Windows Mobile 6.5 impressions on the Touch Pro 2

The official update for Windows Mobile 6.5 on the HTC site really caught me off guard, for I didn't expect it to be available soon after my failed attempt from the day before. I had previously downloaded an unofficial 6.5 update from HTCPedia.com and transferred it to my Touch Pro 2, but received an error message whenever I tried to install it from the File Explorer.

 

Now that I finally have the new OS on my HTC, I am impressed with the overall cosmetic changes and added features. The homescreen upon first reboot introduces me to the HTC Sense interface for the first time, and I definitely like what I see. At first glance, the weather data for the current location is located just below the Rolodex display of the clock. The icons on the horizontal scrolling taskbar have been infused with new graphics and vibrant color, and a Programs tab has been added after the Settings tab. With the Programs listed as the last tab, the Start Menu button revealed an entirely new layout with a plethora of icons in a honeycomb-like arrangement. If I am not mistaken, I think these icons certainly appear to have a revamped look while new ones have been included as well. One pleasant surprise has been the visual weather effects on the homescreen during standby. Whatever the current weather phenomena happens to be at any given time, the TP2 will suddenly use animation to make the weather come to life onscreen for a number of seconds and then fade it away. For example, a sunny forecast would call for rays of light to emanate from the sun and rotate slowly before fading away into faint clouds; a rainy forecast would cause raindrops to suddenly overtake the homescreen only to be wiped away by a swooping wiper blade; a cloudy forecast brings about a number of clouds that arrive from both sides of the screen and engulf the entire background before going away. This kind of attention to detail is what wins me over to the HTC TouchFLO 3D!

 

There is one aspect of Windows Mobile 6.5 that turns me off from first sight: the original default Windows layout for the homescreen. Whether I am biased to the HTC TouchFLO 3D or not, I simply do not find the default screen to be efficient at all for daily use. Having a listing of features with a magnifying strip is simple and clean, but not as useful or eye-catching as the HTC version. Another terrible feature of 6.5 is the available lineup of selectable themes that may be a sad attempt by Microsoft to be modern and hip with catchy name descriptions: Isaac Mizrahi Purple, DVF (Diane Von Furstenberg) Green, and Vera Wang Red. Really? Seriously? While I understand the attempt to cater to the younger and fashionable generation, I don't see any artistic quality at all in either of the themes aside from the default Windows setting. The fashion designer-inspired themes feel gaudy, over-the-top, and excessive for a Windows Mobile smartphone in my opinion.

 

There is a new version of Internet Explorer that FINALLY supports flash videos, basically spitting in the face of the default Opera Mobile browser that STILL doesn't support them.

 

FM Radio is available from the Start Menu, but only turns on when the wired headset is connected to operate as an antenna.

 

YouTube videos on the pre-installed HTC player are opened and playback with no trouble via my wifi connection.

 

Windows Marketplace is available and looks like a good competitor to the Ovi Store on Nokia devices as well as the Android and WebOS marketplace variants. The most impressive aspect of this feature is its ability to grant you a choice of payment for purchasing apps. I was pleasantly surprised to be asked whether I wanted to make the transaction with my AT&T account or a personal card! I am able to sign in with a Windows Live ID to browse any potential app choices, and I have so far installed the free Associated Press app. This news media application reflects the same usability I experienced on the Nokia N97, and the interface is comprehensive and clean. I am currently thinking of a Twitter app called Twikini that's available, but wonder if it is a good move from PockeTwit.

 

Update: Twikini is just as reliable as TwitPic if not more. The interface is clean and navigation is smooth with kinetic scrolling. I have no trouble uploading pictures from the TP2 library into a tweet, and other people's pictures show up clearly when included in a message. It is still a bit eerie to hear the bird chirp audible alert for a new incoming tweet. Personally, I still prefer the Gravity app on my Nokia E71 in regards to fast usability and a better camera.

 

Microsoft MyPhone appears to be a syncing service that basically stores phone information into the cloud via a special access site. I am thinking that this is similar to Apple's Mobile Me or Google's GooSync. Since I already updated my TP2 with one sync via Missing Sync to my Mac, I proceeded with downloading the PIM data to this service. In order to use this, one must also sign in with a Windows Live ID. Upon signing in I see that there are premium services available from MyPhone that of course may cost extra after a free trial: lost phone locator with a map, remote locking/erasing of a lost phone, and a remote phone ringer.

 

So far, these are the only noticeable changes on the TP2 to my knowledge, and I may play with the phone for only a little while before returning to my Nokia E71. Aside from the visual transformations and a few additional features, the TP2 with its Windows Mobile OS is still the same as before. In the midst of making a tweet via Twikini, a low battery alert appeared onscreen and caused the app to freeze. It is this kind of random instability that sometimes irritates me, but there are other aspects of the qwerty slider that make it worthwhile. Nonetheless, I have been reunited with my E71 and see no future plans of going back to the Touch Pro 2 any time soon…even with 6.5. The changes may been nice to look at, but the operation of the OS itself hasn't changed at all. At this point, I doubt that I will even look forward to what the AT&T Tilt 2 has to offer, especially since it is locked.

--
Trent Smith
Sent from my MacBook Aluminum
TRENT SENSE blogger/netcast host
trentsense.com
youtube.com/absolon3