10-06-2009, 10:30 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Gizmodo and Crunchgear Dump on Windows Mobile 6.5
"I really didn't want to beat up on WinMo here, because at this point it just feels tired. But man, come on Microsoft, you're giving me no choice. Windows Mobile 6.5 isn't just a letdown-it barely seems done...It's a superficial update, and not a very thorough one. It's an interim product, and a vain attempt to hold onto the thinning ranks people who still choose Windows Mobile despite not being somehow tethered to it until the tardy Windows Mobile 7 comes out, whenever that may be. And it won't work." -Gizmodo Article "Take a Buick Lasabre. No, no, not a cool one from the late 1950s. Take one from the early 90's, like the ones they use on cop shows. Now, strap a spoiler on it. The Lasabre is Windows Mobile. The Spoiler is all of the stuff 6.5 brings." - Crunchgear Article 
I'd love to refute, or at least offer a different opinion, on what Gizmodo and Crunchgear have to say about Windows Mobile 6.5, but I can't. Why is that, you might ask? Because I haven't used Windows Mobile 6.5 on a device, in person. It's not within my ethical framework to use the leaked 6.5 XDA Developer ROM images, so I've spent the past 8+ months trying everything I can think of to get my hands on a Windows Mobile 6.5 beta device through legitimate means. As a 12-year Windows Mobile MVP, as a member of Mobius, as press, as a contract technology writer for Microsoft, etc. Each and every time, I've failed to get my hands on the operating system I'm supposed to be an "expert" on. I've learned more about Windows Mobile 6.5 from YouTube videos created by people using pirated software than from any of the supposed "insider" connections I have. You can imagine how completely ridiculous that makes me feel. I'm not going to point fingers here, but suffice it to say that it's never been so hard to be an Windows Mobile enthusiast as it is right now. The people who care about connecting with enthusiasts like myself are gone, replaced by people who only look at Alexa rankings and cater to the "big blogs". And that's why you're not seeing any original Windows Mobile 6.5 content on this site: because no one would give me access to what I needed to create it. Is that a harsh reality check or what?
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10-06-2009, 11:20 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 20
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I respect your scruples and MSFT's inability to support more than a few media outlets is pretty disappointing.
After reading the reviews from the top blogs, I suspect it's a pretty down day at for the Windows Phone team.
I knew what to expect, but it at the end of the day, other platforms are innovating while WM is stuck in 2004. The market will vote. My contract won't expire until around the time WM7 is supposed to come out, but I have to be honest - the Pre looks pretty inviting.
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10-06-2009, 11:43 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 251
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Sorry to hear that you are being treated like crap Jason. I was wondering why you didn't have any news posted about all of the events of today. Thanks for the explanation.
__________________
2.4 20" aluminum iMac - August 2007
2.2 15" MacBook Pro - January 2008
8GB 1G iPhone - January 2008
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10-07-2009, 12:58 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 274
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Atrocious treatment Jason and as far as MS catering to the "big blogs", I wonder if they feel they made a good investment.
Sad thing is, the leaked builds are better than the version officially released today and one wonders why MS didnt push those changes through faster. Overall though, if I was a member of the WM team I would be hanging my head in shame and in all honesty, they should all be sacked as they are obviously not doing what they are being paid for.
I can imagine the response from MS to today's release: keep a low profile and make no mention of WM for a period of time, when questioned in an interview spout the company line (part of our overall strategy), wait another year and release another lackluster upgrade with pomp and ceremony while the industry looks briefly then dismisses them. Similar to the announcement of PIE6 which is only now beginning to surface on devices and is immediately discounted in favour of Opera Mobile.
I would dearly love to see all news sites, blogs, forums have a media blackout on anything WM for 1 day to send a message to MS on how disappointing MS has been in the mobile space. It seems something drastic has to be done to get MS to get their act together and address WM's shortcomings.
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Back to being The Last Windows Mobile Fanboy - now with a Dell Venue Pro!
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10-07-2009, 01:12 AM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1
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Sorry state of affairs
As an MS employee I'm saddened to read this, Jason.
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10-07-2009, 01:12 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 87
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Really? I mean really? It's going from 6 to 6.5. It's not supposed to be a big leap, but from what I've seen, many things has been cleaned up from a old operating system that was dated. WM7 is supposed to be the big leap.
What kind of big leap did you think it would be? I tell you what, if MS copied what made apple innovating compaired to the windows mobile. Nobody would say "Yay! Awsome! Easy to use!" First thing everybody would say. Oh wow. They copied Apple. This still feels like a MS OS, but yet updated to use more finger uses and less stylus use. And you know what? I'm one of the few people who don't mind using a stylus. Using a finger is fine. But you just can't get the accuracy of a stylus. Once MS comes out with a good in between those two, I would be happy. The stylus was born mainly because we wanted touch screen, yet wasn't willing to pay for a 4inch screen. When all the pda/phones started coming out, it was far too exspensive to have a large screen, so we needed the stylus to point and peck at things. Now things are different.
And lastly, it's MS. They give the consumer a CHOICE of what type of phone you want. So of course they have to make a BIG os to handle whatever processor/screen/soundchip etc a company desides to put into their phone. Apple on the other hand, still has stuff they make so they know what hardware to program for.
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10-07-2009, 01:41 AM
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Mystic
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,520
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Wow Jason,
I was reading the post thinking that I was going to get the end and have you close out with something like "I Jason Dunn hearby discontinue ..."
It does seem to be a pour treatment of their own network. I mean why even have the MVP prorgram? They couldn't have rotated the devices. Perhaps they thought it would be easier to contain leaks? Either way if you're supposed to be on the inside, then they should give you access.
I admit I am often forced to use other sites for timely news, but I always comeback here to participate in the community.
Quote:
Originally Posted by starstreak
Really? I mean really? It's going from 6 to 6.5. It's not supposed to be a big leap,
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If you take WM in a vacuum then I think what you're saying is true. But compared to other offerings, (and we're really talking about the iPhone, Android and WebOS) Windows Mobile is at the bottom of the list perception wise.
Although I don't think I've ever seen a comparison of RIM OS with WM Standard. I mean really... why is RIM still in the top echelon of mobile devices?
Plus Microsoft themselves made a big deal about this release. Press releases, conference announcements, ODM partner reaffirmations. You would think they were releasing an overhaul.
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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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10-07-2009, 02:06 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 87
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RIM like blackberry? Again, it does what its supposed to. People I know use it because they need the communication it handles. Not because they love it. Like having a Nextel for the PTT.
And MS HAD to make a big deal about this. They needed to let people about choices. Too many people know about the iPhone. MS just needed to get the info out. If WM7 is still about 6-12months away, that's way too much time for Apple to release another phone and less people using a WM device.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Phillip Dyson
Although I don't think I've ever seen a comparison of RIM OS with WM Standard. I mean really... why is RIM still in the top echelon of mobile devices?
Plus Microsoft themselves made a big deal about this release. Press releases, conference announcements, ODM partner reaffirmations. You would think they were releasing an overhaul.
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10-07-2009, 07:29 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 541
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WM 6.5 is not all bad. Yes it's "just" some interface tweaking, but I have to say that I do like the improvements, it's not great not even close to iPhone or Pre UI, but with addition stuff from HTC it looks and feels just fine and is quite usable. And I'll be quite happy when 6.5 upgrade is available for my Touch Pro 2. That's one thing.
But on another side it's just pathetic that the biggest and most successful software company in the world is not capable of producing a really compelling mobile OS, especially considering that they had 2.5+ years since the iPhone and all they managed to produce in that time is WM 6.5. If you look at it this way, Microsoft looks really really sad compared to competition. I mean even if they would start from nothing in July 2007 they should have produced something better than a new today screen, a new unlock screen, a different look of application launcher and a bad port of an old desktop browser. But they didn't start from nothing they already had an OS (windows CE) and all they needed was to create a usable, good looking UI with some good applications. One can only think that either WM team is completely incompetent or they only have a one or two developers doing everything. It really shows how MS didn't (still doesn't?) care about mobile OS and how they were caught with "their pants down" and then continued to ignore the competition.
I think all this bashing is good. I hope they finally realize that they need to do something good and fast, or on the other hand they can drop the whole mobile OS and become a classic case of "how a company shoot itself in the foot by not innovating and ignoring the competition", together with Palm.
As for Jason - that's just stupid, to leave someone like him and consequently all the community behind the PPC Thoughts "out of the loop" is really really dumb. Jason, I don't know about you, but, but since you obviously don't owe anything to MS the way they treated you, you could flash one of the newest builds of Wm 6.5.1 from XDA-Developers - the new new UI features look nice ;-) I for one am pretty convinced that all the "leaks" of new ROM builds there are intentional, either directly by Microsoft or by HTC but with Microsoft's silent OK. After all this is probably the best beta testing community in the world.
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10-07-2009, 10:38 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 471
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I stopped listening to anything that Gizmodo had to say a long time ago. It's easily the worst tech blog.
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