I’ve been using Windows Mobile 6 for a while now on my HTC Mogul and in general it does it’s job very well. The few problems I have are remedied by installing applications and tinkering away to change the default behaviors of the phone. It looks like Microsoft was paying attention and is updating the UI and functionality a bit with the 6.1 update, which you can see screenshots at boygenius [via arstechnica]. The main enhancements I notice are:
- Enhanced today screen with finger friendly
- Getting started application that helps user configure common phone settings
- Threaded sms built in
- Number pad shortcuts in menus
- Improved cut and paste
- Zooming in mobile IE
- Device specific ‘welcome wizard’ tutorial that sets up device and teaches you how to use it
- Improved activesync
- Much simpler UI all around
- Built in task manager
It also looks like the annoying pop-up bubble system may be going away as well, but I can’t quite tell.
This looks to be like a much needed update that should help bring the windows mobile platform a little closer to the out of the box functionality of the iPhone. The beauty of windows mobile or a linux based phone OS is not the out of the box functionality though; it’s the fact that you can change it with 3rd party apps and such. I’m not saying that improving the vanilla functionaly of the mobile os should not be ignored, and I’m glad that Microsoft feels the same.
They are also working on 7.0, which promises a complete rewrite of the OS. If they don’t have something to seriously compete with Apple at that point then it might be a dark future for the platform as a whole.
Apparently 8.0 is also being worked on or at least planned as another complete rewrite, but that seems a bit premature without knowing what the technology in phone will look like years from now when that becomes relevant. At least they are thinking ahead a bit now that they have some real competition.
