Mike B.

@ Lee

I find nothing two-faced about it. The bing bar, maybe, but WLE should come on every new PC anyway. No one complains about new Macs coming with iLife & iChat, which is essentially what Windows Live Essentials is. I haven't used the Bing Bar so I don't know what the point of it is, could just make Bing the default search for IE (which I think it is). But overall, MS makes some quality stuff that is essential, unlike the bloatware that really is bloatware, this makes it comparable to the Mac OOBE.

@Steven

I really don't think you have anything to worry about if you want to get the HD2. MS will bring WinMo 6.5.x (or classic) at least up to par with iPhone OS and android. From what I've been reading 6.5.3 is supposed to have reworked all the non-finger-friendly screens into finger-friendly screens, and they will continue to provide updates. And the apps are already there. The only other phones that will be providing something above and beyond what the iPhone, Classic WinPhones, and Android phones would be the 7 Series WinPhones.

Just assume that you're not gonna get the 7 Series OS on the HD2, and decide to wait for the 7 Series phones, or get the HD2. Either way you're going to go have a good phone. And in 2 years, when the OEMs start building 7 series phones that are even more advanced, you'll be ready for an upgrade.

@SDreamer
HP TM2
Lenovo Thinkpad X200/201T

they're out there, but they're convertibles.

@TJM

"But RIM seems to have a mentality similar to Microsoft when it comes to phones."

MS completely changed their phone strategy with 7 Series, and you're still making this comparison? MS just proved that mentality isn't there anymore. Wow...

i've been eyein this for the last few weeks... up until today the N470 option was there to order on lenovo's site... mysteriously today it went missing and only 2 variations of the base model were left.... both said shipped within 9 days earlier today... now just 1 of them... the other, 4 weeks... i don't know what's going on... there arent any options for the 8 cell battery yet that i've read on other sites; it's supposed to give it a 10 hr running time... and the thing is 2.76 lbs with 4 cell... 3.16 lb with 8 cell battery... i'm craving this...

@Elranzer You can change your plan whenever you'd like, but you get a limited number of changes per month. You're locked into the phone and the network, but you can change your plan as you'd like, every month even.

@JeremyBenthem

I just ranked you up 'cause of your name

I don't think you get the mobile apps platform. 1) It isn't Microsoft doing it, it's Ford. 2) The idea is to be able to build apps for mobile phones that can interact directly with the car. They're not trying to make a new app store to lock people in with. The idea is that devs can add some hooks to their current software that will enable communication with SYNC and send interface information so that you can control the app from the car. That way devs don't need to recreate their apps for ANOTHER platform, and they can continue to distribute their apps through the same channels. It's just like downloading a software update for the apps currently on your phone to add SYNC functionality. There's no lock-in. But I'm locked into Ford based on that they're leading the industry on this kind of stuff.

Remote start is currently offered as a factory installed option on some vehicles. I just ordered a 2010 Fusion with remote start. It came from the factory with it.

It's not offered on vehicles with push button start, though. And it doesn't automatically know to defrost the windows. I have to manually turn those on.

It sounds like this is a new, smarter remote start system that knows what to do to get the car ready to drive comfortably in less time. I'm guessing it will be available on the cars with pushbutton start, as well.

The next gen fusion (2013) will be on the mondeo platform, same as the new/current mazda 6. Since the fusion & edge are on the old mazda 6 platform, that would mean the fusion and, i'm guessing, the edge will grow slightly. My thought is that it will make room for a smaller CUV, which the kuga seems like from the pictures, to compete with the likes of the nissan rogue.