Microsoft has launched a round of videos showing off the next version of Windows Mobile. It’s very interesting to see how they’re marketing them. (These videos will only work for UK users unfortunately.)
First up — Windows Marketplace:
Windows Phone demo:
Windows Live demo:
Internet Explorer on Windows Mobile:
Windows Mobile email:
My first reaction is that I’d have liked to have seen this from Microsoft two years ago. But at least they’ve got there – at least it’s finally coming. I wonder if they’re too late to have captured the zeitgeist? Are consumers far too obsessed and enamoured with the iPhone? We will see. I think there’s still a lot of love in the room for Microsoft. When the last video swapped into ’email looks like Outlook’, I had to wince. That interface is broadly unchanged since I was doing email on my Compaq iPaq back in 2002.
Anyway I look forward to seeing how the devices get on in the wild.
(I should point out that these videos are sponsored thanks to Unruly Media and Microsoft)
Looks like the old adage about Microsoft is true – they just keep banging away until they get it right. Even if it takes them ten years (see Windows passim). As for the Outlook thing – they probably understand that “improving” the interface to an email application is fraught with danger – of alienation of their huge customer base for the wretched thing.
Fair point on the 'improving' of email…
Seems like still too much use of popup / pulldown style menus.. which most platforms UI seem to be trying to avoid these days. Also the UI for a lot of the applications looks “unfinished” and doesn't integrate with the main UI of the device at all. However, it is certainly an improvement on what has been a horrible experience for years.
Kirk, you make a good point — it does seem a little 'bolted on', doesn't it?
Definately.. so I'm thinking this is still very much work in progress, I noticed that the slide transitions between images in the image gallery don't seem to be there, which I'm fairly sure were in another video I saw (possibly from geekbrief.tv ?)
With all the videos about Windows Phone 7 lately, I was surprised that these were for Windows Mobile 6.5. Still it's probably good (though not 100% sure for whom) that they haven't given up on existing platforms before the new ones are available.
Not sure what those backgrounds are about though. Is the phone not interesting enough that they have to have those strange distracting backgrounds?