04-01-2008, 08:00 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard and Professional Reviewed!
"The latest Windows Mobile upgrade brings minor, but very welcome additions to the platform. In this article, we'll cover both the Standard (non-touchscreen) and Professional (touchscreen) editions and show you what's to love about the Windows Mobile 6.1 update. Now, you'll notice this is not a full version upgrade, but just a ".1" upgrade so you know you can't expect a full overhaul. It really feels like just a quick update intended to fill in a couple of gaps between the Windows Mobile and Apple iPhone functionality. You'll notice some similarities between the Standard and Professional operating systems (such as the Internet Explorer and Text Messaging updates), but you'll also notice some odd differences. Read on for our thorough rundown of the next version of Windows Mobile to hit your phone!"
 
[Windows Mobile 6.1 in the flesh! From left to right - Standard and Professional]
Pocketnow.com has brought us a quick review of Windows Mobile 6.1. This review contains a ton of screenshots and two videos of WM 6.1 in action on both the Standard and Professional handsets! All in all, I'm really excited to get my hands on either a device that is equipped with this new update or a Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM image for my Emulator. Oh man, good times! You guys have no idea how relieved I am that this didn't turn out to be a huge April fool’s joke from Microsoft!
You can see the videos (I promise it isn't another Rick Roll) for the Standard platform here and the Professional platform here. Enjoy!
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04-01-2008, 08:17 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 67
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Yeah!
Glad to see I was wrong about this one 
Hopefully, however, the updates to my Motorola Q9h will appear via AT&T sooner rather than later.
(Still wish Microsoft would take the bull by the horns and issue updates directly themselves (yes, like Apple does for the iPhone). I don't see how any of the 6.1 improvements would "break" any of the "homebrew" AT&T or Motorola put on the Moto Q Global.  )
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04-01-2008, 08:23 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 740
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Regretfully I see the usual issues: the upgrade is not available to customers; MS still place the buyers at the mercy of hardware manifacturers (they mak profit selling hardware, do not they?) therefore few lucky people will be able to upgrade exisiting devices. Even worse in the ancient and obsolete US market, the one still ruled by Carriers, the chances to see 6.1 available to users are even slimmer.
Finally it seems that these "enhancements" will not be available until the end of 2008; sorry guys but this should have been available at least 1 year ago.
I used WM since Motorola shipped MPx200, I have used all the other releases of the OS and I got more and more frustrated by the lack of innovation and the worsening in both performances and usability.
Finally I switch to the iPhone and so far I do not miss WM; it looks I will be able to sync it with Exchange and use PocketInformant well before WM 6.1 will be available and this shows how slowly MS is trying to catch up.
Sure when WM 7 will be out I will check it and if it is good I will switch back; and I will do it again and again because phones OSes are not article of faith, just tools.
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04-01-2008, 08:33 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 42
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I didn't see anything in the 6.1 Professional video that made me go "wow", I need that! Actually, the zoom out function on IE looks like a pain.
I would love to see bigger, finger-friendly buttons and interface for WM. It would be nice if they took a page from SPB Shell. I HATE having to use my fingernail (or pull out the stylus) to push menu options in WM 6.0. Or better yet, close one eye and use my thumb to stabalize my index finger to touch a menu item. They need to make a new mantra at Microsoft-- "Is this finger friendly?" If no, then delete. If yes, then continue.
Microsoft could easily and quickly outshine the iPhone if it thought about design as well as functionality.
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04-01-2008, 08:42 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Yeah, I kind of got the impression that all of the cool visual updates were only on the Standard platform. 
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04-01-2008, 08:49 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritzly
Regretfully I see the usual issues: the upgrade is not available to customers; MS still place the buyers at the mercy of hardware manifacturers (they mak profit selling hardware, do not they?) therefore few lucky people will be able to upgrade exisiting devices. Even worse in the ancient and obsolete US market, the one still ruled by Carriers, the chances to see 6.1 available to users are even slimmer.
Finally it seems that these "enhancements" will not be available until the end of 2008;
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Fritzly: According to the press release, any recent Windows Mobile phone (shipped with Windows Mobile 6) will get the update, the list is available on a number of sites already.
Albeit, there is no news on when this will happen but they have all commited (Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) that it will happen during the second quarter.
New devices are the one cited as before the end of 2008.
Now, if it will happen soon, is anyone's guess. But I didn't see anything in the update that should cause issue with what the carriers and OEMs have placed on the phones (I call it "homebrew").
Hopefully Microsoft has had a few discussions with CEOs of the carriers and *impressed* upon them how important this it to happen ASAP.
I'm hoping for (and expecting  ) a speedy deployment.
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04-01-2008, 09:19 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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Cant wait to get to those "improvements to internet explorer mobile". They look pretty pathetic compared to opera and the iphone browser, I would be ashamed to even mention those so called improvements if I was MS. Once again they show their utter incompetence and lack of understanding of what WM users want.
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04-01-2008, 09:32 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 740
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[QUOTE=ajwalker;681276]Fritzly: According to the press release, any recent Windows Mobile phone (shipped with Windows Mobile 6) will get the update, the list is available on a number of sites already.
Albeit, there is no news on when this will happen but they have all commited (Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) that it will happen during the second quarter.
QUOTE]
While, being a MS shareholder, I hope that you are right I still do not have much hope; btw although I live in the US I do not buy Carrier locked phones so I will wait to see what HTC will do for my Touch Dual.
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04-01-2008, 10:06 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 67
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritzly
While, being a MS shareholder, I hope that you are right I still do not have much hope; btw although I live in the US I do not buy Carrier locked phones so I will wait to see what HTC will do for my Touch Dual.
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HTC has also said they are going to get/give the update.
Here's a blurb about it from MobilitySite
http://mobilitysite.com/2008/04/htc-...ng-to-america/
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04-01-2008, 10:48 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 110
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajwalker
Fritzly: According to the press release, any recent Windows Mobile phone (shipped with Windows Mobile 6) will get the update, the list is available on a number of sites already.
Albeit, there is no news on when this will happen but they have all commited (Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) that it will happen during the second quarter.
New devices are the one cited as before the end of 2008.
Now, if it will happen soon, is anyone's guess. But I didn't see anything in the update that should cause issue with what the carriers and OEMs have placed on the phones (I call it "homebrew").
Hopefully Microsoft has had a few discussions with CEOs of the carriers and *impressed* upon them how important this it to happen ASAP.
I'm hoping for (and expecting ) a speedy deployment. |
C'mon Palm, do something good to your customers!!
*Sending a mail to Palm as we speak* 
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