Comments on: The Truth About HTML E-mail On Windows Mobile 6

By: iPhone - First Impressions « :: ROSSCIFY BLOG

iPhone - First Impressions « :: ROSSCIFY BLOG — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:21:11 +0000

[...] When Windows Mobile 6 came out, one of the new features was the ability to have HTML emails, well HTML emails were only available if the Exchange server was running Exchange 2007. With us still using Exchange 2003 at work, this was something that we had to live without. But the [...]

By: welcome to the funcave » Save A Tree At WPC With Windows Mobile

welcome to the funcave » Save A Tree At WPC With Windows Mobile — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:36:05 +0000

[...] you’re still using Exchange 2003 like I am, well then you should prolly know the truth about HTML e-mail using Windows Mobile 6 and Exchange [...]

By: chris

chris — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:21:11 +0000

@ Vlad…

Thanks for the EAS technical deep-dive. FTR, I totally agree with you re: Exchange & Outlook right now. Pathetic.

@ Tim…

You’ll see a similar issue of both client and server updates being required for certain feature support on other mobile platforms. Blackberry immediately leaps to ming. The only reason I even blogged this HTML over EAS/Direct Push item is the conflicting/unclear info from MS regarding the true HTML e-mail capabilities of WM6.

By: Vlad Mazek

Vlad Mazek — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:26:45 +0000

Just a correction on the content type and dumb protocols I mentioned above — when a pop3 client pulls down a message it just sends the RETR command to the server along with the message it wants to pull down. The message is printed, top to bottom along with any MIME/attachments, etc. You can restrict how many lines are sent down as well.

So for POP3 and IMAP, it is on the client to parse the message. You can do it out of a telnet session:

telnet mailserver 110
user vlad
pass mypass
retr 1

Client interprets the formating, bang.

With ActiveSync something else happens.

In 2003, the PocketPC accesses the server like this:

POST /Microsoft-Server-ActiveSync?User=vlad&
DeviceId=blah&DeviceType=PocketPC&Cmd=Sync

and the server looks at that and says: Here is the plain text content, whereas it doesn’t do the same for the desktop tethered activesync connections.

-Vlad

By: Vlad Mazek

Vlad Mazek — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:15:57 +0000

Tim,

Actually, this is an Exchange 2007 CAS “feature”; CAS or Client Access Server is the new Exchange 2007 frontend for client access that runs services like pop3, imap, activesync, etc.

The 2003 server-based activesync is set to push text mail down for PocketPC’s regardless of the version because it simply doesn’t check for the capabilities. The 2007 server-based activesync is slightly more evolved than that, thus the ability to send down correct data, in correct format, with correct permissions and IRM stuff like do not forward. For “dumb” protocols the content type doesn’t matter, it just retrieves the message and parses it on the device just like every other POP3 or IMAP client.

Thats all there is to it, there is no bogeyman. Sometimes advanced development requires work on both the server and the client and those are separate teams - so they both need to be in step with one another. In 2003 they were not, in 2007 they are.

I mean, if you want to complain about a lack of common sense, take a look at Exchange-Outlook combo.

-Vlad

By: Tim Barrett

Tim Barrett — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:34:10 +0000

This MIA HTML OTA has to be by design. Probably a Friday afternoon or Monday morning vote in the name of bandwidth. What other reason could their possibly be?

-Tim Barrett

By: Onno ter Wisscha

Onno ter Wisscha — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:10:21 +0000

Regarding IMAP on Windows Mobile 6:
it’s crippled by Microsoft (in order to push their ActiveSync solution).
The whole idea behind IMAP is that you have a continuous connection. On most mobile phones this results in a Blackberry-like pushmail experience.
Not so on WM6 devices.
Here you can only set a schedule for synching your IMAP folders every once in a while.
On the positive side: HTML does come through.