Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a compact operating system combined with a suite of basic applications for mobile devices based on the Microsoft Win32 API. Devices which run Windows Mobile include Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and Portable Media Centers. It is designed to be somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows.
Common Windows Mobile Features
Windows Mobile for Pocket PC carries these standard features in most of its versions:
- Today Screen shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mail messages, and tasks. It also includes the notification bar which includes icons to notify the status of Bluetooth and also includes the New button. Programs can be installed which adds extra items to the Today screen. One of these is Microsoft Money for Pocket PC. The background image can be customised directly through the Pocket PC, or themes can be created and syncronised onto the Pocket PC.
- The taskbar shows the current time, the volume, and the connectivity
status. When a program or message box is open the blank space after the
clock is filled with an OK or close icon. The main feature of the
taskbar is the Start Button, which is designed similarly to the Start Button which features on desktop
versions of Windows. The Start Menu features recently opened programs
at the top, nine customisable menu entries, and links to the program,
settings, find (search), and help.
- Pocket PC versions of Microsoft Office applications are included in Windows Mobile. These include Pocket Word and Pocket Excel. In Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PowerPoint
has been included. These versions include many of the features which
are used in desktop versions, but some other features like inserting tables and images have not been included in pre 5.0 versions. ActiveSync has capabililites which convert desktop versions of files to Pocket PC compatible versions.
- Outlook mobile comes with Windows Mobile. This includes tasks, calendar, contacts,
and inbox that can be sync'ed either with Outlook or direct with an
Exchange Server (internet connection is required for this method).
Microsoft Outlook for desktop versions is sometimes included in a
value-added CD-ROM which is included with the Pocket PC hardware manufacturer.
- Windows Media Player
for Windows Mobile is bundled with the Windows Mobile software.
Currently, all Pocket PCs include Version 9 of the player, but Version
10 has been included with newer hardware and newer versions of Windows
Mobile. For existing devices, Version 10 is available for download for only specified devices — these include devices from the Dell Axim range. The player supports .WMA, .WMV, .MP3, and .AVI files. Currently MPEG files are not supported file types, and a third-party program must be downloaded to play these, and WAV files are played in a separate player. Some versions are also capable of playing .M4A audio.
PocketPC 2002
PocketPC 2002 was powered by Windows CE 3.0. Targeted specifically at 240 × 320 (QVGA)
Pocket PC (keyboardless) devices, PocketPC 2002 was, like the original
PocketPC 2000 release, a stand-alone entity in the Microsoft Embedded
device range. With future releases, the Pocket PC and Smartphone
lines would increasingly collide as the licensing terms were relaxed
allowing OEMs to take advantage of more innovative, individual design
ideas.
Windows Mobile 2003
Typical Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Today Screen
The third version, named Windows Mobile 2003, was released on June 23, 2003, and was the first release under the Windows Mobile banner. It came in three editions, two of which were similar: Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition, which is designed especially for Pocket PCs which include phone functionalities (as HTC's Himalaya, distributed in many countries as Qtek, XDA, MDA or VPA).
The third edition is named Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone,
which — despite several similarities with Pocket PC — is a
substantially different platform that also requires software
applications to be specifically targeting this device type. To name a
few specifics, Windows Mobile powered Smartphone devices do not have
touchscreens, have lower display resolution, have a regular phone
keypad, and are specially designed for single-handed use.
Windows Mobile 2003 is powered by Windows CE 4.20.
Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition
Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, also known as Windows Mobile 2003SE, was released on March 24, 2004 and first offered on the Dell Axim x30. It includes a number of improvements over its predecessor, such as:
- The option to switch from landscape to portrait screen layout. This is not available in the Smartphone version.
- Pocket Internet Explorer
(otherwise known as PIE) includes the option to force a page into a
single-column layout, making reading easier since one now only has to
scroll vertically.
- VGA (640×480) screen resolution is now supported in addition to the previous 320×240 resoution. Also supported is a new square form factor (240×240 and 480×480 for VGA screens), which is ideally suited for manufacturers wishing to include a hardware keyboard.
Although it wasn't originally slated to contain this feature, Microsoft
decided to add it due to pressure from Pocket PC manufacturers.
- Support for Wi-Fi Protected Access.
Windows Mobile 2003SE is powered by Windows CE 4.21.
Windows Mobile 5.0
Windows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto", was released on May 9, 2005. It is powered by Windows CE 5.0 and uses the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP2 — an environment for programs based on .NET to be used.
Features include:
- A new version of Office called "Office Mobile"
- PowerPoint Mobile has been added
- Excel Mobile adds graphing capability
- Word Mobile adds tables and graphics insertion
- Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
- Photo Caller ID
- Picture and Video package, which converges the management of videos and pictures
- Bluetooth
support with fewer features than prior Broadcom/Widdcomm alternatives,
although some users reportedly have managed to replace the defunct
stack with the legacy Broadcom/Widdcomm stack.[citation needed]
- Global Positioning System (GPS) management interface to all navigation programs installed
- Microsoft Exchange Server "push" functionality improvements - Improvements only function with Exchange 2003 SP2 installed: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/2003/sp2mobility.mspx. The "push" functionality also requires vendor/device support: http://www.palmblvd.com/articles/2005/10/2005-10-19-Microsoft-Looks-to.html,
with the Palm Treo and Motorola Q scheduled to receive support with Q1
2006 firmware updates. With AKU2 software upgrades all WM 5.0 devices
support DirectPush
- QWERTY keyboard-support is included by default
- Error reporting facility similar to that present in desktop and server Windows systems
- ActiveSync 4.0, promising 10–15% increased speed on synchronization
- Client for PPTP and L2TP/IPsec VPNs.
- Persistent storage (PS) is now supported in Pocket PCs allowing
devices increase battery life. Previously up to 50% (enough for 72
hours of storage) of battery power was reserved just to maintain data
in volatile RAM. Windows-based devices are moving from using RAM as
their primary storage medium to the use of flash memory.
Windows Mobile 5.0 was released at Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 in Las Vegas, May 9–May 12, 2005.
Next Versions
Microsoft is working on two upgrades to the Mobile 5.0 platform. The
first upgrade is codenamed Crossbow and is scheduled to be released in
the first half of 2007. The second is called Photon and is scheduled
for release in the first half of 2008.
Pieter Knook, a Microsoft Sr. VP, told IDG that the company plans to upgrade the Mobile platform once each year. click here
Knook told IDG that Crossbow will have strong links with Office 2007
and Exchange 12. It will also include the mobile version of Office
Communicator, an IM tool for enterprises.
The timeframe for the releases was leaked via a presentation that was captured in the Google cache: click here The presentation included these key points:
“Crossbow” (Q4 ‘06 Release to manufacturers) - Great mobile
messaging - Advanced Business and Enterprise propositions -
Strengthened phone experience - Faster, easier application development
and distribution - Q1/Q2 ‘07 Marketing Launch
“Photon” (Q4 ‘07 Release to manufacturers) - New, Flexible Shell -
Modular Containers - “Yamazaki” CE kernel - Q1/Q2 ’08 Marketing Launch
See also
External links