Want to see how Windows Phone 7.5 works - Nokia shows you how interactively

Nokia has a though task on its hands. It migrates to a one year old operating system whose very existence is not known to many, and even those who have heard of it really do not know what it is like. So while showing off its latest Windows Phone 7.5 devices, Nokia is also promoting Windows Phone 7.5.

You can try out the interactive Nokia Lumia Demo at this link. You need a Facebook Account to use the demo. It will ask for access to your account details, but it will use them for the demo display only. I do not want to spoil anything. Just click grant, and your in for a threat.

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Windows Phone 7 arrives

Nokia has comes out with their first Windows Phone 7.5 handsets, the Lumia 800 and 710. From a hardware standpoint these devices are not revolutionary. The most significant thing these Nokia phones id that they will give the world a good look at Windows Phone 7.5. In a world obsessed by apps, Windows Phone 7 was largely ignored when it came out last year because it had a small app market compounded by the lack some key features. I also think one problem with Windows Phone 7 was it dared to do things in a different way.

Today mobile phone operating systems do look like they evolved from my first Windows based smartphone, which in turn was derived from the interface of a desktop computer. They are too app centric. Want to get something done, launch the appropriate app. 

Now at version 7.5, the missing features are present, the app market is 35,000 strong, and Nokia has committed to giving 25,000 Nokia Lumia 800 handsets to app developers to encourage app development. Windows Phone strength, its amazingly intuitive interface has been improved. Windows Phone does have apps, but its main focus is  integrating functions into hubs.

Hubs in Windows Phone 7.5 allow you to organize information in a single spot. Want to communicate with a friend, go to the People Hub  which allows you to connect contacts by making a phone call, sending a SMS or an instant message, posting on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Don't worry about what app you should use, just decide who you want to communicate with. Android moves in this direction with its latest Android 4.0.

If you decide to send a person a SMS, Windows Phone 7.5 will show you if the person you are about to SMS is online on Facebook or Windows messenger. You can seamlessly switch between texting, Windows Live Messenger or Facebook Chat from within a single message thread. Apple's iOS 5 messenger has similar functionality. 

Similar integration is done with other hubs, to cover work, play, pictures and music. Instead of hoping from app to app, just think about what you want to do, and you will find all relevant information and apps in one place.

With both Android and iOS adding features found in Windows Phone 7.5, it would seem that Android and iOS developers seem to think that integration is the path to take. And when it comes to integration Windows Phone 7.5 still leads the way.

The other notable thing about the Windows Phone is the Metro Interface. It was really designed with the small screen in mind. From the live tiles to the larger fonts, it is a lot easier to use on a small screen. Much less squinting.

With Nokia launching their own Windows Phone devices, the world will finally get a better look at Metro and Hubs, and I think they will like what they see. I think this places Nokia on the road to recovery, boosts the visibility of Windows Phone devices of other manufacturers, and puts Windows Phone back in the mobile OS map.  For the first time since its launch, I feel certain that Windows Phone 7.5 won't be going away.

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Microsoft Android license fees and Apple gestures

As a user of Windows Mobile as far back as 2003 I am not too surprised by the fact that the majority of Android smartphone makers are paying license fees to Microsoft. My first Smartphone had an informational homescreen, easy to identify icons, a file manager and other features I appreciated which became something I looked for in my later phones, whether a Windows, Symbian or Android device. I am not sure what the Microsoft-Android licensing agreements cover,  but I think a long look should be taken before branding it unfair. Microsoft does license. It does not block innovation.

While the Open Source community is all riled up about this, the question is why? Not everything has to be free. 

Apple on the other hand, likes to claim that it invented the innovations which led to todays smartphones. I will let you be the judge of that. Here is a Windows CE based touchscreen phone from 2005.

Here is a review of the Neonode N1m which uses Apple gestures two years before the Apple iPhone.

   

Apple does not license. It does not want to compete in the open market. It want's to keep prices of technology high.   

If Microsoft and HTC inked a deal, what is wrong with that? Apple, there is plenty of wrong with what they are doing. 

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Nokia Windows Phone 7 launch day and a look at this amazing, if somewhat disappointing, month

Today marks our fourth major phone launch this month. The Apple iPhone 4S launch was technologically a disappointment. Four months delayed Apple launched a phone with four month old technology, with performance clocked down 20% from previous product, the iPad 2 launched seven months earlier and and the remainder of technology being from 2010. Together with the iPhone 4S, was iOS5 which incorporated features already found in other operating systems. The phone killer feature, Siri had been largely ignored when it was offered for a variety of iOS devices for over two years, and only became the object of media and user attention now that it was pulled out from the Apple market and made an iPhone 4S exclusive. In other words, the iPhone 4S launch, might impress many, but not those in the know.

Next up was, Motorola who launched their RAZR. It was a less ambitious launch. But in the end, we were left with only one thought in mind. How they they make an LTE phone so thin. Motorola had really only one new thing to show, but 7.1mm thick was amazing enough to be one new thing. If Google had launched Ice Cream Sandwich on this device, it may have been more interesting than the Google-Samsung launch the next day.

In fairness the Google-Samsung Nexus phone launch would be impressive to many, the phone is definitely cutting edge. But to those who already saw the announcement LG Optimus LTE LU6200 of the Samsung Galaxy S II HD the previous month in Korea, the  Google Galaxy Nexus really did not bring anything all that new to the table. The Optimus LTE LU6200 and the Galaxy S II HD already having large 720p screens and 1.5GHz dual core processors. Actually, this phones have features that the Galaxy Nexus do not have like  a MicroSD card slow and USB-on-the-Go. 

As for Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich. It really incorporates many features already available in other manufacturer customized ROMs and actually takes Android in the same direction as Windows Phone 7. To those in the know, well we have seen that before. 

Now it is time for Nokia. The operating system, Windows Phone 7.5 was already launched a month ago, so we are not expecting too many surprises in this department. Windows Phone 7.5 has strict design specifications and hardware support limitations so you know what you will be seeing will have the following:

• 480 x 800 screen resolution, which would limit the screen sizes to what is feasible under these resolutions 
• 800MHz to 1.5GHz processor
• 8GB of internal storage of higher
• 5MP or higher camera

Given it is a Nokia, we can expect the crisp and clear AMOLED or clear black displays, excellent OVI (now Nokia) Maps with its offline voice guided turn-by-turn navigation (which is voice guided in many more countries than Google Maps) and a bit of Carl-Zeiss magic in their camera. We would not even be surprised to see a QWERTY slider too. 

No, Nokia really cannot "WOW" us with the hardware or the software.

The software is the best mobile phone operating system in terms of interface. It really works on a small screen, and yes even 4.65-inches is a small screen. It is an integrated operating system, not one that basically makes you jump from app to app. Its lack of market share has been due to many factors, but not because the operating system is not up to snuff.

What Nokia needs to do is not really impress the public with anyone one product but launched a whole now line-up covering a wide cross section of the smartphone market and announce "Nokia is back" and Windows Phone 7 is here to stay. Than get the phones out in the market now, meaning by November, starting with Europe, China, India and South East Asia.

That is all Nokia really has to do. 

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Groups: Managing the influx of social information intelligently

One strong feature of the HTC Sense UI found on its Android devices is it proprietary people app. To get it working the way it is meant to you link your contacts with their social network profiles. Basically, Grace Kelly in my Phone is the same person as Princess Grace on Facebook and is Gracelyn Kelly on LinkedIn and @Gracie in Twitter. HTC Sense will suggest to you relevant links, and when it does not find a connection, you can link the account manually.

Your contacts can also be segregated into groups. The end result is aggregating all of a persons calls, messages and social networking post in one place, and being able to segregate people into different groups and in this way better be able to filter through the growing amount of information getting thrown our way.

As great as this system is, well, HTC builds a UI over Android, and having it baked into the operating system takes the experience to a whole new level.

Windows Phone 7 built into its operating system a People Hub, which basically does what HTC People app does, and adds more functionality.  Rather than describe it, I suggest you watch these videos:

HTC's implementation is great at collecting and filtering information, but because of limitations to what a user interface could do, replying to post and messages still had to be done in separate apps. Windows Phone 7 implementation allows to pretty much do everything from the People Hub.

Android has gone the same direction with Ice Cream Sandwich, and Contacts has been replaced by People. Basically, it expands functionality of HTC's People app (or some might say copied Windows Phone 7 people Hub depending on ones point of view) to include the ability to share, retweet and reply without having to go into a separate app 

I want to get a first hand look before saying anything more. Notably though, if you are a Google+ user, neither HTC's People app or Windows Phone 7 people Hub integrate Google+ yet.

iOS 5 started heading in this same direction, with integration being limited to Twitter at this point. I suspect we will be seeing People go to iOS with iOS 6.

Well, they are not called smarthpones for nothing.

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Windows Phone 7 - The Nokia reboot coming soon

Apple's iOS 5 integrates features better Twitter integration. Android's Ice Cream Sandwich updates it's Contacts app to People. In reality, both operating systems are playing catch-up. Apple has a long way to go. Ice Cream Sandwich is knocking on Windows Phone 7 door.

Windows Phone 7 has always been activity-centered rather than app-centered. It created a concept of  hubs where you focus on an activity like "people" or "pictures" rather than what app would I need to post a message to Jane Doe on LinkIn or what app should I use to upload a picture to Facebook. In fairness, Android user interface like HTC Sense. 

HTC Sense integrated Twitter, Facebook, LinkIn, Flickr, Plurk and Twitter into your People and Friend Stream apps long before Windows Phone 7 came out. If you were wondering why so many people like HTC's Sense, well it is mainly the way it links you contacts across all the services you actually use to contact that person, and does everything under a common looking interface.  Still it is not as good as baking it into the OS. That is what Windows Phone 7 did. 

About eleven months ago, I saw my first Windows Phone 7 device, and I liked it a lot. Other then the People hub there are a lot of smart innovations on Windows Phone 7. iOS 5 requires you focus on 20 elements on screen at a given time without giving you any relevant information without having to open an app. In fairness iOS 5 has now added two non-customizable widgets and Android like notifications which greatly improves the operating system. 

Android has its informative widgets which can be pleasing to use in well integrated systems like HTC Sense, or can become like a cluttered desktop when you start using widgets from different apps which display things and operate in different ways.

Windows Phone 7 created a Live Tile system, where which basically limits you to having focus at between 4 to 8 elements at a time, and basically integrates the concept of an Icon and a Widget. Still a lot of work to be done, but it does strike a nice balance between simplicity and complexity. 

What Windows Phone 7 lacks is up to date hardware support. Like Apple's iPhone, you won't see any true 4G Windows phones this year. Windows Phone 7 also does not support screen resolutions higher than 480 x 800. Windows Phone 7 also does not support dual core processing, which means no 1080p  video recording and playback. There is nothing that can be done about that. 

In a few days time, we will see the Windows Phone 7 operating system gets it second public launch.  While Windows Phone 7 launched a year ago, many people do not even know it exists. The mistake Microsoft made last year was not getting phones into the hands of consumers.

When the first Windows Phone 7 device came out in the Philippines last year, the HTC 7 Mozart it was priced at the same level as Apple's iPhone. As you can expect, adopting was slow, almost to the point of non-existence. In eleven months I do now know anyone personally who own a Windows Phone 7 device. As against HTC's own Android offerings, it was priced at the same level as  the HTC Desire HD (at least locally) which has a larger screen, supported faster 3G connectivity and Angry Birds. I know it is a small thing, but did you really want to buy a phone in 2010 that could not run Angry Birds?

It is a year later. Nokia is set to launch its first Windows Phone 7 device, and really no one cares about the fact that it is a Microsoft Windows Phone 7 device. When Nokia launches it new phone people will be looking at the new Nokia phone. I have no doubt they will be amazed by the operating system. The hardware will be underwhelming mainly for lack of dual core and higher screen resolution support.

What will make or break this re-launch is price. If the Nokia 800's price bumps heads with the  iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S II, it will be a repeat of last year. No doubt, many will buy it simply because it is the best Nokia Phone in the market. 

But if Nokia, and Microsoft get together, and place it at price point where is challenges phones like the HTC Desire S, Apple iPhone 4 or LG Optimus Black, I think it will sell like hotcakes in Nokia's bailiwick markets.

Basically, Nokia, and Microsoft needs to get the prices of the phones right, even if they have to subsidize handset costs. Nokia and Microsoft needs to get Windows Phone 7 devices into actual peoples hands. It is only in this way that people will finally get to see what is probably the best mobile phone operating system in the world. It really could be their last chance. Google's Ice Cream Sandwich will be on phone in the market in a month and will be common place by the first quarter of next year. And, yes Android has pretty much caught up on Windows strengths, and has features that Windows Phone 7 still cannot touch.   

Well, just a few days to go to find out whether mobile will be a three horse race (yup am counting BlackBerry out) or whether it is time to write the epitaph for Windows Phone 7 and Nokia.

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Android 4.0, a.k.a as Ice Cream Sandwich, is here

Ice Cream Sandwich. The most significant thing about the Google Galaxy Nexus launch was the operating system. Android 4.0, a.k.a as Ice Cream Sandwich is here.

The most noticeable thing about Ice Cream Sandwich is that it eliminate the four standard hardware  in favor of adaptable software buttons.  You next Android is likely to have a power button, volume rocker and a screen. That is it. 

Changes were as made to the font, optimizing it for HD displays, there is improved the keyboard, notifications are now more interactive and widgets will now be resizable. Speech to text has been improved.

The user interface is not also hardware accelerated, but you are not too likely to feel this. Since all phones these days already have a GPU, Google decide it was time to no longer support phone without one I guess.

There is a new option for unlock the phone. You can use Face Unlock which uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology to unlock your phone with nothing more than a smile. Also new is Android Beam, which uses near field communication (NFC) to instantly share webpages, YouTube videos, maps, directions and apps by simply tapping two phones together. There is also a Data management figure, which will give you information on data usage and even disable data at a preset cap. Really useful in this days of volume data caps.

There also improvements to the stock web browser which Google claims is significantly faster. What is clear is that it features a refined tab manager and has the  ability to sync your bookmarks with the Google Chrome browser on your desktop. The Gmail and Calendar  client were improve. You can can pinch and zoom in you Calendar.

Than there is the new People app, which combines high-resolution photos and updates from Google+ and other social services. The camera app now allows you to edit pictures and share them directly from your phone.

Like you we will wait for a full an comprehensive review, but this is what you probably want to know for now.

Is it coming to older phones? Yes, the Google Nexus S will be getting Ice Cream Sandwich. So other phone with similar or better specifications could be getting it too.

Are these features all really new. My phone already has those features. If you use a HTC phone with HTC sense, a lot of the features like the new People app and its social networking integration and the built in photo editor and direct sharing features on your phone are already part of HTC Sense. That is not the case for other phones.

I have a bad feeling since HTC UI is so deeply integrated into Android they may have have the hardest time porting their UI to Ice Cream Sandwich.

Lets wait for the major sites to review Ice Cream Sandwich and see how it fares. For now, this will have to do.

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Google Galaxy Nexus

Google Galaxy Nexus

Nexus phone. When you look at a Google Nexus phone release, you have to look at in two ways. As a phone in itself, but also as a reference design for thing to come. In January 2010, the Google Nexus One set the standard for Android what would be considered a high-end Android phone. In December 2010, the Google Nexus S became a reference design for a mid-level Android phone. 

Google Nexus One

To many, the Google Nexus S was a disappointing, but today, it seems is purpose is clear. The Google Nexus S serve as a baseline for what kind of phone could maximize Android 2.3, a.k.a Gingerbread's, capabilities, and now after almost a year, it serves as a baseline for what types of phones will can upgraded to Android 4.0. More on that in our Ice Cream Sandwich article. In the same way, the Google Nexus One, was upgraded to the software for the Google Nexus S.

Google Nexus S

In short, a Google Nexus design shows you what type of phone will be supported by the latest upgrade for at least 18 months, the period that Google is committing its designs the latest and the best. 

Google Galaxy Nexus. It does not seem that the keeping the phone specifications secret was all that important to Google. Even before the even started earlier today they handed out press kits with the following specifications listed:

• - HSPA+ or 4G LTE, depending on region
• - 1.2GHz dualcore processor
• - 4.65 inch 720p HD Super AMOLED display
• - Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• - 5mp autofocus camera with LED flash, autofocus, no shutter lag and fast shot2shot
• - 1080p HD playback and recording at 30 FPS
• - Bluetooth 3.0
• - USB 2.0
• - WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
• - NFC chip
• - Accelerometer, compass, gyro, light and proximity sensors, barometer
• - 1GB of RAM
• - 16GB or 32GB internal storage
• - 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm, 135 grams
• - 1,750 mAh li-ion battery

We first saw this on Phandroid, half an our before the phone was officially announced. And, no these were not leaks.

The specifications were are expected except that we get a 1.2 GHz dual core processor instead of the 1.5 GHz processor mentioned in some "leaks". The camera is also a 5MP unit, instead of the rumored 8MP unit. The camera is probably the biggest disappointment. While higher megapixels do not guaranty better performance, from a marketing standpoint megapixels mean a lot. I would have crammed an 8MP camera there if I was in charge designing this unit. It is just easier to explain to consumers, that "more megapixels means better image quality".

Full screen 720p playback. No black line on the top and bottom for HD content.

LG and a Samsung phone announced for the  Korean in September 2011 new phones with 720p screens For the rest of the world, these 720p screens on a phone is new.  Every owner of a large Droid owner will probably envy the 4.65 inch 720 x 1280 Super AMOLED display, and suffer from Galaxy Nexus envy for awhile (when they finally buy their own 720p phone). Because of the display alone, this phone will not be a disappointment.

The Galaxy Nexus also has a barometer, although right now I do not know why. The star of the show really was not the Galaxy Nexus, but Android 4.0, a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich.

  

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Google Nexus Prime to be launched on October 19, 2011

The launch date of the Google Nexus Prime has been confirmed for October 19, 2011 at 9:30 a.m. at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.

The Google Nexus Prime, called by some now, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be the first phone to installed with Google Android 4.0 operating system - Ice Cream Sandwich.

A livestream will be available at: youtube/android.

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Ubuntu 11.10 is here!

Ubuntu 11.10 has been released. You can download it from the Ubuntu website.

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It's really Apple's and Oranges - iPhone and Android owners don't really just understand each other

Reading the news about iPhone 4S sales on GSM Arena, what was more interesting was not the news of the sales but the angry comments of iOS and Android "fans" in the article. Some Android users are in disbelief about what anybody would buy an iPhone 4S.

If the term one size fits all is fine with you, the iPhone 4S is right up your all.

App investment. If you are an Android user or a iPhone owner thinking of switching to the other platform, of looking at going to Windows Phone 7, one matter to consider is how much you have spend on apps. An iPhone owner upgrading to another iPhone, or an Android owner upgrading to another Android, you get to bring your apps with you. Switch platform and you may have to buy apps you already paid for before on the new platform. For some users, changing devices might be costly. 

With the number of free apps, and add supported apps, on the Android Market, this is less than an issue for Android owners.  Android owners need to understand the iOS users have substantially more money invested in staying in their own ecosystem.

Size matters, in more way than one.  Apple advertises its iPhone 4S by saying "Its the most amazing iPhone yet." So the iPhone 4S is not the best phone available, even Apple admits that it is just "the most amazing iPhone yet". Actually, it is a bit more than that. It is the best mid-sized (3.2-3.7-inch) phone in the world. Some people prefer smaller screens because it means a smaller phone.  It is the only size, and configuration it comes in, so its really a take it or leave it proposition.

Apple is just catching up. iOS 5 being many improvements to the iPhone, but in reality most of it is playing catchup. Many of the iPhone S new features like Notification Center, iMessage, Voice Commands and Cloud storage are nothing new. They have been standard equipment on Android and Windows phones for a long time now. The most interesting thing about the iPhone 4S is whether Apple can take voice command up to another level. The technology has been deployed since the days when Nokia was king, but using it has never been the most convenient thing.

Apple users for the most part are not "geeks". They do not mind that they cannot tweak their phones much. They see no need for informational widgets. They select Apple because it does pretty much want they want and has good software support. And yes, iPhone's actually work. Seriously, it is a pretty nice smartphone platform.

Android users, are (or perceive themselves to be) power users who love hardware and like the ability to tweak their hardware. They comes in many sizes from 2.6-inch units to monster 4.7-inch phones, with the option for physical keyboards, 3D display and capture, 4G/LTE support.   

Two completely different mindsets. When you ask an iPhone owners why he loves his phone he will mention things like user experience and the number or available apps. The truth it that most owners of smartphones now have only used one or maybe two platforms. Objectively, Windows Phone 7 had be best user experience. 

As for apps, iOS has the best games. Well at least they get them earlier. When it comes to productivity, communication and other serous stuff, even the Windows Phone 7, 30,000+ apps is as good as both the App Store and the Android Market. Seriously, count how many apps you use on your smartphone and see if they are not available in the other markets. The Android Market is the "cheapest" of the three, since it has by far, the most free apps. Sometime I wish though they let me pay for the "free" app to get rid of the adds.

If your mindset is, this is pretty cool, but I would really prefer it if _______.
You will find an Android that gives you what you want.

Look at yourself. I use a 4.3-inch HTC Android phone. I toy about replacing it HTC's 4.7 Windows Phone 7 Titan (except I would miss the functionality of the Gmail App). Would I think about going to the iPhone? No. I started with Windows and Nokia smartphones. I have had the equivalent of informational widgets on my home screen for eight years. And no, I don't want a 4.3-inch screen. I have big hands. 

Basically, iPhone owners are happy with their phones, I am happy with mine, hopefully you are happy with your, so why not leave them be. 

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Ubuntu 11.10 preview video

Canonical has released a video showing the features of its upcoming Ubuntu 11.10 operating system.

Ubuntu 11.10 should be out in five days.

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The smartphone wars are over

Apple started out a computer manufacturer, and by Apple's definition it meant creating their own hardware and software. In a perfect Apple world, an Apple personal computer would be 100% designed and manufactured by Apple, with the installed software being 100% developed by Apple and the only computers would be Apple computers.

Microsoft and the IBM PC, pretty much opened up the the personal computer industry by letting multiple manufacturers and multiple software developers work in a relatively open environment. The end result is what you have today, lower and lower cost personal computers which also means opening access to more and more of the world. What Microsoft and IBM strive to create was an environment where there are more and more computers. As the computer has morphed from a business machine to a communications and information device, this has become more important. Microsoft perceived by many people as "evil" had a large part in opening up the PC world. True, they do their best to keep Linux at bay, but remember these are all companies trying to turn a profit. Even Free and open-source software companies had to find a way to turn a profit. The FOSS companies are manned by men and women who like everyone else need to earn a living and have families to feed and so is Microsoft.

Still, if Linux had been more dominant, the spread of the computer would have even been much faster I think. If Linux did not exist, well that is a scary thought.

As Apple morphed into a consumer electronics company, it kept pretty much the same mindset as it had as a personal computer company. Apples own services are kept proprietary to its own platform. Apple makes money selling hardware, music and apps from its own stores and over time if feasible would probably want to extend the reach of its proprietary services. In areas where they cannot monopolized proprietary content, Apple would want it sold through its own stores. Where they can create their own content, Apple would eventually want to close the market so that only its own software would run in its hardware. I think it is not unreasonable to think that in the future Apple may launch its own gaming label like Sony Playstation or Microsoft's Xbox.  In a perfect Apple world, an Apple ecosystem would be hardware 100% designed and manufactured by Apple, with the installed software being 100% developed by Apple and with the only devices available being Apple manufacture devices.

This is really nothing new, RIM and its BlackBerry were designed to run its services only to run only on its own hardware. Looking back at things now, BlackBerry excessively charged for its hardware and services. When BlackBerry ruled, 24/7 mobile email and instant messaging access was really just limited to corporate users and the affluent. Nokia tried to follow the BlackBerry model, and when Apple entered the mobile phone market it too was hoping to take over from BlackBerry, only on an even large scale.

Google destroyed all of this. Google's Android platform supports its own apps and services, but it also provides these apps and services to other platforms. Any manufacturer who wants to can manufacture a Google Android device.

For Google, Android is just one way to expand it services to a larger base of users. What Google wants is more and more persons on the web. If a person accessed Google services using an Apple, BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7, it benefits Google just as much as if a user accessed the service from an Android.

Smartphone's have gone below Php5,000 in price. Access to communications and information is lower than ever. But as Android succeeds, I suspect Google will be cast in the same light as Microsoft more and more. 

If Apple iOS were to disappear from the world tomorrow, users could migrate to Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7 devices. If Android operating were to disappear from the world tomorrow many users would not be able to migrate to iOS,BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7 devices. They just cost too much.

Fortunately there can be no Wintel in the mobile world as pretty much anyone can license ARM technology, unlike the all but closed x86 licensing.
 
PC's, smartphones and the Internet have created a whole new world, with communications smudging borders and with cultural divides being eradicated.

Apple, BlackBerry or Windows Phone 7 may still emerge as the dominant phone platform, but only by reaching out to a larger user base. If not, Google Android will probably become the most dominant system.

The smartphone wars are over. The consumer wins.
 

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Nokia 500 - Take Symbian for one last dance?

With the release of the Sony Xperia Mini in the Philippine this month we saw our first smartphone powered by a 1GHz processor priced at under Php10,000. The Sony Experia Mini has a suggested retail price of Php10,500, but a little smart shopping should net you one at just under 10K. Now Nokia joins the fray of 1GHz  budget phones 

This phone which is a successor to the C5 series is well equipped for the price. It has a 3.2-inch nHD (360 x 640) capacitative display, 2GB or internal storage, WiFi and 3G (HSDPA/HSUPA) connectivity and GPS, all for Php9,000. I am not sure that the suggested retail price on this model is, but it can be found in the market for 9K, with an official Nokia warranty.

What might be a concern to many is the amount of RAM at just 256MB. That is not a concern, since the phone runs Nokia's Symbian operating system which really does not need a lot of RAM to run efficiently. The other point of concern is the operating system. It is a Symbian Anna device, which will be getting upgraded to Belle by the end of the year. While Symbian S3 was positively Jurassic and Anna was a definite improvement, Belle is a very impressive operating system.

The problem is Nokia already committed to move the Windows Phone 7 platform and Symbian devices will be phased out over the next two years. This means you can expect third party app support to diminish over time.

If Nokia had come out with this last year, I think things might have been very different today. No Windows Phone 7 and Nokia and its Symbian OS would be in the thick of the fight for smartphone supremacy.

If you are an Android, Bada, BlackBerry, iOS or Windows phone user, it is hard to recommend this phone or any other Symbian Nokia phone for the matter. No point moving to a ecosystem which is about to be phased out soon. On the other hand, if you are a long time Nokia user, and rely on Nokia apps and services, this phone is priced low enough so as not to make you regret not investing in a different ecosystem earlier. It would be the perfect phone for one last dance with Symbian.

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Ubuntu 11.10 to include Gnome Classic?

I installed the Gnome Shell on the latest beta release of Ubuntu 11.10 and I noticed that the Gnome Classic interface option seem to be available again.

There are a few glitches with this interface, notable I could not get the Bluetooth icon to display properly, but it did work. Underneath, the Gnome "Classic" shell is Gnome 3.

Update: I was informed this is the Gnome 3 shell fall back mode which Ubuntu just now calls Gnome Classic.

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Impressions on Windows 8 Developer Preview

I used to think there was some kind of conspiracy between Intel and Microsoft. Intel would create faster processors, and Microsoft would release new operating systems and updates which needed more and more resources. I am sure that someone uses all the new features that they have placed in the new operating systems, but I never really appreciated all the new features. All things considered, I would be perfectly happy reverting to Windows XP. In the end, all I really want is an operating system that boots fast, resumes from sleep quickly, shutdowns in an instant and launches applications quickly and get out of the way as quickly as possible. On laptops and desktops, the operating system is really just a platform to launch apps. It is the apps that we really use to be productive.

With the failure of Windows Vista, Microsoft realized that it cannot continue to expect customers to continue buying and upgrading hardware just to runs Windows. With the need to get into the tablet space, I think Microsoft has realized the need for a lighter operating system. After a few days on the Windows 8 Developers Preview release, it think Windows 8 is shaping up to be a worthy successor to Windows 7. Lets forget about the Metro Interface for a bit, you really should not spend to much of your time staring at your operating system.

This early Windows 8 release boots 3-4 times faster than Windows 7 and uses less RAM. In other tasks it does not really feel all that much faster than Windows 7. But if Microsoft is able to cut down application launch times, that would be enough of an improvement I think. I also have not encountered stability problems running Windows 8 on a laptop natively. 

Going back to Metro. Some will like it, some won't. All-in-all I think Metro is a good next generation interface for Windows. Replacing the start menu with what is effectively a full screen start menu, is beneficial to laptops with smaller screens. 

I think the biggest challenge to Windows 8 is how it will handle the ecosystem of Metro apps and traditional desktop apps. It seems to make a lot of sense to give users the option to actually use it without Metro and revert to the traditional Windows Start Menu, as an option

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Is Windows 8 a modern day Janus?

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions. He is depicted as having two faces on his head, facing opposite directions. Symbolically Janus looks simultaneously into the future and the past. Windows 8 represents the most major transition in Windows since Windows 95. Part of it hold on to its past and rich store of applications. Part of its looks to the future, giving a nod to modern touchscreen devices.

Windows 8 adopts the new Metro interface, from Microsoft's own Windows Phone 7 devices. But it is more than that. It is like having two different desktops with their own apps running on one operating system. One example is Internet Explorer. You have Internet Explorer for Metro and the desktop version of Internet explorer. Here is how the two look like displaying the same information.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer for Metro

I really do not have a problem going from the desktop apps to the Metro apps, but I spend so much time going from one operating system to another, I am pretty much OS agnostic. With the desktop apps you have your menus, minimize, maximize and close controls on the right side and the familiar task bar at the bottom for multitasking. With Internet Explorer for Metro all the control are hidden and are revealed (on a non-touchscreen device) via a right mouse click. You get fewer options than on the desktop version but get nice big finger friendly buttons.

A user could use Windows 8 with the traditional desktop apps or in the future rely fully on Metro apps. But I think many will use both not realizing which are Metro apps and which ones use the traditional interface. Does Microsoft have a firm eye on its past and its future, or do you think this will just cause confusion among Windows users?

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Windows 8 goes mobile: Another desktop environment says "hi" to the touchscreen world.

Another desktop environment says "hi" to the touchscreen world. I am pretty much an operating system agnostic. I am happy with the Mac OSX interface on my MacBook. If it has any real weakness, it is that is relies to much on fancy gestures, when a simple keyboard shortcut is more comfortable to use. Past two months I have spent most of my time on Fedora 15 and Ubuntu 11.10 Beta 1 Linux, both running the Gnome 3 Shell desktop environment. Gnome 3 is my favorite operating system desktop environment, it does not appear to be very popular. If Gnome 3 Shell ceases to be a viable option  I have no problem switching to Ubuntu Linux and the Unity Desktop environment. The one operating system I have not used in over 9 months, is the most popular of all. Microsoft's Windows. I recently installed Windows 8, and like the Gnome 3 and Unity desktop environments, it has also migrated to a more graphical desktop which could be used for both devices that rely on finger manipulated touchscreens and physical keyboards.

Gnome 3

The old guard is not happy. When you talk of desktop environments, in Linux at least, you find scores of angry voices objecting to the new graphically oriented Gnome 3 Shell and Unity Desktops. Apparently it is the same on the Windows side. With the new touchscreen and keyboard friendly Windows 8, the sentiments seem to be the same. For many the preferred desktop for Linux was Gnome 2, which is actually rather similar to Window 98 or XP in form and function.  

Windows 8 goes mobile. I have a strong suspicion that those who object to the new desktop environments spend most of their time on computers with large screens. You can manipulate font and icon sizes in Windows 7 for smaller screens, but in the end there is only so much you can do, and it really works better on larger screens. Install Windows 8 on a 14-inch or larger machine, and you will think it looks different. On small 10 to 11  inch laptops, Window 8 really shines. 

And I think this is the correct way to go. With internet having gone mobile and prices highly portable devices having dramatically gone down in the past few years, more and more computing will be done on "the road" with devices with smaller screens. At this point in time, how many people really want a large desktop sitting on a desk attached to a large screen, when you can plug any modern laptop directly to your giant LCD TV via HDMI?

For the average Joe, having a interface on their phone, nearly identical to the one in their tablet and which looks almost the same as the one in their desktop would be preferable.  

Windows on the Phone

Windows on the desktop

If you are the kind of person who reads blogs like this, having one unified desktop environment may not seem that important to you. Why change what had worked well for so long? 

Canonical (Ubuntu), Gnome and Microsoft are going with one size fits all interfaces. This may not be too appealing to old hands who have been using computers for the better part of one or two decades and cut their teeth on a big bulky 14-inch desktop. The new interfaces target the new younger generation of users who will cut their teeth computing on a small 3-4 inch screen. 

It's a whole new world. Get used to it.

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Now on Windows 8

Windows 8 Developer Preview runs surprisingly well on my old laptop which has only 1GB of RAM and is powered by a dual 1.8GHz Intel Core2 Duo processor. Basically, four year old specifications. Before going any further, I installed Windows 8 on a laptop which is essentially now just a back-up machine. I do not recommend that you install it in your primary PC. This is a Developer Preview Release. It is not even a beta yet. That being said, it works well and I have not had any crashes so far. The only thing I had to do was to install a the Intel Graphics driver (you can use Windows 7 drivers).  I am actually posting this while running Windows 8. Well, that is all for now. Here are a few screenshots.

Here is the start screen. To get here you hide to "swipe" up
 on the screen with the mouse (or less spectacularly tap the space bar), just like on a mobile phone.

Clicking on the icon (er... Tile) labled Desktop brings you to a familiar looking desktop. 

The traditional Windows Start menu is gone.
To find your Apps (yep... no longer call programs), go to Search.

If you use a Windows Phone 7 device, parts of it should look pretty familiar. If you use both a Windows Phone 7 device and a Windows 7 PC you should have no problem getting use to the new set-up. Initial impressions? It is different. I am not sure whether I like this or not, but it does work, and it is surprisingly fast. Will use it for a few weeks to give it a fair shake.

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Ubuntu Linux Unity Desktop - Multi-tasking with the launcher

Ubuntu's Unity desktop no longer has the bar on the bottom of the screen which would display open windows. You can multi-task with with Ubuntu's Unity desktop using the other traditional ways by using the nearly universal "Alt + Tab" key combination or using the workspace switcher you can use in Linux and Mac OS, but I think most Ubuntu users will multi-task using the launcher.

We already took a look at the launcher in Unity is where you place your most commonly used apps, and it will also display any open apps which are not place on the launcher permanently. The behavior is similar to the dock in Mac OSX. An active app in the launcher is indicated by a marker on the left side of the icon of the app.

Unity does add some new tweaks.  If you launch two instances of the same up, it will have two markers, three or more instances of the same app, will be indicated by three markers.

In the next screen shot, it displays two instances of Mozilla and one instance of LibreOffice Writer running.

To go from one app to another, just click the icon and that app will come to the front of the screen. When you have two instances running it will show you both windows in a reduce sized and you can click on the one you want to focus on.

It's that simple.

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