We're just days away from Mobile World Congress where Microsoft is expected to make a few notable
announcements. Until then, we have to settle for all the hints and innuendo we can gather as Redmond attempts to win back the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of consumers infatuated with Android, WebOS, and whatever Apple's got cookin'. Like these supposed 6.5 screenshots above, this time showing what looks like a
Marketplace store a la the Zune. We also have CNET reporting today that Microsoft quietly split its Zune team in two on
January 22nd: software and services under Enrique Rodriguez, and hardware under Tom Gibbons who just happens to heads-up hardware design at Microsoft's Windows Mobile unit. According to Rodriguez, "Zune the service needs to transcend Zune the device" adding, "The goal is to make non-gaming entertainment a first-class citizen within Microsoft's business." That includes expanding the Zune service beyond the Zune and onto more devices than just Microsoft's. Or, "a little further out than just in Redmond," to quote Rodriguez directly. While he wouldn't say specifically when it was coming to Windows Mobile, he did say to expect products other than the Zune player to be using the Zune service sometime this year. Now, armed with those Zune-centric
WinMo 6.5 screenshots and
project Pink leaks, it's not too much a stretch to expect a Zune-like WinMo experience to be detailed in Barcelona. Besides, isn't it about time that Danger made good on that estimated
$500 million acquisition?
Read -- CNET interview
Read -- Latest WinMo 6.5 screenshots
posted February 13th 2009 8:31AM
MS hating fanboys
Did no one notice Jason's mask in the top middle of the right picture?
Scarey...
omg, hadn't noticed it!
Props!
Sneaky Thomas Ricker
Did no one else notice the Jason mask in the status bar on the right screenshot? Do I win a prize?
Crap, beaten by mere seconds...damn wookies
I saw that too!!!!
i cant wait.
That's nice, an MP3 trimming facility on the phone- I wrote to MS years ago saying it would be a nice addition to be able to edit songs for use as ringtones on the device.. perhaps this is it. I like the direction they're heading but the onset of these changes is far too slow for my liking and I agree with some that it's not that aesthetically pleasing. I'm optimistic though that sooner or later this will all come together into something good.
MP3 trimmer is already available on nearly all HTC phones.
If I could ask Microsoft for one thing with this plan, it would be to get rid of their silly Microsoft Points and price everything in their Marketplace in local currency. Stop trying to confuse the customer and let us buy things just like we do anywhere else.
Aside from that, it all sounds like a reasonable plan, although I do think that the Zune hardware itself is doomed.
I completely agree with binning the MS points for their marketplace, it's why I haven't bought any DLC for my 360.
I'm not so sure about the Zune itself, it's a nice bit of kit although I'd rather not use the Zune software. If they combined WMP and the Zune software on windows and have the Zune as an MTP device I think it would do better. I'd be more inclined to buy one anyhow.
Lets hope they manage to integrate it properly with WinMo and the 360 marketplace - buy a song from one place and it's available to download to any of your registered devices for example.
they tried that. WMP based zune software was a miserable failure and is what Gave Zune a bad name in the first place. The new software rocks, and having used iTunes I can say it blows iTunes out of the water. iTunes looks like something from 1998 and makes me want to puke every time it loads.
@inteller
What I meant was replace WMP with the Zune software and open it up for other UMS/MTP devices to use. That way the marketplace is on every PC (the EU would throw a fit but meh) which would help integration and also they'd benefit from the extra sales the other devices would give.
Just a thought anyhow.
Maybe it's better in person when you're using it, but the screens posted make it look like Microsoft is grasping at straws. My iPAQ 3975 running WM2003SE was pretty cool - about 6 years ago. And every WM device that I've used since then just doesn't seem to progressed all that much further.
I think this looks great. Being both a Mac and PC user; while always swaying slightly towards Apples UI designs, lately I've started to become more and more impressed with what other companies have been showing.
The honeycomb menu wins for me.
And shut the hell up with the fan-boy-ism, it makes me want to beat you to death with your fancy uni-body notebooks.
Being a hateboy: it's about as annoying as being a fanboy.
This is no iphone... and will never be able to compete with a blackberry or iphone
Yeah, thanks. Now we can officially close the thread because theSuburbanWhiteBoy has rendered his long-awaited verdict.
Never compete with the iPhone and Android? More phones running Windows Mobile were sold than total iPhones last year AND Android:
http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=2569
With barely 1 solid manufacturor, the buzz behind Android has evaporated, something the supporters will never accept. Android is outclassed by Windows Mobile 6.5, and things will only get worse for it when version 7 hits early next year. Also, the iPhone's sales have seen a decline, while Windows Mobile has increased.
I think it looks quite nice, bear in mind a phone res blown up to this size on a web site looks pixelated and crap but will be nice and sharp on the real thing.
But then unlike an iPhone if i get sick of it I can just install a whole new skin/shell of my choice
I dont think its the final design though... I understand they want the typo to be visible on any background but that black drop shadow is a mistake. I hope there is a preference were you can turn it off.
Maybe I'm smoking something, but wasn't there already a "Marketplace" in older WinMo versions (albeit totally useless)? I swear there was somewhere in some menu I seldom visited...now I have to go bust out my old MDA, Dash or BJII from a drawer somewhere and charge them to look.
Pulled out the BJII, guess I was wrong. I must've been thinking of the useless Windows Update tool...they need to get that working. Has there been a single update deployed through Windows Update for WinMo?
(edit - if they actually sold the Zune here that is)
Gah, reply button didn't register = (
Well, those grids look so freakin' cool. Now if we change the icons...skins FTW!
Really? An urgent icon for "No missed calls" This already looks like it will be fun.
This looks like complete trash in my opinion. Outdated is an understatement, antiquated is more like it. That honeycomb is just not pleasing to the eyes for some reason.
On a side note, considering the Zune team has been split, this, from a business perspective, is as good as saying the Zune as it is now is no more. It seems Zune will only be software in the not to distant future.
so nobody noticed the jason mask on the status bas in the second pic ??????????
A few did, lern2 read the first page of comments.
OK... I'm trying to understand the whole honeycomb thing.
I remember 8-9 years ago when they started using honeycomb CCD's. This maximized the area for each pixel.
Could this be the reason for the honeycomb? The rough contact shape your finger makes when it touches is a circle (maybe an oval)... So a square or rectangular button is already a bit inefficient in terms of a target and screen real estate (the corners are pretty much useless). Circular buttons would make a bit more sense, but there would be wasted space between the buttons.
A honeycomb pattern would allow for the most effective targets: The largest buttons AND the most buttons for a given screen size.
Does this make any sense? Just wondering.
The home screen doesn't look right...
However, the menu looks awesome, especially if it's unlimited scrolling.
The Miscreantsoft "me too" parade of hits keeps on coming. Despite the free R&D program from Apple that MS continues to rely on, the implementation of course is flawed. The crayola school of design continues to permeate the very DNA of every MS worker/slave/underlings.
Wow.
Apple fans, pathetic as usual.
Not so much an Apple fan as an outright troll. Laugh, ignore, move on.
Well I'm sure Windows Mobile 6.5 devices will sell quite a few units to their usual enterprise customers; I still can't see a WinMo device catching on with the average, non-business, day to day consumer. Imagine trying to teach your mother, grandfather or girlfriend how to use a Windows Mobile device with a poky stylus vs. an iphone or say, an LG Shine. Yeah, I'm sure your plea to them that they can skin the device any way they can and to hang out on xda developer forums will go over REAL well.
Say what you want about the iphone, but the thing is intuitive as hell. It makes the non-techy population feel very 'with-it'.
And don't discount the trend-setter image. Young women especially flip through entertainment/gossip magazines like Us that feature their favorite celebrities brandishing their iphones.
this looks hot...if the phones come out with a zune compatible connector so they work with all my accessories I am so there.
I'll take it.
ok look...I have a htc touch so im a windows fan but seriously i HATE people who call people who like apple products fanboys and all that. Come on! you guys are the biggest hypocrites ever! take a look at yourself when someone says one negative comment about windows you call them a fanboy to defend your crappy operating system. your worse than the fanboys because the fanboys belive in what they like and keep praising it, the windows fans dont praise windows they just put down the fanboys! I mean thats all the comments ever are. lets talk about the topic we are discussing not apple vs. windows.
Thanks
Now are you really a Windows fan? Quote: "you call them a fanboy to defend your crappy operating system"
So you're a fan of what you consider a crappy operating system? Talk about bizarre.
I don't consider all people who like Apple products, or a particular Apple product to necessarily be fanboys. However, there are a great number of people who are, and it's quite obvious when they're making a comment where they're very dogmatic about a topic, and do all the name-calling, bashing, and whatnot.
When someone bashes Windows, pretty much mostly for something that isn't true or exaggerating weaknesses, then it feels justified to somewhat defend against lies and deceit. I don't think it's fair how Windows should get a negative perception, because lots of people choose to talk a lot of nonsense about it.
I only wish the Favorites and No Appointments where lowercase like the rest of the text other than that I hope this will work on my Mogul. Also did anyone else notice the com manger icon looks oddly enough exactly like a Zune?
I see these screenshots, and I think "Why couldn't they do a little bit better with all of this time?"
I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a huge leap for Windows Mobile, and I loved using Winmo 6.1, but after a while I got sick of using it on my ancient AT&T tilt, so I got the iPhone 3g. Ever since, I hated what it did to my perception of phones, it made me want something better than the iPhone (in terms of UI, programs, sensors and other technologies), and nothing so far has blown me away. Other than the Pre. That's what I'm thinking of getting next, but I don't like sprint.
Anyways, I think that Windows Mobile still needs to drastically change, not release a .5 upgrade, a major overhaul in the OS, like the screenshots of Windows Mobile 7. When will I see that concept on a real phone? That was what really should be coming out soon, not this .5 release. I'm sure many current winmo fans/users will really appreciate this update, but it's just not enough to get me to switch back.
Maybe when Winmo 7 comes out I'll be blown away, so here's to hoping you guys in Redmond to not only me, but the whole world of phone users.
"When will I see that concept on a real phone?"
Watch the Live Mesh ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFpwzg-AP_Q
Phones running Windows mobile 7 will debut on April next year, and later on this year we'll get a leaked beta which will be running on phones like the HD (Which is where these 6.5 screens are from). Patience.
Haha, I want Jason in my system tray!
It's nothing new. It looks just like that on 6.1 standard.
I'm a PC, but this is crap!
Will Microsoft never understand UI? Seriously. Dated looking icons, and the honeycomb/geometric theme clashes with the screenshot next to it, which is utilizing smooth, liquid-like visuals and translucency. But worst is the second screen.
On the second screen, they're using an alert/indicator number next to each application to show the number of alerts the user has missed. The way in which it's been implemented here, it looks like a math equation - "voicemail to the power of zero." Also, if there are no alerts - don't bother making an alert telling me there are no alerts! This is just an unnecessarily busy UI noise that annoys users.
Typical WinMo.
This makes me excited to see what HTC phones will come preloaded with this OS will look like.....
Can't they at least use a decent font and proper spacing? It would make a huge difference.