HTC introduces the Touch (and disappoints)

Hmmm. Its hard for technology companies to live up to the hype they generate. The HTC special announcement turns out to be a dud. What HTC has announced is a mobile shell on top of Windows Mobile 6. This shell provides a sweep interface, which sets the screen into animation mode and basically launches another application, which turns out to be a plain old Windows Mobile app like the Internet Explorer or the Contacts. Nothing revolutionary - but slight enhancement to the look and feel of the (now boring) Windows Mobile UI. It doesn't seem to improve productivity in anyway. Just gives an added convenience of not needing the stylus all the time. The HTC Touch has the intelligence to differentiate between a stylus touch and a finger touch, which again is not new - the Nokia 770/N800 have had it for years now.

For Windows Mobile to look attractive, Microsoft has to invest in the UI redesign, which has not changed in 7 years (Apart from the minor touches done here and there with every new OS release). Multi-touch interface and better fluid graphics are an essential requirement for a modern phone. When compared to the iPhone (OK, I couldn't resist that), the WinMo UI now looks like the one from stone age. And the HTC Touch is not helping that in any way.

By the way, the Touch is launched on the HTC Elf phone, though theoritically it should run on any Windows Mobile Professional phone.