8
Feb
2010
WinMo Maldives: Better Than We Thought
Just because the number was changed to 6.5.3 does not mean that the Maldives update is any less than it would have been if it retained the previously announced 6.6 designation –or so Microsoft would want us to believe. Obviously, the pressure to prematurely bring out the update for the upcoming Mobile World Congress this month at Barcelona, Spain would have forced some features out the Window.
Still, from what has been announced about version 6.5.3, there seems to be a lot to look forward to with the OS. For those who may remember, WinMo 6.5 and previous versions of the operating system had plenty of critics due to the way the user interface was made. It was designed to be used with resistive touch screens and stylus controls. This made for small icons and buttons that were hard to press if the user was using a finger –which made using WinMo incompatible with capacitive touch screen phones. The HTC HD2 had a workaround using a skinned WinMo OS with the HTC Sense user interface.
Anyway, the Maldives update has been looked forward to since it was originally announced and it looks like we are going to see it active on a device during the MWC.
This week, it was announced that the Sony Ericsson Aspen with be the very first mobile phone to have the 6.5.3 version of WinMo. The business edition smart phone will come equipped with a 2.4 inch touch screen and full QWERTY keyboard –a nice match for the Windows Mobile OS. Maldives is reported to be compatible with gestures, multi touch and other finger input commands –a vast improvement over the previous version which relied heavily on the use of a stylus.
Read more about the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Maldives and its’ new features from Tech Radar.
7
Dec
2009
Windows Mobile Sees a New Update: The MobileNavigator 7
There have been a few updates recently for the navigation applications for the mobile phone users using Windows Mobile operating software, and the latest one is that the MobileNavigator 7 has been introduced from the NAVIGON.
The navigation application update will be compatible with the Windows Mobile 6.5, which is being used by most of the Windows Mobile market right now. For the European version of the application, it has been claimed to be priced with a 20 percent decrease, at 74.95 Euros for the markets in Europe.
According to Gerhard Mayr, the newer version will enable both the users of the MobileNavigation 7, as well as fresh customers to be able to upgrade their smartphones with updated navigation services and features.
The developers have pointed out that the new updates will enable Windows Mobile users to benefit from the NAVIGON Traffic Live 2 as well, a feature which became quite popular with Apple’s iPhone users. This feature, priced at 24.95 Euros actually allowed users to learn about the happenings in the local traffic, in order to find out what kind of conditions they will be finding on the road as they progress through the road.
The updated version will allow the users to carry out local searches through Google in order to easily navigate towards their desired destinations. The updated version will allow the maps to be displayed in portrait or landscape modes and will allow the users to install the map navigation feature for the first time in their handsets.
MobileNavigator 7, in its updated form, will be available for a much lower price tag of 74.95 Euros, instead of the regular 99 Euros, but the offer is only valid till January 18. The NAVIGON mobile along with the Live Traffic is available for a price tag of 89.95 Euros. For those who are into camping, the ADAC Camping and Caravanning Guide and the Caravan Park Guide packages for 2009 are available for 19.95 Euros.
Go exploring!
20
Nov
2009
Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 Mobile UI
Rumours that Windows Mobile 7 announcement is scheduled for the first quarter of the new year was confirmed by the Vice President of Microsoft Office, Kurt Delbene. He also stated specifically that the launch will take place during Microsoft MIX 2010 conference in March.
This turns out to be good news since the rumour has been confirmed and we can now expect the launch of Windows Mobile 7 in less than half a year. I really hope it won’t exceed another six months before it runs on actual device. There is a very great likelihood that the release date cannot be earlier than the third quarter of next year being rumoured.
Microsoft has also delivered the beta versions of both desktop and mobile Office for 2010. What this means is that if you own a device running Windows Mobile 6.5 then you can download the beta version free of charge from Windows Marketplace.
Another juicy story is the simultaneous posting and removal of a screen shot of Microsoft Office Mobile 10 on its official web page. It displays a UI, similar to what we all saw a few months ago stating it was from Windows 7. Well, for now it still looks unkept, and no one can say for sure if it actually originated from Windows 7 or a cooked-up interface to deceive users.
The UI makes it easy to take documents fromyour smartphone back to your computer to enabling emailing to others
We can only just hope and await the next Windows Mobile installment scheduled for the first quarter of next year. (March to be precise)
