Windows Mobile: The Only True Touch-Screen OS

[adamz]

Touch screen mobile smartphones have become all the rage lately, but did you know that Windows Mobile Professional is one of the only mobile operating systems that is completely touch-screen friendly? That’s right, from the beginning when it was Windows CE 2.1 for Palm-sized devices, and then the Pocket PC operating system, it has been designed to be completely usable without any use of hardware buttons. There are on-screen user interface elements such as the Start menu, softkey menus, and minimize buttons that let users easily access commands and other applications via the touch screen. This means that it is possible for manufacturers to design Windows Mobile devices that consist completely of screen area, requiring only a hardware power button.

Palm OS requires menu and home hardware buttons in order to do anything within the OS... the iPhone requires a Home button in order to do any kind of navigating between programs… and if you’ve seen the T-Mobile/Google/Android G1 demo, you’ll notice that even this highly anticipated operating system (at least in its first incarnation) requires the use of Home, Back, and Menu buttons on the hardware. The Blackberry Storm that’s coming soon still requires the Blackberry button, back button, and end button for navigation as well.

What makes Windows Mobile even more flexible is that it is now also completely navigable using only hardware buttons and highly efficient keyboard mnemonics. That means you have the option to use only the touch screen, only the hardware buttons, or any combination of the two. With most of the other smartphone operating systems, you are required to always use a combination of a touch screen interface and hardware key interface.

that is one of the most pointless observations i have read..

and well even if it is true.. the windows OS for a phone is sooo baaad that it really doesn't matter, cause it seems like it cant compete with the Blackberry or the Apple OS for their respective phones.

I dont get it why does microsoft even bother designing OS for other devices when its core competency the windows OS for PC and laptops is sooo pathetic..
"Why do 31 flavors when you cant do vanilla right"

[Brandon Miniman]

I think this is one of the best parts of using Windows Mobile. Often times I want to move my fingers are little as possible, and because Windows Mobile allows you to do almost anything from the hardware keys (as long as we're not talking about the Omnia, here), I can keep all the movement in a limited area.

[BoyBawang]

Atleast one hardware button is still important especially when you are in fullscreen mode and that program stops responding, then you have a Home-key to depend on.
Windows Mobile is flexible alright but some design flaws is incurable. For example the interface has no concept of Back key or cancel. You only have OK or CLOSE which is not intuitive whether there are hardware keys or none.

[adamz]

Originally Posted by BoyBawang

Windows Mobile is flexible alright but some design flaws is incurable. For example the interface has no concept of Back key or cancel. You only have OK or CLOSE which is not intuitive whether there are hardware keys or none.

There's usually a cancel command under the right softkey menu or as a softkey button itself. I think that's pretty easy. As for Ok and Close, I would think those would be very intuitive. After all, they are used on every Windows OS, Mac OS, and I'm sure most Linux distributions. Anyone who's ever used any kind of computer should be able to understand those commands, right? The close button makes the current program go away. The OK button confirms what you're doing and applies it. What's not intuitive about that?

Also, the Touch Diamond, Touch Pro, and Touch HD all have back buttons.

Originally Posted by BoyBawang

Atleast one hardware button is still important especially when you are in fullscreen mode and that program stops responding, then you have a Home-key to depend on.

A tap-and-hold in full-screen mode usually brings up a menu to get out of full-screen mode. If not, it should. But yes, there would still need to be at least one hardware button to turn the device on and off.

[arb]

I personally liked the Pocket PC 2000 platform from my Jornada and iPaqs... simple interface without all the graphics..

Ah the good old days!

[arb]

Do we need to have the "guest" account active? If these mindless comments about "how bad Windows Mobile" is have to exist, at least be brave enough to state who you are and why you think that way!

[adamz]

Originally Posted by arb

I personally liked the Pocket PC 2000 platform from my Jornada and iPaqs... simple interface without all the graphics..

Ah the good old days!

Yeah, Pocket PC 2000 was great. You could still use the Inbox Transfer tool back then, and you could use Ink or Voice notes in ANY notes field on Pocket Outlook and they would sync with Desktop Outlook.