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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
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.
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
And don't get me started on ME. That was one of the worst OS I've ever used. BSOD like every few hours.
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
Given that the iPhone was launched in 07, and MS have had years to develop a new phone OS, you have to conclude that they just haven't bothered.
In the same timeframe we've seen Android get developed from scratch, and even Meizu have managed to get products to market!
10/06/09
10/06/09
The reason 6.5 sucks is because Microsoft sucks in general, never fully doing anything, and always finding ways to "upgrade" people...And people say Apple is bad! HA!
The next reason 6.5 sucks is Microsoft doesnt want to spend time on it when 7.0 is coming out in a few more months.
10/06/09
Windows 7 is a solid OS. I've been using it alongside my Snow Leopard lappy and frankly, I'm equally happy with both. The Xbox 360, while it suffered massive hardware failures at first, has cleaned its act up and become an extremely good gaming/multimedia machine. And the Zune HD? I still can't get over the fact that I say this but....I want that Zune.
Windows Mobile sucks. I mean, a lot. Frankly, it appears that they just lazily gave up on 6.5 since what they really want is 7.0. But to say that 6.5 sucks because Microsoft sucks is simplistic and ignorant.
It's seriously been a while since I said this, so it still feels weird, but honestly right now....Microsoft has some damn good products.
10/06/09
So while Kylie won't be touting John's words here, when she (and T-Mobile) do tout Gizmodo's opinion in their ads, it means something.
I had joked that I kind of like the 70's sci-fi look of the hexagon/honeycomb grid overlay but looking at it now, it really is a mess. Sad really as I think of Microsoft as the Skynet of tech companies - it learns from its successes and failures (and its competitors). Which is why the XBox 360, Microsoft's second console, is such strong competition to the PS3.
Microsoft has been doing Windows CE/Mobile for years. If it can't compete with the iPhone, Android, RIM, or even the Pre, then the Mobile Division needs to be shut down.
Just because Bill Gates gives to charity doesn't mean that he needs Microsoft to take that tack with its divisions.
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
10/06/09
It bothers me that this review is released before the launch today, I just don't think this is an honest move.
I'm currently waiting for my Samsung Omnia 2 phone and can't wait to install any application I want on it, use real GPS software on the gorgeous 3.7" AMOLED, full office mobile suite, good 5MP camera with dual LED flash and every other feature I need.
I bought this phone to use it, not to play with menus all day.
10/06/09
10/06/09
Put another way, is it fair that a bad review of a movie gets printed in the paper and read over morning coffee, 12 hours before people are likely to see the movie?
Not only is that an honest move, it is more honest than sitting on a bad review for several weeks so that some people buy the bad product or, in the case of the blogger profiled in the NYT article, not posting a bad review at all.
Forget what your mother told you. If you can't say anything nice about a product, that's okay. Say the mean things but explain why.
10/06/09
10/06/09
ATTENTION NON-APPROVED COMMENTERS
IF YOU ARE NOT AN APPROVED COMMENTER, YOU WILL NOT SEE YOUR COMMENT WHEN YOU CLICK SUBMIT.
YOUR COMMENT NEEDS TO BE APPROVED BY AN EDITOR, INTERN, OR STAR COMMENTER. THEN IT WILL BE VISIBLE.
DO NOT SIMPLY CUT-AND-PASTE YOUR COMMENT AND RESUBMIT IT MULTIPLE TIMES. IT WILL JUST MAKE NUMEROUS VERSIONS OF YOUR UNAPPROVED COMMENT. THIS DOES NOT ENDEAR YOU TO US. IT IS HIGHLY ANNOYING.
IF YOUR COMMENT IS NOT APPROVED YET, IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN READ YET BY STAFF OR STARS (LIKE IF YOU POST IT AT 3:45 AM). YOU MAY HAVE JUST POSTED STUFF THAT REALLY DOESN'T ADD MUCH (LIKE "COOL" OR "WILL IT BLEND/PLAY CRYSIS?" OR "NICE TRY, M$"). IT MAY CONTAIN SO MANY SPELLING/GRAMMAR ERRORS THAT IT IS UNREADABLE AND WILL JUST GET FLAMED. IT MIGHT JUST BE PLAIN OFFENSIVE BEYOND THE PALE (LIKE A CERTAIN SOMEONE WHO DROPPED AN N-BOMB IN A REDBOX COMMENT LAST WEEK).
WE TURN A BLIND EYE TO A LOT OF THINGS AND THE BAR FOR HAVING A COMMENT BE APPROVED IS LOW. REPOSTING IS NOT NECESSARY.
YOU UNDOUBTEDLY DON'T LIKE READING THIS ALL-CAPS. I'M USING CAPS TO MAKE SURE YOU READ THIS. DO NOT JUST POST MULTIPLES OF YOUR UNAPPROVED COMMENT! BE PATIENT AND YOU WILL LIKELY BE APPROVED.
I DON'T LIKE CTRL-V ABUSE. WHEN I COMMENT, I KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR REDBOX COMMENTS TO APPROVE. WE KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE.
10/06/09
That being said, it's too bad WinMo is on the way out. Another good mobile OS is always good for competition. I'm sure we can all agree that none of the existing OS's are perfect, but having one that adds a feature the others don't currently have (in this case, being able to install whatever software you damned well please) and doesn't totally suck pushes other OS's to pick those features up. (App Store, anyone?)
10/06/09
The redbox period is what the "audition" used to be. There's a ton of readers of this site and, if every random comment got posted, there would be a lot of trash. The new system got rid of firsting and blending. And, it weeds out the slurs and junky "ur a buncha fanboy" comments.
After a while, when the redboxer has a pattern of not doing crap like yelling first or dropping N-bombs, they get approved.
While in the redbox phase, every Star and Staffer can see the comment. As I said, usually, if it's remotely funny or on point, I approve it.
As to the Star Club myth, the starring started when Gawker implemented the follower system. After you'd reach a certain number of followers, you get a star. Also, Stars can nominate others for starring. I've done that about a dozen times in the last couple of months.
My criteria for nominating is simple: be consistently funny or relevant and don't insult people (with certain exceptions)
There's no special trick and no special clique.