MobileViews Blog

Author: todd

  • DeveloperOne Agenda One for Smartphone

    DeveloperOne released their Agenda One for Smartphone last week and the Pocket PC version this week. I bought a much earlier version years ago for an early model Pocket PC and liked it quite a bit. But, moving from one device to another as I do, I lost my product registration and didn’t install it on subsequent devices. For the past 8 months or so I’ve been using a Windows Mobile Smartphone (T-Mobile SDA) as my primary device. This is quite a change for me since I usually prefer to use a Pocket PC Phone Edition (the i-Mate K-JAM was my previous phone). I still carry a Pocket PC around with me if I need to take notes since I still can’t enter text quickly enough using T9 on DTMF layout keyboard.

    My Smartphone currently only has two add-on applications: Ilium Software’s NewsBreak RSS newsfeed reader and Microsoft’s (now defunct) Pocket Streets (most of my data entry related work takes place on a Pocket PC). So, a lot of consideration goes into deciding whether or not to install and try an application on a Smartphone. The weak calendar viewing capabilities of Windows Mobile’s integrated calendar finally drove me to install Agenda One just to get an informative week-view on my phone.

    Agenda One provides alternate views for Contacts, Tasks, and other Calendar views too. But, for me the winning feature is the week-viewing feature. That alone may convince me to keep it on the Smartphone beyond a test period.

  • Microsoft 10 (on10.net) Adds Zune Video Format Downloads

    I’m not sure when they added this, but the Microsoft 10 consumer video blogging site (sort of a consumer version of Microsoft’s Channel9 site for developers) added the option to download video in the Zune format.  It also provides versions for the Apple iPod, Sony PSP, as well as WMV (Windows Media Video).

  • Windows Mobile Loses Features With Each Upgrade???

    The Microsoft Windows Mobile platform turns 10 years old next week (more on this topic next week). Mike Calligaro’s most recent blog item which bravely (Mike blogs about a lot of hot button topics on behalf of Microsoft) tries to explain Microsoft’s rationale for removing the ability to use ActiveSync over Ethernet (wired or wireless) reminded me of an interesting fact about Windows Mobile: It may be one of the few products that actually lost functions across a series of upgrades. Let’s take a look at just the features I can remember losing in no particular order (I don’t claim this is a comprehensive list. So, feel free to let me know about lost features I neglect to mention).

    • ActiveSync over Ethernet
    • Microsoft Access Database Importation
    • Printing (with add-on driver)
    • Microsoft Reader
    • Creating a Media Player Playlist on the Device Itself
    • Ability to Manually Disconnect from ActiveSync while connected over USB
    • AvantGo Reader in firmware
    • Menus at the bottom of the screen (replaced by two giant soft-buttons)
    • Ability to add to Tasks on the device (Smartphone)
    • Ability to encrypt Word or Excel documents/spreadsheets
    • Backup entire device to PC using ActiveSync
    • Pocket Money (add-on Microsoft application)
    • Pocket Streets (add-on Microsoft application)

    The Windows Mobile Pocket PC (perhaps soon to disappear in non-phone configurations based on sales declines) and Smartphone are still my mobile devices of choice. But, even with explanations from people like Microsoft’s Mike Calligaro about various design choices, it is difficult for an ordinary end-user like me to understand why I’m losing features and options (even software add-ons) which each new Windows Mobile generation of devices.

  • Q&A: Excel Mobile Unsupported Content & Formatting

    Reader P.L. asks: I just purchased a Treo 700W from Verizon. Excel Mobile will not let me save updates to most of the Excel files that I have synced to the handheld. It gives me a window that says unsupported content and formatting will be lost if I save the workbook and then it will not let me save it. I’m forced into a ‘Save As’ function. I cannot figure out what is unsupported and cannot find any documentation on the subject. Can you help?

    I’m guessing a few details are missing from this story and will assume the following additional details…

    • The problem spreadsheets were created using a full version of Excel on a desktop or notebook.
    • This spreadsheet was copied to the Pocket PC Phone Edition (Treo 700w)
    • The spreadsheet was modified (new data and/or change existing data in cells)

    If this is the case, then this is, believe it or not, normal (though undesirable). Word Mobile and Excel Mobile only provide small subsets of the features available in the full version for Windows XP. And, despite years of pleading from many users (including me), neither Mobile application provides what is called non-destructive round-tripping. So, if you use, for example, unsupported features like macros or unsupported statistical functions on the original version created using the full version of Excel 2003, these features will not be preserved if the spreadsheet is modified on the Pocket PC and then saved back to the same file.

    The workaround is to adopt a workflow model that takes this into account. For example, let’s say we have an Excel 2003 spreadsheet file named FOO.XLS. Instead of copying it directly to the Pocket PC, we make a copy named FOO-MOBILE.XLS on the desktop first. This renamed copy is copied over to the Pocket PC where it is worked on. When saving the modified spreadsheet back to the Pocket PC, you can ignore the warning and save it. This modified FOO-MOBILE.XLS is then copied back to the desktop PC where the data can either be manually or automatically (using additional macros or VBA scripts) merged back into the original version.

    I am not pleased with this situation either. A number of people including me have been telling Microsoft’s Windows Mobile product management group that it is critical to have non-destructive round-tripping for Excel Mobile and Word Mobile. However, we have always been told that major customers have not identified this as a high priority issue. If this is an issue for you (as it is for me), you should definitely let Microsoft know through your Microsoft account executives, at conferences, or the Microsoft wish request.

  • CNET’s Top 6 Business Phones

    CNET lists their…

    Top 6 phones for business users

    • 7.7 – Palm Treo 700p
    • 8.0 – Cingular 8525
    • 8.0 – T-Mobile Dash
    • 6.6 – Nextel i930 by Motorola
    • 7.0 – Sprint PCS PPC-6700
    • 7.3 – Nokia E62

    It is interesting that half of this list is based on Windows Mobile (Cingular/Sprint devices are based on the HTC Wizard Pocket PC Phone Edition while the T-Mobile Dash is a Windows Mobile Smartphone). The three Windows Mobile devices have an average Editor’s rating of 7.67 while the other three devices average out at 7.2.

  • All You Need is… a Pocket PC?

    (with apologies to Lennon & McCartney)…

    It’s not unusual to see me taking notes in a meeting with just a Pocket PC (with a thumb keyboard or add-on keyboard) although I will take a notebook too depending on what needs to be done at the meeting. But, I rarely see other people take anything other than a notebook (I also rarely see Tablet PCs for that matter).
    Fellow Microsoft Windows Mobile MVP Jaap van Ekris asks Can a PocketPC replace a laptop in real life? on his Modern Nomads website. Jaap reaches the conclusion that agrees with the original philosophy of the Windows CE team way back when the Handheld PC was introduced 10 years ago: Ultramobile devices are PC Companions.

    That didn’t stop another friend and also a Microsoft Windows Mobile MVP Bev Howard from turning that idea on its head though. If you really want to travel with just a Pocket PC, head over to Bev’s site where he provides The Minimalist Road Warrior’s Guide to Traveling Light” using a PocketPC. If you want to just leave your notebook behind while on Travel, Bev lets you know what you need to do and what you need to take with you to stay mobile while, well, being mobile. 🙂