So what is wrong with Windows Mobile?

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Kilgore_Trout_Redux

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I've always owned Nokia phones and have had my 9300i for about two years now.

This is probably the reason I'd like to try a Windows Mobile phone. I find the third party support of Symbian is very poor and Nokia's dogged support for RealPlayer only support drives me nuts (I'd like to use my phone as a media player as well.)

I notice a lot of people really don't like Windows Mobile but besides throw away snarky comments very few people actually give decent reasons for their dislike.

Before I start spending a lot of money on a Windows Mobile device, do any Windows Mobile detractors have any valid complains about the Windows Mobile phones they have owned?

I'll definitely be looking for a phone with a decent qwerty layout (I am a huge fan of the keyboard on my 9300i since I write a lot of emails and take down notes on my phone for future reference and the office support is really helpful..) so any advice about these phones would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any helpful information.
 
Windows Mobile *was* shocking a few years back. My iMate used to freeze and my alarms wouldn't go off, so I'd be late for work :-/

Saying that, The operating system has matured significantly (CE6 base was changed things dramatically) and there are tons of 3rd party applications available as well as awesome SDKs. I say go for it!

I'm holding out for an Andriod phone myself...
 
Cons: klunky, dated interface. It's sort of like using Windows 3.1. Try get something with a modded Windows Mobile interface like TouchFlo3D.

Pros:
- Lots of app support
- Runs more like a 'mobile computer' - multitasking, OS very changeable, etc.
 
its slow...and windowish in the sense that if you tweak to much with your phone your phone might crash..owned a titan2...but only for 2months before I traded it for a symbian phone again..but depends on what you want to do with your phone really
 
For many years, WM was the OS to use if you needed a SmartPhone. You could get hold of many different applications and even develop your own. Was like having your desktop in your pocket.

And maybe because it kinda ruled the roost, MS did not pay attention to it. With the result that the WM you get today is essentially the same one you got a few years ago.

But in the mean-time other manufacturers (notable Apple with the iPhone and RIM with the BlackBerry) overtook WM in most of the feature list. And often by a large margin.

Which prompted some of the handset manufacturers like HTC and Samsung to try and develop a 'wrapper' for WM to make it look at bit more like a modern SmartPhone. But unfortunately, it's only skin deep.
 
BrendanD said:
This is probably the reason I'd like to try a Windows Mobile phone. I find the third party support of Symbian is very poor and Nokia's dogged support for RealPlayer only support drives me nuts (I'd like to use my phone as a media player as well.)
Click to expand...

You can download a Symbian DivX player.
 
vodacom3g said:
But in the mean-time other manufacturers (notable Apple with the iPhone and RIM with the BlackBerry) overtook WM in most of the feature list. And often by a large margin.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I have used both Windows Mobile and iPhone's interface and while Apple's OS is brilliant in many aspects, it can't beat Windows Mobile for functionality.
 
I would say in the end what OS you use comes down to personal preferences. Same as with the manufactures of the phones.
 
personally i prefer winMO over symbian, case of the lesser of two evils. I've had both. Holding out for andriod now
 
While WM has its flaws, lack of apps is not one of them. Even with advances in other OS, the number and complexity of apps available for WM is still the best. You do have to pay for the best of them, though...
 
If you going this route and want a WM phone with the qwerty keyboard.
Id recommend the X1.
Stunning phone, one of the best WM phones ive used!

WM could be better but its getting there.
 
It's slow, slow, slow.... (Tytn & Samsung i600 - both of which ran WM6). Played with the demo Omnia the Samsung shop has at Vodaworld, it too was annoyingly slow.
 
simp said:
It's slow, slow, slow.... (Tytn & Samsung i600 - both of which ran WM6). Played with the demo Omnia the Samsung shop has at Vodaworld, it too was annoyingly slow.
Click to expand...

Tytn1 and the i600 are slowish.
The Omnia is not the most user friendly.
The T Diamond with rom upgrade and the X1 are pretty decent.
The X1 they best WM in terms of speed imo.
 
It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. But, as mentioned, the Symbian system, as an OS, is better. But if you aren't interested in the supergeektechie side of life, the WM environment will be fine.

It's like the people that dig Linux on PC's - it is better than Windows but Windows does what an average person needs and it does it well so there really is no reason not to use it.
 
slow also not user friendly try setting up iphone even changing ringtones is a mission
 
Shahil said:
It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. But, as mentioned, the Symbian system, as an OS, is better. But if you aren't interested in the supergeektechie side of life, the WM environment will be fine.

It's like the people that dig Linux on PC's - it is better than Windows but Windows does what an average person needs and it does it well so there really is no reason not to use it.
Click to expand...

IMO you have it the wrong way round. You have to be a supergeektechie to be able to work a WM based phone, editing registry etc. Symbian is just so much easier and less problematic.
 
Brawler said:
IMO you have it the wrong way round. You have to be a supergeektechie to be able to work a WM based phone, editing registry etc. Symbian is just so much easier and less problematic.
Click to expand...

I agree with this comment. Symbian is more intuitive ... functions are where you expect them to be ... no hunting for settings/configs. I find WinMo very frustrating in this aspect ... looking for stuff ... fidling to get things done. I want things to happen fast.
 
I for one have gone from Windows Mobile to Symbian. You must understand that the 9300i has Symbian S80 software which was discontinued. That's why you're finding it difficult to get third party software. All the Nokia smartphones now including the E90 communicator and E71 are based on Symbian S60 software. There's tons of third party applications available for S60.

I've used a lot of WM5 and WM6 phones and in the end just got tired of the phones hanging, trying to tweak the phones and install third party apps to make the user experience better etc. I personally feel that Nokias are phones first and then (as good as) pda's whereas WM phones are PDA's first and then phones. For everyday use, I'll prefer a Nokia smartphone anytime. I suggest you have a look at the E90, it has the same form factor as the 9300i but is based on the S60 platform.

That said, I know that a lot of manufacturers like HTC and Samsung are trying to make their phones more "user-friendly" and "finger-friendly", so in time to come WM phones might be an option for me. But I'm waiting for the new tochscreen Nokias to come out.
 
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