all site content copyright © chris rue. all rights reserved. any reproduction, re-use or summarization of any kind without prior written consent is prohibited.
May 1, 2008

Chris Rue’s Device Emulator Guide: Getting Started

Windows Mobile 6.1...yea-uh!

If you’re interested in getting familiar with Windows Mobile without having to shell out any of your hard earned cash nor becoming a total vendor whore to score some free hardware, then Device Emulator could be the answer to your prayers.

I could go on and on about the many many ways you can use Device Emulator for fun & profit. Here are just a few I’ve run across since writing my very first Device Emulator guide in 2005:

  • Application development
  • Remote support
  • Troubleshooting
  • Training
  • Mobile web design
  • Free platform to run GPS software on custom-modded PCs mounted in cars (what up Hungary!)

But enough of that, let’s get to installing this bad mamma-jamma. I’ll fully detail the installation process, including screen shots, for the less bravely-endowed in an upcoming section, Installing Device Emulator and Images. Since all of the installs are pretty much simple click-throughs, those of you capable enough to brave it on your own can use this Getting Started section as a Quick Install. 

One thing to keep in mind: If you get prompted to reboot after any item is done installing, reboot before proceeding to the next item.

Here’s the bare minimum you’ll need to get started with the standalone version of Device Emulator:

Here’s the order to install everything:

  • Install Virtual PC 2007.
  • Install Device Emulator.
  • Install the Windows Mobile Emulator image(s) last. You can install as few or as many images as you want.

After your desired image installations are complete, you can test your installation by launching one image for each of the WM versions you installed. You’ll find the images at the following locations:

Windows Mobile 5 (I recommend using “PocketPC – Coldboot”)

Yes, this is where WM5 lives. Quite a fantastically streamlined naming convention and Program menu location, huh?

Windows Mobile 6  and 6.1 (I recommend using “Professional”)

OK...so the new naming conventions aren't completely horrible. They're just mostly horrible.

Once all three versions are running side-by-side, then you know you’ve got a solid installation.

This is WM5, BTW.And this would be WM6, naturally.And this would be WM6.1. Altho there's not as much to see as there is on Standard devices. Keep reading, and you'll see what I mean in a just a couple more lines..

On Windows Vista, after installing the Windows Mobile 6.x images you may not see any images listed under the Windows Mobile 6 SDK folder in the Program menu.

Which way did they go?

If this occurs, then open the Programs Control Panel and execute a “repair” on each of the Windows Mobile 6.x standalone image files.

Yes, this is all still FREE!

Once each finishes the repair, the respective images will appear under the Windows Mobile 6 SDK folder and you launch them as outlined above.

So if you want to get your grubby little mitts on the hot-n-sexxay new interface for Standard devices in Windows Mobile 6.1 without paying an arm and a leg for a new device…

I'll admit, this is a damn good interface for Standard devices. But why oh why didn't they include it on Professional devices? Touchscreens need love too!

Device Emulator could be your best and only chance!

|| posted by chris under freebie, it pro, mobility, utility belt, virtualization || comments (0) || ||

April 8, 2008

The Windows Mobile 6.1 Images For Device Emulator Are Here

Just in time for my talk at BarCampBirmingham2 this weekend!

Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and Standard Edition images for use with Device Emulator just dropped from Microsoft.

Not a big surprise, given theu have tended to follow within a week of the official dog-n-pony show of a new Windows Mobile release

Right now, only USA images are available.

Localized images should arrive within the next month, according to recent history.

UPDATE: How the crap did I miss that? They dropped the EXACT SAME DAY as the announcement of Windows Mobile 6.1 at CTIA. Man, have I been slacking or what?

|| posted by chris under freebie, migration, mobility, virtualization || comments (0) || ||

March 25, 2008

What’s In Response Point Service Pack 1?

Why…a whole heaping heap of sugary goodness, that’s what!

All I know is...whenever there's a pinata at a birthday party...someone's getting hit in the face with the stick. It's like a law of nature or something.

Kinda like a pinata, except without a stick being swung wildly by a blindfolded kid like a crack addict beating a wino.

First and foremost, SP1 adds the long-awaited SIP trunking to Response Point. You will be able to configure VoIP based services for outgoing calls, in addition to the analog line support that has always been available with RP. The Response Point team has been working with a handful of VoIP service providers to assure a smooth configuration process.

Analog and VoIP services will each use a different dialing prefix, so users can easily specify which kind of connection they want to use for a given call.

Direct Inbound Dialing comes with SP1 too, adding the ability to send all calls to a particular number directly to a specific user or group. For Running Antelope, this feature will be like manna from Heaven, as it will be a key addition to the system here at the Funcave.

Some call reporting arrives in SP1 as well, which is an excellent feature for billing, tracking, troubleshooting, or just seeing if your employees are wasting time calling their boyfriends or girlfriends. It’s said to be pretty basic, but should do the trick.

Response Point Assistant also gets some sweet sweet lovin’ with SP1, adding both the ability to see the call status of all users on the RP system and to dial another RP user through an RP handset by clicking in the Assistant window. The click-dial feature stops short of being a true softphone, however.

According to the team, Service Pack 1 should arrive in an easy-to-use installer package, which is slated to drop later this summer. And easy is a good thing, right?

If you want more information, Richard Sprague from the Response Point team will be discussing RP and SP1 during the last third of the 10 o’clock hour tomorrow morning as part of Microsoft’s Small Business Summit-a-palooza.

|| posted by chris under beta, business, freebie, hardware, migration, rx, unified comm, virtualization, webcast || comments (0) || ||

March 6, 2008

Great iPhone Software Roadmap Video Greatly Available

It's greatly great to be talking about this great news, which is great.

If you greatly wanna see the great presentation about great Exchange support and the great SDK for yourself, Apple’s made a great streaming video of this morning’s great event greatly available.

|| posted by chris under beta, business, freebie, game, hardware, it pro, media, mobility, virtualization || comments (0) || ||

March 6, 2008

The iPhone Emulator

iPhone SDK means you can code up the ultimate application. Then offer it via Apple's new App store. Which means they get 30% of anything bought through it. CHOMP!

The new iPhone SDK that drops today includes one item of particular interest here at the Funcave…an iPhone emulator.

That’s right, yet another mobile device emulator to get my grubby little hands on.

Unfortunately, the SDK only runs on OS X and Xcode, the OS X dev environment included with every copy of OS X.

Hmmmm…maybe this will finally be the ammo I can use to convince Running Antelope we need to add a Mac to the Funcave’s stable of equipment?

|| posted by chris under beta, business, freebie, it pro, mobility, virtualization || comments (1) || ||

« Previous Page  Next Page »