The more we see Compulab's sort-of-silly, sort-of-awesome
exeda, the more we like it -- although the reason we're smitten today might be because it's running what appears to be
Windows Mobile 6.5, complete with that
"honeycomb" app launcher UI. The company says this is an alpha build of the OS, but it does look farther along than those leaked ROMs we've been seeing
loaded on a
few HTC devices, and we're intrigued by whispers that it takes full advantage of 6.5's inertial scrolling and other touch enhancements. All that running on a phone which can also boot Android, sports an Ethernet port, and has left- and right-click buttons? We'll take two. One more pic at the read link.
[Via
wmpoweruser]
posted Jan 24th 2009 3:31PM
Looking good, at last something other then a plain white screen with pixelated bitmap icons.
don't feed him.....
Here trolly trolly, here troll http://whatscookingamerica.net/Beef/TBoneSteak1.jpg
Are you people too dense to differentiate between "Trolling" and "A Joke"?
Eric, you must be new here. Clearly you don't recognize the trolling of our much-hated iEye.
Eye eye seems intent on combining Apple's products with Carlsberg's advertising.
Come on, the moment I read that I realised that this is not iEye, it's a bad rip off OF iEye.
His entire post has satire written all over it. Okay, not very funny, or at all, but still satirical.
I'm scared....somebody hold me...
that is one ugly phone.
Not if it were 1972.
Agree.
But it's hexagon block seem to make for reduce incorrect selecting. its good for small and less sensitive touch screen. that's fit for Windows Mobile - it's 1 os for many device.
Apparently it's designed for industrial use.
Typical Windows Mobile phone, can't match the elegant and simplicity of the iPhone.
Oh joy of joys, Hexic on a Klingon phone!
I think Microsoft makes great products but if this is the best they can do i am feeling sorry for them. I am definitely not feeling this honey comb interface. I think palm brought new ideas to the table and so did RIM but please don't tell me that the biggest and baddest software company in the world can't do better than that?
Actually, this is kind of brilliant. Part of "touch" interfaces is the ability to scroll beyond the end of material, to provide a true "touch" feeling. A honeycomb layout lets you scroll in any direction, and if you overshoot the end of the comb, you'll snap back to a bunch of applications, rather than just the start or end of the list.
This will let you group all your applications in similar areas, but altogether with EVERYTHING without making a huge list. There are 8 apps on the screen, and that's an odd Moto-Q-esque device. Imagine this on an HTC Touch.
i'm afraid though, microsoft is not as great as you might actually think. if they were apple wouldn't have picked up such popularity nowadays. even phil schiller acknoledged once that mac's recent success needs to thank microsoft for putting up crappy and user unfriendly platform...
get yourself a mac
Really b? Is that why MS have 85%+ of the domestic computer market, virtually all of the enterprise desktop market and sold more WinMo licenses than Apple sold iPhones last year?
Hmm?
@ b
Thanks for the invite but i don't drink Apple Juice! Right now i am writing this from MacOS X but i definitely would not stick with this OS. Yeah it's nice and pretty and applications seem to do what they are meant to do. The reason i got OS X (Leopard installed on a PC) is to develop applications for the Iphone but that's all. I really feel trap in this OS and I can't wait to get back to Windows 7. I think Apple does a great job on their products and they keep it simple but me being the geek i am, I can't stick to this OS. Yeah maybe you can do Unix stuff on it but if that was the case i will go directly and use Linux(Suse is my Favorite). I do plan on Using OS X more often since I am beginning to develop Apps for the Iphone/Itouch but that's all i would use it and Imovie which i think is the best software on OS X. Now Windows mobile does not have the simple and intuitive interface that the Iphone has but i think that in the end it's a much more powerful Mobile OS. I will have to wait and see this honey comb interface in action and see how it works but for now i am not a fan of it.
@Mark
In the long-run, the iphone will sell a lot more.
Also, since when did selling more equal a better product?
I'm not saying that macs are better or iPhones are better, but the only reason they sell less is that there's only 1 hardware company using OS X and one hardware company using the iPhone OS.
No funnyun, it won't. Sales have already fallen by 40% over the Christmas period and will continue to decline (which is actually pretty normal for smartphones) precisely because it's only available on one model which has everyone who bought it tied into a 18 month to two year contract.
As for better, I actually think the iPhone is the best consumer level touchscreen smartphone out there. I'm just pointing out the factual errors in the steaming pile of shite that b posted.
y ethernet?
Why turn "why" into "y"? Why skip the other two letters?
or, if it was in spanish - y = and
so i believe he meant "and ethernet?" which loosely could mean "and ethernet, why?"
Is it just me, or does that phone look like it needs to hit the gym?
This is kinda off-topic, but.... Why is your avatar farting, when supposedly "bill" can't fart?
I dont know why, but it reminds me of an Buick LeSabre Estate station wagon.
http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/1982_Buick_LeSabre_Estate.html
with all those buttons at the top you'd think they couldn't figure out how to make a 5-way d-pad
then again maybe it helps when trying to navigate the honeycombs
oddly the middle square on the phone is a mouse pointer leading me to believe that it is a touchpad with thelest and right mouse buttons beside it. The Scroll buttons seem to be just that to scroll.
I agree with those who are not feeling it with this interface.
I us a Tilt with the main HTC today plug-in and a few other plug-ins, and then a whole bunch of apps, and I just don't see how this honeycomb interface would serve purpose for how and what I use my phone for. It doesn't tell me anything at all on the base interface page, the time is too small to read and the icons go to irrelevant places.
When I wake my phone it is to see the time and the status of what I missed [calls, email, txt] and then to maybe see the weather, battery status [in real % left, NOT bars] and to launch apps, see calendar and contacts, so the interface I have worked out has everything with-in one tap. When, for instance, with 6.5 you want to change a setting, which for some reason has front and center status, how many taps to get to the setting you want? More than 2 is tooo many.
I just don't see this interface balancing finger sized buttons with volume of features and content accessibility.
And, how deep is their re-think? One layer and your at the current today screen? {I don't know, just asking/guessing}
If it 's like Vista, then it is not a long time until you are back to the old workings of the OS.
So, by the looks so far I'm just not feeling it.
For those who will wish to rip on me for saying I don't feel it, I work on an XP machine and have a winmo phone... and no Apple products in my life, not even itunes, even though I am up to speed on Apple gear...
I'm not going to rip you for not feeling it. But I am going to say that you're looking at an alpha release. Wait for the final one, and then rip that if you still feel it's no good.
The honeycomb design is obviously the programs list, the last leak showed this interface and an HTC/Zune type home screen with large HTC style date/time.
well Jeremy, my point it that I think the hex interface moves in the opposite direction to where I would design it, the way it looks is that it narrows the scope of the function of the first screen, and then when you go to the today screen as shown in other posts, that moves towards a text only screen, for that they might as well go to the old Dos prompt, really, I mean what is the point of a graphical interface? Perhaps to design graphics that allow a picture to tell a thousand words?
As for saying it's a beta so don't critique the design... do you think they are going to be this far along and not be working with something of the final design/skin for the interface? I think not.
The good thing about the windows mobile OS is that it can be very versatile, the good thing about the iphone interface is the user experience and it's use of graphics and it's direct access to lots of function. So, in my opinion for windows to continue to obscure it's function beneath layer after layer of interface is a wrong move, for them to continue with the same today interface concept, albeit one layer deep now so that they can have a cute top layer in order to think they are being modern, but just to give the today screen bigger type, well shite, if I had their budget and resources and thats all I could come up with I would be embarrassed.
The bottom line for me is it looks more and more like a move to another OS when my phone's evolutionary time is upon me.
Besides, the iphone now has the best painting/drawing program for a phone now, so, that, a few standard things and google maps and I'm set...
You're good man, I'll give you that.
You've built your opinion of a brand new interface from two screenshots, a couple of renders, and an extremely poor quality video.
I like the controls on the phone, and I don't care how "ugly" it looks. I would buy it.
Why don't MS just buy Spb Mobile Shell already? Fold that into their UI and extend it into native controls, settings, etc.
We don't need someone to reinvent the wheel, and make it hexagonal this time around...
Your post is full of win. MS should buy out SPB because they do a magnificent job of tarting up the WinMo UI.
I just want Microsoft to get rid of the stupid bars at the top and bottom of the screen. I don't want to see the Windows symbol and "Start" I want all the screen to be available for placing the icons I want. Essentially SPB shell all the way down to the core.
Well, they finally went and designed a Windows handset for the ultimate nerd user. Oooh! And it just so happens to run Windows Mobile 6.5. With that finish and styling, I don't see how Ugly Betty could possibly resist getting one of these. I suppose it's retro, but truthfully it's just plain ugly. I'm sure it fits right in with the WinMo GUI. One thing it has going for it. It has a unique look. Nobody would ever confuse it with an iPhone. That company should sell at least 1000 a month of these designer look handsets. I can't look at it for one second more or I'm gonna puke. Those controls are rather strange. Built for users with convoluted thinking, no doubt.
I definitely agree with you that this phone looks wants to make me puke. I really don't see how the honey comb interface is going to improve the experience of the users. Also, I like the zune interface( I own a zune 80) and the simplicity to it but i don't see it as a intuitive interface for a mobile phone. I just don't see the benefit of the style of interface so i hope they don't go all crazy with the zune look. I can understand intergrating the zune software withing the OS but not going on happy joy with it, so hopefully MS will surprised everyone and do a good job with it. Even if WinMo 7 is coming down the road they have to make a bang with 6.5 at least interface wise. Palm has done a great job and in my opinion (other than the small screen) has exceeded Apple in this turf. I do have my finger crossed that the end result of Winmo 6.5 will be a great update, because in the end we all win when there's competition.
I don't know about the honeycomb interface. It sure is something different, but is it really useful? Does it take up more space than it should? I think a simple grid of icons would be more efficient.
I'm hoping the 6.5 will:
- Refine the interface - Update the icons so they don't look quirky and outdated, finer gradients and and shadows, and a more of a 'slide' approach (like the home dashboard for Standard devices, but improved)
- Zune-like media playing
- 'X' button actually closes programs
- MS Office Mobile update
- Improved PIE; we already know it will have rendering of IE6 plus some extra from IE7, but can we have tabs? Or could it be more like the browser that comes with Origami 2.0?
Just some stuff that seems plausible. I'm thinking Windows Mobile 7 will be the mobile OS that consumers will actually like (on its own merits) and offer the same smooth OOTB experience that other OS's have been doing.
I think the Zune team is really making a difference at Windows Mobile. While it doesn't look at all like the Zune, I'm sure Windows Mobile will be great too now with both teams working together. MS really got it right with the Zune UI and the NXE. So much better than Ipod's crazy structure that just kept building on the original design while adding functionality in a ad-hoc way (kinda like Windows ;)
Sort of awesome...??? Smitten with left- and right-click buttons?? Hopefully this thing is only to show the software and has nothing to do with the outdated hardware. Too much real estate for too small screen.
My god, it even has an RS232 port. That's so... retro.
This could be one of the most useful troubleshooting gadgets I've seen.