[vector]

Originally Posted by Pony99CA

Me, too. In fact, I wrote my Why Windows Mobile Needs A Stylus editorial for just that reason.


You lost me on that one. WM 6.1 has a Task switcher. I mapped it to the touch-and-hold function of my Omnia's camera button. My Omnia also includes a mini-task manager that you activate with a swipe that's sort of an Alt+Tab system that brings up a small window with icons of the running programs (but I think that's a Samsung feature, not standard in WM).

Steve

Opps, I thought that was from Imate, not a standard part of WinMo 6.1. That is a decent task manager. I still think MS should build in a nice task switcher with easy access like you talk about with your Omnia. Mapping the Task Manager to a button is an option as you say.

[vector]

Originally Posted by Pony99CA

Me, too. In fact, I wrote my Why Windows Mobile Needs A Stylus editorial for just that reason.


You lost me on that one. WM 6.1 has a Task switcher. I mapped it to the touch-and-hold function of my Omnia's camera button. My Omnia also includes a mini-task manager that you activate with a swipe that's sort of an Alt+Tab system that brings up a small window with icons of the running programs (but I think that's a Samsung feature, not standard in WM).

Steve

Opps, I thought that was from Imate, not a standard part of WinMo 6.1. That is a decent task manager. I still think MS should build in a nice task switcher with easy access like you talk about with your Omnia. Mapping the Task Manager to a button is an option as you say.

[Don Tolson]

Originally Posted by karen

Telus and Bell have both been saying that they will have a GSM network in place prior to the 2012 Olympics, maybe even next year. I'm not sure I'm willing to wait for them.

They've been saying this for at least the last 3 years. I've heard nothing, nor seen anything about them heavily investing in new infrastructure, so I wouldn't hold my breath. Unless they're planning to buy network time from Rogers

But last night my experience at a Rogers store was less pleasing. It was hard to get any service. The sales guy we talked to was a real jerk. Said he couldn't answer any questions about data plans because they aren't trained in that stuff at the store. They can't really answer any questions.

He said that I could try to call Rogers corporate to get my questions answered, but that the couldn't sell me a phone. I wonder if he's actually heard of the web yet....

Yes, as I mentioned, the level of experience at the stores tends to be somewhat 'diversified'. Unfortunately now, most are just franchises, rather than actual Rogers employees. I think your best bet is to call Rogers directly. That's where I've had my best successes and where I get the best service. (mind you, I've been with them for years, so I get 'special treatment').

You can see why, even though my travel means that I could really benefit from having a GSM phone I've resisted that all these years. I've even contemplated getting a US phone and account and paying roaming for the tiny amount of use that I have here in Canada. Unfortunately, the US carriers don't seem to have any roaming packages to cut the cost of being a world-savvy chick.

But I can't keep using a pretend browser. So much of what I do has moved to the browser world. I've tried 3rd party browsers and they crawl compared to Safari on an iPhone/Touch.

I would be right back to a WM phone if a device were offered that had a high resolution screen with a real browser. If MS could make that happen, I think the ability to use a mem card and having a swappable battery would be a killer in the marketplace. Oh, and it needs to support Wifi, celluar, BT, and GPS. I know how carriers and HW vendors love to pick a couple and drop the rest, but I think the market had decided this one. Vendors who pretend it hasn't are getting less market share.

Well, I'm currently running an HTC Touch Pro/Fuze from the US, with a custom built WM6.5 ROM. I'm not so hot on the new WM6.5 interface (I like HTC's TouchFlo better), but the IE provided in 6.5 is WAY better, faster, and more touch friendly than before, and I think it works better and is more stable than the current version of Opera.

[Menneisyys]

Originally Posted by rkistler

2) Enjoy having the option of choosing from a Variety of software applications, available from a variety of sources. Therefore would dislike being forced to choose from a selection of Officially Approved apps.

Agreed. Neither would I welcome as restricted an AppStore as that of Apple, making it a MUST to jailbreak my iPhone.

(Fortunately, even with MS' appstore, you won't need to "crack" future WM devices, unlike those of Apple. I'd just welcome an Appstore that has all the emulators etc. in a cerntral repository with all the automatic upgrade notification goodies and not having to check for upgrades myself, as is the case with non-Appstore-based solutions.)

[Menneisyys]

Originally Posted by Deslock

I've asked this before, but no one knew the answer. How many of the 20M WinMo units were touchscreen devices?

I don't have the sales numbers at hand,but I'd say, based on the very low popularity of WinMo Standard (the number of posts in WinMo Standard forums as opposed to WinMo Pro / Classic), the vast majority - around 95%?

[Deslock]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys

I don't have the sales numbers at hand,but I'd say, based on the very low popularity of WinMo Standard (the number of posts in WinMo Standard forums as opposed to WinMo Pro / Classic), the vast majority - around 95%?

I suspect it's lower than that because WinMo standard is intended for cheap, high volume phones. Also, I don't think that the number of posts at this site is necessarily an accurate indicator (since most people who purchase non-touchscreen phones are not enthusiasts who'd go to a site like this).

Still, thanks for the reply... it's strange that no one knows the answer to this or has bothered to ask Microsoft.

[Phillip Dyson]

Originally Posted by Deslock

I suspect it's lower than that because WinMo standard is intended for cheap, high volume phones. Also, I don't think that the number of posts at this site is necessarily an accurate indicator (since most people who purchase non-touchscreen phones are not enthusiasts who'd go to a site like this).

Still, thanks for the reply... it's strange that no one knows the answer to this or has bothered to ask Microsoft.

You may be correct about the purpose of Standard, however I can say that my Samsung Jack is probably the useful and stable phone that I've every used. And up until now I've always WM Pro (since Ipaq 3600). Granted I've always had an Audiovox, Startrk, or Pantech Duo as a backup

I am curious as to why the percentage of their 20m is relavant to this topic or success of WM. They are all licenses at the end of the day. Is your point that only WM Pro devices are competing against Apple?

Personally I think the Standard phones should be put up against Blackberry devices more often. Apps seems to be RIM's achilles heel but no one every states that there are plenty of good apps for WM Standard.

[Deslock]

Originally Posted by Phillip Dyson

I am curious as to why the percentage of their 20m is relavant to this topic or success of WM. They are all licenses at the end of the day. Is your point that only WM Pro devices are competing against Apple?

Pony99CA brought up that 20M WM handsets had sold. I'm curious what the breakdown is because WM standard and pro are arguably in different market segments and (for the most part) have separate sets of applications.

[doogald]

I could swear that I read somewhere that the breakdown was approximately 14 million Pro, 6 million Standard, but I could be mis-remembering.