Android; From a Windows Mobile User

Recently I reviewed the Acer Liquid E, an Android device. Being a long time Windows Mobile guy, this gave me an opportunity to compare Android and Windows Mobile. This is not a highly technical or in-depth look. It is from the perspective of an end-user.  Did I find a clear winner? Read on and see.

HOME SCREEN

Both Windows Mobile and Android have very flexible home screens.

Android has lots of widgets to choose from and you can link to pretty much anything on your phone from one of multiple home pages. I find the Android home screen to be highly functional. However it seems to be missing a professional, well put together, look. It actually looks a bit amateur.  If we look to third party and carrier overlays then things start to look up. HTC have their ever popular Sense UI, which brings it up a notch or two. The Android version of Sense isn’t nearly as full featured or as cool as the Windows Mobile version.  Sony Ericsson has their latest UI on the X10 which looks very polished, slick, and functional.

Windows Mobile probably has the most choices. First there is the old classic Windows Mobile home screen with tons of plugins , allowing for endless different looks. Its biggest problem is that it is not finger friendly at all. Next is the latest WM6.5 UI. At first glance it doesn’t seem too bad, but when you start to use it, it seems that you are forever scrolling back and forth, and up and down. Officially there are few possibilities for tweaking it. However, thanks to the enthusiast community there are a couple of apps , and tutorials enabling some tweaking. Next we have third party apps like SPB Shell which give a very high degree of flexibility combined with smooth operation and looks. Then we have OEM overlays such as HTC Sense. In my opinion Sense 2.5 on Windows Mobile is an excellent interface.

Overall I think Windows Mobile get the nod here, because of the wide choices and slick looks of most of the UI possibilities.

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Starting Fresh with T-Mobile Dash / Excalibur / S620

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published way back on January 23, 2007 on my personal blog. There have been some changes since then and my personal blog is, well..  more personal focused. Mobile Jaw is where I post mobility related information. It was recently brought to my attention that a number of people that are still looking for this solution. So I decided to raise it from the dead and post it here for everyone to enjoy. So.. Enjoy!

As a follow up to my post about how to hard reset the popular Samsung BlackJack, I figured I should share the steps to hard reset the Excalibur. The HTC Excalibur (also known as the T-Mobile Dash, HTC S620, and a couple other titles) is another hot QWERTY Smartphone. Excalibur sports a larger screen and WiFi – so it’s got a step up on the BlackJack.

HTC has long included a hard reset utility on their devices. It’s typically found in the Start / Accessories folder under the name “Clear Storage“.  Don’t let the name fool you, it’s nothing to do with your storage card. This application will wipe your device and return it to factory configuration.

If you can’t start the device, then you’ll need to hard reset the manual way.  No worries, it’s not hard to do.  When the device is powered off, press and hold the two softkeys. Then press and hold the power button for about 1-2 seconds. Relase the softkeys and the device should start into the hard reset mode.  It can be a little tricky to get the release timing correct, so don’t give up too quickly.

Disclaimer – I don’t have an Excalibur, yet.  So I can’t confirm that these steps will work 100%.  If anyone does do this, please post back and let me know if there is any other steps that need to be outlined.  I will give this a try once my phone arrives sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Starting Over with the Samsung Blackjack

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published way back on January 23, 2007 on my personal blog. There have been some changes since then and my personal blog is, well..  more personal focused. Mobile Jaw is where I post mobility related information. It was recently brought to my attention that a number of people that are still looking for this solution. So I decided to raise it from the dead and post it here for everyone to enjoy. So.. Enjoy!

Cingular’s hot new Smartphone – the Samsung Blackjack SGH-i607, is fast becoming the one of the best and most popular Smartphones we’ve seen in a while. It’s easily one of the best Windows Mobile devices that I have used to date.

If you’ve picked up a used device and you want to clear out all the crap from the previous owner, then you’re going to be looking to hard reset the device.  This will set it back to the factory image, removing all programs, settings and files that the previous owner might have changed or added. If the device was SIM card unlocked, a factory reset will not change this.

So how do you reset the device? There are 2 different ways to do this. The first is the more common way – Start / Settings / (more) / Security / (more) / Reset  – and enter the password.  Which should be ’1234′ – unless it’s been changed under the ‘Change Reset Password’ option in the Security menu. Using this method means you have to know the password to reset, and the device has to be able to boot. So what happens if you can’t boot the device? Well, then you need to kick in the manual hard reset method. It’s not hard to do – When the device is powered off, press and hold the up button on the control pad (joystick – circle thingy) and then turn on the device.  Keep pressing up and it should kick off a hard reset process.  When the reset is done, you’ve got a brand new device to play around with again, at least on the inside.

On a side note, make sure you have a full battery, or that it’s plugged into the wall when you’re doing a reset.  You wouldn’t want it to run out of juice in the middle of the reset!

Low Memory Warnings on Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone?

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published way back on January 23, 2007 on my personal blog. There have been some changes since then and my personal blog is, well..  more personal focused. Mobile Jaw is where I post mobility related information. It was recently brought to my attention that a number of people that are still looking for this solution. So I decided to raise it from the dead and post it here for everyone to enjoy. So.. Enjoy!

Running low on memory with your Smartphone? Well, you’re not alone.  This is one of the most commons problems people seem to have with their device.  So what’s the cause? Well, for whatever reason, Microsoft didn’t put a limit on the maximum size for IE Mobiles cache files. This means that after a little surfing, you’ll start seeing errors about running low on memory.

There are a couple things you can do to minimize this problem.  The first, is to clear your IE Mobile cache files.  Just launch IE Mobile and the push Menu / Options / Memory – then select Temporary Files and press Clear.  You might also want to clear Cookies and History, but they don’t tend to add up to much at all.

Once it’s cleared, I would suggest moving it out of main system memory and onto the storage card. This will allow it to grow and not interfere with the devices day to day operation. To do this create 3 folders on your storage card: \Storage Card\Temp\Temporary Internet Files and \Storage Card\Temp\Cookies and \Storage Card\Temp\History Once you have these created, open your handy-dandy registry editor and browse toHKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders and modify the key values to match the new folders you’ve just created.

Another thing you can do is to move the storage of email and attachments out of main memory and on to the storage card. This change involves making changes to the registry, so you’ll want to be extra safe when making this change. First thing you need to do is create a couple folders on your storage card. The first folder should be \Storage Card\Mail\ and the second folder should be\Storage Card\Mail\Attachments\ You can call them whatever you want, but I would recommend using the standard names. Once these are created, you’ll need to edit your registry.  Open your favourite Windows Mobile registry editor and browse to HKEY_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\MAPI and create 2 new string values.  The first should be called PropertyPath and should have a value matching the mail folder you created.  The second should be called AttachPath and should have a value matchings the attachments folder you created.  So PropertyPath = \Storage Card\Mail and AttachPath = \Storage Card\Mail\Attachments

It’s too bad that Microsoft couldn’t have better management of IE Mobiles temp files.  If they could keep those under control, then you wouldn’t need to do any of these hacks. I hope these tips help make your Windows Mobile experience more lovable.

The Future of Windows Mobile for Rugged Devices

“When you’re out shopping, chances are you’ve seen store employees using devices to price merchandise or assist you in checking you out. Received a package recently? The delivery person probably scanned it with a similar device. The people responsible for tracking inventory in a warehouse are also using a device to help manage their business. In any case, these devices are known in my world as ‘handheld terminals’ or ‘ruggedized devices’ because they’re built to be used in adverse environments and industrial settings.”

David Wurster does a great job of describing where you’ll find ruggedized devices and what they are being used for. He continues on in a post over at the official Microsoft blog to describe the future of Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded. While you may not be aware of these devices, a great number of them are powered by some form of Windows, like Windows CE, Windows Mobile, or even Windows Embedded.

In the past the Windows Embedded Business (WEB) has controlled Windows CE and all the embedded efforts. Windows Mobile was part of the Mobile Communication Business (MCB) at Microsoft. Moving forward, Windows Mobile will be brought under the WEB group. The MCB will be left to control the more consumer products like Windows Phone 7, while WEB will continue to provide solutions for industrial devices. 

Since Windows Phone 7 was announced, there has been some uncertainty in the rugged space about what will be powering the next generation of devices, because Windows Phone 7 is much to consumer and lacks the development freedom that Windows Mobile and CE have provided. David’s post helps to clear that up and define what we can expect in the coming months. 

How To Tweak Windows Mobile 6.5 Today Screen

With the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft brought the XML based today screen that has been used on non-touch devices, to the touch world of Windows Mobile. While it’s not the exact same XML template, it still allows us to get our hands in there and do some cool customization. And customize we shall do!

The first thing you’ll need to do is find a tool that allow you to set the file permissions on the device. There are a number of tools out there, find one that allows you to toggle the read-only setting of files. If your Windows Mobile 6.5 device is from HTC and is sporting HTC Sense interface, you’ll need to turn that off. If you’re not sure how, check out my post from last week for details.

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Windows Phone Starter Edition 6 Series Classic Edition Starter…Series…

Confession: I still like Windows Mobile, er, Windows Phone Starter…oh, you get the idea.

Just like everyone else, I have been pining for something new in Windows Mobile, anything new! Windows 6.1 is certainly quite old and at this point 6.5 is a facelift that didn’t quite work out. Actually, a ‘facelift’ is a perfect analogy for explaining what 6.5 is to 6.1, the only difference being that people are not shy about pointing out how obvious it is.

Windows Phone 7 Series (that name cries for a comma!) certainly looks fantastic and I can’t wait to get my hands on it! It is new and different – if you haven’t seen Zune HD – and is a great move by Microsoft to get back into the fight. It’s a UI that addresses the uniqueness of using a phone rather than previous iteration’s insistence on digging a PC-in-your-phone trench. I’m all for WP7S and feel like I can brag about Windows Mobile/Phone all over again.

Despite all this euphoria I still feel like I’ll miss Windows Mobile 6.x. There are a TON of applications available for it, a huge number of designs to cater to your phone preferences and the ability to change the look and feel in many ways.

Windows Phone 7 Series will not have much customizing, at least not anything that’s been announced yet. The user experience will be basically the same across all manufacturers and devices. I am not sure how much I am going to like that. Maybe I won’t mind at all because the UI will just be that good. Perhaps changing backgrounds twice a day will keep me interested. Sigh, I just am not sure.

With Windows Mobile 6.x you can use the default start page, third-party UI’s such as my favourite, SPB Mobile Shell or the UI skin that comes from manufacturers such as HTC’s Sense UI or LG’s S-Class UI. These can drastically change the look and feel of Windows Mobile since they can go fairly deep into the OS itself. I love having this kind of flexibility and it’s the reason I keep going back to Windows Mobile.

Perhaps I’ll need to start a support group (no, not technical support) to help us hangers-on with the transition away from our blankies…er, Windows Mobile.

One thing is for sure, prices for the Starter Edition phones will probably be relatively low, and a bunch of used units will flood eBay. It should be a hay-day for those of us that use our money on mundane things like paying bills, feeding our kids, heating the house…

HTC Announces Legend, Desire and Mini

At Mobile World Congress today, HTC announced 3 new devices based on Windows Mobile and Android operating systems.

The HTC Mini is based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and brings the experience of the HD2 to a smaller footprint. The HD2 experience is truly something special. If HTC can make this into a smaller device, it will be interesting to see and use. The single best thing on the HD2 is the screen. If they can pack the processor and power into a smaller footprint, will the device be as attractive? It’s a hard question to answer. With a smaller screen, they will need to make sure that the smaller screen is just as brilliant as it’s larger brother or it won’t succeed.

The HTC Legend and Desire are both Android based devices. The Legend is like version 2 of the Hero, adding a AMOLED screen LED Flash, optical trackball, a faster processor – 600MHz, and some more memory.  The Desire is HTC’s version of their Nexus One phone, but with an optical trackball and an extra button.

You can read check out the press release over at MobilityMinded – HTC Mini, and HTC Legend, Desire. And then let us know what you think of HTC’s latest devices.

How To: Google Buzz from Windows Mobile and Android

Google’s Buzz is doing quite well so far, but in many ways it seems to have been rushed to market. It’s crazy that you can access a Google service from only a specific version of Android (2.X). While the iPhone has full support, if you own an Android 1.5 or 1.6 or a Windows Mobile phone you are out of luck. Well, that is until now…

Jay Glogovsky posted a link in a Google Buzz post that will actually allow you to use the service on platforms that are not currently supported.

I present the “Link of Golden Awesomeness”: https://m.google.com/app/buzz/#~buzz:view=nearby

So far I have tested this on Windows Mobile and Android 1.5 and it works well. For Windows Mobile it did not seem to work in the default browser; I was using Opera Mobile 10 beta 3 and it worked just fine. In Android I just used the default browser with no problem.

So, start buzzing from the road, even if you aren’t iPhoning it!

If you try this on another phone and it works let us know and we will mention it in this post.

Windows Mobile 7 Leaks and Rumors Running Crazy

With Mobile World Congress just around the corner, the rumors are starting to swirl about the Windows Mobile 7 announcement that is expected from Microsoft. Now that 6.5.3 has been announced, there is almost no question that Mobile World Congress will be when Microsoft takes the wraps off Windows Mobile 7. This long awaited OS is expected to be a game changer for Microsoft. If it doesn’t come out strong, then it could be the end of the road for Microsoft in the mobile space.

Over the weekend, there was a couple “leaks” that came out around the features and functionality from Windows Mobile 7. Before I get too in-depth on these leaks, please make note that none of this has been confirmed. For all we know, it’s just some guy making crap up in his basement. Or, it could be the real deal. Either way, we won’t know for sure until Microsoft makes their announcement next week.

Now, onto the details! According to PPCGeeks, here’s what you can expect:

• The user interface is going to be very similar to the Zune HD interface.
• The Start menu will be completely revamped
• Application installation will only be possible through the market place
• No multi-tasking support. Instead, applications will pause when in the background
• No NetCF backwards compatibility
• Devices will be ready for September
• There will be full integration with Zune – No more ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. It will all be handled by Zune desktop software
• No more 3rd party user interfaces
• Full Xbox gaming integration and social networking integration

Some of this sounds pretty cool, but other parts suck pretty bad. If all this holds true, it’s very much a “me too” response to Apple’s iPhone platform. And while Apple certainly has done some things well, I don’t think the best approach is to directly copy every aspect of their platform.

I’m looking forward to the big announcement to settle some of these rumors and get a full understanding of everything that Microsoft is working on with regards to Windows Phone.

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