So the big news for today is evidently Microsoft is planning on actually releasing Windows Mobile 6.5.3, which someone is now calling Windows Mobile 6.6.
Shocker, right?
To recap, Windows Mobile 6.5.x has been in development since last summer. Yes, even before Windows Mobile 6.5 was released, builds of this version were floating around. It recently started to appear on official devices like the TG01. It will feature
- Larger, finger friendly buttons, interface
- Re-organization of the UI
- Updated Contact UI
- Capacitive screen support
- New Internet Explorer Mobile
- Mobile Office 10
- Threaded Email
So to hear things like:
The company is purportedly so disappointed with Windows Mobile 6.5 sales since launch that the company is rolling out a 6.6 update in February
... makes our head spin. What is the logic here? Microsoft in, what, December decided sales were so awful that they're going to release another OS milestone within 2 months? An OS upgrade that isn't actually intended for a lot of current devices?
We're to believe the same company that cannot get Seven out on time (aka WM7), can now spit out major OS upgrades with a snap of their finger? So they are both crazy fast and crazy slow for OS upgrades. How convenient!
Or perhaps, just perhaps, Microsoft had always planned on releasing WM6.5.x, regardless of sales. That WM6.5.x will be developed even into the Seven life-cycle because Microsoft plans to continue selling that OS on lower-cost devices.
That latter one seems to make the most sense, since it adheres to, you know, basic logic and facts. Why else would Microsoft spend nine months of development on 6.5.x if they never planned to actually release it?
The other rumor is saying Microsoft will be showing 6.5.x off in Barcelona next month instead of Seven. We're going to side with Mary-Jo Foley here of ZDNet and say no, Seven will still be at least discussed, if not flat out shown off and that 6.5.x will have a subtle, quiet roll out instead.
Either way, we'll be in Barcelona to cover the event, so place your bets now on what you think will happen.
