10-30-2008, 10:30 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,432
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Can't Wait for Windows Mobile 7? Try Windows Mobile 6.5!
"... Motorola will open a new office in Seattle "in order to work closely with Microsoft to deliver differentiation" via the Windows Mobile platform, he said. Motorola expects to release a phone based on Windows Mobile 6.5 platform in the second half of 2009, and an Android-based device for the 2009 holiday season... 'Windows Mobile 6 has not delivered the experience that I think Apple has been able to deliver, but as you look at the plan that is Windows Mobile 7 and even 6.5, I think there are significant new added features which will help the platform,' Jha said." 
Suddenly the wait for Windows Mobile 7 doesn't seem as torturous as it once did. I am a little disappointed that we had to hear about a new version of Windows Mobile from Motorola and not Microsoft, but I am ecstatic for the news regardless. Not much is said about Windows Mobile 6.5 besides the fact that they are heavily working on "experiences," which I hope is just marketing babble for "usability." With Windows Mobile 6.5 devices slated for release around the second half of 2009, that hopefully means we can expect to start hearing some news on the new platform sometime as early as December or February. Hopefully now that the cat is out of the bag Microsoft will give us a little more to work with besides the usual tight lipped approach they have currently been taking.
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10-31-2008, 12:19 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,520
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This actually isn't that encouraging. My cynical side says our devices will fall into 3 classes.
1. Those that receive neither update.
2. Those that will receive 6.5 but not 7.0
3. Those that will bypass 6.5 and update to 7.0
Plus are there two teams working on WM? Or is 6.5 a distraction. I wonder whether there will be anything game changing in 6.5 except maybe IE 6.
I think internally this means WM 7.0 will be out and thus adopted later than we think.
Okay
I find my faith in WM waning at times. What were PalmOS people thinking when it was on its way out? Was it anything like this? Or am I the guy on the frontlines that cracks and runs?
__________________
Phone: Nexus one Backup Phone: AT&T Samsung Jack; Future Phone: I'm Watching WP7; Media Player: Platinum Zune HD 32GB; Home Server: HP MediaSmart Server LX195 Console: XBox 360, PS3, Wii |
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10-31-2008, 02:04 AM
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Swami
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 4,396
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WM 6.2 or 6.5
I wonder if this is what was called WM 6.2 earlier. Probably not, because I thought WM 6.2 was supposed to be out this year (maybe with the new IE 6).
If WM 6.5 isn't supposed to be in devices until the second half of 2009, that's still a long wait, though (possibly over a year).
Steve
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10-31-2008, 03:01 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 621
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motorola hasn't really been innovating as of late... look at the Q line which was great as a start but has been frankly OVER DONE [ala RAZR]. it's like a nice song being overly played and mixed... you get tired of it!
look at the Q11... they finally added WiFi but removed 3G? if this is supposed to be for emerging markets where is the unit for the mature markets.
motorola should probably rent out the office space to HTC or Samsung so they can work closer with MS. motorola can collect rent 
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10-31-2008, 03:43 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Dyson
I find my faith in WM waning at times. What were PalmOS people thinking when it was on its way out? Was it anything like this? Or am I the guy on the frontlines that cracks and runs?
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I remember my days of staunch support for Palm OS Cobalt. 
I don't think WM will go that way unless MS lets it though. They have way too many resources. They can do WM right if they want to. Obviously it is not a very high priority since it takes years to make it over while Google can write an OS from scratch in less time. But I think it will get there. WM7 better be revolutionary with such a wait.
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10-31-2008, 05:46 AM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 740
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Honestly the idea that we will have to wait more or less one year to get WM 6.5 is ...devastating; I mean, one year to see what reasonably seems to be a minor update?
Well, we will see.
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10-31-2008, 06:21 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 69
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fritzly
Honestly the idea that we will have to wait more or less one year to get WM 6.5 is ...devastating; I mean, one year to see what reasonably seems to be a minor update?
Well, we will see.
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[sarcasm]It'll be worth the wait. I hear it has a new default font and system colors![/sarcasm]
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10-31-2008, 06:56 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 113
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Implications
To me this update and the delays are examples of how little focus & research and $$$ Microsoft has given to Windows Mobile. It's just not high on their priorities.
The Apple ads that belittle the Vista ad campaign is a good example, it effectively shows MS spends money on advertising Vista and not in repairing it. However, Vista and Windows7 and Office 2009 and new systems will be their focus for years to come, so the WinMo is just an after-thought.
Android shows much more promise, and the I-Phone has moved so many people away from waiting for MS next thing.
THe one thing that MS has in their favor is the weak economy will slow down people's phone purchases and perhaps by the time they can buy, WnMo 6.5 or 7 will be enticing enough users to stick with the platform.
I-Phone and Android will not wait to improve their systems so it may just be too little too late for WinMo.
__________________
"This is nothing like anything we have yet to experience." - Bob & Ray
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10-31-2008, 07:34 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 123
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cattle-Dog
[sarcasm]It'll be worth the wait. I hear it has a new default font and system colors![/sarcasm]
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[moreSarcasm]Just wait till you all see the new Live Mesh tile on the home screen! And PocketWM now plays Zune content! This is a game changer, folks. The Wow starts now!![/moreSarcasm]
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10-31-2008, 08:02 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 974
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocco Augusto
Not much is said about Windows Mobile 6.5 besides the fact that they are heavily working on "experiences," which I hope is just marketing babble for "usability."
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Even that alone would help in boosting the generic winmo when now compared against the iphone and android.
Peter's opinion is that we'll see more and more customizations of the "experience", just like HTC has done, for the winmo operating system. We'll soon start to see the front end of the device get morphed by the customizations, mainly of the hardware makers but also by the carriers. Looking in the article Moto says the reason they want to physically get closer to MS is to address the "experience".
It seems like this is becoming more of a side show for MS. If it is - so be it - then just stop worrying about innvocation and focus on fixing the bugs and tuning the OS so it screams without need a bug footprint. Let the 3rd party apps and hardware vendors continue to work on the "experience"
If that is not the strategic direction of MS fro winmo - then pony up! Put some cash in to innovating and deploying a beefier winmo OS (which could mean buying up some of the 3rd party apps and incorporating them in to your standard offering). I know we could all think of a handful that should be "standard"
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