Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard? at 14:16

This little piece of information from the Marketplace Application Standard Guidelines skipped past me:

"It is highly recommended that applications should have the ability to run on two or more Windows Mobile 6.5 device platforms, for example, multiple Standard and/or Professional devices. Writing to multiple Windows Mobile devices helps extend the market opportunity for developers and gives end-users greater choice when making purchase decisions concerning both applications and Windows Mobile devices. This requirement is waived for ruggedized devices, which also referred to as Vertical market devices."

It would suggest that we can expect Standard versions of Windows Mobile 6.5.
Although, we are yet to see any evidence of a Standard ROM.

HTC have just released the Snap, yet we haven't heard anything regarding an update for this device - as we have with the Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2.
This may simply mean that Microsoft don't have a Standard version ready for testing, rather than a lack in intent to produce one.


With Windows 7 already rapidly in progress and the price of touch screens falling, it may be make more sense for both MS and the Phone makers to drop the non touch screen versions.