windows-mobile-6.1 posts

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile

Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones

by Brad Linder Nov 16th 2009

Have you been itching to download applications from the Windows Marketplace on your Windows Mobile smartphone, but been thwarted by the fact that your device runs Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 instead of the shiny new WinMo 6.5? Well, fret no more. Microsoft is making its answer to the iPhone app store available for all phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and up.

Sure, anyone stuck with an aging Windows Mobile 5.0 or earlier phone is stuck downloading and installing applications the old fashioned way -- by surfing the web to find programs and downloading either the CAB installer files or EXE files that can be installed from a PC using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. And then you have to walk uphill 2 miles in the snow to school and back and you'll like it!

You can install the Marketplace application by visiting mp.windowsphone.com on your mobile browser to download the software. You can also enter your phone number on a web site using a desktop browser and Microsoft will send you a text message with a download link.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Tags: windos-marketplace-for-mobile, windows-marketplace, windows-mobile-6.0, windows-mobile-6.1, windows-mobile-6.5

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Marketplace will work with Windows Mobile 6.0 after all

by Brad Linder Jul 14th 2009

Microsoft has just announced that it will begin accepting applications from developers for the Windows Marketplace for Windows phones on July 27th. But what's even more interesting is that while early word was that Windows Marketplace would only be available for phones running Windows Mobile 6.5 and up, it looks like the company is going to make its App Store-clone available for Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.1 phones as well.

Sure, that leaves users that are still using phones with Windows Mobile 5.0 or older operating systems out in the cold. But you didn't really expect Microsoft to support an aging operating system that was released years ago, did you?

In other news, Microsoft has confirmed that it will take a 30% cut of revenues generated from Windows Marketplace sales, and developers will have to pay a $99 annual fee for each app listed in the store, although developers will be able to list up to 5 programs free of charge if they submit them before the end of 2009.

Windows Marketplace won't be available to the public until later this year. In the meantime, you can still download and install thousands of Windows Mobile applications the old fashioned way, by hunting for them on the internet using a desktop or mobile browser.

[via Engadget]

Tags: windows-marketplace, windows-mobile-6.0, windows-mobile-6.1, windows-mobile-6.5

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Browsers

Internet Explore Mobile 6 won't be available for older cellphones

by Brad Linder Mar 5th 2009

Microsoft will soon release a version of Internet Explorer 6 for Windows Mobile. The browser uses the same rendering engine as IE6 for the desktop, but is optimized for mobile devices, allowing you to view full web pages or zoom in to read certain areas much the same way you can with Safari for the iPhone or Opera Mini.

According to the::unwired, the new browser will be part of Windows Mobile 6.5. It will also be available for Windows Mobile 6.1 AKU 1.4 and newer builds. Which means that pretty much any Windows Mobile device released this year could run the new browser as long as it has a 400MHz or faster CPU asn 128MB of RAM or more. But Microsoft will not be making the browser available for users with older phones to download and install on their own.

So if you've got Windows Mobile 5, 6, or an earlier build of Windows Mobile 6.1, you're out of luck. Well, officially anyway. Hackers have already managed to get the browser running on existing hardware with no help from Microsoft.

Tags: internet-explorer-6, internet-explorer-mobile-6, windows-mobile-6.1, windows-mobile-6.5

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Browsers

First look at Internet Explorer Mobile 6 for Windows Mobile

by Brad Linder Sep 26th 2008

Microsoft will be rolling out the first major upgrade to its mobile version of Internet Explorer since... well, practically ever. The version of Internet Explorer that ships with Windows Mobile devices is based on code from Internet Explorer 4. The new version will be based on the desktop version of Internet Explorer 6 and should be able to handle pretty much any web site you can view in IE6.

The::unwired got a handful of screenshots of Internet Explorer Mobile 6. And it looks like a pretty major upgrade. First, you can choose between desktop and mobile browsing modes. In desktop mode the browser will squeeze full web pages onto your PDA or Smartphone's small screen. In mobile mode, you'll get the mobile version of any web page that's optimized for mobile browsers.

There's certainly still room for improvement. Full desktop mode on the iPhone version of Safari or on the Opera Mini web browser manages to squeeze large pages onto small screens without the need for scrollbars. Yet Internet Explorer Mobile 6 requires a bit of side to side scrolling action.

Internet Explorer Mobile 6 is expected to be available as a free upgrade for Windows Mobile 6.1 users soon. But if you just can't wait, you might want to check out the Skyfire web browser for Windows Mobile. It's available today and supports the desktop version of Flash, which means it can handle YouTube videos and other Flash content all within the browser.

Tags: internet-explorer-6, internet-explorer-mobile-6, windows-mobile-6.1

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft

No Windows Mobile 6.1 love for current generation HP iPaq models

by Brad Linder Apr 10th 2008

Microsoft may be rolling out an incremental upgrade to its Windows Mobile operating system for PDAs and cellphones, but it's up to device manufacturers and wireless carriers to decide whether to offer Windows Mobile 6.1 to existing customers. And it looks like HP has decided that customers who have already bought current generation iPaq devices can live without the update.

One of the things that has long set mobile operating systems apart from desktop OSes is the fact that users can't just walk into the store, but a software upgrade and apply it themselves. In the olden days, OS upgrades came on ROM chips and you literally had to update a device's hardware in order to update the OS. Now most Windows Mobile devices can be upgraded via a software-only update process. But because the OS is typically customized to run on various devices, it's up to the device makers to decide whether to release an update.

HP apparently has decided to offer Windows Mobile 6.1 on new units, but will not be offering an upgrade option for current iPaq owners. Of course, when hardware makers don't step up, we've often seen that 3rd party developers will come up with their own solutions. Will we eventually see an unofficial upgrade path for iPaq users? Only time will tell.

Tags: hp, ipaq, upgrade, windows-mobile-6.1

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile Minute

Microsoft takes the wraps off Windows Mobile 6.1

by Brad Linder Apr 1st 2008

Microsoft officially announced the availability of Windows Mobile 6.1 today. We've been hearing rumors about new features for a few months now, but it's nice to hear it straight from the source. Plus we can stop guessing about availability. Microsoft also announced the mobile carriers and hardware makers who will be offering upgrades.

So what's new in Windows Mobile 6.1? First up, you get a new home screen with some scrolling action that allows you to access more information on a single page. Second, the smartphone versions of Windows Mobile 6.1 included threaded SMS capabilities. And finally, the mobile version of Internet Explorer has been updated to allow desktop-style views of web pages. In other words, you can see a full web page with tiny text and tiny images, and then zoom in to the portion of the web page you want to read, much as you can do with Opera Mini or the iPhone's Safari browser.

Windows Mobile 6.1 packs a few other tweaks such as an easier setup process and security enhancements. But this is a point release, not a whole new version of Windows Mobile. So if you were hoping for something a bit more dramatic, you might have to wait a little longer.

Tags: home-screen, pocket-internet-explorer, sms, threaded-sms, windows-mobile, windows-mobile-6.1

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Mobile Minute

Video walkthrough of Windows Mobile 6.1

by Brad Linder Dec 10th 2007

Those pictures of Windows Mobile 6.1 we showed you last week not doing it for you? How about some shiny new video showing off some of the features in Microsoft's latest Windows Mobile OS update?

Boy Genius Report has published the short video you see above giving you a look at some of the most anticipated features Windows Mobile 6.1 has to offer. This is a point release, so don't expect any massive changes. But there are a few goodies in there. For example, we were a bit skeptical when we heard that Pocket Internet Explorer was getting a zooming feature that would make the browser a bit more like Safari for the iPhone or Opera Mini. But seeing is believing, and the Boy Genius is zooming in and out with the best of them. Well, maybe not the best of them. It still takes an unreasonably long time for pages to load, whether you're zoomed in or out.

A few other highlights include the ability to copy and paste text, threaded SMS, a new IE font, and a new home screen.

Tags: boy-genius, windows-mobile-6.1

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile Minute

Boy Genius posts 87 pictures of Windows Mobile 6.1

by Brad Linder Dec 4th 2007

It looks like Microsoft and cellphone makers are getting ready to ship an incremental upgrade to Windows Mobile 6. How do we know? Because the Boy Genius managed to get their hands on a Motorola Q9 that already has Windows Mobile 6.1 pre-loaded.

Of course, the first thing he did was grab a few dozen screenshots (87 to be exact), and post them in a gallery.

So what's new? Copy and paste support in the standard (non-touchscreen) version, threaded text messaging, added text input settings, and a redesigned home screen. There are also some much-needed Pocket Internet Explorer tweaks like the ability to set a homepage and zoom in and out of web pages.

It's not clear if and when you'll be able to get your hands on a Windows Mobile 6.1 device. And of course, if you have an existing Windows Mobile 6 device, it's completely up to your manufacturer/wireless carrier to decide whether to offer an upgrade option. So you'd better get your petition-writing pens ready now.

Tags: pocket-internet-explorer, SMS, windows-mobile-6.1

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