Archive for: WinMo
The HTC HD2 is a wondrous piece of technology with it’s only big short fall being the WinMo ball&chain attached at various limbs. The talented dev community however has something to say — the HTC HD2 is close to dual booting Android goodness.
The video inside outlines all the nicks and nacks of the procedure and should be used as caution to not get too excited just yet as there are still a fair amount of bugs — like an unsightly lack of pretty much all the important drivers.
But once all the bits have been accounted for, this 4.3″ monstrosity will be a happier, bilingual tool that only a true nerd can appreciate…
We’ve all been there — a new phone comes out, leaving you staring at your “old” phone wishing you could part ways and embrace the newness that has just bestowed the human race. It’s natural. It happens to all of us. But we don’t normally have the cash to do such things. T-Mobile however feels your pain and has a solution. A still unannounced plan unearthed by BGR highlights a new iPhone-tradein program that for those wanting to switch, will net them a brand spankin’ new HTC HD2 in place of their iPhone. Depending on the shape of your iPhone, traders can expect anywhere from $100 to $350 credit applied towards the HD2.
It’s a good move by T-Mo. The HD2 is a highly successful Windows Mobile phone. Though, with the infinitely better Windows Phone 7 coming along, any carrier of WinMo has instantly lost credibility in my book, negating any useful of such a trade-in as we see here. But for some, the HD2 is just too hard to pass up on. Sweet deal. Would you do it?
BGR
WinMo and Windows Phone users hoping for a little mobile Firefox love thanks to the exceptionally good looking (and performing) “Fennec” will be utterly depressed to the point of no return this morning to learn that the mobile Firefox team has canceled any and all work on the mobile Microsoft build. They chalk it up to Microsoft’s new development rules going into Windows Phone 7, namely the restriction on apps running in native code, instead requiring managed code through the likes of Silverlight and XNA. This small blurb appeared on the WinMo Fennec team’s blog:
While we think Windows Phone 7 looks interesting and has the potential to do well in the market, Microsoft has unfortunately decided to close off development to native applications. Because of this, we won’t be able to provide Firefox for Windows Phone 7 at this time. Given that Microsoft is staking their future in mobile on Windows Mobile 7 (not 6.5) and because we don’t know if or when Microsoft will release a native development kit, we are putting our Windows Mobile development on hold.
So, ya. It pretty much sucks. In theory they could still build for WinMo. But with Windows Phone 7 being light years ahead of WinMo in every way, why bother? It isn’t so much the Fennec team’s fault I guess. I’m not a software developer so I have no idea the ramifications/limitations/benefits of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 requirements. All I know is that the mobile browser scene for WinMo/Windows Phone just became a little less exciting.
How are you feeling?
Unwired
So what do you think? Generally it’s good practice to ask the mind bending, cortex tickling question at the end. You know, saving the best for last. But I figured I’d switch it up. WinPhone 7 is a dramatic departure from Windows Mobile in every way. It’s appearance, functionality, features, and overall usability have all been given huge boosts. So much so that even I, a long time WinMo hater have seen the light at the end of Microsoft’s tunnel. It’s not all happy endings though. As the title above suggests, one monumental change from WinMo 6.x to WinPhone 7+ is how the OS handles multiple apps — or lack there of.
It is now stapled in history the age of the multi-tasking mobile Windows operating system for WinPhone 7 and beyond will employ a sort of background notification system much like Apple has made famous with the iPhone platform. As a standalone replacement for background processing, it’s not all that bad. The best examples of background notifications being beneficial are of course in communicative apps such as instant messengers in which information is constantly traded back and forth in real time. Other apps however don’t benefit at all. Apps such as Last.fm, task managers, games, etc. How will Microsoft tweak WinPhone 7 to handle these circumstances.
Another large talking point that is kind of reliant on the whole background notification topic is that of notifications in general. In WinPhone 7, a sort of overlay/notification drop down will appear whenever the user receives an IM, text, email, and so on. Clicking on the notification will take the user to the respective app quickly, giving the OS an overall smoother feel and interactivity. But what if you miss several notifications? Is there some place for the user to go and quickly glance at the number of and type of notifications received since last using the device? Sadly, at this point there isn’t. It’s up to the user to go to each app and check for any new messages or updates. Again, another area that needs just a little more crafting.
For me, I’m a big text based talker and multi-tasker. How an OS and device work together to blend the two is a big thing for me. With the massive overhaul we’ve seen so far in WinMo 7, I can honestly say that now more than ever, Microsoft is this close to convincing me that a WinPhone purchase is warranted. The two points highlighted above however still leave me sitting on the fence, unable to justify quite yet jumping all the way in.
Is the more “mass appeal” paint job slathered all over the OS in terms of much improved simplicity (read: neutering of background processes) and lack of any real unified notification area ala Android’s drop down notification bar actually a step too far? Simply put, is Microsoft trying too hard to be like everyone else that it is falling into jack of all trades, master of none?
The hands down best WinMo phone out there is the HTC HD2. With it’s massive screen and blazing fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor means even lowly WinMo 6.x runs like a dream (most of the time). With Windows Phone 7 on the map now however, the HD2 has lost some luster, especially considering the hardware that’s in the pipeline that will showcase WinPhone 7. And then, rumors of a WinPhone 7 upgrade for the HD2 made it’s rounds to the relief of many HD2 owners, solidifying at least a few more months of relevance. New rumors however are stripping the good outlook for HD2 owners, with that claimed WinPhone 7 upgrade now on the chopping block due to a lack of correct hardware buttons.
You see, all new WinPhone 7 phones will feature at least these three hardware buttons: Home, Back and Search for fully make use of WinPhone 7. The HD2 meanwhile features Call, Home, Start, Back and End/Power buttons which obviously isn’t going to fly too well with the new requirements for WinPhone7. So is the HD2 now on the outs with Microsoft’s latest and greatest mobile OS? Looks like we’ll have to wait until Microsoft reveals more of the hardware requirements and actual hardware units before we can make a final call. For legions of HD2 fans however, I sure hope they can upgrade. The HD2 is a beautiful piece of gadgetry. Being stuck on WinMo 6.x when WinPhone 7 is leaps and bounds better is a huge slap in the face.
HD2 owners: If it comes to be that you have no future with WinPhone 7, will you upgrade or move to another platform?
Slashgear > WMPowerUser
- February 15, 2010 9:45 pm
HTC is one of the hottest smartphone manufacturers right now. What can I say — they’re on it. Pretty much every handset they release, even the mid to lower range handsets look nice to the eye, sit well in the hand, and offer plenty in the software to keep us entertained. HTC’s MWC event is tomorrow (or today if you’re in Barcelona for MWC) so it isn’t that far away. However, we being the impatient gadget aficionados that we are, never turn down a good juicy leak. And juicy this is — HTC’s MWC rap sheet out in the wild!
Eschewing normal social trends, we’ll start with the tail end of the excitement and build up to a climatic finish…or you could just skip ahead — your choice.
HTC Touch HD Mini
Like the name implies, the HTC Touch HD Mini is…mini. A miniature version of the full bodied 4.3″ Touch HD that is. For the Touch HD Mini anyway, this early leak is purely visual (read: no specs to chew on for now). Well, alright. Chances are it’ll come stocked with Windows Mobile 6.5. Nothing much to see really. But it sure is pretty, isn’t it?
HTC Legend
Now we’re talkin’. The so called successor to the wildly popular “Hero” that was released in the US on Sprint comes into 2010 with a more classy look with slightly subdued edges. Though in true HTC/Android fashion, that now characteristic chin remains front and center — ready for your grouping.
The specs:
- Navigation: Optical trackpad
- OS: Android 2.1 w/ Sense UI
HTC Desire (Bravo)
Ah, finally. The cream of the crop, top of the line, kingpin. The HTC Desire (Bravo) is *the* new flagship Android device from HTC. The physical appearance is typical HTC smugness — dark, calm, and subdued. That doesn’t make it any less appealing though.
Specs:
- Processor: 1GHz Snapdragon
- Navigation: Optical Trackpad
- OS: Android 2.1 w/ Sense UI
So what do ya think? Their lineup looks strong and should cater to any price point no? Look for these spec lists to get quite a bit longer in only a few hours as HTC “officially” takes the wrap on these little gems. Want some early speculation? I’m going to say the processor on the mid-range Legend (Hero successor) will be in the 600-700MHz range. What’s your best guess/wishes?
MobilitySite
- February 15, 2010 10:32 am
Today hold’s host to what is quite possibly one of the biggest, most important releases for Microsoft in the companies history. Yes, Windows 7 for the desktop was a much needed (and now successful) revelation, moving users from the gut-wrenching experience that Vista bestowed upon the company. On the mobile front however, Microsoft has been lagging for several years now. So for all intents and purposes, Microsoft needs Windows Mobile (now renamed) Phone 7 to be a slam dunk and then some. With rumors pegging huge improvements in UI and social networking as well as tight integration with Zune and Xbox Live, Windows Phone 7 is set to thrill. So come on in for the full rundown of anything and everything you could possibly want to know about Windows Phone 7…
The entire basis of Windows Phone 7 Series is about real-time, media rich information and entertainment. The new OS is broken into several large and encompassing categories: People, Pictures, Games, Mustic + Video, Marketplace, and Office. A few quick examples of the new categories — People is a phonebook on steroids with not only basic contact information, but said contacts’ social networking info and status all bundled into one. Games + Video is pretty much the entire Zune environment bolted into Windows Phone 7 — and that’s not a bad thing by any means. But there’s plenty more to know.
People
As we touched on previously, People is a contact list/phonebook and then some. Instead of a static list of text, “People” in Windows Phone 7 is an always connected contact information mecca with strong ties to social networking services for constantly updated information. Supported People services include Outlook, Facebook, Gmail, and more.
Pictures
A huge departure from photo browsing on pre-Windows Phone 7 hardware and software for sure. As with many other aspects of Windows Phone 7, the new Pictures hub is stylized heavily on the Zune interface and layout. **Bonus for Facebook junkies: Facebook photo uploads integrated straight into the photo app. Now there isn’t a reason not to share.
Besides uploading content to Facebook, albums on the social networking site are also pulled down to your phone and displayed right alongside the local albums — nice touch.
Games
Perhaps the coolest and most exciting thing (for me anyway) about Windows Phone 7 is the Xbox Live integration. Now, you obviously can’t play Xbox 360 games on your phone. However, there will be special Windows Phone achievements and “mini” games of sorts that can be synced back to your “full” Xbox 360 game and Xbox Live. So in a sense, you do get some mobile Xbox Live gaming to chew on.
Besides the mobile gaming aspect, badges, achievements, profiles, chatting (we hope), spotlight updates, requests (game invites) and more! Are included. Sadly, we’ll have to wait for more information on Xbox Live integration as well as Microsoft stopped right there. No game demos or any further dive into Xbox Live integration. Somewhat of a letdown on this front. Moving on…
Music + Video
Finally — “Every Windows Phone 7 device will be a Zune”. Ok, so now the iPhone has a direct competitor (for real this time) from Microsoft. One nice feature that was shown off during the unveiling was a Pandora tile within the Zune application. Having an infinite library via Pandora streaming radio baked right into the Zune app and OS as a whole is a really nice feature for music buffs and should make for a very robust music listening experience on Windows Phone 7 going forward.
Marketplace
Ok, let’s get this out of the way: All Windows Mobile apps won’t work or work right on Windows Phone. Does it suck? Ya, a bit. But it’s needed — drastically. Of all the Windows Mobile apps I’ve seen, most of them still looked as if they belonged in ’95 and operated about as well. Windows Phone 7 is a fresh start for developers and end users alike. Let’s hope that devs get to it and help provide a vast assortment of apps come Windows Phone launch day later this year.
Office
What do you want to hear? It’s basically Microsoft Office reconfigured for mobile use. Unfortunately, at the grand unveiling, there wasn’t much Mobile Office to see. Looks like we’ll be waiting (again) for the official launch for more info and pics.
Besides the 5 main hubs broken down above, there are numerous other things to talk about…
- Browser: Clearly one of the most important apps on any modern smartphone, the browser is literally the window to the outside world. Based off of the latest IE 8 desktop version, the new mobile IE browser in Windows Phone 7 claims to be Redmond’s fastest and most enjoyable browser yet. One of the more important features that stood out to me — “pixel position” — a more advanced form/variant of “Cleartype”. Sweet.
- Multi-touch: Going above and beyond — Windows Phone 7 features 4-point multi-touch support. Given the smallish nature of smartphones (even the larger 4″+ sizes), I’m not sure how fun or comfortable four fingers on screen will be. But hey, it’s an option I’m more than happy to play around with.
- Manufacturer Partners: Just take “Everyone” as literally meaning just about everyone. Qualcomm, LG, Saumsun, HTC, HP, Dell, SonyEricsson, Garmin.
- Carrier Partners: Again, (Everyone) — AT&T (dear god), Orange, T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, SFR, vodafone, Telstra, Telefonica
- AT&T and Orange “Premiere Partners”: I understand the iPhone platform as a whole is worth copying/imitating, but please for the love of god Microsoft, do not tarnish Windows Phone 7 by copying the worst aspects of the iPhone (ie: AT&T dependence in the US and lack of multi-tasking — more on multi-tasking later this year I presume).
- Availability: Windows Phone 7 will be ready for public consumption “Holiday Season 2010″. See you at Christmas!
So far, Windows Phone 7 definitely has some potential to compete head-on with Apple and Google in the mobile sphere. Unfortunately, what we saw today was rather limited and all that Microsoft would divulge for now. There are still plenty of questions in my head and I’m sure plenty of yours as well. For more information on Windows Phone 7 — especially the software/developer front — we’re going to have to take another look at MIX later this year. Until then, let us know what you think of Windows Phone 7 below!
Gallery
**All pictures property of Engadget
Engadget
Gizmodo
- February 10, 2010 11:29 am
I don’t cover WidnowsMobile happenings a whole lot but that may soon change. Windows Mobile 7 is looking more and more exciting as MWC draws closer with my only hesitations being focused on the issues of multi-tasking and Marketplace-only app installs. Other than that, it’s looking good. Really good. New word from MS Mobiles today has revealed some exciting news for travelers (and those whom find themselves lost more often than not) — Free navigation!
Much like Android and Symbian already offer, the next version of WindowsMobile will throw in Navigation outright, making the use of standalone units even less necessary for the mass population. I’ve only used the Google Navigation a couple of times but find it highly accurate and easy to use. Microsoft has a nice bullet point on their hands here. It begs the question: If more OS’s come standard with maps and robust navigation capabilities, how much longer will companies such as Garmin, Navigon, and TomTom last in the mobile software realm?
With all of the hub bub surrounding Windows Mobile 7, previous versions of Windows Mobile have been receiving little, if any news coverage. If you’re fishing for some breaking announcement regarding older versions of WM, sorry to say that feature wise, that ship has pretty much set sail. However, there is still good news to be had. The same source of MS Mobiles is also claiming that without a doubt, after Windows Mobile debuts, Microsoft will cut Windows Mobile 6.x down to FREE.
Such a move may increase the number of low to mid-range WM handsets that get released in the next 6-12 months. Though as fast as the mobile world is moving, I don’t see too many people sticking around with WM 6.x, even if it is free.
The rest of the rumors concerning WM 7 such as Xbox and Zune integration as well as a completely revamped UI still stand. With all of the news we’ve seen the last several weeks, 2010 could be the first year I actually want a WinMo device. Traveling in the same boat as me?
Unwired > MS Mobiles
- February 6, 2010 10:03 pm
Anyone who spends even a smidgen of time in the mobile world knows that over the last couple of years, a lot has changed. As little as three years ago, Android, webOS, and the iPhone didn’t exist. In the here and now, trying to imagine such a world is almost impossible. With each successive newcomer, Windows Mobile, the once defacto smartphone standard and mobile giant, has continued to slowly lose market share and relevance.
Windows Mobile hasn’t exactly been one of my favorite mobile OS’s. It’s just not for me for a number of reasons. But after Microsoft started mentioning blurbs of Windows Mobile 7, my interest finally started getting piqued. Windows Mobile 7 could be big. Actually, it needs to be big. If Microsoft were to drop the ball with another major mobile release, the platform’s days could very well be numbered. Thankfully for us, claimed specs and details of Windows Mobile 7 have started trickling out in advance of MWC. Now keep in mind that these aren’t confirmed specs as of yet. But it should be a good indicator of where the platform will move to with the launch of Windows Mobile 7.
The *Good* leaked specs:
- Full Xbox integration — avatars, achievements, stats
The bad, worse, and terrible:
- NO applications supported outside of Windows Marketplace. (ie: apps on SD can’t be installed)
- No NetCF (legacy apps) compatibility
As far as legacy support, with such a major shift in the underlying core of the OS, the loss of support for older applications was a given. Frankly, with the quality and appearance of most of the legacy apps, this isn’t a bad thing. It gives users a fresh start. However, if the rumors of no multi-tasking/background support and no SD card app installs holds true, Microsoft might as well close the doors now.
With as much flack as Apple has received over the last couple of years for the iPhone’s lack of background app support/multi-tasking, one would think Microsoft would play on this weakness. Instead, it appears they are following down the same path — a big, big mistake. Seriously, why would they do this? Microsoft used to talk up Windows Mobile multi-tasking when the iPhone first launched. Now they’re joining the team.
Finally, the inability to install apps via SD cards is a huge disappointment. Just look at xda-forums — they’re a huge community built on HTC devices mostly running Windows Mobile. The path Microsoft looks to be taking is a massive deviation from the old user base and one that could anger a lot of users.
After all is said and done, could one argue Microsoft really doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing in the mobile sphere? I mean, taking away multi-tasking and SD card installs are two things the geek crowd/power users (Windows Mobile main user base) live on. If WinMo 7 does in fact remove multi-tasking and apps installed via SD cards or other means, will you look to another platform for future purchases?
PPC Geeks
