HTC is Doing Amazing Things with Sense on Windows Phone 7

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.neowin.net/news/htc-sense-ui-for-windows-phone-7-leaks-looks-impressive' target='_blank'>http://www.neowin.net/news/htc-sens...ooks-impressive</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Barely 24 hours after HTC unveiled two new Android handsets, a confidential video has emerged which shows the HTC Sense UI running on Windows Phone 7. HTC employees swerved Windows Phone 7 related questions at a media event held in London yesterday. The company said it was confident that when HTC Windows Phone 7 devices were released that consumers would know it was a HTC device. Company officials declined to comment on how Sense would work on the upcoming devices. Today is a new day though and a video has leaked that appears to show the Sense UI running in Windows Phone 7."</em></p><p><object width="600" height="360" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Oi6ENRvSNM&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-Oi6ENRvSNM&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" /></object></p><p><object width="600" height="360" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/43YpUaggu_A&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/43YpUaggu_A&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;ap=%26fmt=18" /></object></p><p>It would be easy to have doubts about how committed HTC was to Windows Phone 7 after it was announced that Microsoft would be locking down the UI and HTC's work on Sense was pretty much put down the drain...but check out the videos above, and I think you'll agree that HTC is bringing some SERIOUS game to Windows Phone 7 - and they're not shy about using the high-end hardware that's part of the minimum spec for all Windows Phone 7 devices. I can't wait!</p>

[Fritzly]

I wonder if they will do something about calendar and tasks; I do not like the fact that only the first appointment is showed in the hub.

[efjay]

This is exactly what I was afraid HTC would introduce, completely useless eye-candy that hinders rather than helps productivity. Why do you have to open an application then wait for a stupid animation to finish before you can use it? And why are they going against the UI guidelines for Metro which focuses on text rather than gum up the phone with useless eye-candy? Whats the point of MS revamping their mobile OS and issuing guidelines if HTC is just going to come along and ignore them? Best thing about this crap is that it can be uninstalled, HTC is too full of themselves and this rubbish is far from "amazing".

[Jason Dunn]

This is exactly what I was afraid HTC would introduce, completely useless eye-candy that hinders rather than helps productivity. Why do you have to open an application then wait for a stupid animation to finish before you can use it?

Tell us what you really think! :D In my book, we reached baseline levels of productivity on mobile devices years ago - but that didn't exactly help Widows Mobile phones fly off the shelves, now did it? People want more than just productivity I think; they want to be wowed by their phone as well. I for one really like what HTC has come up with. It makes the iPhone's weather app look rather pathetic in comparison. :D

[Fritzly]

This is exactly what I was afraid HTC would introduce, completely useless eye-candy that hinders rather than helps productivity. Why do you have to open an application then wait for a stupid animation to finish before you can use it? And why are they going against the UI guidelines for Metro which focuses on text rather than gum up the phone with useless eye-candy? Whats the point of MS revamping their mobile OS and issuing guidelines if HTC is just going to come along and ignore them? Best thing about this crap is that it can be uninstalled, HTC is too full of themselves and this rubbish is far from "amazing".

De gustibus not est disputandum....... (there is no disputing about tastes)

I use W7 and I use the GUI not the command prompt in spite of the fact that when I started using computers in order to create a folder you had to type C:\makedir..... Good old times

If you do not like eye candy...... just disable them. From a manufacturer point of view It is always better to offer choices: in this way a bigger audience will be satisfied. Also I would not be too concerned about performance: I have a HD2 with WM 6.5.3 and I have the weather animation on, I do not experience any slow down. Besides I do not use HTC Sense, Co0kie's Home Tab fits much better my minimalistic taste.

[caywen]

I think the UI is a bit over the top. But it's good to know what's possible on the platform! Overall, I think it bodes well for WP7.

Also, consider how much time HTC invested into this. For all the people saying that HTC has ditched Microsoft, I think this is evidence that their relationship is still strong.

[Paragon]

Excellent!

I hope this ends up being true. Regardless of what you think of what HTC has done here, if true then others will add their enhancements giving us the end users choices. I've seen and heard a number of good things about WP7 recently and this is one of the best.

When you offer a single UI you narrow your market unnecessarily. Let's hope this is true!

Dave

[Steven Cedrone]

For the first time in a long time, I am actually excited about a Microsoft product! I like eye candy, and so do my kids. I think this is a win-win situation for the platform. Those that don't like it can merely disable it. Those that do? Well at least the choice is there for them!

[efjay]

Tell us what you really think! :D In my book, we reached baseline levels of productivity on mobile devices years ago - but that didn't exactly help Widows Mobile phones fly off the shelves, now did it? People want more than just productivity I think; they want to be wowed by their phone as well. I for one really like what HTC has come up with. It makes the iPhone's weather app look rather pathetic in comparison. :D

But why not follow the UI guidelines for Metro, there are still fantastic looking applicaitons built around the Metro concept - Graphicly and the AP Mobile application and probably others, HTC threw out all the guidelines and takes us back to the WM days of having an inconsistent UI within the device. Remember all those comments on how Sense was beautiful and WM was ugly? Right back to square one. Apple is often criticised for being arrogant, HTC IMO is being the same here ignoring MS's rules. They couldnt even be bothered to change the old sense clock, for pete's sake. Best thing about it is this rubbish can be uninstalled, and its funny to see your comments (and others) preferring eye candy over functionality. Guess I've grown out of wanting to show off things and just want to get things done.

[Jason Dunn]

I think the UI is a bit over the top. But it's good to know what's possible on the platform! Overall, I think it bodes well for WP7.

Yeah, I mean I wouldn't want EVERY APP to be like this - but it's not like I'm checking the weather 10x per day, so when I do check it, I don't mind if it's a bit "fun". :)

[Jason Dunn]

But why not follow the UI guidelines for Metro, there are still fantastic looking applicaitons built around the Metro concept - Graphicly and the AP Mobile application and probably others, HTC threw out all the guidelines and takes us back to the WM days of having an inconsistent UI within the device.

Consistent UI is important, but it's not like HTC is doing some insane graphical overlay on email, calender, etc. It's just a weather app. :) Following your logic, all games, utilities, and apps should all have the metro look and feel? How utterly boring! I think it's important that Microsoft maintains the core Metro UI amongst the OS and baseline apps, but developers can and will come up with whatever UI they want for their apps. Some will hew closely to the Metro UI, and others will go their own way.

Best thing about it is this rubbish can be uninstalled, and its funny to see your comments (and others) preferring eye candy over functionality. Guess I've grown out of wanting to show off things and just want to get things done.

I quite like eye candy as long as it doesn't interfere with functionality. I see nothing in this weather app example that would bother me. On the other hand, I always thought HTC's email tab on Sense with the little piece of paper in the envelope was rather useless - it's form over substance in that case, with the form actually interfering with the act of reading email. So I think we have that much in common. :)