One of the most common tasks associated with our Windows Mobile device is getting information on and off of it. The most common method to synchronize e-mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, etc. and install or remove programs is to use ActiveSync for Windows XP laptops and PCs or Windows Mobile Device Center for Windows Vista (all versions).

The Samsung OMNIA (SGH-i900) is an extremely powerful touch screen-enabled device that has better specs, features, and functionality than the iPhone. Samsung launched the OMNIA in Singapore in June of 2008, and I was lucky enough to be on a business trip there and was able to pick one up from a local electronics retailer.

I remember the last minute rush associated with most of the issues we've published in the last 11 years. One minute, we're a page short; the next minute we're two pages over. We finally get things figured out and the phone rings. Advertising sales just closed a deal on a one-page display ad and we've got to cut something. It's always been this way—it always will be.

A lot has happened in the fledgling eBook industry over the past few years with major players moving in and out if it. Unfortunately, eBooks did not take off the way many predicted, but they are now and forever firmly entrenched in our digital culture.


Windows Mobile has an incredibly strong community of developers offering thousands of fantastic programs. Why don't more people use third-party apps? Unlike the iPhone's App Store, Windows Mobile software is found scattered across the Web and finding them can become an exercise in frustration, especially for the new user. In addition, users hesitate to spend extra money on a device that may have already cost them hundreds of dollars. Fortunately, there's a wide variety of third-party programs that don't cost you a cent.

The HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger started shipping in July 2008 as an unlocked GSM phone rather than with a carrier in the U.S. In the past, AT&T has carried the iPAQ line, but there's no word that they'll pick this one up.

The Treo 800w is Palm's first Windows Mobile 6.1 device and comes loaded with several features many users want on a modern mobile phone—GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a fast 3G data connection provided by EvDO rev A. It weighs in at just 5 ounces and fits comfortably in one's hand as well as a pocket or purse, and is optimized for one-handed use.


Sony Ericsson's new XPERIA X1 is a Windows Mobile touch screen smartphone with a unique "Arc slider" keyboard, a customizable "Panels" interface, and a Wide VGA display. The latter measures 3 inches diagonally, so it's not the largest display on a Windows Mobile device.

The Touch Pro, like the Touch Diamond (see next article), is undoubtedly a game-changer in Windows Mobile land. Soon, VGA resolution (or higher) will be standard, most phones will utilize an accelerometer, and having some sort of Windows Mobile interface replacement will be expected. The Touch Pro is the business device that many have been waiting for.