That makes Windows Mobile sound like someone with senile dementia.

So, pretty accurate, then.

HTC and Microsoft are a perfect match for each other... but for all the wrong reasons.

Hmmm...while (to some degree) I admire the loyalty of HTC to Windows Mobile, if they are not careful, Motorola is going to dance all over them when it comes to Android phones in the future (especially when the Droid lands).

Android 2.0 is certainly capable of delivering a very high quality experience on a device like the HD2. If HTC refuse to offer the hardware to deliver that type of experience then a customer will simply buy the hardware from another manufacturer who will.

It seems a bit arrogant to think that customers will not go elsewhere...HTC hardware is good (I have an HTC Magic)...but it isn't that good.

My current phone is my first, and last, windows mobile phone.

The HD2's hardware seems nice, but there's no way i'm masochistic enough too submit myself to that piece of junk OS again. Anything else can only be better... I'm actually wondering if my next cell phone will not be S40 so that I can at least be sure that the "phone" part will work... which it doesn't with WinMob 6.1, which crashes 1+ times / day.

Flogging and dead horse spring to mind.

So just when my current contract finishes, and a new version of Android starts me dribbling, HTC decide they won't bother :(

Will have to look at the top 10 phones mentioned by T3 (http://www.t3.com/features-gallery?articleId=11525)

Hmmm... Sony's... or LG's...

... and then? I smell a deal has been done.

Probably M$ will be cough up loads of promotional dosh as HTC try to claim a stake as a serious mobile phone brand. Also M$ may still have a little influence with network operators.

Bah, buy it with Windows Mobile then head straight over to xda-developers.com where I'm sure there'll be an Android release waiting. Only issue is that it may not have the actual Google Apps or bizarrely the HTC modifications...

"HTC has been a Microsoft partner for 13 years." and so it sounds like they will be paying you more to use only their software. Is this kind of a partnership really something your share holders want to hear about? What kind of future is there when the market is buzzing about Android and you say you will not offer that OS on your latest hardware? What's worst, it's because another company is paying you to use their OS, and only their OS, even when customers are sick of that OS.

Bad move HTC, this sector moves fast and will leave you behind very quickly.

evil Bill because they don't really sell Windows Mobile and they've had to pay companies to use it.

...allow it to dual boot?

I'm going to "take care of" Windows Mobile. My next phone is going to be a Motorola Droid. Problem solved.

"... and then? I smell a deal has been done."

Yes, something definitely smells a bit off. I think that HTC is trying to have two bob each way but I'm not so sure this is a smart move on their part. The HTC brand is strong, but not strong enough to force people to a Win mobile OS if they basically don't like/want it.

Or just not buy it.

If the company's offical policy "we could give you choice, but we want to support Microsoft instead," that doesn't lead be to believe they have my intrests in mind for anything. I mean, it's nice that they do android phones, but they do them on less nice kit. He admits that intrest is falling on windows mobile, and if thats the case why throw good money after bad?

In reality, I'll just keep using whatever smartphone the boss hands me though.

they have some android phones, and some windows mobile phones. They've released a lot of android phones recently. so the next one is going to be windows mobile, so they still have a released-in-the-last-nanosecond one out there. the smartphone market is mostly contract, contract people upgrade in the month following their contract expiring, meaning there's a very narrow window to catch them, so you always need a new phone out. That does, of course, assume people who, having bought a windows mobile phone in the past, inexplicably want to buy them again, but they must be out there

Perhaps HTC has a newer chassis that, oh, lacks a stylus and is therefore more in keeping with Android than WinMobile? Perhaps even a slighly freshened HD2, just a few months later? I mean, the need for a stylus is the single biggest thing that differentiates the fail that is WinMobile from Android and iPhone...except reliability...and a better GUI....and more apps....er, OK, I'll just stop here ;-)

"That makes Windows Mobile sound like someone with senile dementia."

That's an insult.

Someone with senile dementia is infinitely more intelligent, useful, intuitive and loveable than Windwoes Mobile.

I've suspected for some time that HTC and LG are being paid by Microsoft to continue offering Windows Mobile phones (that the public doesn't want). Why else would any phone maker go against the obvious trend away from Windows Mobile, and do it at a time when Windows Mobile's percentage of smartphone sales is shrinking? I think money has got to be involved, and it sounds more like Microsoft coming to the aid of the handset makers.

Windows Mobile is failing, and it is inevitable that it will be discontinued in consumer smartphones. It's currently on life support, and no aid to the handset makers is going to save it.

Nuff said.

This reminds me of that 2 and a half men episode when Charlie has a dream where his father tells him to "Take care of your mother" ... It is only at the end of the episode while watching a mob flick on TV Charlie realizes "Take care of your mother" actually means kill her...

Not sure if that is what HTC means but if not it may be shooting itself in the foot... Don't think M$ is giving money to HTC but do think they are providing the OS at a ridiculously low price... (you get what you pay for).

In the end HTC better smarten up and hope Google doesn't hold a grudge the way M$ does...

Gartner Research group predicts that Android based phones will be in the top two by 2012 and that windows mobile death is imminent. Good luck HTC... If HTC really insists upon providing life support to a dying OS, why not buy up the PALM OS from ACCESS. Maybe you could bring that back to its former glory... ;)

Already have an HTC Magic (works well, pleased with it), but will need another android phone for the wife shortly. Makes my choice easier because now I don't have to consider HTC, as I know they're too busy looking after the Microsoft relationship to focus on creating the best android device possible, which is basically what I'm after.

long enough for the licensing wing to really get their hooks into HTC.

MS as a corporate entity enjoys using its ability to use the stick and the carrot : oh, you're using windows mobile? that great. as a bonus for doing that, we're prepared to extend favourable bulk licensing for your windows workstations. not a problem!

as your business ticks on down the line, your budgetary model adjusts to cheap licensing from MS, and then you decide you're going to sell your flagship models with a competitors software. Of course, thats up to you, says the Mobile rep. We understand. thats fine. Im sure the technical support guys we have working in your company wont have a problem with that, and Im sure your proposed roll-out to window7 across your company network and servers will go smoothly, efficiently, and cheaply, too.

I can see a situations where an under-paranoid CEO suddenly finds its cheaper to lose money on a flagship product than it is to replace microsofts floating contractors, and re-licence all its workstations, servers, and office licence at full retail, and the associated loss in productivity and ancillary revenue while the whole process goes on.

I think google needs something more than free to convince people to leave in these situations.

It would be interesting if a manufacturer were to offer a phone with a choice of OS for a change.

Then we could see for once and for all which OS the actual end users prefer and then we can do away with all this "taking care of WinMo" rubbish.

WinMo needs to be put out of its misery and be thrown atop the ever expanding pile of MS failures.

let's not forget that of their last 6 new phones (including the HD2) 3 of them are WinMo, 3 and Android.

I somehow doubt, given the work they've put into the UI's from the Android phones that they will ditch it.

At the same time I'm happy with them still supporting WinMo, as there are a coupla app's I'm running that haven't got Android equivalents yet, and they happen to be make or break apps for me at the moment.

My next phone will very likely be the HD2 (Now if Vodafone NZ would just have them available on contract I could afford the damn thing a little earlier)

All the WM and CE development stuff on their websites is stagnant. Nothing really changed for a year or more. The latest WM still based on CE5, over 5 years old. WM7 is promised to 2010, but promises are easy.

Still, Microsoft need WM phones to complete their corporate picture. Right now it is cheaper for MS paying handset makers to install WM on phones rather than try to make an OS that handset makers will actually be prepared to install.

I had a HTC Hermes and have now upgrade to a Touch HD. Both of them run Windows Mobile and both of them function really well. The only thing I can see people whining about seems to be the interface. And these are the same people who tout Android for its flexibility. So what? It's effing windows, people - unlike iPhones, if you don't like the GUI you can change it.

Which is what I did (let's face it, HTC's TouchFlo isn't much better than MS's default GUI). And very rarely do I ever need to dwelve below the new GUI, now that I've set it up to how *I* like it.

How better for HTC to directly measure demand?

They don't need to take a business risk of turning off windows mobile yet, and if others are, then all the more customers for HTC's windows mobile devices.

As they say, they could release Android for it if they wanted - so it sounds like they are doing the right thing commercially.

My last two phones were HTC Windows Mobile (Tytn and Touch Pro). My next phone will be an Andriod. Whether it has your logo on it is up to you.

used to hate HTC devices as they never did things right.....but now I know it was all Windows Mobile issues - I have nothing but love and respect for HTC Android devices.

They're not stupid. They have to be working on a true replacement for WinMobile, and when it's ready they'll quickly kill WinMobile.

I hope.

They're easily the best with developer support so it'd be nice for them to be there in a competative sense.

So why cripple it with a decrepit OS?