Windows Mobile V6.5 - Too Little, Too Late?

Let's put an end the the Windows v Iphone argument.

Until 3 months ago I hadn't touched an apple in anger since my ad agency days... I've owned at least 6 HTC/imate/palm handsets running every windows mobile platform until the current windows 6.0 OS. Every single one has hung & crashed and failed to find a wireless network pretty regularly. The design is pretty appaling, because the handset and OS are not designed together you often find that fingers miss the right area on the touchscreen (which is too small for the touchflo for example), and it takes you ages to execute the command you were attemptiong).

I need MS exchange to work on the handset so I had to wait for the 3G iphone, I wasn't excited particuylarly, but when O2 told me that I could have an iphone free or another XDA I chose to try it.

For those of you who have not moved between the two, the first month makes you smile... the leap in usability is stunning, you wonder why you didn't do this years ago. Battery life is fine for a day out (I commute to london every few days and use ipod/phone/email/web/train apps etc... all day and it doesn't run out), and it's a joy.

My iphone has crashed once... I tried to recharge it in a very old ipod speaker dock and it warned me then the next morning had to be restarted). Other than that it quite possibly is better than my last windows handsets (TytnII or Touch HD) by a factor of 3 or 4.

This new 6.5 OS from microsoft looks like an improvement, but the design of the interface still looks like something from the 1980's to me. It simple will not match up to the apple OS. We need to face facts, the developers at apple know how to do usability, and on a phoen the importance of that skill is intensified because we the human finger has limitations. the iphone makes the user appear skilled, MS OS's do not.

@Oliver Levett - have a look at
http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/18/editorial-ten-reasons-why-windows-mobile-6-5-misses-the-mark/
and i think you will see what i am talking about. they are trying, but are just not getting there. also, I don't think that WM will ever catch up with the iphone now (although i am a very loyal windows user, and would like it to) and it is fighting a bit of a lost battle. can only hope that WM 7 will be amazing, but like I said before, it may be to late.

To begin with this website like many others is totally applie biased.

But more important Windows Mobile doesnt need to "beat" apple at its game. Apple Iphone is designed for media consumption only. For all else it is rather mediocre.

What WM should be is the best device for those who do a lot of data creation and input - and be competitive at media consumption. This will make it a godo device for both business power users, tech savy and the average consumer.

To that end, they need more devices with built-in keybaords, better on screen keyboards, better cameras. And get rid of that gow-awful stylus-intensive interface. That's all the need. Because ultimately the trend is for consumers to PRODUCE and SHARE content more and more. And for that the iphone is useless. I mean a phone that couldnt do MMS and had no cut and paste. Seriously....