What Does the Release of Windows Mobile 6.5 Mean for BlackBerry Fans?

In a word nothing not much. Yes I know that’s two words because my initial reaction was perhaps unfair. Windows Mobile 6.5 is a good step forward for Microsoft; heck I used a pre-release version on an HTC Touch Pro for a few months and it was way better than 6.1. In fact I really liked it.

But 6.5 still doesn’t address some fundamental issues which the WinMo platform suffers from:

1. Once you’re past the nice new finger friendly Today and Programs screens, much of the rest is all about battling against small icons on, typically, a resistive touch screen using a fingernail, or stylus if all else fails.

2. The multitude of hardware options is both fantastic and frustrating as each manufacturer puts its own overlay software over different parts of the OS. This can make switching from one brand to another a confusing experience, even though the underlying OS is the same. I would prefer a platform which is strong enough that manufacturers don’t see the need to create a front end overlay.

3. Many of the screens remain unchanged from 6.1, meaning it just looks a bit tired compared to BB OS, iPhone OS, Android, WebOS….

4. Even on the application front, where WinMo once reigned supreme as the platform on which you could install almost anything, BB OS had caught up with the App World and an ever growing app portfolio. Of course let’s not forget the BerryReporter Store either.

Just in case you do want to see what’s coming, here is a video of my early experiences of a pre-release WinMo 6.5 build. It’s nice, but I don’t think it’s going to disrupt the market.