Mobile & Wireless - eWeek

Mobile & Wireless: eWEEK Labs Takes a First Look at Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5


Windows Mobile 6.5, due in the second half of 2009, brings some welcome changes to Microsoft's mobile interface. According to a quick look at the alpha version, Windows Mobile 6.5 is now designed for finger manipulation, the updated UI appears to obviate the need for a stylus. Plus, it will offer a full Web browser with built-in Flash support.
 
  • eWEEK Labs Takes a First Look at Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5
    by Andrew Garcia
  • Start Menu
    Gone is the drop-down Start Menu from previous versions of Windows Mobile, replaced by a full-screen, scrollable display.
  • Honeycomb
    The on-screen icons are designed to be manipulated with the finger—not a stylus—so Microsoft architected the touch zones as wide hexagons (rather than small squares) to compensate for frequent fat fingering.
  • Scrolling
    The Start Menu extends downward from what you see right off the bat, accessible with an upward flick of the finger. In the alpha version we saw, on-screen scrolling was sluggish.
  • Lock Screen
    Windows Mobile 6.5 delivers more information to locked devices. For instance, users can now see their next appointment without having to unlock the unit.
  • Direct Access
    From the lock screen, users can get a sense of what is new on the device. On-screen displays indicate new incoming voicemails, e-mails or text messages. Therefore, users can go directly to the application with new content from the lock screen rather than having to navigate a menu first.
  • Unlock
    Of course, if the users want to create an unlock PIN, they can do so. The device will then require a log-in attempt before diplaying the status-enabled lock screen.
  • Full Internet
    Users can choose between full Web mode (including integrated Flash support) or a mobile-optimized view. To zoom, users need simply to adjust the slider bar on the right, then follow the on-screen markers to finger-navigate to the desired location on the page.
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