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windows mobile 6: hands-on

i’ll say this right now…

there are so many vast improvements in windows mobile 6, anyone who actually uses their windows mobile device as a business tool should upgrade immediately upon release.

as i mentioned to vladface this morning over chat…

anyone who continues to use a blackberry after wm6 is available would have to be a brain-dead moron.

so what’s better?

let’s start a list, with the changes that address the worst issues on windows mobile 5 first…

• integrated certificate installer
• dealing with certificates on windows mobile 5 devices is like trying to herd cats. it’s not fun & no matter what the end result, you don’t get out unscathed. the inclusion of certificate installer gives you the flexibility to load certificates at multiple levels in the store, depending upon your business need.
• storage card encryption
• an option to protect storage card data is long overdue. i’ve been on record as skeptical of the security of data on windows mobile for quite a while now. but this is an important step, perhaps more important than the ability to remote wipe a card. the concern i have about encryption only is the level & security of that encryption. i fully expect this encryption mechanism to be attacked, so i have a question about how well it will hold up. 
• internet sharing
• if you’ve never experienced the voodoo of tethering a windows mobile device to a laptop or pc, count yourself lucky. obviously, extra connect charges might still apply from your operator, but at least microsoft is trying to take the guesswork out. couple this feature with the new higher-speed services, and we might just be talking about the end of laptop data cards forever.
• remote desktop mobile
• terminal services client in wm5 was one of the top 3 reasons i chose a device running wm & quite frankly, has been a feature that i never use, because of its shortcomings. remote desktop mobile replaces terminal services client on wm5. now, by replaces, i mean decimates…in the same way that remote desktop client on the pc totally blows away ts client on the pc. top of list has to be the navigation feature enhancements, because anything that can make a small form factor device actually usable for controlling much larger screens is worth its weight in gold.
• search
• the inclusion of a decent local search client, with options for searching a selective subset of data types, is quickly becoming a hallmark of a device targeted for business use versus one that is meant for consumer use.
• windows live
• the windows live client is available now in beta form for wm5. even in beta, this is an awesomely impressive search tool. the release in wm6 is cleaned up a bit, besides being part of the base os.
• office mobile
• it’s still only available on pocketpcs. sorry, windows mobile professional devices. but the entire suite of apps has been updated to support more features from their desktop cousins. curiously, office mobile has long been one of the best differentiators, but hasn’t gotten anywhere near the attention it should. with the renewed focus on business use, perhaps office mobile will finally get its due.

and finally…

what i consider the absolute killer app in windows mobile 6…

• voice command
• you heard me kiddos. after years of semi-neglect despite being one of the best add-ons for windows mobile ever, voice command is finally…blessedly…part of the base os in windows mobile. voice prompts for reminders, voice dialing of contacts without training, voice activation of applications…you just have to see it to believe it. since it’s the 1.6 release of voice command, it also includes audio gateway routing options for bluetooth devices so you can use headsets with it, something that’s hit-or-miss now on certain hardware under wm5.

and here’s why it’s so important when something is included in the base os.

under wm5, with just a few apps loaded, my 8125 device is stuffed to the gills. and that’s with me installing everything under the sun to an external storage card. i’m lucky to have about 4mb free at any given time.

the base load of wm6, with all the stuff mentioned above, shows only a hair over 4mb of storage memory in use. which leaves nearly 43 mb free.

that’s the difference folks.

more space for the actual thing that matters…

your business data.

make no mistake, it is business data we’re talking about, because what i’m most glad to see…

mothership isn’t jonesing to create the next fruit-flavored media experience with their entire windows mobile product line.

sure, a carrier or device maker might still try to shoehorn wm6 into some bedazzled nightmare that appeals to celebutantes & all their wannabe followers…

but at its core, wm6 is a business tool & looks to be a darn good one.

|| posted by chris under business, funlab, hardware, migration, mobility, utility belt || || ||