WM 6.5 Start Menu: What Was MS Thinking?!?!

use a diff rom not all of the start menus have 4 rows usually it is just 3 might wanna try some other roms man before you complain bout it but just an idea

@Will: As far as complaining goes, my 4-column one is the least of them. I actually found a tweak to change from 4 to 3.

The default is three. Four is the result of a tweak that’s applied in EnergyRom.

Good writeup Jim. I am still trying to see what is more productive for work interface as well. CHome/Titanium or Spb Mobile Shell 3.0.1.

First, I give Kudos for being big enough to admit that no one OS the the perfect storm of efficiency.

I too am a little flabbergasted at the uninspired ‘fixes’ in WM 6.5. 4 icons across is too small in the start menu. Its still surprising there isn’t a better method MS could come up with considering how much time and effort hey put into 6.5.

Yes there ARE alternatives, but I think the most frustrating thing about it, is that the stock configuration is so ugly and unwieldy.

@drjim agreed i personally find 6.5 to be buggy and esp with the touch flo 2 i want to throw my phone out the window once a day cant wait for TP2 to come

Thanks for all the great comments. I am actually generally pleased with 6.5 (I haven’t found any significant bugs) and find that TF3D2 works just fine. I’m amazed at how inconsistent any OS is, i.e., bugs appear for some people, but not others. On the other hand, mobile phones are complex little creatures.

Having reflashed and made a few tweaks, I’m pretty settled with my Fuze for a while (until the next cool upgrade or app comes out!).

@wordsmith: Can you recommend a way to get 3 columns back. I thought I had found one on xda, but the files they recommended I install were already in my Windows directory, but still 4 columns with small icons.

you need to install them over the existing use resco file explorer and copy to your windows folder.

@Will: I was about to do that, but they have the same file name. Does that not suggest that they are identical files? Or am I wrong?

Why waste time on windows 6.5 when you can get a Iphone 3GS? Switching over to a 3GS was the best thing I’ve done. Don’t have to worry about if this or that is going to work.. GPS etc works 20 times faster than windows 6.5/TF3D2. Stability is no question.. I’m not hating on windows phones.. Just grew tired of always flashing etc.. but MS will get it right in the next couple years.. And one more thing about the 3GS the landscape keyboard is SICK! I type like im typing on a desktop keyboard!

In the EnergyRom thread, there is a cab file on the first page that reverts the start menu back to the defaulted 3 icons.

I agree the new start menu is a little weird. The 4 rows makes the text too small, especially with a translucent background over the desktop image. The best way would be to simply organize your icons into folders by genre and thus limits the need to scroll.

I do miss a “Recently opened” list. Having used WM6.1 Smartphone edition, I liked how the Start menu linked to a “Quick Menu” that displayed 8 recently opened apps with the Left softkey going to “More Apps” which opened the real start menu. Perhaps they should have done something like this.

Luckily for us the Menu is customizable in many aspects. The background can be changed, the selected highlight image can be changed, the amount of icons per row, etc. Already there is a hack that makes 1 icon per row (like a list) and a 2 icon per row.

WM6.5 isn’t even out in the wild yet. I’d say give it time. There are bound to be some awesome ideas put into the Start menu.

Bobdabuilder, If I switched to an iphone what would I do with the 3-4 hours a day I currently use tweaking my fuze?

@Bobdabuilder: Thanks for the suggestion of getting an iPhone. I have put myself on a limb a number of times in this WM world by speaking up about some of the nice features of the iPhone. but I like the tweakability of WM phones and the dealmaker for having a Fuze is the small footprint. Bottom line is that if I wanted an iPhone, I would have bought one (and I wouldn’t be a Contributor here).

@Player911: Thanks for the reference to the cab for the 3 icons. I assume you mean the xda thread?

Yeah, that recently opened list was nice in 6.1. And I agree that it is fun to see 6.5 evolve.

@Spauldio: I like tweaking my fuze but it comes a point (for me not others) that I rather just enjoy the phone and not worry about tweaking it.. I like the features that the iphone brings with its apps and it makes it fun and relaxing just using the apps and not worrying about the ROM or if my dialer will work lol.. but like I said I still like MS but phone wise I would stick with the iphone for awhile..

@Player911: I couldn’t find that cab for 3 icons. Can you give me the link or be more specific? Thanks.

As far as iPhone or not, simmer down boys. All in good fun. If not, better read my post from a few weeks ago:

http://www.fuzemobility.com/psychology-of-technology-iphone-vs-windows-mobile-smackdown-another-perspective/

@Bobdabuilder: I have had my Fuze with a Stock ROM/Radio, using TF3D for six months. In addition to what came loaded on it, I have 3 browsers and 36 separate apps & tools ($$$ and shareware) plus a handful of games. My phone has not yet dropped a call and with what I have installed I can basically do anything and everthing I would expect a phone/PDA to do. With the help of this site I have been able to tweak my phone without making it unstable.

So while I will probably never have the thrill that the flashing whores on this site get, I still enyoy using my phone every day. The point is the flashing whores do what they do because they can, not because they have to. Have you flashed you 3GS yet?

ok here is a shameless plug:

try doug e fresh rom for 3 row start menu

@drjim: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=517296 (this is the June 5 build and is therefore outdated by the June 13 current-as-of-this-second). You want post #3.

I’m going to agree on the start menu as far as the honeycomb. It’s great that MS tried to make it sound like it was more space efficient, but when all the icons are square shaped a grid design is still the most space efficient. Honeycomb is gone for now and hopefully the tiered design will be too.

But there’s very few other things that I’m unhappy about with my Fuze. I use my phone for handling my daily events, not as an app machine. I’m having a love affair with chrome in 6.5 and am beginning to have more widgets than I know what to do with. So to each his own. I’m sticking to Windows Mobile for now and likely for a long time.

What a great read.
I placed a recommendation in my blog to this post.
http://mobilespoon.blogspot.com/2009/06/thoughts-about-new-start-menu-of.html

I must say I haven’t upgrade my WM phone yet, as I’m currently using an iPhone and Windows Mobile simply seems less attractive than it used to be in the past.

Nevertheless, I intend to upgrade / get a new WM device soon as I’m still a fan of the OS. I just wish Microsoft would have done something more significant to make all their fans happier.

while I do agree with Jim, and enjoy his readings… we need to keep in mind that Windows 6.5 is still un-official. We have not actually seen a true release from MS for phones, with this OS. This has been ported and re-created. On top of that, we have the amazing chefs who took the uninspired and tweaked and added to it. Such as in Energy 3.0 seeing 4 icons across, as opposed to the standard 3 icons of Windows. While this would make it more functional, it feels a bit off with small icons, and bit childish with the larger 3 icons. A conundrum for sure. Will we ever be satisfied, I dont know. But Im all for a B&M session as the next guy!

I don’t really understand what would so great about being able to flip from side-to-side on the start menu. Is the ‘back’ soft-button that hard to select? If you want to slide around, you can always delete all the sub-folders and leave all the start menu shortcuts in \Programs. It would be one helluva mess, but then you could slide up and down to find what you want. WinMo has a directory that is user adjustable. From what I understand about the iphone, it doesn’t even come with a file explorer, lol. That’s why all of the shortcuts are basically in the same directory, and you can slide from page to page.

I miss the recent programs list, but that’s about it. You might be able to run quick menu in 6.5 (haven’t tried it because I don’t think it’s necessary). I like the fact that the menu closes when you open an application. I always found it annoying that you’d have to close the menu sub-folders one at a time. This is a lot quicker.

When the official 6.5 comes out, it’s very possible that there will be a more user friendly way of organizing the start menu. We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s not that big of a deal, anyway, you could always order things with registry edits, and now reSTART exists and anyone can use it. Try editting the registry on an iphone (or whatever they use to store user settings, assuming you’re allowed to change any of the settings).

Great perspective, FT. What this thread has demonstrated is that everyone has different points of view, different priorities, and different sensibilities.

I would like to point out that criticizing WM isn’t intended to devalue it or to suggest that the iPhone is better. Just our individual thoughts on its relative strengths and weaknesses that developers can use create fixes for. And I would hope that MS reads these sorts of web sites to learn what “real people” think about their products.

It will be interesting to see what the official 6.5 looks like when released (any expected release date?).

Wow got my Iphone today and damn I’m glad I switched… No more bugs and the push email is 300x better than WM.. Pages load quick and browser is on point! No lag what so ever!!!!

@ Donwon yeah I have to agree with you. I tried using cooked ROMs many of the chefs offer on XDA and I give the props to getting it as stable as possible. However, I know its not there fault with all the bugs and lag but I can’t go another year or two waiting for M$ to come out with something stable and we don’t even know if it is… Also, the fact that HTC only updates there new released phones with software like WM 6.5 kind of sucks.. and we have to wait for chefs to port it..

I like Windows on the desktop.. but for a cell phone I have to go with apple and the Iphone 3GSexy

Donwon – exchange email push in the iPhone is ActiveSync…like the same exact ActiveSync in WM. Apple licensed it. As for the browser- Iris for WM is again, exactly the same browser as Safari based on the same webkit engine. Of course, skyfire is multiples faster and displays the full internet (with flash, java, activex) but who’s paying attention to the ‘real’ internet these days when they have an HVGA screen resolution that’s only 3 years out of date?:)

@David K – have you even tried the new 3GS? Iris doesn’t compare to safari in terms of speed and ease of use.. Like I said I’m not hating on WM phones or Iris/opera/skyfire but Safari is on point right now with speed and you really don’t need to wait for pages to load.. But I understand this is Windows Mobile site/forum and you going to back up WM phones all I’m saying is I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about my phone working or not with certain programs and apps..

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