[The Guru]

According to Forbes HTC Sense will continue to run on WP7 phones. Drew Bamford, who heads HTC's user experience design team, tells Forbes:

"Microsoft has taken firmer control of the core experience [in Windows Phone 7], but we can still innovate," says Bamford. The future version of Sense, he adds, won't look the way it does on current Windows Mobile (6.5) phones, where it basically replaces all the core applications and is fully integrated into the phone.

Nevertheless, HTC is optimistic about the Windows Phone 7 launch, according to Bamford. "We won't be able to replace as much of the core Windows Phone experience, but we will augment it,"

[tonybro]

That's some good news at least! I'm not best pleased with the current interface.

[Boz]

There is hope for us yet !!

[Mod74]

I've said it before, but the Zune HD interface is really pleasant to use. OK, it might take a day or two to adapt from icon taps to drill down a folder structure to sweeping down lists. And I appreciate that simply navigating MP3s is a simpler propsition than navigating mail and contacts etc, but it's basically the same thing.

It's kind of similar to the stock 6.5 interface, but - and this is crucial- actually responsive. Sweeping and swooping might feel a little bit like work, but when everything sweeps and swoops into view instantly and is graphocally pleasing you feel kind of special. And yes, I know that's very sad.

It's great that HTC seem to think they still have some room to add in their own flourishes and improvements, but really, I can't see a lot they can add. The Metro UI seems to have all the bases covered for me. 6.5 was/is a complete UI nightmare that needed serious improvements. And hats off to HTC for providing them. I think it's bought them a lot of brownie points with MS and WinPho7. But really Metro doesn't need it. Which must be a concern for HTC as Sense was the real differentiator between their phones and other WinMo. They'll have to concentrate on delivering the very best hardware now.

[The Guru]

I've said it before and I'll say it again we can't all really comment until we know what is final with respect to both hardware and software.