Oh Microsoft, WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO to Windows Mobile?!?!
I still think the traditional Today screen was way more useful, but I can live with the new sliding panels. What I'm still trying to recover from is the...
1. AWFUL Start menu!
First, no first-letter navigation. Grab your favorite QWERTY-bar phone with WM Pro 5.0 to 6.1 (i.e, iPAQ 6900/910c, Treo 750/Pro, Epix, etc.). Press the Start menu key then press the letter S. BAM! The Settings screen opens. Try that with WM 6.5... no-go! You have to flick (yuck) your way through the gridless honeycomb until you find Settings, or the program you are looking for.
Also, no list of favorite programs anymore! At least before 6.5 you could set up your favorite programs to always appear on the top level of the Start menu. Not anymore.
2. Settings screen NIGHTMARE!
It used to be that once you opened Settings from the Start menu, you could make multiple changes in various Settings applets without having to relaunch Settings. Now, try to change Button settings then change Today screen settings on WM 6.5... You have to open the Start menu and navigate to Settings (then to Personal, System or Connections) for every Settings applet you need to open!
3. Text selection SUCKS!
Not only you do not get Shift+arrow keys to select text, but now you can't even drag to select blocks of text, such as for copying or deleting. The iPhony feel of screen flicking has taken precedence over the efficiency of text selection.
Windows Mobile 6.5 is far worse than Pocket PC 2002!!!
Not only you do not get Shift+arrow keys to select text, but now you can't even drag to select blocks of text, such as for copying or deleting. The iPhony feel of screen flicking has taken precedence over the efficiency of text selection.
Hmmm. Well, I have the T-Mobile TP2 with 6.1 and TouchFlo. The TouchFlo interface seems to take over navigation as you mention where you can't select text straight away. I found however that in most programs you just have to access the Menu soft-key and there's an option for turning on traditional text selection mode using your finger or stylus. This however is NOT universal. If you turn off TouchFlo then all goes back to the old days including larger finger friendly context menus and the sort. Doh.
There's always going to be compromises. Personally, that new Touch HD 2 which all of the PPC sites are reviewing would not be for me. The capacitive touch screen has removed the stylus option, not to mention the qwerty keyboard. I can't say that I'd never use Windows Phone after that, but if I did it would really require a lot of adjustment. *sigh*
Hmmm. Well, I have the T-Mobile TP2 with 6.1 and TouchFlo. The TouchFlo interface seems to take over navigation as you mention where you can't select text straight away. I found however that in most programs you just have to access the Menu soft-key and there's an option for turning on traditional text selection mode using your finger or stylus. This however is NOT universal. If you turn off TouchFlo then all goes back to the old days including larger finger friendly context menus and the sort. Doh.
There's always going to be compromises. Personally, that new Touch HD 2 which all of the PPC sites are reviewing would not be for me. The capacitive touch screen has removed the stylus option, not to mention the qwerty keyboard. I can't say that I'd never use Windows Phone after that, but if I did it would really require a lot of adjustment. *sigh*
--Kidd
Some later flavors of 6.5 have the start button on the bottom... they also made them all graphic like.... JUNK. It's seriously like they don't know what they are doing.
@ Celugeek, I'm with you bud for the most part. I don't see an upgrade with 6.5 as much as I see a downgrade in basic functionality. I think it's some fluff and a cry for some kind of recognition coming from wm/ms. I ran several 6.5 roms on my old tp1 and now have tried two diff 6.5's on my tp2. I doubt I'll try any more as it is just more of the s.o.s. 6.1 has way,way better functionality and as far as losing that fabulous start menu, I can only imagine what they were thinking. Don't even get me started on titanium, total p-o-s crapola!
I had my tp2 fully customized the way I like it when I decided to plunge into the 6.5 when the unlocker was released like so many others, and for what? A completely wiped out phone that I hesitate to reload fully as I know I'll be going back. I'll stick it out for awhile until I can't handle the shortcomings anymore, and blah,blah,blah.... I'm rambling.
Hmmm. Well, I have the T-Mobile TP2 with 6.1 and TouchFlo. The TouchFlo interface seems to take over navigation as you mention where you can't select text straight away. I found however that in most programs you just have to access the Menu soft-key and there's an option for turning on traditional text selection mode using your finger or stylus. This however is NOT universal. If you turn off TouchFlo then all goes back to the old days including larger finger friendly context menus and the sort. Doh.
There's always going to be compromises. Personally, that new Touch HD 2 which all of the PPC sites are reviewing would not be for me. The capacitive touch screen has removed the stylus option, not to mention the qwerty keyboard. I can't say that I'd never use Windows Phone after that, but if I did it would really require a lot of adjustment. *sigh*
--Kidd
TXT selection is still there. Tap and hold on the today screen and choose Select Text, then you can drag and get multiple blocks of text just like in the past.
If you don't like the new today screen, then turn it off, unter Start > Settings > Today. Uncheck Windows Default and build your today screen the say you you always have.
As for the Start menu, yep I agree they could have some nicer tweaks to have quick access to programs and quick arange of programs as well as an easier way to navigate between the different start screens.
here's the problem with winmo, and microsoft in general- For a long time, winmo and phones running it have been aimed at professional users. So, ms designed their OS with that thought in their minds- anybody who claims to be a business/professional person would trade usability and features over eye candy in a heartbeat. I mean, look at winmo 6 vs 6.1- I had a Moto Q9m when the 6.1 ROM came floating out and I zapped over to it instantly, and that look was drastically different than the giant icons, carrier information, and appointment notifications on the "1987" today screen. The same with 6.5- it's slowly becoming more consumer-oriented. Is this because of Apple's iPhone? Of course. I'm not a fanboy, but Apple revolutionized the portable music player industry with the iPod- nobody really cared about mp3 players till the iPod came out. Hell, I was using a MiniDisc player at the time and everyone thought that was the bee's knees lol. Apple did the same thing with smartphones- they took it and made it something the average joe could use, and now MS is playing catch-up. Did they miss their time to shine? That remains to be seen. I do think they've been sitting on winmo 6 for way too long, 7 should've been out already, but that's beside the point. Personally, I think the iPhone is another one of those "keeping up with the Joneses" pieces of technology- everyone's gotta have one...not really sure why, but Steve and Tom and Bill have one so I gotta have one too. I had an iPod Touch and thought it was horrid. I've had faith in MS to develop something decent since I first bought my Q, and I think they're slowly coming around. I can actually use my finger to do stuff on my Omnia w/ 6.5, instead of the mousepad (though i still use the mouse often). I think the today screen looks very good. The phone seems more responsive, and luckily I had the common sense to download a ROM that got all the Samsung preloads out of the system, so now it runs lighter too. Overall, I can honestly now say I like my WinMo phone. I don't think MS ever intended WinMo to be a multimedia uber-device that will text, play music, browse the internet and wash your dishes all at the same time, and from that they've certainly suffered... but I think they'll recover. I hated Vista, but I love Win7. So there's my 2c
I get better speed on a Rev. 0 device than a Rev. A
@ Celugeek, I'm with you bud for the most part. I don't see an upgrade with 6.5 as much as I see a downgrade in basic functionality. I think it's some fluff and a cry for some kind of recognition coming from wm/ms. I ran several 6.5 roms on my old tp1 and now have tried two diff 6.5's on my tp2. I doubt I'll try any more as it is just more of the s.o.s. 6.1 has way,way better functionality and as far as losing that fabulous start menu, I can only imagine what they were thinking. Don't even get me started on titanium, total p-o-s crapola!
I had my tp2 fully customized the way I like it when I decided to plunge into the 6.5 when the unlocker was released like so many others, and for what? A completely wiped out phone that I hesitate to reload fully as I know I'll be going back. I'll stick it out for awhile until I can't handle the shortcomings anymore, and blah,blah,blah.... I'm rambling.
EDIT: I went back to 6.1 this morning. No more 6.5 for me. Wheew!! What a relief. I just couldn't take it anymore. The endless tweaking that needs to be re-tweaked later. The oem verizon 6.1 rom is very , very stable. If not the best then one of the best in stability factor that I have used over the years. Now I want to load my baby back up the way she was before I got side tracked.
here's the problem with winmo, and microsoft in general- For a long time, winmo and phones running it have been aimed at professional users. So, ms designed their OS with that thought in their minds- anybody who claims to be a business/professional person would trade usability and features over eye candy in a heartbeat...
I agree. Microsoft has made with WM 6.5 Professional the same mistake they made with Office 2007. I don't fault Microsoft for trying and introducing new interfaces. I fault them for not giving users a way to go back to the interfeces they were really efficient and productive with, even though both Office and Windows Mobile are supposed to be focused on productivity.
Oh well, I'm returning the Samsung Intrepid tomorrow though granted, it's more due to Sprint's crappy coverage than with the device itself. That said, Samsung really dropped the ball too. The Epix and the Jack had an application that allowed you to assign Fn+letter keystrokes to launch favorite applications so you didn't have to put up with Windows Mobile's Start menu for most tasks. Guess what phone really needed this application but didn't get it?
Anyway, I'm porting back to AT&T hoping to get an Epix or a Jack. Either way, I'm not upgrading whatever device I get to WinMo 6.5. Who knows... just like SPB and others have come up with flashier interface replacements for Windows Mobile, maybe someone can now come up with an interface replacement that makes WM 6.5 productive and efficient again.
I agree. Microsoft has made with WM 6.5 Professional the same mistake they made with Office 2007. I don't fault Microsoft for trying and introducing new interfaces. I fault them for not giving users a way to go back to the interfeces they were really efficient and productive with, even though both Office and Windows Mobile are supposed to be focused on productivity.
Interestingly enough, I was very productive with the old Office 2003 interfaces, and while the 2007 interface was disorienting for a short time, I actually feel that I'm now more productive with it. You just have to try to learn it with an open mind. Actually, the only thing about 2007's interface which helps me the least is, I've done forgotten a lot of the menu and option placements from the OLD versions and now when my customers call me for support - I struggle to tell them where they need to click to accomplish what they're trying to do. Need to install a VM with the old Office so I can have a point of reference.
I'm not saying that 6.5 is the same situation because I've not used it yet myself, but I will reserve judgement until I've tried myself. It sounds like a train wreck from what I hear, but I'll still give them the satisfaction of a doubt.
Interestingly enough, I was very productive with the old Office 2003 interfaces, and while the 2007 interface was disorienting for a short time, I actually feel that I'm now more productive with it. You just have to try to learn it with an open mind. Actually, the only thing about 2007's interface which helps me the least is, I've done forgotten a lot of the menu and option placements from the OLD versions and now when my customers call me for support - I struggle to tell them where they need to click to accomplish what they're trying to do. Need to install a VM with the old Office so I can have a point of reference.
I'm not saying that 6.5 is the same situation because I've not used it yet myself, but I will reserve judgement until I've tried myself. It sounds like a train wreck from what I hear, but I'll still give them the satisfaction of a doubt.
--Kidd
My biggest gripe with Office 2007, and now with Windows Mobile is that Microsoft is replacing reading, with touching pictures. I guess Microsoft didn't get my memo...
Originally Posted by CeluGeek's former HoFo signature
Because I'd rather read information than touch oversized pictures. I'm not in preschool anymore.
If you use EnergyROM biuld 23081, it is based upon WM 6.5.1, and there are differences. (start menu moved to bottom, as is the X button). It is much more finger friendly, and the honeycomb start menu is gone. You can move the icons around much easier, simply by holding down on an icon in the start menu, and moving it to wherever you want. You have a choice of the Titanium, TF3D2.1, or TF3D2.5 when installing your variation of EnergyROM.
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Originally Posted by CeluGeek
and blah,blah,blah.... I'm rambling.
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