Microsoft plans to formally announce later Wednesday an update to Windows Mobile, the company’s operating system for handhelds and cell phones. The press release is here while a translated article with many screenshots showing the new features of the new Windows Mobile operating system
Gates Unveils Windows Mobile Update
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Eugenia Loli
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Gates Unveils ‘Windows Update’ Mobile 🙂
The UI overall does not seem improved. Comparing the UI’s usability to a Palm OS device and the Palm always wins. It is faster and easier to use. That should be a goal of MS, but clearly throwing in a ton of minor “features” is what they would rather do instead of increase efficiency.
I’d be happy if the update included support for WPA on devices that have built-in WiFi. I used WPA at home on my access point, but had to reduce the protection down to WEP because my new iPaq 4155 doesn’t support WPA yet.
Kyle could you please give some detail instead of a broad generalisation?
Say “No” to FUD
Here is what Brighthand is reporting about WPA:
“The second edition will also get WPA (WiFi Protected
Access), which was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance in an attempt to make wireless networks more secure. “
Kyle could you please give some detail instead of a broad generalisation?
Yes. For the early version of Windows CS/Pocket PC/Windows Mobile, they used a Win 95 like UI for familiarity. I understand this, but the UI is slow to navigate. Unfortunately they haven’t improved the overall UI design much. Prettier colors, small tweaks here and there (the new favorite program list), but overall it is still the same idea.
The Win 95 UI works fine for desktops, but on a small display a more effienct UI is needed. Palm got this right the first time. Their OS is not nearly as advanced, but navigation is simple and extremely fast. It is one tap to launch an application, unlike MS where you have to hit the start menu up first.
When I just need to jot something down or just get quick access to some data, the Palm OS is vastly superior, IMO. The navigation is based on speed and simplicity.
There are dozens of free today plugins that will allow you to launch any application you wish with a single tap.
Hi
“There are dozens of free today plugins that will allow you to launch any application you wish with a single tap.”
the difference between palm and windows based stuff is not just single tap but a entire design to fit on small screens. trying to fit windows on small screens like MS does is down right dumb and wont work.
regards
Jess
I’ve had both Palm and PPC devices and they each have their strengths and weaknesses. Neither are perfect but they’re both getting better and in many ways, starting to mirror each other.
Anything you can do on a Palm can be done on a PPC and vice versa, so I don’t see the need for yet another flame war about this stuff.
So, it won’t crash so much? I have an ipaq 2210 and man, the thing has an uptime of maybe 2 days… The thing locks up all the time, the transcriber program especially. This is my second Ipaq I have owned and they both do the same thing. Pocket PC is great until you start installing stuff on to an exernal card. Then it gives all sort of strange problems. Of course I could not install things, but then I would have a really expensive glorified organizer when the thing can do so much more. And my last final gripe when I “close” programs they don’t close. They just vanish and contiue sucking up memory, until the thing crashes, or I use the Itask to close them out. Yes I know that their are programs to fix it, but I have found that those programs have problems as well.
Their is hope for me though, handhelds.org is in the process of getting Linux on my ipaq and as soon as a installer is made available by cf card, I am their. I owned a sharp zaurus 5500 and LOVED the OS. The thing was great, my only gripe was that the battery life sucked and the screen was ugly (well, in comparison to newer transflective displays). So now I can have it both, the compact size of the ipaq and the nice screen and battery life with the OS of my old zaurus.
The only time my iPaq has crashed on me is if it got turned on in my pocket and had the constant touching on the screen from my pocket.
I do hate how the applications don’t close unless you manually kill them though.