ZafirahKnujunkle

SneakerFiend

1. I want apps that do not require stylus, TomTom Navigator is an excellent example. It has big icons and I can use my finger. Microsoft's desktop legacy has them ceding the usability war to IPhone. And entire new set of UI guidelines and compliance standards need to be written.

2. I want to be able to email a voice note using Voice Command and it just can't be done hands-free

3. contact to map is also a bigee for me. I want to use voice control identify contact and open map for their location and optionally navigate to it from where I am using my GPS/Mapping application

I drive and have nearly killed myself fiddling with the device. 2-3 are the most common things I need to do while driving. If I do need to interact with application in a way not supported by voice then being able to do it without stylus is important.

That doesn't mean do away with the stylus it just means that it is required only when absolutely necessary.

I shun devices with keyboards. For me that is no better than using stylus with on-screen keyboard. 95% of the time I am at a PC where I use SOTI Pocket Controller. The other 5% of the time I refuse to type emails and email voice notes...I just want to be able to do it hands free.

If Microsoft does this then I am a happy camper.

ppatt

softlord

karatedog

yuhong

tc816

tc816

karatedog

@WindHawk, you don't know what you're talking about. There was no Windows Mobile in 1999, only Windows CE, and it had a task bar and Start Menu just like real Windows (even on the Palm-Size PC OS). That made multi-tasking very easy.

While that was great on a Handheld PC with a 640x240 screen, it wasn't so hot on a Palm-Size PC with a 240x320 screen (and the virtual keyboard icon taking up some of that space). That's probably why Microsoft scrapped it when Pocket PC 2000 came out, and, perhaps coincidentally, that's when Windows CE/Pocket PCs took off.

@Philk, your comments about developer support are way off base. Windows Mobile has excellent third-party developer support. Why do you think people (including you!) have been pointing out so many fixes for the problems that Jason raised?

Your comment about the platform not drastically improving in 10 years is also suspect. You compare Windows Mobile 2003 and WM 6 (a four-year span) against Windows 98 and Vista (an eight- or nine-year span), so you've already biased the comparison. Try comparing the Palm-Size PC OS of 1998 or so against WM 6.

@SwapMeet, creating an appointment is easy on the Pocket PC. Navigate to the date you want in the calendar, drag the time range you want for the appointment, do a New, type in the Subject and press OK.

Those other fields are there for people who want or need more complexity. If somebody feels that they have to fill them in, that's just anal.

@Dearhaw, you're the peach. You say that Windows Mobile sucks and anybody who doesn't agree with you is an "MS fanboy/sympathizer or a masochist". Get a grip.

I'm neither (although I do have a Windows Mobile Web site), and I don't think it "sucks". "Sucking" implies that it's not fit to do what it's designed for, and I think Windows Mobile certainly can do what it's designed for -- PDA and phone.

Granted, there are plenty of places it could be fixed (better task manager, more intuitive support for creating appointments in different time zones and so on), but it is adequate for most uses, I think.

I think Microsoft should shoot for more than "adequate", though.

Finally, for those saying how Apple did it right the first time, I have two things to point out.

First, while Windows Mobile phones can be used as entertainment devices, they're primarily meant as converged PDA phones. The iPhone isn't really addressing the PDA space, but is more a converged entertainment phone. That's neither bad nor good, just different.

Second, remember that Apple has had 5 years to see how phones were evolving and witness bad examples before they put their own out. What would Apple have put out in 2002-2003?

And, even with that late arrival, people still complain about its weakenesses -- non-removable battery (please!), no official support for third-party applications, sub-par E-mail support, hard-to-use virtual keyboard, no IMing, no over-the-air iTunes (at first), etc.

Yes, the iPhone is a stunning piece of design, but nobody's perfect.

Pony99CA

JotM

I've never used or handled an iPhone (They're not officially out in Australia yet) and yet they seem to have managed to nail the PDA/Smartphone UI in almost one hit. All by simply starting with the customer in mind and not the backend.

Microsoft are on drugs if they think they can keep shunting out these hideously unfriendly UIs and the masses will accept it because that's all there is.

Vive la competicion!

Maxwells_Nylon_Hammer

karatedog

But let me step back from the anti-Microsoft rant, earned and deserved though it is, and I'll point out the real problem of WinMobile: There is no coherent hardware platform. Microsoft doesn't mandate a specific display size, keyboard requirement, touchscreen requirement or anything else. Instead there is a minimum standard. This means that every WinMobile program, including those shipping with WinMobile, have to be written to the lowest common denominator and if your phone's specs are superior to the minimum standards its extra features may or may not be taken advantage of. Sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.

Why is the iPhone so great? Besides the fact that was created by a group of people who understand user interface and overseen by a man who knows exactly what he wants and won't accept less, it is a product from a company that controls both the hardware and the software. Microsoft is unlikely to ever be able to do this and WinMobile will always be an inferior product.

davidwb

Spent some time with the iPhone. Didn't like it. C'est la vie. Wouldn't say no to a nice iPOD with lots of storage though.

robman84

jonb4more

The multitasking works fine. When memory is running low, WM closes applications that I haven't used in awhile. I have had 6 to 8 apps running on PPC-6700 without any problems, and a dozen on the PDA's (more memory) without any problems. It's nice to have your email downloading while working on another productivity app, or PIE.

The only utility I have purchased is a task switcher to easily switch between apps. The Axim had a task switcher supplied with it. All other 3rd party apps are productivity apps like databases, FTP clients, HTML editors, slingbox, and a graphics program. All these third party apps have a file quit option like their desktop counterparts.

Windows Mobile isn't perfect, no mobile OS is. It may not be as glitzy as some alternatives, but it does a lot more of what I want a mobile device to do than those glitzy alternatives.

PIE needs updates to support some newer standards; however, there are some sites that are easier to read with the one column view on PIE than on the full internet mantra mobile devices.

jimtravis

NeoPoliticus

One of my biggest complaints about Windows Mobile (and I've owned many of the devices over the years) is the issue of Windows in the product name. I don't mean that in a "Windows is bad kind of way," I mean it in the "it creates the wrong kind of perception" kind of way," and the broken promise that perception creates with upgrade paths.

People who are passionate about technology, and geeks like me that always want the latest and greatest bits running on their devices, are often frustrated by the inability to upgrade the OS on a Windows mobile device like you can on a regular Windows desktop machine.

Calling it Windows Mobile gives you the impression that you can upgrade it--but the truth is that you can't. I've heard from Microsoft that it is the carrier's responsiblity to offer upgrades and that their "hands are tied." This model is completely broken!

You buy a nice, expensive Windows Mobile phone or Pocket-PC-based device (basically a small computer), and 9 times out of 10, the OS version that comes on it is the only version you will ever get--unless you buy a new handset when the next version of Windows Mobile is released.

Either call it something else besides Windows Mobile (so we don't expect upgrades), or fix the broken model with the carriers and these OS platform upgrade scenarios.

I mean, has that Windows Update icon in Windows Mobile ever actually done anything except say "No updates are available."?

macmanwa

gizmo_dude

WM8 is supposed to be a New OS built from the ground up. - So were Win95, WinXP and Vista.

IE will be so much better. - Do I really need to explain this?

It's just a vicious cycle. The Microsoft business model is "Market share despite quality and profit." While consumers finally catch on to Microsoft's indifference to true quality, the little profit Microsoft garnishes will dwindle.

MalzyWheels

ara

Multi-tasking, better menu system, completely redone today screen are all there from companies such as spb. Another one was getting from contact to map. Well I already have that with Tom Tom, which is what I use to go around (and no Google Map or Live maps aren't still suitable for navigation).

So you see, the whole point of WM is that its open and there are TONS of third party software available. So when people compare phones then should also consider extendibility. I don't expect Microsoft to make everything. I bet if they did, the same who complain that MS hasn't made this and that woudl say that MS is killing innovation and is competing with small guys. They just can't win, can they.

Conclusion: WM is great. You can have the future now by third party software. MS just needs to make it faster, reduce startup time, make novel UI systems (beyond iPhone) and integrate it with other things they are making.

Future Technologies

QWERTYthon

the main reason why customers buy or choose microsoft ?

=> because they do not have another choice !

windows mobile can now realise that there is something wrong with their OS !

it's been more than seven years that they are issueing OS for handhelds, they release now that there are wrong things !

who do they want to fool ?

By pure chance they come to realise that there are wrong things just when apple is entering the market or google is about to do so too...

the only reason for that is that the main choice reason of their customers will vanish : de facto monopoly !

even if in WM 6.1 or WM 7 or WM8 they introduce new way of seeing things after 7 years of draft OS, anyway it won't work well because as usual with MS the features will be there to appeal to poeple, but the professionnal sowftware quality won't for sure I can tell you that right now about WM7 or WM8.

just an example I have a pc with XP with latest active sync 4.5, a pocket loox 720 with WM2003SE, I connected my new tytnII with WM6.. and active Sync could not even detect that synchronisation with my new tytn II could not occur because my Fujitsu Siemens loox 720 was already connected and synchronised !

and yet ALL the devices were only running microsoft OS and it was active Sync latest version

so you may tell me there are tool in MS to help you troubleshoot...
my foot NO MS tool wathsoever was able to detect that.

I'm sorry but this is not professionnal software developpment, the reason stems in the fact that MS simply do not care for their customers...

and then, if you counted the time MS has taken to their customers by having them to unduely enter in technical details just to get the function out of their products simply because they are half baked products...
Just count the time and sum it for all MS customers it will be milleniums lost for Mankind.

I can still believe in Santa Claus
but I can not believe anymore that customer oriented products can come from Microsoft !

Thibault

IE 6 is the worst mainstream browser still in use, yet Microsoft was content to leave it undeveloped and deliberately non-interoperable when there was no competition. Thank goodness Firefox and (on Mac) Safari came along to wake Microsoft up and get them to release (not talk about, not promise for the future, but actually deliver) IE 7.

Absent iPhone and RIM, WinMob would likely be worse. Bogus announcements and FUD aside, Microsoft has a proven history of not innovating unless they have real competition to push them.

Rener

Which is exactly what Jason, who has used the HTC Touch, is saying in his feature.

Jesus Diaz

dean56

jermjerm

The Brain

I use MS Voice Command for everything and the only times I have problems with it are when I'm trying to show someone how well it works. My wife has a very unusual name and it works fine every time (it works better with full names) When I don't use VC the dialer is simple, press the dial key to start it, and I can get to my call history with one more pick.

Also The tilt Came with an app from HTC that allows you to either close apps when you press the X, or put them in the background, and close them at your discretion.

Before getting my Tilt I thought about the iPhone, But it just didn't have any of the features that I want and need. No GPS, No G3, Inability to add custom apps (I know they say it's comming,) I can sit down and jam something out in VB and slap it on my phone, Or download tons of already written freeware apps.

One thing that you are right about is that to get the most out of the phone you need to know how to use it. If your not sure there are plenty of Forums to get more info from. I have 2 students in one of my classes who have Tilts also, one of them got it because it was cool, and the other one knows a bit more about the phone, and has already updated to the HTC Home also. I pointed both of them to xda-developers to get more info.

"Imagine giving one to your parents. Then imagine all the calls you'll get-from their home phone, no less, because they couldn't figure out how to use their new Windows Mobile."
Why the $#$% would you give a SmartPhone to your parents? My mom can barely use her basic flip phone. I would not ever think to give her a phone like mine. I Am not even going to give my old one to my wife because she dosen't need all of the features.

It's the classic argument. If you want a simple interface, and limited features, and expandability use a apple, if you want to be able to customize, and expand use Windows/Linux.

Maybe you should actually use a product and see how it works for a while & join a forum before writing based on assumptions, because you know what that makes you.

jameswing

"• You can pull out the stylus to tap in the digits. This requires two hands. "

I don't have a stylus. I use one hand, and the thumb on that hand, to punch in numbers easily.

"• You can try and use your fingertip to call, which doesn't normally work, so you'll use your fingernail, which does work but, as it results in many misdialed numbers, takes forever. "

Fingernail? Why? Well, I suppose as an earlier post said, it's because these screens keep getting smaller. My phone has a 3.5" screen. No problems.

"• You can try and bring up the contact list, which takes a long-ass time to scroll through, or you can slide out the keyboard again and search by name. Again, two hands."

I thought WM5/6 searched through contacts while you punched away at numbers on the dialpad.

"• Voice Command has been an option for years, but then again, it kinda works, but it doesn't work well."

Microsoft Voice Command has NEVER made a mistake hen asked to dial a contact name (except when there's a lot of background noise and it doesn't hear me at all). I've owned this phone since 2005.

• Probably the best way to go is to program your most important numbers into speed dial, as you'll be able to actually talk to the correct person within, say, three button presses. Compare that to the iPhone"

I tried the iPhone. On my Pocket PC, I can just press the call button and have a dialpad. One press shows me my history, which is usualy all I need. Alternatively, I can dial the number. Voice Command is one press. iPhone? Slide to unlock then press this, then another.. takes some getting used to, having one button and all.

I agree with the multitasking being more like Windows, except that we're dealing with tiny-screened devices. Add SPB Pocket Plus or Wisbar advance and there are no gaps left in the functionality.

Bring on the improvements, they're long overdue, but I don't understand how much trouble people have. My biggest beef is the trend of trying to turn Professional touchscreen devices into smartphone clones (think softkeys) rather than enhancing the finger-friendly UI.

Maybe if others lost their stylus like I did they'd have an easier time...

burnblue

It doesn't matter if there's an absolutely, positively, legitimate reason why WM sucks, or if the suckitude of WM doesn't necessarily translate into the incompetence of MS developers. Why WM sucks really isn't and shouldn't be the concern of the end user; the only thing that does and should matter is if it sucks or not. And if it sucks, unless you're an MS fanboy/sympathizer or a masochist, you choose another product (RIM, Apple, whatever).

It's kind of like the Windows/Mac virus problem, where indeed Macs may be getting the longer end of the stick mostly due to its small market share (although that is growing rapidly). It doesn't change the fact that there just aren't any viruses for Macs at the moment, and if that is one of your major concerns, then suddenly Macs become a viable option for potential switchers.

Dearhaw

phuzzy

Windows Mobile gives the user what they want, Apple and other OS tell the user what they want and thats all they'll get.

WM has word, excel, browser, video/audio player, full snyc-able contacts, imap, pretty good email and texting system, voice dialing, etc... I can keep going on.

Yes MS can limit the apps and just give the barebone but people will start complaining and asking for more.

devGOD

blankmind13

Mandatory_Field

leMel

leMel

Secondary gripe: If Windows Mobile is so powerful and the devices cost so much, why can't you easily upgrade the OS? I realize that this is probably the carrier's fault, but my Cingular 8125 is now a big, expensive, slow brick that I need to carry around until the 3G iPhone comes out.

rotophonic

For the business user the iPhone is like a pretty present all wrapped up but when you open it it's just an empty box. Windows Mobile is a brown box wrapped in duct tape, but inside there are tools.

I find it funny that many of the GUI complaints are really directed at the hardware. That's sort of like saying you don't like OSX because the keyboard you bought is a crappy one. For example, I have no problems at all dialing numbers on my Blackjack. I just start typing in the name on the front mounted keyboard. I can do that without looking at the phone. Try that with a touch screen like the iPhone.

cowboyshootist

Just in case you weren't paying attention, I am not bashing Apple or RIM, they make great products. I'm only saying they are the only ones that they allow to make them, that's why they work so well.

jermjerm

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

Mio

MrHellpop

WM 7/8 sound great, but knowing MS, it'll be BLOODY AGES before we these handsets on the market, especially since I'm a Verizon customer.

redman042

Could this be a reaction to iPhone and Android? Microsoft rarely fixes something that sells well unless it sees an imminent sales threat.

JRo

Mio

Wasn't there a news post recently that the iPhone marketshare has already passed up the Windows Mobile marketshare?

Shabbis

OtakuboyT

My biggest problem is that they keep making the screens smaller. I tried a wizard with a 2/5" screen it was awful...too small.

OtakuboyT

fardated

dfwguy

sumocat

ZekeSulastin

That_Bastid

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

I already noticed the "not really closing" closed apps and problems with task switching, though I haven't become truly annoyed yet. It does seem clunky in places -- browsing's a bit of a trial, though that's not a primary reason I got the phone in the first place.

Heavy editing of tasks, calendar events and contacts is somewhat clunky on the phone, but since I sync it with my work laptop and Outlook, as well as our Exchange server, I do most of the heavy lifting on the laptop and then hit "Sync."

Alltel seemed to take a more bare bones approach instead of loading the phone with a horde of annoying apps that serve little purpose, for which I'm grateful. Yes, having an iPhone would be nice, but in the end, the up-front cost made me go with this Windows-based device.

The mentioned improvements to the OS sound promising, though I'm guessing it'll be a while before this thing hits the proverbial shelves.

Strangefellow

If I want my history, I press the call button and scroll through the list.

If I want to dial a number or search my contacts list I just start typing and the phone narrows down the numbers from both my contacts and recent calls.

If I want to access my contacts list I just press the contacts button from the home screen or press home then contacts. I can go directly to the "M" section by typing "M" or hold down the rocker for a very quick scroll by letter.

All of those are two presses or less.

It isn't as sexy looking as the iPhone interface, but until the iPhone has an actual keyboard I'm not biting. I have an iPod touch and find the on-screen keyboard usable, but annoyingly inaccurate and finicky.

I also don't think the home screen of windows mobile is pretty, but it allows me to see all the information I need at a glance. I don't have to open the calendar application to see my next appointment. I can see and change my ring profile from there and see which email accounts have new messages. I can scroll through the last 10 applications with the d-pad and open them quickly.

I want better useability and elegance, but convenience and efficiency are more important.

I'm glad Microsoft finally has some good competition though. Everyone benefits from that.

GenericWhiteGuy

Jason Chen

People who complain about Windows Mobile "Professional" being too hard to use need to get a Windows Mobile "Standard" (smartphone) device. The smartphone UI is simplified, there's no touchscreen to screw with, and in general the devices are smaller and have better battery life.

Here are the things that I dislike about WinMo, some of which you have already covered:

- Pocket IE. It gets the job done, but other than that it's a steaming pile of crap. Install Opera Mini (or Opera Mobile) and move on with your life. Not that Safari is exactly great - sometimes you WANT to reformat the page so you don't have to keep scrolling around.
- Mail client. Great if you have Exchange, but I don't. It's a mediocre IMAP client that's just as bad as the one on the iPhone. Give me Chatter any day.
- Memory usage. My WM6 device has 64MB of memory, but only 22MB is usable by apps. Either devices need to ship with 128M (like the Shadow) or WM needs to get less memory hungry.

Things I don't mind:
- Close button. This was never an issue when I used a WM5 standard device, and it's definitely not an issue on the Smartphone which doesn't have a close button. A smartphone shouldn't have a close button.

Things I like:
- Internet sharing. Works over Bluetooth or USB. T-Mobile EDGE is slow, but its also cheap, and it has saved my butt on occasion.
- IM. I paid $20 for Shape IM+ and haven't looked back. I don't have to pay for a text-messaging plan to IM, and IM+ supports Google and Jabber too.
- Home screen. You have to be an XML hacker to do this (or download a home screen from someone who is), but I completely customized my home screen. It has a BIG clock (like 3/4 of an inch tall) plus my appointments and number of emails/SMS/voicemails. It also has a recently used application list. I can see this by pushing pretty much any button on the device while it's locked.
- Smart dialing. I can search my recently dialed calls and contacts from the home screen, which is a big time saver.

bsoft

iToast

MS still failed though, that's all credit to outside apps and developers desperately trying to make their 300$ phones not suck.

PhilK

spicedham

TheRealChip

I meant to say "blatant misinformation.

Dearhaw

Blatant information.

I just tried logging on to my iPhone via SSH, and open & closing applications using the icon and then the home button does exactly what it should, i.e., close the application when the home button is pressed. No extended pressing required.

The only apps that don't close like that are 3rd party apps (no surprise there) and Mail (and that's because I have it set to constantly check for e-mail).

Dearhaw

skeeveAGAIN

We understand that WM sucks out of the box. We just don't ming spending a few hours tweeking so that it is not only usable, but practical and enjoyable. It sucks that Microsoft lets these devices go out the door in a near-unusable state; but if you take the time to modify it, your phone becomes a very useful device that is easy to use.

PhilR8

I went from a Motorola V600 (no syncing option worth actually doing) to the T-Mobile SDA. It was great being able to finally sync my 100's of business contacts to my phone. My SDA wasn't great, but it worked pretty well, and then I went from SDA to 3, count 'em 3 different WM phones in 2 months. The old SDA could sync between multiple (home, work) computers. The T-Mobile Dash, Wing, nor AT&T Treo 750 could do that. It's a known problem, but one the carriers don't care to fix with their buggy ROM's.

I spent about a month trying to get my Treo 750 working to a degree that was acceptable. This included using a Palm-released WM6 update (but you had to hack it since it's intentionally nerfed to install on a AT&T phone). Sure, it has its numerous warts, but Palm addressed some of the shortcomings of WM6 with its own fixes. But I look at my iPhone friends and I drool. Apple got it right with their first try (by ignoring the Enterprise users - Exchange support still doesn't work right). MS catered to Enterprise users and gave us this crap. Sure, my phone can technically do 99% of what the iPhone can do, but getting it to do it is a pain in the butt. Playing music? Windows Media Player mobile is a joke. Internet browser? I don't even bother anymore, too slow, unusable. Okay, I'm done ranting. I'm counting the days when Apple will finally support Office/Exchange so I can dump WM for good. May even take a look at Android.

SwapMeet

The answer is "sort of". The iPhone is a neat device. It is functional, fun, and sexy in it's presentation, but it utterly fails as a mobile business device or much less a PIM device at all. It's an iPod that makes phone calls and browses the web. This is an example of what "Consumer (read Joe Average) Centric" that doesn't seem like a good direction to go for an enterprise level communication device, but maybe it'll turn out differently. Here is how I sociologically and objectively break down the Smart Phone "Pyramid" if you will.

------- People who use the BlackBerry's and some WinMo (no Palm OS, sorry Treo folks) because there is work to be done and we don't have time for instability and poor battery life.

------------------Those who use SmartPhones (Blackjack/Q9h and the like) for a lighter work load.

-------------------------Those who have the iPhone for recreational use and little business dues to it's capabilities.

----------------------------------Finally Those who purchase smart phones (6700, Q's, and BlackJacks) because they feel they need to where a bluetooth headset everywhere all the time and flash the phone as a status symbol and don't really ever use it's actual functions. Some BlackBerry pearls hang out here with some Curve's spotted throughout.

This is a brief and entirely cynical breakdown of the SmartPhone Pyramid and is meant mostly in jest, but some of it still stands true. Get to work Microsoft you have much R&D before we'll stand behind you.

-iToast

iToast

"Microsoft can make a great UI, as seen with the new Zune interface, but they just can't tailor a UI for every device out there."

But if they make a kick-ass enough UI, then the devices out there would tailor to the OS, would they not?

Dearhaw

xxdesmus

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

"This car works great once I replaced all the parts with stuff I picked up at Autozone!"

If you don't see a problem with the phone having completely broken functionality out of the box, you've already failed.

PhilK

MS desperately needs to take the mobile space seriously. The pace at which WM makes progress is unacceptable. Look at apps like PocketCM, One touch Organizer, TouchFLO, and any of the multitude of finger usable apps since the iPhone came out. Who was Microsoft talking to for the last 10 years that said, "Yeah, I like dicking around with a tiny plastic pencil on my phone, it's great!". I use almost entirely 3rd party apps on my 8525 because the built in ones all suck.

MS also needs to figure out how they fucked up on building a developer community. The iPhone has a bunch of good quality apps and it doesn't even have an SDK. The iPhone is an openly hostile development environment and people are developing for it...how do you screw up your platform so badly that people would rather hack a different platform than use your development tools? The quantity of good quality apps on WM6 is just sad.

MS has to start forcing the carriers to not put stupid bullshit on their phones. If I was using the AT&T ROM for my 8525 I'd gouge my eyes out (actually I'd buy an iPhone, but you get the idea). The amount of bloat and slowness in the AT&T ROM is amazing. MS has to realize that this reflects on them, not on AT&T (it should reflect on AT&T, but most people don't realize they have a choice of cooked ROMs).

I love what I can do with my 8525, I just hate what a pain in the ass it is to do it all. I know my next phone is going to be an Android phone. MS can't fix what's wrong with WM by early/mid next year, unless they move all of their development resources into it, which they won't.

PhilK

Likewise, if Microsoft has a real product in development, they need to shut up and develop it, not to equal in 5 years what is already in the competitive market today, but to be 10 years ahead of the curve. Mobile IE in 6 or 7 equalling MobileSafari of today is ridiculous. It needs to blow MobileSafari out of the water.

Look. did Apple announce iPhone 5 years ago and claim it would be as good as Windows Mobile 2000? Nope. They kept quiet until MacWorld, and then delivered a game-changing surprise. Instead of cloning old software, Microsoft needs to clone that marketing approach.

Now, maybe Microsoft has never been big on innovation. They've been big on announcing innovation just to stop (potential) customers from checking out rivals who are delivering innovation today. But the problem is, that won't work forever. It might not even work in the post Google-services-as-software world of today.

I am utterly unimpressed with any announcements about WinMob or Windows 7. Want to start some wow, have Bill Gates show up at his final CES and give an amazing, ready-to-ship demo that leaves jaws on the table.

Until then, please don't contribute to vapor-marketing. Innovation should BE the competition.

Rener

Writing articles to bitch about problems is precisely why 3rd parties make applications to begin with. To TSFU and go play on your SideKick or something

Acemonster

Then there's the iPhone, which is practically from a different planet. It's like the designers completely bossed around the engineers, the opposite of what the the Windows Mobile convention is.

Bottom line: I'd use Windows Mobile because I had to, and I use the iPhone because I actually like to.

mullingitover

thud3333

Acemonster

I was a long time Pocket PC user until I went back to Palm. Mostly due to my using a Mac for everything I do outside of my day job. But the interface was pretty simple and has been for years.

I recently upgraded my Cingular pre-paid phone to a Treo 750 and most recently did the WM6 upgrade. While it's got some improvements, it's still lacking a of lot ease of use functionality that you talked about above.

What's funny is that the simplicity of Palm hasn't changed in years and it works very well. Compared to Windows Mobile which aside from some changes here and there, is still pretty much the same when I was using Pocket PC 2002 devices. Yet, it needs something to help the clutter and resolve the "where is this?" question that comes up often.

I'm hoping to see more improvements that help the non-business user being able to have a viable alternative to the Blackberry and Palm smartphones.

chillywilly

bfk

ara

Will they improve or require improvement too, sound quality so WM phones can actually work as PMPs? Improving the software is useless if the phones continue to sound like crap and/or I have to fight to find a set of earphones that work with the things. The iPhone has them beat ten ways from Sunday on that.

Will they get it done before iPhone's SDK results in the iPhone getting the missing features in comparison to WM? If not, I may switch before they get there. The only thing keeping me on WM now is feature issues. If Apple resolves that, I'm switching. (Note to Apple: If you want to kick WM's butt, open up the SDK so anyone can code for it)

That is all.

68newyorker

Drop the sale and support for Vista, giving ALL users (not just Vista Business) the free downgrade to XP. Windows 7 promises to be a million times better.

Fix Exchange 2007! Sure, the OWA is nice, but the admin tool is about as bad as ISA 2000. At least all the mailboxes went back to 2003 just fine.

Don't screw us on Server 2008, like you did on Vista.

NNTPgrip

midtoad

Very well written! I see all the issues were examined and suggestions made...not just a bunch of crying or fanboyism. Cant wait for microsoft to fix pretty much exactly what the article said

Thanks!

o0adam0o

BigDanInTX

But then again, look at what MS has to work with. They are up in Washington and only pay developers 65% of industry standards so I guess that is why we only get software which is only 65% useful.

- Roger

Roger Huston

(PS: I make my living writing software with Microsoft Products)...

europria

dfwguy

ara

TurboFool

Joseph

For example, Safari on the iPhone is really cool, but I think a lot of the "magic" is the result of its pairing with the hardware. It would not be as impressive on a device with a different touchscreen.

Conversely, WM is designed with a set of specs in mind, but not specific hardware. Its focus is on working on many different devices, not working well on just one. That optimization and tailoring for specific devices is very important with the current constraints on mobile tech.

Apple is the most experienced when it comes to tailoring software to hardware. Nokia is making solid progress here as well. Microsoft, however, simply does not do this. Microsoft can make a great UI, as seen with the new Zune interface, but they just can't tailor a UI for every device out there.

sumocat

Sort like Longhorn (vista) was supposed to be?

kashmir772

you're doing it wrong. using my mogul is exactly like destroying a school full of martial arts students.

dlynch

In regards to adding 3rd party apps, I couldn't agree with KEEBLER more, more often than not it is at the expense of stability.

Lastly, I'd really like to know what and were some of these installers are putting files!

pastrychef

The problem is that its been going on for years and they do little about it because they have the same attitude as they do about Windows overall- we're the dominant player and you'll wait for us to improve things at our leisure. And because of the Exchange issue, they're partially right.

One of the biggest problems is the carriers. They are the 400 lb gorilla's who can give a sh*t about the quality of their apps or the "experience." They'll stuff phones with low quality bloatware, disable anything that's useful (modem, gps use w/o service, etc.) so they can make another $1 at the expense of customers satisifaction (and loose 1000X that amount)

ARP

BigDanInTX

enine

antidayjob