Yeah, we know you. You devoured all 50+ pages of licensing agreements and developer regulations that Microsoft
posted on its Marketplace for Mobile developer page yesterday, and now you're just itching for more. How about 45 minutes and 45 seconds of hot roundtable, Windows Mobile 6.5 developer action from TechEd 2009? Jorge Peraza and John Bruno from MS talk up widgets, which will be simple little gadgets that run within the UI, yet will still be treated like full apps from a developer perspective, meaning they'll be signed, secured, and only be able to be submitted by certified developers (those who have paid their $99 fee). Also discussed is the reasoning behind 6.5's
less than groundbreaking UI, which comes down to deadlines. Eight or nine months were all the team had to write the OS; not nearly enough time for a complete presentation overhaul -- or for any Silverlight integration for that matter. Coming in version 7.0? Wouldn't surprise us. Full vid after the break.
posted May 14th 2009 7:26AM
I'm running 6.5 right now and the interface is quite a bit more improved than I thought it would be.
Its getting there. I'm on Juicy 7 and the latest 21222 is pretty quick.
What WM 6.5 really needs is transition effects and app loading effects. It also needs to clean up the way the interface is drawn when moving from one application to another, or closing an application. The sudden redrawing of the top and bottom taskbars make it look clunky, as well as the piece by piece application loading that occurs when launching an application (TickerTape is a good example of this). If that stuff is done in the background, then the application is presented to you in some sort of animation, the interface will look and feel much more modern.
But I don't believe that will happen. I think what we are looking at right now is pretty close to what 6.5 will end up being. It doesn't really matter to me, as it is an improvement over 6.1 in many ways, including the kinetic scrolling, and thanks to XDA, I will have the final version on my phone. But I wouldn't mind having those features available, considering my underpowered Touch Pro will NOT get WM7, as I cant see it having enough power to handle that OS.
But otherwise, the OS is fast. It just doesn't "look" or "feel" fast.
I am officially ignoring WinMo until it fully supports WPF (or silverlight, which is a subset of WPF). WPF is so dramatically better than any other UI design framework, it's the number one reason for me to want to work on a Microsoft platform over somebody else. Well, maybe the number two reason, because the .Net framework really kicks the pants off anything else out there, but Java is (just barely) close enough.
It's just too bad that windows mobile any version SUCKS! A total garbage OS.
Why does it take so long to copy the iphone? Over 10 years as a PPC user and .... now they come out with MS marketplace?... and finger friendly interface? Oh pleease... just freekin copy Apple bit for bit and get on with it already. What is holding them back is this 'innovation', just admit there are none and copy the leader and get on, it's 10 + years already guys.
lol copy
copy
bla bla copy copy copy
copy and paste
:) ?
It is kind of funny how iPhone 3.0 seemed to have "copied" a lot of non-innovations that seemed to have existed in Windows Mobile for years.
And yet you still cant multi-task. I'm sure that this will be innovated too for iPhone 4.0, right?
When Apple copies, it's called reinventing, fools.
The term isn't copy, but "embrace and extend"
Oh wait...
iPhone multitasks, it just doesn't multitask poorly written third party apps that crash the phone. But it does multitask your critical apps such as, well, A PHONE. Music, so you can surf the web while in Safari, or using remote desktop, and while checking email. Want more do you want? Combined with MULTITOUCH its like the coolness of MS's Surface, only it works and is useful.
Unfortunately MS's dev. team has taken on the unit test scenario for developing software and blown it out of proportion. Everything is a unit test-case scenario, but that doesn't do well for UI or design. You can unit-test intuitive design, and thus the reason why the software is more stable, but less useful or user friendly. Sad.
Just show me WM7 now...please!
Not as a microsoft fanboy, but as a fan of mobile oses in general.
Well it looks soo absouletly fascinating and thrilling of a demo that the room was empty?... Anyone else notice all those empty seats? =/
Wait a minute.... these guys are from BestBuy right?
I didn't even know that bestbuy guys can build a mobile OS from zero.
I was so going to post that, glad I read all the comments first..
The Host(ess) looks like she's really about to have a nervous breakdown...
"Also discussed is the reasoning behind 6.5's less than groundbreaking UI, which comes down to deadlines."
This has got to be the worst excuse ever. NEWSFLASH!! Wait just a little bit longer and release something that people might actually want!
And so we all took a vote and decided we didnt want it, and left it up to you to announce the results?
Those of us that aren't a fry short of a happy meal KNEW that 6.5 is just a small upgrade between 6 and 7, and were not expecting a "ground breaking UI". And many of us are happy with this until 7 comes out next year.
You know like the less than groundbreaking point-release from Leopard to Snow Leopard.
Hell if it offends you that much, then stay with 6 and pout. That is if you even use WinMobile to begin with.
That's what they're doing, they're just doing it with WinMo 7. They're taking their time and doing it right. The whole reason why 6.5 exists is to buy them time so they can finish WM7 right without losing too much of their marketshare.
I don't understand the Marketability of this thing... WinMo 7 is due out in 6 months after WinMo 6.5. And 6.5 won't be available for any 6.X users so basically they just wasted 8 to 9 months coding an already dead OS at the gate?
How much did that cost to code all that for very little expected ROI, Microsoft?
The Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2 will still sell millions of devices.
The licensing of WM 6.5 for those devices should be enough to pay off the dev work for the OS.
And, if they open up more of the existing devices to be eligible for a 6.5 upgrade, that's millions more licenses for millions of devices that are already out there, such as the Diamond and Touch Pro, Omnia, X1, etc. The Omnia alone is one of the most popular devices in Europe, so that is a ton of licenses right there.
Remember, WM7 seems to require brand new and much more powerful hardware than what is already out there, so they are starting from scratch with it. 6.5 can be placed on existing devices.
did that chinese guy just scraped something off his face and put it in his mouth? o_O
Whether you like winmo or not, it's always a little fascinating to learn about what goes on behind the scenes to create this software.
I'm also probably not the only one thinking that the original WM7 was scrapped when the decision was made to scrap Vista early for 7.
I develop for a little for windows mobile, but am getting a Pre in june so, I'm kind of wondering how they setup their stuff apposed to webos.
They should of called their controls widgets like Pre. "Yo dawg I heard you like widgets so we put a widget in yo widget so you can develop while you develop."
Your icon implies that you are a web developer, so you probably have a very different opinion than I do, but the HTML based SDK is the number one reason why I decided that the Pre is not for me.
You're probably the same way I am, the SDK is equally as important as the phone when picking out a smartphone for yourself. That's why I consider WinMo to be better than WebOS even though the Pre offers a dramatically superior user experience than any WinMo phone.
I need a real programming language, and Javascript is most definitely not it. I adore C#.Net, I'm cool with Java, I could even rock out to some C++ if I had to, but web development just seems like such a cobbled-together clusterfuck of unrelated technologies that it drives me insane any time I'm forced to do it.
How did they only have 8 or 9 months? WinMo 6 has been out for at least 4 years. I count no less than 48 months they had to revamp the UI and add silverlight support.
today's our last day at teched. anything you guys want to see?
What an exquisite collection of dorks they are! Are they trying to look like the PC in the Mac ads?
How depressing is that video. Ugggh. I hope I don't end up like that. I will become a car mechanic before I become a well paid douche bag. I hope that is just a Microsoft thing.
It's rather interesting seeing the people working behind the software. "We turn that four letter word to EASY" *laughter ensues* "Widgets" wow. "Give up my day job and sell apps" *more laughter*.
My goodness the "me too" DNA comes through and through again and again. Future 6.5 development line has been junked. 7 is now in heavy "copy Apple iPhone platform" development process.
Basically they are copying the iPhone UI, App Store, Consumer/User interaction/feedback.... too funny!
You just never quit, do you? Have you checked your eyes lately? It seems you can't tell the differences between UIs and such.
Gosh is that a faint sound I hear from a certain ZG that can no longer log on as ZG? It's akin to that sound from the classic movie "The Fly". Squeeky "help me" "help me"... oh well I guess ZG will eventually respond to my post. I'd like to reiterate the fact that Microsoft the biggest "me too" company on the planet is copying the iPhone UI, App Store and Consumer/User interaction/feedback.... It's why they will take several more months to finish the job. Monkey see, monkey do... Another Microsoft Ballmer inspired mantra.
"Help me, help me" is right. You need LOTS of help.
Windows Mobile 6.5 will have a lot of new apps, features and technologies that will be included and introduced. Just to name a few: internet explorer mobile, live mesh for mobile, windows media player mobile, windows mobile marketplace,.NET compact framework, .NET mobile, compact framework, and SQL server compact. The Windows Mobile contact list will get a huge visual boost and be more touch-friendly as well, with larger menu items and an updated look. Microsoft has officially confirmed a new web browser for Windows Mobile, Internet Explorer 6. The hottest new features and apps include: My Phone--a backup and recovery service for contacts, photos and other data stored on a mobile device. My Phone will also be available for phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1. The new Windows Marketplace for Mobile is a centralized place to buy increasingly popular mobile applications. Windows Mobile 6.5 features a new user interface and "honeycomb". A customizable start screen with hexagonal tiles for each program that are designed to be easier to use on touch-screen phones. The Windows Mobile start menu can be customized with Internet applications like weather or stock reports, that are automatically updated. The new Windows Mobile 6.5 user interface is designed to be more "finger friendly," You can also move icons up or down in the new layout. In addition, the new Windows Mobile Home screen will support special widgets, which will give status information like missed calls, new messages, etc. Another new feature of Windows Mobile 6.5 allows people to go directly to waiting voice mail, text messages or other information when unlocking their phones. Microsoft Recite, came out of the company's research group. It allows people to record voice notes or other audio files on Windows Mobile phones and then search for keywords using their voice. LG is set to launch 50 new Windows Mobile devices over the next 4 years. And to boot you will get widgets in windows mobile 6.5. The widgets will appear to function just as full applications do, and will have their own icons in Windows Mobile menus and access to web content. The widgets will be powered, in part, by the new Mobile Internet Explorer 6, which will give them access to Flash and ActiveX controls. The widgets will also have control of the SK menu bar. According to Microsoft, the widgets can be written with standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, AJAX, and JavaScript.