Microsoft to Launch Windows Mobile 6.5 on May 11

[cyron_at]

More infos:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-to-Launch-Windows-Mobile-6-5-on-May-11-109719.shtml

br,
Chris

[sapiora]

Any news about when HTC are planing to release 6.5 for our Diamonds?

[florinbv]

More infos:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsoft-to-Launch-Windows-Mobile-6-5-on-May-11-109719.shtml

br,
Chris

Great news, thanks! I can't wait :)

[mike21pr]

anyone know whats in it that we dont already have??

[Jura_ZG]

Any news about when HTC are planing to release 6.5 for our Diamonds?

Never. :rolleyes:

[racerx_]

anyone know whats in it that we dont already have??

well let's see... there's a honeycomb-styled start menu (i mean, how did i ever live without a HONEYCOMB start menu?)... and a today screen that's a sad attempt to compete with the iphone and TF3D... am i missing anything else?

[colinou]

The biggest improvement is that now, you can control your phone only with your finger, it's more "finger-friendly". No need to have a stylet.

Otherwise, it's only a "graphic" improvement I think...

[Anchelspain]

well let's see... there's a honeycomb-styled start menu (i mean, how did i ever live without a HONEYCOMB start menu?)... and a today screen that's a sad attempt to compete with the iphone and TF3D... am i missing anything else?

Actually I would say that usability has been greatly improved. It's not just a new start menu and a today screen. There are some very nice touches here and there like a much better menu interaction, drop-down lists are improved so that you no longer need to use the stylus, there's a new Internet Explorer which even though it's not as good as Opera it does have some things that might be useful for certain websites...

Oh, there's also the new widget system for small web-based applications (MSN Weather and MSN Finances are good examples) and the new Titanium home screen seems to be highly customizable with plugins that look beautiful and so far seem to work well.

I would say that the main change is that Windows Mobile no longer looks like an outdated PDA and looks more like a modern hi-tech phone without the need of TouchFlo 3D which never got to the deeper parts of the OS.

[racerx_]

Actually I would say that usability has been greatly improved. It's not just a new start menu and a today screen. There are some very nice touches here and there like a much better menu interaction, drop-down lists are improved so that you no longer need to use the stylus, there's a new Internet Explorer which even though it's not as good as Opera it does have some things that might be useful for certain websites...

Oh, there's also the new widget system for small web-based applications (MSN Weather and MSN Finances are good examples) and the new Titanium home screen seems to be highly customizable with plugins that look beautiful and so far seem to work well.

I would say that the main change is that Windows Mobile no longer looks like an outdated PDA and looks more like a modern hi-tech phone without the need of TouchFlo 3D which never got to the deeper parts of the OS.

i guess it's a matter of preference. The main thing i see is that its designed to be much more finger-friendly. But personally the way they did the menus, i find quite annoying and a bit sluggish.. i manage quite well right now without my stylus actually.. In fact, although a bit small, i felt that the drop down menus in windows mobile are what gave it an edge as a business phone over say the iphone, etc. every time some menu takes over your entire screen it slows down the process of entering and selecting data

as far as not looking outdated? i don't know about that. I think looking at what HTC did with TF3D, although not perfect and the iphone interface, microsoft could have done a lot better for their first real facelift of windows mobile.. widgets? yeah but if i needed widgets i'd be using an omnia or a google phone

[MasK]

I tried WM6.5 for a few hours last weekend, hoping to embrace it.
I wasn't used to the home screen as it doesn't provide much information at first look. The menu enhancement is nice, but apparently HTC has it's own which seems to feel better.

The start menu is simply cluttered and feels sluggish. The scroll arrows don't look good either. Anyways.. my conclusion is that HTC seem to do a better job than MS. Perhaps WM7 is what they're spending their efforts in..

[cloudedhopes]

thanks cyron_at... yeah i read that yesterday somewhere as well that it's about to get released...

i think it's a great compliment to tf3d... tf3d aims at making the interface finger friendly - however you still find yourself taking out the stylus now and then (specially when behind the scenes in winmo!)... i think 6.5 further reduces the need for this... but its not "officially" coming to our diamonds, so let's c how it goes...

[adwinp]

Officially speaking, WM 6.5 isn't supposed to be available on "older" devices (with respect to release date), but that may be subject changes.

[Lord_BlackAdder]

well let's see... there's a honeycomb-styled start menu (i mean, how did i ever live without a HONEYCOMB start menu?)... and a today screen that's a sad attempt to compete with the iphone and TF3D... am i missing anything else?

I think it has built-in kinetic scrolling so that 3rd party manufacturers (like HTC) no longer have to write their own implementation. I believe the new IE has built-in support for Flash as well.

[Jura_ZG]

i guess it's a matter of preference. The main thing i see is that its designed to be much more finger-friendly. But personally the way they did the menus, i find quite annoying and a bit sluggish.. i manage quite well right now without my stylus actually.. In fact, although a bit small, i felt that the drop down menus in windows mobile are what gave it an edge as a business phone over say the iphone, etc. every time some menu takes over your entire screen it slows down the process of entering and selecting data

as far as not looking outdated? i don't know about that. I think looking at what HTC did with TF3D, although not perfect and the iphone interface, microsoft could have done a lot better for their first real facelift of windows mobile.. widgets? yeah but if i needed widgets i'd be using an omnia or a google phone


Totally agree.

[Jura_ZG]

.. my conclusion is that HTC seem to do a better job than MS. Perhaps WM7 is what they're spending their efforts in..

Exactly. HTC has done wonders for revamping the old look and feel with winmo.
Interesting to say is that M$ took some ideas from HTC and implemented them in os(shouldn't they be the one to offer innovations?!).
I hope wm7 will be more finger friendly, but as the rumors say we will probably see one more wimmo 6.x iteration (6.7?) before the 7.
I'm really looking forward to see more android based phones and some more improvements of the os itself with a lot more soft(gps like igo for instance).
Resistive screens are really becoming outdated not only do they diminish the "touch" feel compared to capacitive screens but they are a bitch to use in the sunlight.
Cheers.

[banesi]

how's the keyboard in WM6.5, I can't find screenshot of it nor any special talk here about it, is there any keyboard in it at all :D

also, video call doesn't work yet, right?

[cyron_at]

thanks cyron_at... yeah i read that yesterday somewhere as well that it's about to get released...

i think it's a great compliment to tf3d... tf3d aims at making the interface finger friendly - however you still find yourself taking out the stylus now and then (specially when behind the scenes in winmo!)... i think 6.5 further reduces the need for this... but its not "officially" coming to our diamonds, so let's c how it goes...
for me spb mobile shell 3.0 is very finger friendly an very customize able.

[brumhee]

In fact, although a bit small, i felt that the drop down menus in windows mobile are what gave it an edge as a business phone over say the iphone, etc.


Smartphones and PPCs are not business only any more.

If MS only focused on the business market WINMO would disappear, or atleast not develop any further. Phone manufactures are about selling handsets. If the general consumer (who buy more handsets than businesses) are not happy with an OS they will not by that phone.

Not every phone user is techsavy enough to flash updates from websites. They want updates sent to their device in a way that means they have little interaction and risk.

WINMO needs to develop to become a general consumer friendly OS whilst still pandering slightly to the business community. This is what I see happening in 6.5

[zulu7]

Apologize for being coock


Windows Mobile 6.5 May Launch Not Likely


http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2009/04/windows_mobile_10.html

[sebii]

Windows Mobile 6.5 ...

... Is only a better version of Windows Mobile 6.1. They changed some graphics and the start menu. But they aren't able to make it like it should be. YOU'LL NEED A STYLET! look at the dropdown menus and the little buttons. How does microsoft thinkt people should use this little items without a stylet?

No sorry :mad: , I hope that Winodws Mobile 7 will be better!

[benko286]

they havent done anythign with perfomanse tweaks...really bad :(

[djfuego]

Putting 6.5 on the diamond just slows it down.

[Lord_BlackAdder]

No, it is not a launch. MS is simply doing a demo of beta version of WM6.5 on that day.

[imatrix]

Wm6.5 will run just fine on Diamond, just that it's still in beta stage, ppl dont really care much about it yet.

I've been running wm6.5 on my old BlueAngel for a while now, it's blazing fast.

[Razzee]

Putting 6.5 on the diamond just slows it down.

try ND4SPDs rom no problems there
last release has some issues through, but its fast :P

[TheCuriousOne]

Putting 6.5 on the diamond just slows it down.

That's weird, I've had several wm6.5 Roms on my diamond for the last few weeks and to my mind they're are all as quick/quicker than Manilla. Being able to access everything on Titanium (GUI version) is fantastic.

[chrisd1a1]

That's weird, I've had several wm6.5 Roms on my diamond for the last few weeks and to my mind they're are all as quick/quicker than Manilla. Being able to access everything on Titanium (GUI version) is fantastic.

i agree, 6.5 seems far faster, ive not had to soft reset in days, not running out of memory etc. i was iffy at first but i prefer it, minimalist;)

[se630]

same here... WM6.5 rocks!

[bigx86]

Me too...I think 6.5 will be a blast.....Before I always had the memory usage with manilla 73%

now its not going over 55 %

[JJKameR]

Putting 6.5 on the diamond just slows it down.

Have you ever tried?

Wm6.5 beta runs good on diamond, surely better than wm6.1.
Memory leaks are always there but the system is absolutely more finger friendly and responsive.

;)