The horror that is Windows Mobile 5 currently comes in three flavors: Pocket PC edition (for non-smartphone handhelds), Phone edition (for smartphones with touchscreens), and Smartphone edition (for phones without touchscreens). This is all very confusing, because on top of all the features your phone might support, you must determine which flavor of the OS it’s running to make sure any applications you download will work. What a pain.
Crossbow, however, aims to fix this. Crossbow is Windows Mobile 6, and instead of the confusing naming scheme above, Microsoft has apparently decided to change to a more familiar sounding format. The touchscreen-having version will be referred to as Windows Mobile 6 “Professional“, the smartphone version will be “Standard“, and the handheld-but-not-a-smartphone will be “Classic“. This system does make a hell of a lot more sense than the current system, but that doesn’t mean Crossbow is going to win us over yet.
New Names for Windows Mobile [PocketInfo.nl]
you’re…being sarcastic, right?
Oh good lord. Could we please dispense with the incessant accusations that Windows Mobile is somehow a hideously bad mobile operating system, filled with broken glass and nails, lacerating any who touch it? I mean, really - this is just silly.
Granted, it may not have the best UI on the market, or offer spectacular usability, but to describe it as a “horror” is fallacious. It’s the most solid development environment of any platform in the industry. And for many users the UI offers a familiar environment that is easy to adapt to. And can you think of a better option that offers better overall platform?
Palm OS is dead, so there’s no point making comparisons with it. Not to mention that Garnet is painfully obsolete already.
Blackberry? Dear God - talk about an ugly UI. A one-trick pony platform.
Symbian? Not bad for a feature phone, but Symbian S60 barely meets the criteria for a true “Smartphone” platform. And it’s a mess to develop for.
And if you want to experience the true definition of “horror” in a mobile platform, just look at any Motorola RAZR and behold the spectacle that is Motorola’s feature phone OS. YUCK!
So, all in all, Windows Mobile doesn’t look so bad.
gggdd
This is a great web site. I have some great web pages myself if you are interested to share. But I should not go on about my site too much, that is not fair, right?
Some programs cannot be used with the Standard version of Mobile 6.0, Expensable being one. As an end user, I found this out when I attempted to interpret the classifications of Professional, Standard, and Classic.
Expensable is an important program to me, so I find my smartphone’s use of Standard disheartening. It will not work with it.
The web site helps me to appreciate these differences. Very much appreciated.
Jim Marchant