Video: Windows Mobile 6.5 now with less Honeycomb, more Trix

If you, like us, thought the honeycomb UI in Windows Mobile 6.5 was a solution to a problem that didn't exist then you're in luck; after some internal backlash from its own employee beta testers, Microsoft has tweaked the UI making it "a lot more usable." According to Loke Uei Tan, anyway -- a Microsoft senior technical product manager demonstrating the updated WinMo interface at MIX09. While the enlarged, more finger-friendly icons retain the exact same off-set distribution, gone are the rigid borders separating the hexagons. Scrolling also appears more fluid and now features some built-in intelligence that stops the flicked scroll-action at the end of each viewable "page" instead of scrolling all the way to the top or bottom of the icon list. Hmm, not sure that's an actual improvement. Check it for yourself at about 6:50 into the video posted after the break. [Warning: Silverlight install required]

[HOT LIKE FIRE Posted Mar 21st 2009 1:27AM]

Just wanted to say that roms are already out with this update, hit xda if youre gsm or ppcgeeks if youre cdma!

I have it on my touch pro and im SOOO happy!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 21st 2009 3:16AM]

Somehow I went off-topic and actually compared Apple's and Microsoft's presentation/keynotes.

I actually laughed as I waited for them to change between the computer view and visualiser.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 20th 2009 12:24PM]

Microsof My Phone it's also available for Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1.

You can try it at myphone.microsoft.com

Really cool.

Great job again Microsoft. ;)

AlexP

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 20th 2009 2:30PM]

Thanks for all the comments. Glad some of you like the change and to others, for your feedback. as you know we're serious about listening and engineering these changes into our products.

please do reach out to our team at http://twitter.com/wmdev if you have any needs.

oh btw, I've gone to a manicurist to get my nails done after the session so now they're dolled up and pretty for my next demo ;)

[ZSX Posted Mar 20th 2009 2:48PM]

Hee hee! I did notice your nails looming large on the screen. :-)

I also wanted to congratulate you on a really good talk - friendly but informative, and it flowed really well. I am not a programmer, but have an interest in it, and your talk is the first to actually tip me into looking at how to get started. Bravo!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 20th 2009 2:02PM]

LOL @ The first website anyone (in that Mix09 conf room) can think of is Engadget.

[sr1329 Posted Mar 20th 2009 6:32PM]

Did anyone think that the UI was a little slow? I know it's still a beta and hopefully it will be fixed before release.

I thought the side swiping on the home menu was brilliant. That makes a lot of sense. Though for the phone button, they could have made the dialer the right swipe and "contacts/contact search" your left swipe. For SMS the left could be new message and the right could be "messages."

Scrolling was still not as fluid as I had hoped.

[slamEVIL Posted Mar 20th 2009 7:30PM]

woah! is that the firestone it's running on!?!

[groovedafied Posted Mar 20th 2009 10:31PM]

The developer at 60:30 must be a heavy set guy, cause after he asked his question, he's heavily breathing into the microphone as if he just walked up a slope.