Well, you knew it would happen - wannabe iPhone holders are already going in droves to Windows Mobile forums on sites like
xda-developers and
Brighthand. It seems the new look has already been skinned onto Smartphones, not even a week after its release. Of course,
you can guess who's not happy with the news.
Apple has gone full tilt against the "offending" sites, threatening lawsuits for those who do not pull the skins off immediately. The skins have been designed for a number of competing PocketPC/Smartphone programs, most notably the popular Wisbar Advance Desktop by Lakeridge Software. Once up and running, the free skins transform the normal Windows Mobile 5 (WM5) interface into the polished look of the iPhone.
For those not familiar with skinning programs on the WM5 Smartphones, they don't actually add any additional funcitonality to the device. Much like Stardock's popular WindowBlinds and DesktopX, they simply change the visible interface to something more appealing to the user. However, Apple feels that even copying the icons of the newly announced iPhone is just too much.
Even several news sites have been sent cease and desist letters and emails for either linking to or displaying the skins. So, of course, we have chosen to do no such thing - you'll just have to find them yourself if you're interested in making your Smartphone look more savvy.
Have you got a thought on the skins? How about Apple's quick behaviour regarding them? Is this genuine protection, or just an overly litigious company at its best? Tell us your thoughts
in our forums.
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