Slow, laggy, crash prone and buggy. This is what I heard about phones running windows mobile.
In reality, it can be slow, laggy, crash prone and has some interesting bugs. For the most part it works wonderfully, it has stopped me getting lost multiple times with my phones built in gps and Google Maps. The phone I will be mainly reviewing windows mobile with is the HP iPAQ 614C Business Navigator.
Firstly the most important feature I will mention here, well important to me at any rate is how it handles text messages.
It handles them in a IM style way, which makes things a lot more easier especially if you forgot a message you sent and the person replies. Sadly it doesn’t display the time if your are reading texts you received or sent before the day you are currently in.
So what else can the wonder of microsoft give their own phone based O.S. well obviously exchange support, syncing with your pc (texts, contacts, files and the like) and solitaire!
I don’t think many people would be happy if solitaire was missing.
Internet on mobiles has become more and more important to people, youtube on the move, email, wiki, directions with google maps and msn. There is msn for windows mobile phones, there is of course 3rd party software for IM programs (palringo is what I use, also available for iPhone).
Also having a phone with a proper calendar system is actually a huge weight off my shoulders, I can set reminders to do some thing every week, dentist appointments etc.
You can also sync with your google account, so you can add events on your google calendar and they will appear on your phone.
Pretty much so far generic smart phone stuff, so what makes a windows phone a windows phone? why use it? There is a lot of support for it. Google maps on it is only 2nd against Android.
ActiveSync works really well, Highly customisable and there is a lot of theme available that can change the gui completely.
There is a lot of different phones that run it, if you don’t need a gps or you don’t want wifi then why should you be forced to except a phone with them in then? Increased cost for functionality you don’t need. This is pretty much a business view on it and yes the windows mobile platform is pretty much geared towards business users. MS office is on the phone is one of the key things, it can send and receive emails.
So to slightly thief some stuff off another phone based review on this site
Features
Active Sync – allows information to be kept up to date
Office support – Got a word file to read, this is the phone to use
Soon to be ready Windows Mobile Market place – Guitar hero mobile demo already up lol
Today screen displays information you pick and is highly customisable
The insane amount of variety in the phones hardware, qwerty keyboard to numpads to full touch screen phones.
Programs I use on my Windows Mobile phone
Live messenger
Google Maps
Palringo ( IM tool, gtalk + msn for me, also supports Facebook beta)
TCPMP ( video player, quite good )
My Mobiler ( This allows you to use the phone while it is connected to the pc via usb, it’s how I got the screenshots above =D )
Skype
VNC Viewer
Remote desktop ( control your pc from your phone =D )
WMWifi router ( turns the phone into a wirless router, handy if you forgot your usb cable and want to get internet on your laptop )
Facebook ( Yeah…I am sad, also it lets you upload photos directly to facebook)
Well time to rap up this article, I am sorry if it is slightly random but it is a bit hard to review something that is different from one person to another. My view on it is that is a life saver for me. The GPS is a little slow sometimes but it has helped me find a public toilet ( handy ) and it has helped me find my way to a bus stop, a friends house and other things. In those situations i would be pretty much lost by myself. Texting is a lot more fluid and easier to follow and most of my communication is via text.
