Friday

Windows Mobile

By Admin 9:56 AM Leave a Comment




Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile Logo
Windows Phone 6.5.3 screenshot
Windows Mobile 6.5.3 Today Screen
Company / developer Microsoft
Programmed in C++[1]
OS family Windows CE
Working state Current
Initial release 19 April 2000; 10 years ago (2000-04-19)
Latest stable release 6.5.3 / 2 February 2010; 11 months ago (2010-02-02)
Latest unstable release 6.5.5
Marketing target Mobile devices
Kernel type Windows CE 5.2 (released in 2004)
Default user interface Graphical
License Proprietary (Microsoft EULA)
Official website Windows Mobile (dead link, redirects to successor Windows Phone site) 
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was for use in smartphones and mobile devices, but is being phased out to specialized markets.[2]
The current and last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5", and is superseded by Windows Phone 7. It is based on the Windows CE 5.2 kernel, and features a suite of basic applications developed with the Microsoft Windows API. It is designed to be somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows, feature-wise and aesthetically. Additionally, third-party software development is available for Windows Mobile, and software applications can be purchased via the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
Originally appearing as the Pocket PC 2000 operating system, most Windows Mobile devices come with a stylus pen, which is used to enter commands by tapping it on the screen.[3] Microsoft announced a completely new phone platform, Windows Phone 7, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 15, 2010. Phones running Windows Mobile 6.x will not be upgradeable to version 7.[4]
Windows Mobile's share of the smartphone market has fallen year-on-year,[5] decreasing 20% in Q3 2009.[6] It is the 5th most popular smartphone operating system, with a 5% share of the worldwide smartphone market (after Symbian, BlackBerry OS, Android and iPhone).[7] In the United States, it is the 3rd most popular smartphone operating system for business use (after BlackBerry OS and iPhone), with a 24% share among enterprise users.[8] Microsoft is phasing out Windows Mobile to specialized markets, such as rugged devices, and focusing on its new mobile platform, Windows Phone 7.[2]

Common features

Windows Mobile for Pocket PC carries these standard features in most of its versions:
  • Today Screen shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mail messages, and tasks. (Is now Home screen in later WM6.5 builds)
  • The taskbar shows the current time and the volume.
  • Office Mobile a suite of Mobile versions of Microsoft Office applications
  • Outlook Mobile comes with Windows Mobile.
  • Internet Explorer Mobile is an Internet browser developed by Microsoft for Pocket PC and Handheld PC that comes loaded by default with Windows Mobile and Windows CE for Handheld PC.
  • Windows Media Player for Windows Mobile.
  • Client for PPTP VPNs.
  • Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) which in mobile phones allows attached computers to share internet connections via USB and Bluetooth.
  • Coherent file system similar to that of Windows 9x/Windows NT and support for many of the same file types.
  • Ability to multitask.

Hardware


There are three versions of Windows Mobile for various hardware devices:[9]
  • Windows Mobile Professional runs on (smartphones) with touchscreens
  • Windows Mobile Standard runs on phones with regular screens
  • Windows Mobile Classic which runs on 'Windows Mobile Classic devices' (Pocket PCs). *In exceptional
An O2 Pocket PC phone
A Smartphone (T-Mobile Dash)

Windows Mobile Classic devices (Pocket PC)

Main article: Pocket PC
A 'Windows Mobile Classic device' is a Windows Mobile personal digital assistant (PDA) that does not have telephone functionality. It was formerly known as the Pocket PC. It was the original intended platform for the Windows Mobile operating system. These devices consisted of both standalone Pocket PC devices without mobile phone capabilities, and those that included mobile phone capabilities. The most current name of Windows Mobile intended for use on Pocket PCs is officially "Windows Mobile 6 Professional" for devices with mobile phone capabilities and "Windows Mobile 6 Classic" for devices without mobile phone capabilities.

Windows Mobile Smartphones

Main article: Smartphone
The 'Windows Mobile' (Microsoft's term for its range of smartphones) became the next hardware platform after the Pocket PC to run Windows Mobile, and debuted with the release of Pocket PC 2002. Although in the broad sense of the term "Smartphone", both Pocket PC phones and Microsoft branded Smartphones each fit into this category, it should be noted that Microsoft's use of the term "Smartphone" includes only more specific hardware devices that differ from Pocket PC phones. Such Smartphones were originally designed without touchscreens, intended to be operated more efficiently with only one hand, and typically had lower display resolution than Pocket PCs. Microsoft's focus for the Smartphone platform was to create a device that functioned well as a phone and data device in a more integrated manner.[10]

Version history

Pocket PC 2000

Typical Pocket PC 2000 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2000, originally codenamed "Rapier",[11] was released on April 19, 2000, and was based on Windows CE 3.0. It was the debut of what was later dubbed the Windows Mobile operating system, and meant to be a successor to the operating system aboard Palm-Size PCs. Backwards compatibility was retained with such Palm-Size PC applications. Pocket PC 2000 was intended mainly for Pocket PC devices, however several Palm-Size PC devices had the ability to be updated as well. In addition, several Pocket PC 2000 phones were released, however Microsoft's "Smartphone" hardware platform was not yet created. The only resolution supported by this release was 240 x 320 (QVGA). Removable storage card formats that were supported were CompactFlash and MultiMediaCard. At this time Pocket PC devices had not been standardized with a specific CPU architecture. As a result, Pocket PC 2000 was released on multiple CPU architectures; SH-3, MIPS, and ARM.
Aesthetically, the original Pocket PC operating system was similar to Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 operating systems.
Features/built-in applications for Pocket PC 2000 included the following:[12]

Pocket PC 2002

Typical Pocket PC 2002 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2002, originally codenamed "Merlin",[11] was released in October 2001. Like Pocket PC 2000, it was powered by Windows CE 3.0. Although targeted mainly for 240 × 320 (QVGA) Pocket PC devices, Pocket PC 2002 was also used for Pocket PC phones, and for the first time, Smartphones.[13] These Pocket PC 2002 Smartphones were mainly GSM devices. With future releases, the Pocket PC and Smartphone lines would increasingly collide as the licensing terms were relaxed allowing OEMs to take advantage of more innovative, individual design ideas. Aesthetically, Pocket PC 2002 was meant to be similar in design to the then newly released Windows XP.
New features/built-in applications included the following:[14][15][16][17]

Windows Mobile 2003

Typical Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Today Screen
Windows Mobile 2003 (aka wm2003 and WM2003), originally codenamed "Ozone",[11] was released on June 23, 2003, and was the first release under the Windows Mobile banner. It came in four editions: "Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Premium Edition", "Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Professional Edition", "Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone" and "Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition". The last was designed especially for Pocket PCs which include phone functionalities. The Professional Edition was used in Pocket PC budget models. It lacked a number of features that were in the Premium Edition, such as a client for L2TP/IPsec VPNs. Windows Mobile 2003 was powered by Windows CE 4.20.
New features/built-in applications included the following:[18]
  • Support for add-on keyboards
  • Enhanced communications interface with Bluetooth device management
  • Bluetooth file beaming support
  • Bluetooth headset support
  • Pictures application with viewing, cropping, e-mail, and beaming support
  • Jawbreaker game
  • Enhanced Pocket Outlook with vCard and vCal support
  • Improved Pocket Internet Explorer
  • Windows Media Player 9.0 with streaming optimization
  • SMS reply options for Phone Edition
  • MIDI file support as ringtones in Phone Edition

Windows Mobile 2003 SE

Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, also known as "Windows Mobile 2003 SE", was released on March 24, 2004 and first offered on the Dell Axim x30. This was the last version which allowed users to backup and restore an entire device through ActiveSync.
New features/built-in applications included the following:

Windows Mobile 5

Typical Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Today Screen
Windows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto",[11] was released at Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 in Las Vegas, May 9–May 12, 2005. Microsoft offered mainstream support for Windows Mobile 5 through October 12, 2010, and extended support through October 13, 2015.[19] It was first offered on the Dell Axim x51. It used the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP3 — an environment for programs based on .NET.
  • Windows Mobile 5.0 included Microsoft Exchange Server "push" functionality improvements that worked with Exchange 2003 SP2.[20] The "push" functionality also required vendor/device support[21] With AKU2 software upgrades all WM 5.0 devices supported DirectPush.
  • WM 5.0 featured increased battery life due to Persistent storage capability. Previously up to 50% (enough for 72 hours of storage) of battery power was reserved just to maintain data in volatile RAM. This continued the trend of Windows-based devices moving from using RAM as their primary storage medium to the use of a combination of RAM and flash memory (in use, there's no distinction between the two apparent to the user). Programs and frequently accessed data run in RAM, while most storage is in the flash memory. The OS seamlessly moves data between the two as needed. Everything is backed up in the flash memory, so unlike previous devices, WM5 devices do not lose any data if power is lost.
  • With Windows Mobile 5.0, OS updates were released as Adaptation kit upgrades. AKU 3.5 is the most recent release for WM 5.0.
Further new features and built-in applications included:
  • New version of Office called "Office Mobile"
    • PowerPoint Mobile
    • Graphing capability in Excel Mobile
    • Tables and graphics insertion in Word Mobile
  • Windows Media Player 10 Mobile
  • Photo Caller ID
  • DirectShow support
  • Picture and Video package, which converged the management of videos and pictures
  • Enhanced Bluetooth support
  • Global Positioning System (GPS) management interface
  • Default QWERTY keyboard-support
  • Error reporting facility similar to that present in desktop and server Windows systems
  • ActiveSync 4.2 with 15% increased synchronization speed

Windows Mobile 6

Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6, formerly codenamed "Crossbow",[11] was released on February 12, 2007[22] at the 3GSM World Congress 2007. It comes in three different versions: "Windows Mobile 6 Standard" for Smartphones (phones without touchscreens), "Windows Mobile 6 Professional" for Pocket PCs with phone functionality, and "Windows Mobile 6 Classic" for Pocket PCs without cellular radios.[23]
Windows Mobile 6 is powered by Windows CE 5.0 (version 5.2) and is strongly linked to Windows Live and Exchange 2007 products. Windows Mobile 6 Standard was first offered on the Orange's SPV E650,[24] while Windows Mobile 6 Professional was first offered on the O2's Xda Terra.[25] Aesthetically, Windows Mobile 6 was meant to be similar in design to the then newly released Windows Vista. Functionally, it works much like Windows Mobile 5, but with much better stability.
New features/built-in applications include the following:[26]

Windows Mobile 6.1

Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6.1 was announced April 1, 2008. It is a minor upgrade to the existing Windows Mobile 6 platform which brings with it various performance enhancements, a redesigned Home screen featuring horizontal tiles that expand on clicking to display more information, although this new home screen is featured only on Windows Mobile Standard edition. This feature was inexplicably left out of the Professional edition.[34] Several other changes such as threaded SMS, full page zooming in Internet Explorer and 'Domain Enroll' have also been added, along with a "mobile" version of the Microsoft OneNote program and an interactive "Getting Started" wizard. Domain Enroll is functionality to connect the device to System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, a product to manage mobile devices.[35] There are other differences as well. The most prominent difference for the user is that the Standard version (like earlier versions) still creates automatic links for telephone numbers in Tasks and Appointments, which allows for the easier click and dial of stored telephone numbers within these Outlook items. For some reason, the Professional version has eliminated this important feature. Windows Mobile 6.1 also featured improved bandwidth efficiency in its push-email protocol "Activesync" of "up to 40%",[36] this reduced data usage was the cause of considerably improved battery life in many devices.
Aside from the visual and feature distinctions, the underlying CE versions can be used to differentiate WM6.0 from WM 6.1. The version of Windows CE in WM 6.0 is 5.2.*, with the final number being a 4 digit build ID (e.g. 5.2.1622 on HTC Wing). In WM 6.1, the CE version is 5.2.* with a 5 digit build number (e.g. 5.2.19216 on Palm Treo 800w).

Windows Mobile 6.5

A screenshot of the Windows Mobile 6.5 Today Screen, 'Titanium'
Windows Mobile 6.5 was never part of Microsoft's mobile phone roadmap, and has been described by its chief executive, Steve Ballmer, as "not the full release [Microsoft] wanted" until the multi-touch enabled Windows Mobile 7 (now replaced by Windows Phone 7) arrived in 2010.[37] Version 6.5 is an upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.1 that was released to manufacturers on May 11, 2009, and the first devices running the operating system debuted in late October '09.[38] This incremental update includes some significant new added features, such as a revamped GUI, new today screen with vertically scrollable labels (called 'Titanium'); though is generally regarded as a minor upgrade.[39] It also includes the new Internet Explorer Mobile 6 browser, which has an improved interface over previous versions.[40]
Microsoft unveiled this version at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in February,[41] and several devices now run this Windows Mobile version,[42] those devices running Windows Mobile 6.5 onwards are marketed as "Windows phones". Along with Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft announced several Cloud computing services codenamed "SkyBox","SkyLine","SkyMarket".[43] "SkyBox" has been confirmed as My Phone,[44] while "SkyMarket" has been confirmed as Windows Marketplace for Mobile.[45] Some aspects of the user interface have been redesigned with the home screen resembling that of Microsoft's Zune player and the sliding panel interface of Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard. This version was designed mainly for easier finger usage.[46] Whilst this version of Windows Mobile does not natively support capacitive screens, mobile manufacturers have been able to successfully implement it on their devices [47]
Several phones currently running Windows Mobile 6.1 are updatable to Windows Mobile 6.5.[48]

Windows Mobile 6.5.1

Builds of Windows Mobile 6.5.1 have been unofficially ported to several Windows Mobile phones.[49] Windows Mobile 6.5.1 brings a more finger-friendly user interface,[50] including icon based soft buttons (rather than text based),[51] an updated contacts app,[52] Microsoft (rather than the mobile carrier) support for A-GPS,[50] improved threaded text messaging,[53] and performance improvements.[54]

Windows Mobile 6.5.3

A Screenshot of the Windows Phone 6.5.3 Today Screen 'Titanium' (notice the new location of the start button)
On February 2, 2010, the Sony Ericsson Aspen with Windows Mobile 6.5.3 was officially announced, making it the first Windows Phone 6.5.3 smartphone.[55] Since November 2009, several 6.5.3 builds had leaked (28nnn) and had been unofficially ported to some Windows Phones.
Windows Mobile 6.5.3 brings a more finger-friendly user interface with several new ease of use features such as support for multitouch, complete touch control i.e. no need for a stylus, and drag and drop start menu icons. Touchable tiles now replace soft keys."[56] Internet Explorer Mobile 6 has also received some major updates including decreased page load time, improved memory management and gesture smoothing.[57]
Additional features of newer Windows Mobile 6.5.3 builds include threaded email and Office Mobile 2010.[57]

Windows Mobile 6.5.5

Several builds of Windows Mobile 6.5.x have leaked since January 2010 and have been unofficially ported to some Windows Mobile phones.[58] The name Windows Mobile 6.5.5 has been applied to these newer builds. However, this naming scheme remains unconfirmed by Microsoft.

Successor to Windows Mobile

Windows Phone 7


The Start screen of Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 was launched in Europe, Singapore and Australia on October 21, 2010, and in the US & Canada on November 8, 2010, with the rest of the world to follow in 2011.[59] Microsoft had originally planned to continue the Windows Mobile line to Windows Mobile 7, based on an upgrade to the Windows Mobile platform, codenamed Photon. The original Photon and Windows Mobile 7 have since been scrapped; however, Microsoft decided to create a new mobile OS platform and officially announced Windows Phone 7 Series in its place.[60] Microsoft has since renamed the operating system from Windows Phone 7 Series to Windows Phone 7.[61]
Windows Phone 7 was initially intended to be released during 2009, but several delays, likely due to the move away from Photon and to building an entirely different and new platform, prompted Microsoft to develop Windows Mobile 6.5 as an interim release. During the Mobile World Congress 2010 in Barcelona, Microsoft revealed details of Windows Phone 7, which features a new operating system and integration with Xbox Live and Zune services.
Most phones currently running Windows Mobile 6.x are not upgradeable to Windows Phone 7,[62] although hacked firmwares with Phone 7 are becoming increasingly popular.[63]

Microsoft Kin


Microsoft Kin was a family of mobile telephones which started with Microsoft's purchase of Danger Hiptop in 2008.[64] Microsoft Kin was developed inside Microsoft's Premium Mobile Experiences (PMX) division.[65] Microsoft brought in employees from Danger Inc., with the intention of infusing industry talent and mobile experience into the project. The goal was said to be to create a mobile platform far superior to that of the Danger Sidekick. Reports say that Microsoft Kin was originally going to be based on Windows Phone 7. However, due to delays with the latter, it was built directly upon Windows CE. It featured the Zune marketplace, and used XNA as a game platform.[65]
The platform was aimed at producing phones designed for users who are heavily into social networking and instant messaging.[66] The technology acquired from Danger Hiptop has been described as a family of mobile devices running a bespoke operating system as part of a client–server system that is then licenced to mobile carriers.[67]
Microsoft introduced two new handsets based on Microsoft Kin, codenamed Turtle and Pure, possibly to debut at the Consumer Electronics Show.[68] The Microsoft designed phones were manufactured by Sharp and co-branded.[69]
The devices received very critical reviews and Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the KIN line on June 30, 2010, only six weeks after it was launched.[70]

Naming conventions


 Pocket PC 2000 Pocket PC 2002 Windows Mobile 2003 Windows Mobile 2003 SE Windows Mobile 5.0 Windows Mobile 6 Windows Mobile 6.1 Windows Mobile 6.5
Pocket PC (Without Mobile Phone) Pocket PC 2000 Pocket PC 2002 Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC N/A Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Windows Mobile 6 Classic Windows Mobile 6.1 Classic N/A
Pocket PC (With Mobile Phone) Pocket PC 2000 Phone Edition Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition Windows Mobile 2003 SE for Pocket PC Phone Edition Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC Phone Edition Windows Mobile 6 Professional Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional
Smartphone (Without Touch Screen) N/A Smartphone 2002 Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone Windows Mobile 2003 SE for Smartphone Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphone Windows Mobile 6 Standard Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard
Other: Windows Mobile for Automotive 1.0, Windows Mobile software for Portable Media Centers

Market share

History

A Ford Territory with Windows Mobile advertising seen in Auckland, New Zealand in 2008.
Windows Mobile's share of the smartphone market has been in decline year-on-year. Gartner research data showed that while the total smartphone industry grew 27% between 2008 and 2009, Windows Mobile's share of the smartphone market fell 2.7% in that same period.[5]
In 2004, Windows Mobile accounted for 23% of worldwide smartphone sales.[71] Windows Mobile was projected to overtake Symbian to become the leading mobile OS by 2010.[72] But by 2008, its share had dropped to 14%.[73] Microsoft licensed Windows Mobile to four out of the world's five largest mobile phone manufacturers, with Nokia being the exception.[74]
Although Microsoft apparently has 50 handset partners,[75] 80% of the 50 million Windows Mobile devices made have been built by one contract manufacturing group, HTC, which makes handsets for several major companies under their brands, as well as under its own brand.[76]
In February 2009 Microsoft signed a deal with the third largest mobile phone maker, LG Electronics, to license Windows Mobile OS on 50 upcoming LG smartphone models.[77] But in September, 2009, Palm, Inc. announced it would drop Windows Mobile from its smartphone line-up.[78] An October 2009 report in DigiTimes said that Acer will shift its focus from Windows Mobile to Google Android.[79]
At one time Windows Mobile was the most popular handset for business use[citation needed], but by 2009 this was no longer the case. An InformationWeek survey found that 24% of planned business deployments of mobile application were for Windows Mobile, putting it in 3rd place, behind Blackberry (61%) and iPhone (27%).[8]
In October 2009 Gartner predicted that by 2012 Windows Mobile would remain the fourth most popular smartphone platform during the rise of Android only due to BlackBerry falling from second to fifth.[80] The New York Times said that cellular telephone manufacturers were moving away from Windows Mobile, and instead shifting towards Android and Microsoft's new mobile platform, Windows Phone 7.[81] Taiwan's Intelligence & Consulting Institute (MIC) predicted that Android's popularity might force Microsoft to reduce the Windows Mobile licensing fees it charges handset makers, in order to reduce further market share losses.[82]
Windows Mobile's loss of market share became more rapid in the third quarter of 2009; it suffered a 20% drop compared to the previous quarter, at a time when total smartphone sales rose by 13%. Gartner estimated that by this time Windows Mobile's share of worldwide smartphone sales was 7.9%.[6]
Samsung announced in November 2009 that it would phase out the Windows Mobile platform,[83] to Possible trends

In late 2009, many industry analysts and media reports began to express concerns about the future viability of the Windows Mobile platform, and whether Microsoft will keep supporting it into the future.
ZDnet said that "for all practical purposes, Windows Mobile is a dead platform",[85] while CNET said "Windows Mobile has now been relegated resolutely to has-been status."[86]
ABI Research said: "Heading into 2010, the momentum (for Windows Mobile) has dissipated."[87]
Gartner analysts questioned whether Windows Mobile had a future beyond version 7, due to its poor performance and falling market share. However, Gartner said that while Windows Mobile may be discontinued for consumer-focused smartphones, it still had a future in specialized industrial applications, such as for ruggedized devices used in warehousing and delivery trucks.[87] Gartner said that Windows Mobile 7 could be "the last throw of the dice."[88]
Analysts J.Gold Associates said in BusinessWeek that Microsoft will likely exit the mobile operating system market sometime between 2010 and 2011, saying "There are better ways for Microsoft to make money from smartphones than to keep investing in a mobile operating system that's losing share and relevance."[89]
The New York Times reported that Windows Mobile "is foundering", as cellphone makers desert it in favor of Google's Android phone platform.[81] It cited the difficulties in Microsoft's business model, which involves charging handset manufacturers up to $25 for each copy of Windows Mobile, while rival Google gives away Android for free.[90]
The Washington Post said Windows Mobile is "bleeding market share in the space, and the future looks grim." It said that Google is using Android to "kill" Windows Mobile.[91]
In February 2010 Microsoft announced a new mobile operating system platform: Windows Phone 7. It has been built from scratch and bears no resemblance to its predecessors. It was released on October 21, 2010 in Europe and on November 8, 2010 in the United States.

[edit] Software development

See also: Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Third-party software development is available for the Windows Mobile operating system. There are several options for developers to use when deploying a mobile application. This includes writing native code with Visual C++, writing Managed code that works with the .NET Compact Framework, or Server-side code that can be deployed using Internet Explorer Mobile or a mobile client on the user's device. The .NET Compact Framework is actually a subset of the .NET Framework and hence shares many components with software development on desktop clients, application servers, and web servers which have the .NET Framework installed, thus integrating networked computing space (a.k.a. "The Cloud").[92]
Microsoft typically releases Windows Phone Software Development Kits (SDKs) that work in conjunction with their Visual Studio development environment. These SDKs include emulator images for developers to test and debug their applications while writing them. Microsoft also distributes Visual Studio 2008 / 2005 Professional Editions, and server / database counterparts to students as downloads free of charge via its DreamSpark program.[93]
Developer communities have used the SDK to port later versions of Windows Mobile OS to older devices and making the OS images available for free, thus providing the devices with the current feature set. Microsoft has tolerated this procedure for some time but decided in February 2007 to ask developers to take their OS images off the net, which in turn raised discussions.[94] At the same time Microsoft offered upgrades to Windows Mobile 6 versions to manufacturers for free.[95]
Lazarus, Lexico, NS Basic and Basic4ppc provide an alternative development environment; they allow for development on the desktop, which is then downloaded to the device. NS Basic and Basic4ppc[96] allow for development on the actual device itself.
Some 3rd party development tools such as Basic4ppc use the .NET Compact Framework. This has been possible only for the last couple years. Prior to the release of Windows Mobile 2003, third-party software was developed using Microsoft's eMbedded Visual Tools, eMbedded Visual Basic (eVB) and eMbedded Visual C (eVC).[97] eVB programs can usually be converted fairly easily to NS Basic/CE.[98] or to Basic4ppc.
There is also a GCC port called CeGCC. For scripting language, there is a Python port named PythonCE and a Tcl-Tk port called eTcl. It can be used to develop applications on Windows Mobile phone itself.
Satellite Forms is a RAD tool that can produce Windows Phone compatible applications that use an RDK runtime engine. Extension libraries extend the functionality for various hardware.
On 5 July 2009, Microsoft opened a third-party application distribution service called Windows Marketplace for Mobile

0 comments:

Post a Comment

AddThis