Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft
Windows Mobile 6.x users won't get Windows Phone 7 upgrade
Bad news for owners of the latest Windows Mobile 6.x devices: your phone doesn't meet the hardware specifications for an update to Windows Phone 7. Microsoft says that even the brand new HTC HD2 doesn't meet its tight requirements for the much-talked-about new mobile OS, according to APCMag.Even though the HD2 has a fast enough processor, a nice touch display, and a good enough camera, Microsoft says it can't be upgraded to Windows Phone 7 because it has too many buttons. Apparently, a Windows Phone 7 Series device has to have three buttons, but the HTC HD2 has five.
Or, to put it terms that Monty Python fans will understand, Microsoft is saying that the number of the buttons shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three.
Five is right out.
It's not just HTC's device, though. None of the other phones Microsoft currently supports are eligible for the upgrade, either. This just seems like a case of Microsoft taking a page from the Apple handbook and controlling the hardware experience for its hot new software. MS has a lot riding on Windows Phone 7 Series, and it makes sense that they wouldn't want to take the blame for any compatibility issues with the previous generation of hardware.
Windows Mobile 6.x users WILL be getting an upgrade, though: to Windows Mobile 6.5.3, just before WinMo gets rebranded as "Windows Mobile Classic." It will come with magnifier technology, so you can use the touchscreens on older devices without a stylus.
The Illusionist's Dream is a simple platformer; you play as a magician who needs to get through each level by transforming into any number of animals that you encounter along the way.
Each animal can do different things; the butterfly can obviously fly, but if it encounters a frog, the frog eats it, and you have to start over again. There's also a fox that runs fast and leaps far, but it eats any rabbits that cross its path. That means that, if you may need to be a rabbit later on, you need to take that into account ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
peegee said 2:28PM on 3-02-2010
one of the things I enjoy about the WM platform is it's flexibility. sigh! that's going out.
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TheOneAndOnlyJH said 9:08PM on 3-01-2010
Gotta agree with you, peegee. The flexibility was something I was interested in about WinMo phones. By limiting the buttons like Apple, I think MS is limiting themselves a little too much. It would be nice if they allowed a couple different button configuration options, rather than one specific set. That would allow a bit more variety among manufactures, something that HTC has done very well. I can see requiring the main three buttons, but what can a couple extra hurt? If necessary, they can make the extra two programmable soft-keys.
dswii95 said 6:24AM on 3-11-2010
Someone's going to make a ROM for the HD2 and likely others that simply disables two buttons.
A Toquero said 3:08AM on 3-02-2010
I doubted between android a W Mobile, I choosed WM (HTC HD2). Now I think It's was a mistake
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Geir said 5:22PM on 3-01-2010
The three buttons: Ctrl + Alt + Del ?
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r3loaded said 5:54PM on 3-01-2010
Looks like Microsoft have just thrown HD2 owners a holy hand grenade of antioch at them...
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Jason said 6:50PM on 3-01-2010
This contradicts what Engadget had to say about the phone they just reviewed, which you also posted about.
"...there are dedicated hardware camera, volume, and power buttons in addition to the back, home, and search buttons dictated by Windows Phone 7 Series."
It's all speculation at this point.
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bjsguess said 8:10PM on 3-01-2010
I'm sure the good folks over at XDA won't be creating custom ROMs. It's not like my current WinMo phone can run just about any version of 6.5 out there ... or that it can run the latest Android build.
All this from a phone that started it's life as a WinMo 6.0 device. Since then XDA has helped upgrade this to 6.1, 6.5, 6.5x, and Android. The guys over there are freaking geniuses. They will get current WinMo users the 7 series OS.
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Level 5 said 8:37PM on 3-01-2010
Yes, WinMo devices can run other ROMs and WM version and even Android. Let's face it though buddy, they don't run them WELL. At all.
I had nothing but WinMo phones for about 5 years, and I too wrestled with ROM's and Android builds, custom this and that. I just got tired of it. Don't get me wrong, the hack factor was very cool; but I just wanted a phone that stayed booted, all hardware worked, and apps weren't a pain in the ass. WinMo was none of these to me. So when the right hardware came about (Nexus One), I switched to Android; ironically after about a solid year of watching the Android builds for Tytn and Raphael grow, I was so giddy about the platform that I knew it'd be on my next device.
I loved WinMo for a long, long time. But unfortunately that time has passed, and I moved on.
JSwan03 said 8:43PM on 3-01-2010
Awesome idea. Alienate the only people still willing to give your crappy OS the time of day. Fortunately those XDA guys almost have a usable version of Android running for the Tp2.
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burnblue said 10:59PM on 3-01-2010
Please inform yourself. The LG phone that will be first out the gate with 7 has additional buttons for camera and volume. What's missing from the HD2 is the search button
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NyaR said 5:29AM on 3-02-2010
Thats why I'll be using a linux phone to hack your windows phones when my blackberry finally croaks (4 years running!).
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