SlashGear JapanHTC have made a name for themselves with capable, business-friendly smartphones, and when back in March 2007 they first suggested they were turning their hand to the UMPC market there was no shortage of interest. Boasting full Windows Vista support, as well as a cut-down quick-start SnapVue interface for basic tasks, QWERTY keyboard, touchscreen and multiple wireless options, the HTC Shift was hailed by some as likely to be the first decent UMPC. The subsequent journey from announcement to actual launch – a point first estimated for Q3 2007 – has been punctuated by delays, wavering interest and more than a little criticism of how competitive its specs are in light of the latest competition; HTC sent over the new CDMA version of the Shift, complete with Sprint EV-DO support, for SlashGear to see whether time has been kind to the UMPC.
Do you remember that semi-formal roadmap we saw not too long ago that pretty much stated that Microsoft had seen the error of their mobile ways and with 6.1 they were going to fix a lot of things and make a move towards higher useability? Well I don’t know if that’s come true or not, but word is that we’ll find out on April 1st.
By the way, I got a glimpse of an updated version of Windows Mobile on current hardware – and no it’s not Windows Mobile 7. OEMs will receive the updated version of Windows Mobile in Q1 of 2008.
