Windows Mobile 6.5 Launched, Panned

Barence writes "It's not Windows Mobile 7, but at least it's here. PC Pro has posted its full review of Windows Mobile 6.5, as found on the new HTC Touch2 handset, which is also reviewed. If you're expecting something to challenge Apple OS and Android, prepare for a very large let-down. The damning quote: 'Business users, as much as consumers, deserve a phone that's quick and intuitive to operate as well as one that hooks in neatly to Exchange and Outlook and is easy to manage centrally. If this is the best [Microsoft] can muster in the year-and-a-half's worth of development time since Windows Mobile 6.1 appeared, we'll be dramatically lowering our hopes for Windows Mobile 7.'"

Runs fine on my TP

[p51d007]

I've been running leaked builds of 6.5 from XDA-Developers and the last 5-6 builds have been great. Boots faster than 6.1 and is a lot more stable.

Re:Great

[jimicus]

(especially the PIM apps, which were so backwards I don't know how it even got mildly popular as a mobile OS).

I'll tell you how. Certain managers (who I shan't name) decided they liked Outlook, saw the Microsoft name attached to a mobile phone and thought "Great! Outlook while out of the office!".

In extreme cases, they are so locked in this mindset that they point-blank refuse to try anything else.

Re:There is no way...

[lordandmaker]

I'm ashamed to say that we do. 'We' obviously being those people whose decisions I get to implement.

Fact is that if you've never used anything else, WM is perfectly adequate. And for a lot of people adequacy's just great.

Re:The worst part

[L4t3r4lu5]

Hahaha! Do you honestly believe anybody who knows the word "ROM" in the context of these phones uses an official release?

"Hackishly installing an unofficial ROM" is automated. Two files (HardSPL and CustomRUU) are required to perform the update; The first unlocks vendor locks for software, allowing you to run unofficial / unsigned ROMs, and the second is the automated update software. Wizard driven, even offers protection against bricking (asks if you've backed up your data, checks battery life is above 50% before it will continue, and will stop if you try and continue anyway). Compared to unlocking an Android device, or iPhone, it's a piece of cake.

Hey, guess what comes here! A disclaimer: My experience only expressed above, undertake unofficial updates at your own risk, you may void your warranty etc etc.

Guess they got lucky then

[SuperKendall]

To me it's obvious that Apple would be lucky (and quite happy) to capture 10% of the smartphone market...

Well "Captain Obvious", I guess they got Lucky after all [engadget.com].

"RIM increased its share of the lucrative (smartphone) market to 19.5% (7.4 million units) from 10.9% while Apple more than doubled its share, up from 5.2% to 10.7% (4.1 million units)."

That report is from March 2009. Before the 3Gs, and the $99 iPhone 3G...

So who is that market share eroding from? Windows Mobile.

Re:Direct ascent.

[shutdown -p now]

Isn't it likely that 7.0 is a now radically different branch (maybe branched off 6.0 a long time ago) with many more engineering hours behind it than this 6.5-semi-service-pack?

You are absolutely correct, and, in fact, this isn't even news. Anyone who's been following release schedule for 7 and 6.5 knew that 6.5 is just a bunch of minor updates, and 7 is the next and very major update. In fact, there wasn't even supposed to be 6.5, but 7 kept getting delayed for long enough that they felt an interim release was needed so as to not fall behind hopelessly.

In other words, the expectations of 6.5 were already low for everyone in the know, and its relevance on how 7 will turn out to be is non-existent.