Speculation [Windows Mobile 7]

[bkrodgers]

Originally Posted by Malatesta

Look at the biggest Android devices: Moto Droid and HTC Eris, etc. (Nexus One is not that huge...yet)

The most popular ones have some sort of customization. Moto's BLUR is going to be huge. HTC Sense is very popular.

Small correction -- the Droid doesn't have Blur. It's got the plain vanilla "Google Experience" UI, as does the N1. I think most users care most about a good out of the box experience, whether it's customized or not. If WM7 delivers that, most users will be happy.

But we're not "most users" around here. We want more!

[smoove21]

Originally Posted by Malatesta

Look at the biggest Android devices: Moto Droid and HTC Eris, etc. (Nexus One is not that huge...yet)

The most popular ones have some sort of customization. Moto's BLUR is going to be huge. HTC Sense is very popular.

Point is, OEMs have a choice: do a "Google" phone (basic OS) or a custom version (Sense, BLUR, etc.)

It's working very well for platform, no? Why would MS take years of OEM customization away from them? The ability to customize the UX/UI is a way for an OEM to fly their colors, make themselves standout, define their brand. You take that way, they are all stuck riffing on the same tune. It's exactly why WinMo was so boring when Wm5 came out; only Palm was seriously hacking it.

I've personally spoken with Microsoft before on this topic: they love HTC's Sense. They think it's a selling point for their OS. This was in October and I find it hard to believe they would do a 180 on the topic.

All evidence I have suggest MS is doing the Android route: have both a Zune UX version and one that can be customized. Heck, they even mention they will be making custom UIs for carriers. I think OEMs would be ticked "Oh you can do custom UI's, but we can't?"

There may also be a Zune-type feature phone (very locked down, guaranteed performance/experience).

Going further, if the HD2 is getting the update (and I'm confident it will), do you think HTC is going to let users go from their Sense 2.5 to "X"? You don't think that would, you know, disrupt the customer experience?

That's my bet.

Actually the droid and nexus 1 are pure google experience devices. Only consumers like all of us that are well informed about the devices we use consider what phones we want off the phone's os. The average customer doesn't think(or maybe even know) about windows 6.x,7, webos or android. Usually they want features(wifi,mp3 player,camera etc) in the phones they select. On top of that, as I said before, the droid is an amazing piece of hardware.. It sold because it has almost everything a buyer could ask for. Verizon marketed as that, not cute but powerful. It runs plain old android and it didn't (or still doesn't I'm not sure) have multitouch when it was released. The same goes for the touch pro2..no one cares about the os because it's still a very powerful,sexy and useful phone...

[Malatesta]

Originally Posted by smoove21

Only consumers like all of us that are well informed about the devices we use consider what phones we want off the phone's os. The average customer doesn't think(or maybe even know) about windows 6.x,7, webos or android.

This is only true for Windows Mobile (and Symbian). I know it's popular to be a techy and look down on the masses, but the reality is something different:

For one thing, many users can’t identify their operating
system. While Android users know they have phone on the
Android platform, most Windows Mobile or Symbian users
have no idea what operating system is running their phone.
This lack of branding and awareness can only hurt the
generic smartphone

Android, iPhone. Palm and BlackBerry users certainly have solid brand ID.

Back to the point, the ability for OEMs to customize Android is a big selling point for them. The info presented today is only 1 piece of Seven and lacks important detail.

OT: I also have to personally disagree about Droid being an amazing piece of hardware: the KB is just awful. It is really, really bad. The success of Droid is mostly due to advertising and word of mouth by Verizon.

[racemepls]

Originally Posted by Malatesta

Why do you assume all or any of that info is accurate or true?

What makes you think this applies to all Seven devices?

Why do you ignore this story, which directly contradicts the above information: "Hints of WM7 in Sense 2.5 (1922); HTC is still going to cover up Microsoft?". That is certainly more evidence than what has been presented today.

Do you really think HTC would have spent that last 3-4 years building up their name brand/identity via TouchFlo/Manila/Sense and customizations to throw it all out for 7?

Do you really think all OEMs are just going to be generic phone makes for MS? That LG, Samsung, HTC and Moto will have to throw away all of that money, time and investment? How will OEMS differentiate themselves in the market from each other? What is the incentive?

Do you think you can have as solid business device (the core of WinMo) with Office without multi-tasking?

Do you think business want or care about a phone with Zune/XBox integration?

You guys are smarter than this. Don't believe all sourceless rumors, especially without any coherent analysis. Because that's what this is. Think this stuff through and don't believe every bit of info posted on the internet.

I couldn't agree more. I was waiting to see what you had to say on the subject having more sources than most. I myself believe this is only a part of WM7. Project Pink maybe?

[Oxymoron238]

Originally Posted by Malatesta

Why do you assume all or any of that info is accurate or true?

What makes you think this applies to all Seven devices?

Why do you ignore this story, which directly contradicts the above information: "Hints of WM7 in Sense 2.5 (1922); HTC is still going to cover up Microsoft?". That is certainly more evidence than what has been presented today.

Do you really think HTC would have spent that last 3-4 years building up their name brand/identity via TouchFlo/Manila/Sense and customizations to throw it all out for 7?

Do you really think all OEMs are just going to be generic phone makes for MS? That LG, Samsung, HTC and Moto will have to throw away all of that money, time and investment? How will OEMS differentiate themselves in the market from each other? What is the incentive?

Do you think you can have as solid business device (the core of WinMo) with Office without multi-tasking?

Do you think business want or care about a phone with Zune/XBox integration?

You guys are smarter than this. Don't believe all sourceless rumors, especially without any coherent analysis. Because that's what this is. Think this stuff through and don't believe every bit of info posted on the internet.

You make a lot of sense, Malatester. In fact, you make a whole lot more sense than those rumors, especially when you mention Office Mobile & multitasking.

Thanks for your post; I am consoled.

You deserve thanks.

[breakmyfootoff]

@Smoove, just an FYI, Droid does now have full multitouch (along with tap to zoom) in the browser and galleries, but not out of the box, only through custom ROMs . Over Clocking is now available, 1.1 ghz is the max ( I have mine clocked at 950mhz )

I already feel that Android is better than WM 6.anything, and I have hopes that WM7 will be awesome so I can come back to a MS device after it is released. Right now Android has all the ease of use and stability of the iPhone OS mixed in with the customization and capabilities of WM 6.5.x, so it has the best of both in my opinion. I would still rather have a Windows phone, they are just totally behind all the competition right now and I'm not going to stay with a product that doesnt offer the same capabilities just out of brand name loyalty. I have high hopes for WM 7 and I'm not going to write it off just yet based on these rumors.

I also cant believe everybody thinking it wont be able to be modified . I kinda like the idea of the ZunePhone concept. Give the masses a version of WM that is easy to use out of the box and there will be a lot more support for it. More users means more development . The developers here and at XDA will figure out how to get into the heart of the OS and give us the extra capabilities that power users demand, while an easy to use out of the box experience helps gain a larger user base for WM in general .

[Weapondrift]

the thing that worries me is if Microsoft is completly revamping its entire network. Why would you go from an interface like WM which is buisness oriented to begin with to one that moreso focuses on social aspects. This is a complete 360 to what their first niche market was...does this mean that in the future Windows will be a completly new OS all together?

[Noir]

Originally Posted by Weapondrift

the thing that worries me is if Microsoft is completly revamping its entire network. Why would you go from an interface like WM which is buisness oriented to begin with to one that moreso focuses on social aspects. This is a complete 360 to what their first niche market was...does this mean that in the future Windows will be a completly new OS all together?

thats what is going on...