Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Windows Mobile - Redheaded Stepchild?

It seems to me that even as Windows Mobile progresses onwards and upwards through WM 6.1, the rest of the Microsoft Cruise Ship has no idea it exists – it can’t sync completely with Exchange, won’t sync – generally - at all to a Vista PC, can’t sync any Public Folders – like those that come pre-configured in SBS, and so on. I don’t know if it is Bill’s redheaded stepchild or something else, but WM itself is nice, but integration into a Windows network is as loose as a $5 hooker.

A great example of what won't sync properly to Exchange is "Outlook Notes" or "Sticky Notes" or "Notes" or whatever you want to call them. The "Notes" application on a Windows Mobile device will sync to Outlook on an XP desktop running ActiveSync (any version) over USB, to Outlook on a Windows XP desktop running the ancient ActiveSync 3.8 (not the current ActiveSync 4.5) over WiFi, won't sync at all to most Vista installations (because Windows Mobile Device Center is a festering bucket of poo) and simply will not sync "over the air" using 3G/EvDO/GPRS/HSDPA/whatever.

And the performance of WMDC is, well, less than desired by the marketplace (maybe it is fine to have this lemon in the lemon called Vista, as far as Microsoft is concerned, but it is so unreliable it makes Windows 98 ME look like the Rock of Gibraltar)!

Someone in at Microsoft needs a good slapping about to ensure that Windows Mobile gets treated as a part of the Microsoft family and not like a redheaded stepchild. I don't know exactly who needs the slapping, but I'm willing to offer my hand for the purpose when I find who needs it!

Regards,

The Outspoken Wookie

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