@S-Express: This is assuming that they've all set out to produce an 'iPhone killer' in the first place. It's more likely, and more logical (at least to me) that many set out to produce something that follows the general trail that the iPhone's gone down to garner greater interest, without actually replicating the phone (though it'd be nice if more of them replicated its usability).
Killing the iPhone is not important, but learning why it's so popular can be used to their advantage.
Many of the manufacturers have touted their new phones as iPhone killers - just look at that idiot from Palm who predicted that there would be no-one left using the iPhone after the pre launched.
The use of Appleinsider as a source for this makes me sort of doubt the story. I mean, wouldn't the person have gotten a lot more traction and believability if they went to Giz, Engadget, or a PC outlet to rip on MS.
It just seems that if you want to be critical, but not jilted. you wouldn't go to an outlet that focuses almost exclusively on a competitor's products.
So it's NOT named after Steve Buscemi's character in Reservoir Dogs? Pity.
If Microsoft has any sense at all, they won't release anything similar to that frumpy telephonic abortion, or its oblong counterpart pictured elsewhere.
It's actually kind of frustrating to see stuff like this drip out of the internals of Microsoft when something as sublime as the Zune HD exist. Just about anyone and everyone intrigued with the device is probably thinking how awesome a cell handset it would be. But with how questionable all of this news is, taking some massive grains of salt helps.
@Kaiser-Machead: The Windows Mobile 6.5 "Titanium" interface was ripped straight from the Zune. Beautiful, intuitive, less resource hungry than HTC's skinning... If they'd redone the entire OS in the Titanium style (which they've had YEARS to do), I wouldn't be rocking a Blackberry and contemplating picking up the first Andy-roid handset they drop with WVGA rez and some decent power under the hood.
Hmmm... much delayed Microsoft OS update turns out to be underwhelming at best and an irritating step backwards at worst. Why does that sound familiar?
You do realize this a .4 update to 6.1 right? It was not supposed to be a gigantic upgrade, 7 is going to be the major overhaul your wanting...
I agree though, its not really worth it to buy a new phone. But if you can snag a decent custom 6.5 Rom off xda-developers for your current phone, then there really is no reason to not update.
Not to mention the 6.5 found on handsets now is indeed a beta build rushed to new handsets and there are newer beta builds out with much better layouts not found on earlier 6.5 builds.
He's not an idiot. The review is extremely biased. Anything good that the reviewer must admit about 6.5 is quickly followed by some rude phrase about how much he still hates it. Some of his complaints are actually about features that no other OS even has. The reviewer, despite supposedly having experience in this field, has overlooked an important point, that this is a mild upgrade to 6.1, hence the name. Many of his complaints focus on items that cannot be changed in such a small upgrade as this. I'm not a fan of WinMo, but I felt like I was reading a review written by a bratty child at times. I do have experience with 6.1 devices, Blackberrys, and the iPhone and I can say that 6.1 does provide a similar experience to all those when it comes to common user needs. I can send and receive email perfectly, edit Office documents, browse the web (with 3rd party browser), listen to music (via any one of a thousand media apps), get directions, get news, etc, etc. Microsoft just made it easierto do those things with a more touch friendly interface and capactive screen support. If pretty menus are really that important to you then buy a phone with TouchFlo or any of the other UI's available for WinMo.
Somewhere along the line Microsoft decided to evolve Windows CE into Windows Mobile and assume that mobile phone functionality could just be built-in.
Here's the flat truth: The desire for backwards compatibility and penchant for code re-factoring & supplementing (without *replacing*) has lead Microsoft down a long line of bloated, slow-to-evolve, bug-ridden and code-heavy operating systems.
Windows Mobile suffers the same fate. Why, could they not, since I first purchased my Casio Cassiopeia E115 in 1998, completely scrap their code-base and develop an entirely new architecture? It's not like I could even upgrade my Samsung SCH-i730 from just a few years ago without flashing the ROM (that's assuming the manufacturer custom-coded the upgrade) to even take advantage of a compatible upgrade. Windows Mobile has forced essentially non-backwards compatible upgrades on us for years without ever actually being rearchitected to compete with its quickly evolving and improving competitors. For years ago, the big news was something like "New MS Mobile OS out soon - Who will get the ROM upgrade?" Only a precious few!
How can MS be so ridden with compromises and paradoxes? It's a victim of it's perception that all software development at every level is engineering instead of recognizing it is also a craft which requires truly motivated and inspired programmers to drive innovation. They hit it with the 360, and maybe the ZuneHD and possibly Windows 7, but they have definitely missed on Windows Mobile so far.
I'm very disappointed with giz's and engadget's reviews. Make it seem like they don't know what Windows Mobile is really about.
Of course we are waiting for 7, but 6.5 isn't that bad. The end of the reiew should read typed on an iphone.
@br4nd0n: To start off, you're an idiot for typing such a ridiculous thing, i just thought you should know that.
Second, do you somehow think you have used a larger variety of phones than any of those people? Do you really think they dont understand what windows mobile is about (whatever the hell cryptic bs that means) i assume you mean, like making a phone call or failing to surf the internet?
To have such hubris that you think you have more experience than guys who probably interact with 10-15 different smart phones a day, is not only ridiculous, but it screams of an uneducated fanboy just needing to put in his jab cause someone didnt like his poor lil smartphone os made by the biggest software company on the planet who can do nothing but band-aid their old failures and sell it to you.
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
Apparently producing an iPhone killer has proved far more taxing to these major corps than some folks here imagined.
10/09/09
Killing the iPhone is not important, but learning why it's so popular can be used to their advantage.
10/09/09
Many of the manufacturers have touted their new phones as iPhone killers - just look at that idiot from Palm who predicted that there would be no-one left using the iPhone after the pre launched.
Well, that went well for him.....
Then we have the HTC - [www.iphonekiller.com]
The Nokia N900 - [www.streetlevel.com]
The Nokia 5800 - [www.pmptoday.com]
The Samsung Instinct (or was that extinct) - [blogs.zdnet.com]
The Samsung M800 - [www.electronista.com]
And let's not forget Microsoft - [www.techdigest.tv]
10/09/09
It just seems that if you want to be critical, but not jilted. you wouldn't go to an outlet that focuses almost exclusively on a competitor's products.
10/09/09
If Microsoft has any sense at all, they won't release anything similar to that frumpy telephonic abortion, or its oblong counterpart pictured elsewhere.
It's actually kind of frustrating to see stuff like this drip out of the internals of Microsoft when something as sublime as the Zune HD exist. Just about anyone and everyone intrigued with the device is probably thinking how awesome a cell handset it would be. But with how questionable all of this news is, taking some massive grains of salt helps.
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
I agree though, its not really worth it to buy a new phone. But if you can snag a decent custom 6.5 Rom off xda-developers for your current phone, then there really is no reason to not update.
Not to mention the 6.5 found on handsets now is indeed a beta build rushed to new handsets and there are newer beta builds out with much better layouts not found on earlier 6.5 builds.
10/06/09
10/06/09
It's honestly just filler since WinMo 7 is taking longer than they anticipate.d Hopefully it'll be worth the wait.
10/06/09
10/06/09
You're like the grown-up Peter Pan at the Neverland party.
Go balance your checkbook or something.
10/06/09
10/06/09
Here's the flat truth: The desire for backwards compatibility and penchant for code re-factoring & supplementing (without *replacing*) has lead Microsoft down a long line of bloated, slow-to-evolve, bug-ridden and code-heavy operating systems.
Windows Mobile suffers the same fate. Why, could they not, since I first purchased my Casio Cassiopeia E115 in 1998, completely scrap their code-base and develop an entirely new architecture? It's not like I could even upgrade my Samsung SCH-i730 from just a few years ago without flashing the ROM (that's assuming the manufacturer custom-coded the upgrade) to even take advantage of a compatible upgrade. Windows Mobile has forced essentially non-backwards compatible upgrades on us for years without ever actually being rearchitected to compete with its quickly evolving and improving competitors. For years ago, the big news was something like "New MS Mobile OS out soon - Who will get the ROM upgrade?" Only a precious few!
How can MS be so ridden with compromises and paradoxes? It's a victim of it's perception that all software development at every level is engineering instead of recognizing it is also a craft which requires truly motivated and inspired programmers to drive innovation. They hit it with the 360, and maybe the ZuneHD and possibly Windows 7, but they have definitely missed on Windows Mobile so far.
10/06/09
10/06/09
Of course we are waiting for 7, but 6.5 isn't that bad. The end of the reiew should read typed on an iphone.
10/06/09
Second, do you somehow think you have used a larger variety of phones than any of those people? Do you really think they dont understand what windows mobile is about (whatever the hell cryptic bs that means) i assume you mean, like making a phone call or failing to surf the internet?
To have such hubris that you think you have more experience than guys who probably interact with 10-15 different smart phones a day, is not only ridiculous, but it screams of an uneducated fanboy just needing to put in his jab cause someone didnt like his poor lil smartphone os made by the biggest software company on the planet who can do nothing but band-aid their old failures and sell it to you.