OS X, Android and Symbian.
WM6.5 will easily be able to compete with the other systems (after all, WM6.1 is still the best selling smartphone OS).
One more thing: I know that this is an early build (only 50 builds up from the latest WM6.1 ROM) and it’s slow because of the debug code and the interference between WM6.5 scrolling and TouchFlo scrolling.
What I do not know is how the final thing will look like.
To me, WM6.5 looks already very promising but I know that not everyone will agree on that. After all, it seems that WM-bashing is very popular at the moment, though I’m not able to understand the reasons, because WM is still the most powerful mobile OS.
It just lacks some style.
BUT it’s less than two days until Steve Ballmer’s Keynote at Mobile World Congress, which means that (hopefully) we will know a lot more soon : )
I’m hoping for…
an update of Outlook and Onenote (which have basic limitations),
a task manager,
better memory management (more things can be moved to SD card),
better use of VGA screens,
a better audio framework (Skype can’t access earspeaker),
cleartype in landscape as well as portrait.