Astraware Releases new Solitaire Suite for Windows Mobile

Astraware certainly keeps busy with new releases to keep you entertained on your Windows Mobile device. This time they are offering 12 solitaire games: Calculation, Canfield, Clock, Four Seasons, Freecell, Golf, Idiot’s Delight, Klondike, Pyramid, Spider, Sultan’s Harem, and Yukon.

While I was familiar with many of the games already, I enjoyed playing some new ones. What is it that is so addicting about solitaire games? I think Microsoft must have infected much of the planet by including solitaire games as part of Windows. How many offices have you walked into and seen a game of solitaire on employee screens? I try to limit playing solitaire to when I’m on hold on the phone, but I fail miserably, and Astraware has become a new accomplice.

You will be pleased to know that Astraware’s solitaire suite has many features that make the games more attractive and engaging than ever before. For instance, you can tweak the rules to your own specifications. You’d think they hired my wife to add this feature. You can choose the appearance of the card deck and background colors and themes. You are awarded more as you advance.

You may aspire to achieve the trophy deck and once attained continue to use it, which moves the stakes to a higher plane. There is assistance at any point just a tap away. Navigation can be by stylus or joystick for one handed play while you drive—just kidding.

You must use a popup game keyboard to input required text, even if you have a QWERTY keyboard device. Astraware is working on allowing the use of hardware keyboards in future releases.

Have you actually tried playing a game of solitaire with a real deck of cards lately? What an utter waste of time. You spend more time shuffling and laying out the cards and trying to keep them straight than you do playing. Try Astraware’s virtual solitaire suite, and you’ll pity the fool who plays with real cards.

A 20 game trial version is available at www. astraware.com, or you can purchase the suite and receive an unlock code for $9.95; that’s less than $.83 per game, an amazing value. I should also mention that there is a Palm OS version too. Check out some of the other games while you are visiting the site. One of my favorites is Bookworm.