The domain name mobi is a top-level domain (TLD) in the Domain Name System of the Internet. Its name is derived from the adjective mobile, indicating it's used by mobile devices for accessing Internet resources via the Mobile Web.
The domain was approved by ICANN on 11 July 2005, and is managed by the mTLD global registry. It was originally financially backed and sponsored by Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile, Orascom Telecom, GSM Association, Hutchison Whampoa, Syniverse Technologies, and Visa, with an executive from each company serving on mTLD's board of directors.
In February 2010, Afilias acquired mTLD Top-Level Domain Ltd. (known publicly as "dotMobi").
Operation
DotMobi domain names have been available for registration by the public since 26 September 2006.
DotMobi engaged with the W3C Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) to help formulate the MWI Best Practices for mobile content. The practices outlined a number of ways to achieve good user experiences on mobile Web-enabled devices, and recognized several methods of implementing these practices.
mTLD has released a free testing tool called Ready.mobi (see mobiForge) to analyze the mobile readiness of websites. It does a free page analysis and gives a .mobi Ready score from 1 to 5. This report tests the mobile-readiness of the site using dotMobi's recommended best practices.
DotMobi does not itself mandate any particular technology, but does require that .mobi sites produce user experiences consistent with their guidelines and specifically optimized for mobile phones.
The domain has been the target of criticism due to allegedly breaking the principles of device independence.Providing content tailored to particular devices can be done by other means than a specific TLD, such as using hostnames within an existing domain, HTTP content negotiation, cascading style sheets, or other forms of adaptation.
Similar services
There are technical solutions that provide similar benefits as mobi: compressing/downsampling proxy servers and microbrowsers, like Opera Mobile, which can tailor any website to small display (using Small Screen Rendering technique). However, these browsers must still download an entire page (with graphics and other related files) which, if not optimized for mobile phones, can be time-consuming and expensive to download. To improve the latter issue, the two adaptation techniques can be used together. This is the idea behind proxy-based microbrowsers like Opera Mini that download the optimized and compressed version of web pages through dedicated proxy servers. However, web pages viewed on a mobile via a proxy-based microbrowser are rarely specifically designed for a mobile phone, so it is left up to the proxy server and browser to decide what to compress, what to display, and how to display it, which, unlike the .mobi version of the site, may not necessarily be how the web page owner intends for the mobile audience.
There are also specialized content adaptation solutions, that typically operate on a server, where they employ specialized adaptation techniques to provide optimized representations of Web sites to mobile devices regardless of what browser they use. However, .mobi replaces the intermediary step with the specific adaptation of content for viewing on a mobile phone.
The W3C is also developing new authoring languages, such as DIAL (the Device Independent Authoring Language), which aid authors in creating Web sites that can be used on the huge variety of mobile devices available today. Some adaptation solutions already support the use of DIAL and similar languages in creating sites that can be used with .mobi domain names. Other open source initiatives include WURFL which addresses the problem with a large database of browser identification strings.
Reception
All mobi sites must be optimized for viewing on a mobile phone, providing the major advantage of the domain, from the users' perspective, of compatible content. Websites may be optimized for the special capabilities and restrictions of mobile devices, such as smaller screens, device form/size, device input/output options, existence of embedded sensors (acceleration, location, touch, etc.), as well as human factors such as expectations of immediacy of results, context awareness under a shortened attention span (compared to non-mobile device use of the Internet). Although other top-level domains can technically employ the same optimizations for mobile phones, in practice, only a fraction of them do, thus necessitating content adaptation solutions. These retrofit the content to target devices independent from the original process of creating the site.On the other hand, dotMobi promotes creating two separate device-dependent World Wide Webs, one desktop-based and the other mobile-based, and thus risks producing redundant content.From a content provider perspective, having to maintain two separate websites also represents more work.
Tim Berners-Lee of the World Wide Web Consortium, claims that dotMobi breaks the device independence of the web:
It is fundamentally useful to be able to quote the URI for some information and then look up that URI in an entirely different context. For example, I may want to look up a restaurant on my laptop, bookmark it, and then, when I only have my phone, check the bookmark to have a look at the evening menu. Or, my travel agent may send me a pointer to my itinerary for a business trip. I may view the itinerary from my office on a large screen and want to see the map, or I may view it at the airport from my phone when all I want is the gate number.
Critics pointed out that "mobi" is an unfortunate choice for mobile phone text entry interfaces, requiring nine or ten keystrokes in many common setups, compared to seven for "com", or what could have only been three if "wap" was used. There is a possibility that mobile phone manufacturers may in the future default their mobile internet browsers to .mobi or that predictive-text input features will reduce this to one keystroke, either of which would effectively eliminate this issue.
The domain was approved by ICANN on 11 July 2005, and is managed by the mTLD global registry. It was originally financially backed and sponsored by Google, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Ericsson, Vodafone, T-Mobile, Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile, Orascom Telecom, GSM Association, Hutchison Whampoa, Syniverse Technologies, and Visa, with an executive from each company serving on mTLD's board of directors.
In February 2010, Afilias acquired mTLD Top-Level Domain Ltd. (known publicly as "dotMobi").
Operation
DotMobi domain names have been available for registration by the public since 26 September 2006.
DotMobi engaged with the W3C Mobile Web Initiative (MWI) to help formulate the MWI Best Practices for mobile content. The practices outlined a number of ways to achieve good user experiences on mobile Web-enabled devices, and recognized several methods of implementing these practices.
mTLD has released a free testing tool called Ready.mobi (see mobiForge) to analyze the mobile readiness of websites. It does a free page analysis and gives a .mobi Ready score from 1 to 5. This report tests the mobile-readiness of the site using dotMobi's recommended best practices.
DotMobi does not itself mandate any particular technology, but does require that .mobi sites produce user experiences consistent with their guidelines and specifically optimized for mobile phones.
The domain has been the target of criticism due to allegedly breaking the principles of device independence.Providing content tailored to particular devices can be done by other means than a specific TLD, such as using hostnames within an existing domain, HTTP content negotiation, cascading style sheets, or other forms of adaptation.
Similar services
There are technical solutions that provide similar benefits as mobi: compressing/downsampling proxy servers and microbrowsers, like Opera Mobile, which can tailor any website to small display (using Small Screen Rendering technique). However, these browsers must still download an entire page (with graphics and other related files) which, if not optimized for mobile phones, can be time-consuming and expensive to download. To improve the latter issue, the two adaptation techniques can be used together. This is the idea behind proxy-based microbrowsers like Opera Mini that download the optimized and compressed version of web pages through dedicated proxy servers. However, web pages viewed on a mobile via a proxy-based microbrowser are rarely specifically designed for a mobile phone, so it is left up to the proxy server and browser to decide what to compress, what to display, and how to display it, which, unlike the .mobi version of the site, may not necessarily be how the web page owner intends for the mobile audience.
There are also specialized content adaptation solutions, that typically operate on a server, where they employ specialized adaptation techniques to provide optimized representations of Web sites to mobile devices regardless of what browser they use. However, .mobi replaces the intermediary step with the specific adaptation of content for viewing on a mobile phone.
The W3C is also developing new authoring languages, such as DIAL (the Device Independent Authoring Language), which aid authors in creating Web sites that can be used on the huge variety of mobile devices available today. Some adaptation solutions already support the use of DIAL and similar languages in creating sites that can be used with .mobi domain names. Other open source initiatives include WURFL which addresses the problem with a large database of browser identification strings.
Reception
All mobi sites must be optimized for viewing on a mobile phone, providing the major advantage of the domain, from the users' perspective, of compatible content. Websites may be optimized for the special capabilities and restrictions of mobile devices, such as smaller screens, device form/size, device input/output options, existence of embedded sensors (acceleration, location, touch, etc.), as well as human factors such as expectations of immediacy of results, context awareness under a shortened attention span (compared to non-mobile device use of the Internet). Although other top-level domains can technically employ the same optimizations for mobile phones, in practice, only a fraction of them do, thus necessitating content adaptation solutions. These retrofit the content to target devices independent from the original process of creating the site.On the other hand, dotMobi promotes creating two separate device-dependent World Wide Webs, one desktop-based and the other mobile-based, and thus risks producing redundant content.From a content provider perspective, having to maintain two separate websites also represents more work.
Tim Berners-Lee of the World Wide Web Consortium, claims that dotMobi breaks the device independence of the web:
It is fundamentally useful to be able to quote the URI for some information and then look up that URI in an entirely different context. For example, I may want to look up a restaurant on my laptop, bookmark it, and then, when I only have my phone, check the bookmark to have a look at the evening menu. Or, my travel agent may send me a pointer to my itinerary for a business trip. I may view the itinerary from my office on a large screen and want to see the map, or I may view it at the airport from my phone when all I want is the gate number.
Critics pointed out that "mobi" is an unfortunate choice for mobile phone text entry interfaces, requiring nine or ten keystrokes in many common setups, compared to seven for "com", or what could have only been three if "wap" was used. There is a possibility that mobile phone manufacturers may in the future default their mobile internet browsers to .mobi or that predictive-text input features will reduce this to one keystroke, either of which would effectively eliminate this issue.
Involvement of dotMobi backers:-
Google "Google is pleased to support mTLD in setting the standards that will define the future of mobile content, and most importantly, improve the experience of our users. Creating one mobile domain encourages content that is designed and optimized specifically to help users navigate the unique environment of the mobile world."
Microsoft "Ultimately, dotmobi will enable users to find predictable content and services from the businesses that provide them. This will have a major and significant impact on both the mobile and internet industries."
Nokia "Establishing dotmobi is an important milestone. Forming the joint venture company has helped to formalize the work that has been put into the initiative, and we look forward to seeing dotmobi domains benefit all mobile users."
Samsung "Samsung believes that mTLD will enhance the mobile users' internet experience by providing a mobile friendly domain .mobi. We fully support and want to deliver beneficial products/service to the consumers in the mobile industry. By being a part of mTLD, Samsung believes that these goals can be achieved."
Ericsson "A mobile top-level domain will bridge the gap between the internet and the mobile users, making content more mobile user friendly. The .mobi domain will simplify the Internet experience using mobile devices. By working across industries, dotmobi will cater for a continuous growth in mobile data and help bringing enriched services to mobile users."
Vodafone "Vodafone has been a keen supporter of the dotmobi initiative from the very beginning. This new sponsored top level domain will greatly increase the use and discoverability of mobile Internet content and dotmobi sites will guarantee a high quality experience when accessing the Internet from mobile devices. The dotmobi domain will further fuel the growth of the mobile Internet, with more content and service offerings available around the world. This is a great step forward for the mobile Internet and will significantly enhance the consumers’ mobile experience overall."
T-Mobile "T-Mobile is pleased to see the mobile Top Level Domain significantly gain support across mobile and media industries and to take an active role in developing and shaping best practices for using the Internet on the move. As we are continuously committed to deliver simple and reliable products to best serve our customers, we encourage the adoption of the .mobi namespace in the mobile environment to leverage a compelling mobile experience. We are going to leverage .mobi within our Web'N'Walk and Office in Your Pocket strategy."
Telefónica Móviles "Telefónica Móviles has joined mTLD to promote the mobile domain dotmobi and the actions that from mTLD will be carried out to support internet community to enter in the mobile world. We strongly bet for .mobi as an efficient way to stimulate the creation and the use of internet services from the mobile."
Google "Google is pleased to support mTLD in setting the standards that will define the future of mobile content, and most importantly, improve the experience of our users. Creating one mobile domain encourages content that is designed and optimized specifically to help users navigate the unique environment of the mobile world."
Microsoft "Ultimately, dotmobi will enable users to find predictable content and services from the businesses that provide them. This will have a major and significant impact on both the mobile and internet industries."
Nokia "Establishing dotmobi is an important milestone. Forming the joint venture company has helped to formalize the work that has been put into the initiative, and we look forward to seeing dotmobi domains benefit all mobile users."
Samsung "Samsung believes that mTLD will enhance the mobile users' internet experience by providing a mobile friendly domain .mobi. We fully support and want to deliver beneficial products/service to the consumers in the mobile industry. By being a part of mTLD, Samsung believes that these goals can be achieved."
Ericsson "A mobile top-level domain will bridge the gap between the internet and the mobile users, making content more mobile user friendly. The .mobi domain will simplify the Internet experience using mobile devices. By working across industries, dotmobi will cater for a continuous growth in mobile data and help bringing enriched services to mobile users."
Vodafone "Vodafone has been a keen supporter of the dotmobi initiative from the very beginning. This new sponsored top level domain will greatly increase the use and discoverability of mobile Internet content and dotmobi sites will guarantee a high quality experience when accessing the Internet from mobile devices. The dotmobi domain will further fuel the growth of the mobile Internet, with more content and service offerings available around the world. This is a great step forward for the mobile Internet and will significantly enhance the consumers’ mobile experience overall."
T-Mobile "T-Mobile is pleased to see the mobile Top Level Domain significantly gain support across mobile and media industries and to take an active role in developing and shaping best practices for using the Internet on the move. As we are continuously committed to deliver simple and reliable products to best serve our customers, we encourage the adoption of the .mobi namespace in the mobile environment to leverage a compelling mobile experience. We are going to leverage .mobi within our Web'N'Walk and Office in Your Pocket strategy."
Telefónica Móviles "Telefónica Móviles has joined mTLD to promote the mobile domain dotmobi and the actions that from mTLD will be carried out to support internet community to enter in the mobile world. We strongly bet for .mobi as an efficient way to stimulate the creation and the use of internet services from the mobile."
Telecom Italia Mobile "There are one billion internet users and almost two billion mobile users. Dotmobi will revolutionize the use of Internet via mobile devices, it will be the first choice destination for mobile internet. It is a great opportunity."
Hutchison Whampoa "Hutchison believes that the development of .mobi represents an important stepping stone to tailoring mobile friendly internet content and services to customers needs. We believe that .mobi will play an important part in improving the customer experience and drive mobile data and content use."
Allocation of premium names
mTLD has compiled a list of approximately 5,700 commonly used words and phrases that have been set aside for equitable allocation other than in the traditional first-come, first-served system. This was designed to 1) create a more level playing field in the allocation of these names, 2) increase the likelihood that these domain names will more promptly provide the mobile community with new features and services, and 3) preserve the stability and security of registry operations.mTLD will be allocating these premium names via auction and Request for Proposal (RFP) processes on a quarterly basis through 2008.[dated info] The process was approved by ICANN with input from mTLD's Policy Advisory Board and WIPO. Disputes that arise over .mobi domain names can be filed and administered by the National Arbitration Forum. Disputes are decided by one of 147 experts on the National Arbitration Forum's intellectual property panel.
On 13 September 2007, dotMobi announced the auction of 100 premium .mobi domains via Sedo to commemorate their 1 year anniversary since public launch.
dotMobi has sold hundreds of domain names through the auction process, but it has not been without controversy. In one auction, a dotMobi website sold for $616,000. The auction was voided due to technical problems at Sedo. Also, none of the top 25 most expensive domains sold at the first auction met their compliance deadlines to have active web sites.
Reserved names
In connection with the roll-out of the .mobi top level domain, dotMobi has reserved names as per its contract with ICANN.These terms include dotMobi terms, other TLDs, emergency numbers and geographic names. The first geographic .mobi domain to be released was Helsinki.mobi.
Domain aftermarket
Several domain name sales in the mobi TLD have fetched prices in the hundred-thousand-dollar range, including Flowers.mobi, Sportsbook.mobi,and Fun.mobi.
iOS (previously iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system developed and distributed by Apple Inc. Originally unveiled in 2007 for the iPhone, it has been extended to support other Apple devices such as the iPod Touch (September 2007), iPad (January 2010), iPad Mini (November 2012) and second-generation Apple TV (September 2010). Unlike Microsoft's Windows Phone and Google's Android, Apple does not license iOS for installation on non-Apple hardware. As of October 2013, Apple's App Store contained more than 1 million iOS applications, 475,000 of which were optimised for iPad.These apps have collectively been downloaded more than 60 billion times.It had a 21% share of the smartphone mobile operating system units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012, behind only Google's Android. In June 2012, it accounted for 65% of mobile web data consumption (including use on both the iPod Touch and the iPad).At the half of 2012, there were 410 million devices activated. According to the special media event held by Apple on September 12, 2012, 400 million devices had been sold by June 2012.
The user interface of iOS is based on the concept of direct manipulation, using multi-touch gestures. Interface control elements consist of sliders, switches, and buttons. Interaction with the OS includes gestures such as swipe, tap, pinch, and reverse pinch, all of which have specific definitions within the context of the iOS operating system and its multi-touch interface. Internal accelerometers are used by some applications to respond to shaking the device (one common result is the undo command) or rotating it in three dimensions (one common result is switching from portrait to landscape mode).
iOS is derived from OS X, with which it shares the Darwin foundation and various application frameworks. iOS is Apple's mobile version of the OS X operating system used on Apple computers.
Major versions of iOS are released annually. The current release, iOS 7, was released on September 18, 2013. In iOS, there are four abstraction layers: the Core OS layer, the Core Services layer, the Media layer, and the Cocoa Touch layer. The current version of the operating system (iOS 7.0.3), dedicates 1–1.5 GB of the device's flash memory for the system partition, using roughly 800 MB of that partition (varying by model) for iOS itself.It runs on the iPhone 4 and later, 2nd-generation iPad and later, all models of the iPad Mini, the 5th-generation iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
The BlackBerry is a line of wireless handheld devices and services designed and marketed by BlackBerry Limited, formerly known as Research In Motion Limited (RIM).The first BlackBerry device, an email pager, was released in 1999.The most recent BlackBerry devices are the Z30, Z10, Q10 and Q5. The Z10 and Q10 were announced on January 30, 2013, and the Q5 was announced on May 14, 2013. The user interface varies by model; most had featured a physical QWERTY keyboard, while newer generations have relied on a multi-touch screen and virtual keyboard.
BlackBerry devices can shoot video, take photos and play music; these devices also provide essentials such as web-browsing, email messaging, instant messaging, and the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger.
BlackBerry accounts for 3% of mobile device sales worldwide in 2011, making its manufacturer the sixth most popular device maker (25% of mobile device sales are smartphones).The consumer BlackBerry Internet Service is available in 91 countries worldwide on over 500 mobile service operators using various mobile technologies.As of September 2012, there were eighty million subscribers worldwide to BlackBerry.In 2011 the Caribbean and Latin America had the highest penetrations of BlackBerry smartphones worldwide, with up to about 45 percent in the region having a BlackBerry device.BlackBerry was widely referred to as "CrackBerry" in the United States, which alluded to its excessive use by its owners and is a reference to the addictiveness of crack cocaine. Use of the term CrackBerry became so widespread that in November 2006 Webster's New World College Dictionary named "crackberry" the "New Word of the Year".
Android is an operating system based on the Linux kernel,and designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. Initially developed by Android, Inc., which Google backed financially and later bought in 2005,Android was unveiled in 2007 along with the founding of the Open Handset Alliance: a consortium of hardware, software, and telecommunication companies devoted to advancing open standards for mobile devices.The first Android-powered phone was sold in October 2008.
The user interface of Android is based off direct manipulation, using touch inputs that loosely correspond to real-world actions, like swiping, tapping, pinching and reverse pinching to manipulate on-screen objects. Internal hardware such as accelerometers, gyroscopes and proximity sensors are used by some applications to respond to additional user actions, for example adjusting the screen from portrait to landscape depending on how the device is oriented. Android allows users to customize their homescreens with shortcuts to applications and widgets, which allow users to display live content, such as emails and weather information, directly on the homescreen. Applications can further send notifications to the user to inform them of relevant information, such as new emails and text messages.
Android is open source and Google releases the code under the Apache License.This open-source code and permissive licensing allows the software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers and enthusiast developers. However, most Android devices ship with additional proprietary software.Additionally, Android has a large community of developers writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in the Java programming language.In October 2012, there were approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25 billion.A developer survey conducted in April–May 2013 found that Android is the most popular platform for developers, used by 71% of the mobile developer population.
Android is the world's most widely used smartphone platform,overtaking Symbian in the fourth quarter of 2010.Android is popular with technology companies who require a ready-made, low-cost, customizable and lightweight operating system for high tech devices.Despite being primarily designed for phones and tablets, it has been also used in televisions, games consoles, digital cameras and other electronics. Android's open nature has encouraged a large community of developers and enthusiasts to use the open-source code as a foundation for community-driven projects, which add new features for advanced users or bring Android to devices which were officially released running other operating systems.
Android's share of the global smartphone market, led by Samsung products, was 64% in March 2013.The operating system's success has made it a target for patent litigation as part of the so-called "smartphone wars" between technology companies.As of May 2013, 48 billion apps have been installed from the Google Play store, and as of September 3, 2013, 1 billion Android devices have been activated.
Windows Mobile is a family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones and Pocket PCs.Windows Mobile is the predecessor of Windows Phone.
In February 2010, Microsoft announced Windows Phone to supersede Windows Mobile. As a result, Windows Mobile has been deprecated. Windows Phone is incompatible with Windows Mobile devices and software.The last version of Windows Mobile, released after the announcement of Windows Phone, was 6.5.5.
Features
Most versions of Windows Mobile have a set of standard features, such as multitasking and the ability to navigate a file system similar to that of Windows 9x and Windows NT, with support for many of the same file types. Much like its desktop counterpart, it comes bundled with a set of applications to perform basic tasks. Internet Explorer Mobile is the default web browser and Windows Media Player is the default media player used for playing digital media. Microsoft Office Mobile, the mobile versions of Microsoft Office, is the default office suite.
Internet Connection Sharing, supported on compatible devices, allows the phone to share its Internet connection with computers via USB and Bluetooth. Windows Mobile support virtual private networking (VPN) over PPTP protocol. Most devices with mobile connectivity include a Radio Interface Layer (RIL). RIL provides the system interface between the CellCore layer within the Windows Mobile OS and the radio protocol stack used by the wireless modem hardware. This allows OEMs to integrate a variety of modems into their equipment.
The user interface has changed much between versions but the basic functionality has remained similar. Today Screen, later called the Home Screen, shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mail messages, and tasks. Taskbar shows the current time and the audio volume and of devices with a cellular radio the signal strength.
Windows Mobile has supported third party software the original Pocket PC implementations.
History
An Alpha build of WinPad in the early days of development showing off stylus compatibility.
Windows Mobile was based on the Windows CE kernel and first appeared as the Pocket PC 2000 operating system. It was supplied with a suite of basic applications developed with the Microsoft Windows API, and is designed to have features and appearance somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows. Third parties can develop software for Windows Mobile with no restrictions imposed by Microsoft. Software applications were purchasable from Windows Marketplace for Mobile during the service's lifespan.
Most early Windows Mobile devices came with a stylus, which can be used to enter commands by tapping it on the screen.[6] The primary touch input technology behind most devices were resistive touchscreens which often required a stylus for input. Later devices used capacitive sensing which does not require a stylus. Along with touchscreens a large variety of form factors existed for the platform. Some devices featured slideout keyboards, while others featured minimal face buttons.
Windows CE
Microsoft's work on handheld portable devices began with research projects in 1990, two years later work on Windows CE officially began.Initially the OS and the user interface were developed separately. With Windows CE being based on Windows 95 code and a separate team handing the user interface which was codenamed WinPad(later Microsoft At Work for Handhelds).Windows 95 had strong pen support making porting easy; with some saying "At this time, Windows 95 offers outstanding pen support. It is treating pens right for the first time."[8] WinPad was delayed due to price and performance issues,before being scrapped in early 1995 due to touchscreen driver problems relating to WriteTouch technology, made by NCR Microelectronic Products.Although WinPad was never released as a consumer product, Alpha builds were released showcasing many interface elements.During development of WinPad a separate team worked on a project called Pulsar; designed to be a mobile communications version of WinPad, described as a "pager on Steroids".This project was also canceled around the same time as WinPad. The two disbanded groups would form the Pegasus project in 1995. Pegasus would work on the hardware side of the Windows CE OS, attempting to create a form factor similar to a PC-esque PDA like WinPad, with communications functionality like Pulsar. A hardware reference guide was created and devices began shipping in 1996, although most of these device bore little resemblance to the goal of a pen-based touchscreen handheld device.
Pocket PC 2000
Pocket PC 2000 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2000, originally codenamed "Rapier",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 also. Further, 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. Infrared (IR) File beaming capability was among the original hardware features.
The original Pocket PC operating system had similar appearance to Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 operating systems.
This initial release had multiple built-in applications,many of them similarly branded to match their desktop counterparts; such as Microsoft Reader, Microsoft Money, Pocket Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. A version of Microsoft's Office suite called Pocket Office was also bundled and included Pocket Word, Pocket Excel and Pocket Outlook. Notes, a written and sound note-taking application saw its first release and would be supported by most later versions of Windows Mobile. Character recognition support allowed Notes to distinguish styles of handwriting to be learned by the OS during processing to improve accuracy and recognition levels.
Pocket PC 2002
Main article: Pocket PC 2002
Pocket PC 2002 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2002, originally codenamed "Merlin",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.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. Newly added or updated programs include Windows Media Player 8 with streaming capability; MSN Messenger, and Microsoft Reader 2, with Digital rights management support. Upgrades to the bundled version of Office Mobile include a spell checker and word count tool in Pocket Word and improved Pocket Outlook. Connectivity was improved with file beaming on non-Microsoft devices such as Palm OS, the inclusion of Terminal Services and Virtual Private Networking support, and the ability to synchronize folders. Other upgrades include an enhanced UI with theme support and savable downloads and WAP in Pocket Internet Explorer.
Windows Mobile 2003
Main article: Windows Mobile 2003
Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Today Screen
Windows Mobile 2003, originally codenamed "Ozone",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. Communications interface were enhanced with Bluetooth device management. Which allowed for Bluetooth file beaming support, Bluetooth headset support and support for Bluetooth add-on keyboards. A pictures application with viewing, cropping, e-mail, and beaming support was added. Multimedia improvements included MIDI file support as ringtones in Phone Edition and Windows Media Player 9.0 with streaming optimization. A puzzle game titled Jawbreaker is among the preinstalled programs. GAPI was included with this release to facilitate the development of games for the platform.Other features/built-in applications included the following:enhanced Pocket Outlook with vCard and vCal support, improved Pocket Internet Explorer and SMS reply options for 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 back up and restore an entire device through ActiveSync.
This upgrade allows users to switch between Portrait and Landscape modes and introduces a single-Column layout in Pocket Internet Explorer. To make wireless internet access more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) support was added. An array of new screen resolutions also debuted;VGA (640×480), 176х220, 240x240, and 480x480, to increase visual clarity and the range of form factors Windows Mobile could run on.
Windows Mobile 5
Main article: Windows Mobile 5.0
Windows Mobile 5.0 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto",was released at Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 in Las Vegas, May 9–12, 2005. Microsoft offered mainstream support for Windows Mobile 5 through October 12, 2010, and extended support through October 13, 2015.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.The "push" functionality also required vendor/device support With AKU2 software upgrades all WM 5.0 devices supported DirectPush. This version 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, no distinction between the two is obvious to users). 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 prior devices, WM5 devices lose no data if power is lost. New to 5.0, OS updates were released as Adaptation kit upgrades, with AKU 3.5 being the final released.
A new version of Office was bundled called "Microsoft Office Mobile" with includes PowerPoint Mobile, Excel Mobile with graphing capability and Word Mobile with the ability to insert tables and graphics. Media management and playback was enhanced with Picture and Video package, which converged the management of videos and pictures and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. Among new hardware features were enhanced Bluetooth support, default QWERTY keyboard-support and a management interface for Global Positioning System (GPS). Improvements were made to ActiveSync 4.2 with 15% increased synchronization speed. Business customers benefited from a new error reporting facility similar to that present in desktop and server Windows systems. Caller ID now supports photos so a user can apply an image to each contact to show when a call is received. DirectShow was also natively added. This release was the first to include DirectDraw with hardware acceleration, replacing the deprecated graphics component of GAPI
Windows Mobile 5.0 requires at least 64 MBs of ROM (it's advisable to have 64 MBs of RAM), and the device must run an ARM compatible processor such as the Intel XScale or the Samsung and Texas Instruments ARM compatibles.
Windows Mobile 6
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.0
Windows Mobile 6 Using the HTC TouchFLO 3D User Interface
Windows Mobile 6, formerly codenamed "Crossbow",was released on February 12, 2007 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.
Windows Mobile 6 is powered by Windows CE 5.0 (version 5.2) and is strongly linked to the then newly introduced Windows Live and Exchange 2007 products. Windows Mobile 6 Standard was first offered on the Orange's SPV E650,while Windows Mobile 6 Professional was first offered on the O2's Xda Terra.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.
Along with the announcement of Office Mobile 6.1 with support for Office 2007 document formats (pptx, docx, xlsx); OneNote Mobile, a companion to Microsoft Office OneNote was added to the already installed version. In addition to the newly included programs with Office Mobile improvements were made to existing applications. Such as HTML email support in Outlook Mobile. A large number of Windows Mobile users are enterprise users business environments were targeted. With Server Search on Microsoft Exchange 2007, Out of Office Replies with Microsoft Exchange 2007, and search ability for contacts in an Exchange Server Address Book being implemented. To aid development for programmers, .NET Compact Framework v2 SP2 is now preinstalled with the OS. Developers and users also have access to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition for storage and retrieval of information. AJAX, JavaScript, and XMLDOM support were added to Internet Explorer Mobile along with improved devicewide Internet Sharing. Communication abilities were further enhanced with a new Microsoft Bluetooth Stack and VoIP (Internet calling) support with AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancelling) and MSRT Audio Codec.
To improve security Microsoft added Storage Card Encryption so that encryption keys are lost if device is cold-booted. Further updates both, security and feature, can now also be provided using Operating System Live Update.
Among other improvements:[32] 320x320 and 800x480 (WVGA) screen resolution support (The S01SH or "Em One" by Sharp was the first and only device to have a 800x480 screen on WM5),[33] Improved Remote Desktop access[34] (Available for only certain Pocket PCs),[35] Customer Feedback option,[36] Smartfilter for searching within programs and Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) support for select operators
Windows Mobile 6.1
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.1
Windows Mobile 6.1 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6.1 was announced April 1, 2008. It is a minor upgrade to the Windows Mobile 6 platform with various performance enhancements and 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 was not supported in the Professional edition.Several other changes such as threaded SMS, full page zooming in Internet Explorer and 'Domain Enroll' were also 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.The most apparent of the other differences is that the Standard version (like prior 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. This feature is not supported in the Professional version. Windows Mobile 6.1 also had improved bandwidth efficiency in its push-email protocol "Activesync" of "up to 40%";this 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
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.5
Windows Mobile 6.5 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6.5 was a stopgap update to Windows Mobile 6.1 intended to bridge the gap between version 6.1 and the then yet-to-be released Windows Mobile 7 (Later renamed Windows Phone 7), that arrived in 2010. It 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) arrived in 2010.Ballmer also indicated that the company "screwed up with Windows Mobile", he lamented that Windows Mobile 7 was not yet available and that the Windows Mobile team needed to try to recoup losses.Microsoft unveiled this version at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in February,and several devices were supplied with it.It was released to manufacturers on May 11, 2009; the first devices running the operating system appeared in late October 2009.Several phones that officially shipped with Windows Mobile 6.1 can be officially updated to Windows Mobile 6.5.This update includes some significant new added features, such as a revamped GUI, a new Today screen resembling that of Microsoft's Zune player with vertically scrollable labels (called 'Titanium').WM6.5 also includes the new Internet Explorer Mobile 6 browser, with improved interface.
Along with Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft announced several Cloud computing services codenamed "SkyBox", "SkyLine", "SkyMarket". "SkyBox" has been confirmed as My Phone,while "SkyMarket" has been confirmed as Windows Marketplace for Mobile.This version was designed mainly for easier finger usage.Some reviewers have noted interface inconsistencies, with some applications having small buttons making them harder to operate using only a finger.Whilst this version of Windows Mobile does not natively support capacitive screens, mobile manufacturers have been able to use them on their devices.
In the months following this release, development shifted from Windows Mobile to its successor Windows Phone. As such no major upgrades were planned or released, although three minor updates; 6.5.1, 6.5.3 and 6.5.5; were made to satisfy consumers during the transition period. 6.5.1 brings larger user interface elements,including icon based soft buttons (rather than text based),an updated contacts app,native support for A-GPS,improved threaded text messaging,and performance improvements.It was unofficially ported to several Windows Mobile phones.
The second minor update was announced on February 2, 2010, along with the Sony Ericsson Aspen which was the first phone to use this version.6.5.3 continues the trend of attempting to provide a more finger-friendly user interface with several new usability features such as native support for multitouch; although device maker HTC Corporation created proprietary work-arounds to allow multi-touch to work on some applications it installed on its HD2 handset(However, Microsoft applications on this handset, such as the Internet Explorer web browser, did not support multi-touch.) and drag-and-drop start menu icons. Touchable tiles replaced soft keys."Internet Explorer Mobile 6 has also received some major updates including decreased page load time, improved memory management and gesture smoothing.As with other updates it was unofficially ported to some other devices. Additional features include threaded email and Office Mobile 2010.
The last minor update and the last released version is 6.5.5. It first leaked in January 2010, and was unofficially ported to some Windows Mobile phones.The name Windows Mobile 6.5.5 has been applied to these newer builds, although this name remained unconfirmed by Microsoft.
Hardware
An HTC Excalibur Smartphone
See also: List of Windows Mobile devices
There are three main versions of Windows Mobile for various hardware devices:
Windows Mobile Professional runs on smartphones with touchscreens
Windows Mobile Standard runs on mobile phones without touchscreens
Windows Mobile Classic which runs on personal digital assistant or Pocket PCs.
Windows Mobile for Automotive and Windows Mobile software for Portable Media Centers are among some specialty versions of the platform.
Microsoft had over 50 handset partners,when Windows Mobile was still being shipped on new devices. 80% of the 50 million Windows Mobile devices that were made from launch to February 2009 were built by one contract manufacturing group, HTC, which makes handsets for several major companies under their brands, and under its own brand.
Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5
On January 10, 2011, Microsoft announced Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5. The operating system has compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.5 and is presented as an enterprise handheld device, targeting retailers, delivery companies, and other companies that rely on handheld computing. Unlike Windows Phone, Windows Embedded Handheld retains backward compatibility with legacy Windows Mobile applications.
Pocket PCs
Main article: Pocket PC
Pocket PCs and personal digital assistants were originally the intended platform for Windows Mobile. These were grouped into two main categories: devices that lacked mobile phone capabilities, and those that included it. Beginning with version 6 devices with this functionality ran "Windows Mobile 6 Professional" and those that lacked it ran "Windows Mobile 6 Classic". Microsoft had described these devices as "a handheld device that enables you to store and retrieve e-mail, contacts, appointments, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages with MSN Messenger, browse the Web, and more".[69] From a technical standpoint Microsoft also specified various hardware and software requirements such as the inclusion of a touchscreen and a directional pad or touchpad.
Smartphones
Main article: Smartphone
Smartphones were the second hardware platform after 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.
Software development
See also: Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Software may be developed by third parties for the Windows Mobile operating system. Developers have several options for deploying mobile applications. These include writing native code with Visual C++, managed code that works with the .NET Compact Framework, writing code in Tcl-Tk with eTcl,GCC using CeGCC,Python using PythonCE or server-side code that can be deployed using Internet Explorer Mobile or a mobile client on a user's device. The .NET Compact Framework is 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.
To aid developers Microsoft released 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. Software can be tested on a client machine directly or be downloaded to a device. Microsoft also distributes Visual Studio 2008 / 2005 Professional Editions, and server / database counterparts to students as downloads free of charge via its DreamSpark program.[95] Third party integrated development environments can also be used to write software such as Lazarus, Resco MobileForms Toolkit,Lexico, NS Basic and Basic4ppc. Some third party development environments allow coding to be done on the device itself without the need for a computer.
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.At the same time Microsoft offered upgrades to Windows Mobile 6 versions to manufacturers for free.
Windows Mobile applications are strongly encouraged to be optimized for touch screen user interfaces. The developer also needs to take into the account the lower CPU performance of older devices.
On July 5, 2009, Microsoft opened a third-party application distribution service called Windows Marketplace for Mobile.In 2011, Windows Marketplace for Mobile stopped accepting new admissions.and then fully closed on May 9, 2012.
Connectivity
Main articles: ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center
In the early years of Windows Mobile devices were able to be managed and synced from a remote computer using ActiveSync; a data synchronization technology and protocol developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. This allowed servers running Microsoft Exchange Server, or other third party variants, to act as a personal information manager and share information such as email, calendar appointments, contacts or internet favorites.
With the release of Windows Vista, ActiveSync was replaced with Windows Mobile Device Center. Device Center is included with Vista and Windows 7 and contains the same functionality of its predecessor. This new version provides many front end enhancements, allowing a home user to sync PIM information with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and later, photos from Windows Photo Gallery, videos or music from Windows Media Player and favorites with Internet Explorer; without the need for a server back end. Devices at this time also included a base driver compatible with Mobile Device Center so a user can connect to a computer without a need for any configuration.
Symbian is an open-source (ECL) mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture.Symbian was originally developed by Symbian Ltd.,as a descendant of Psion's EPOC and runs exclusively on ARM processors, although an unreleased x86 port existed. The current form of Symbian is an open-source platform developed by Symbian Foundation in 2009, as the successor of the original Symbian OS. Symbian was used by many major mobile phone brands, like Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and above all by Nokia. It was the most popular smartphone OS on a worldwide average until the end of 2010, when it was overtaken by Android.
Symbian rose to fame from its use with the S60 platform built by Nokia, first released in 2002 and powering most Nokia smartphones. UIQ, another Symbian platform, ran in parallel, but these two platforms were not compatible with each other. Symbian^3, was officially released in Q4 2010 as the successor of S60 and UIQ, first used in the Nokia N8, to use a single platform for the OS. In May 2011 an update, Symbian Anna, was officially announced, followed by Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle) in August 2011.
On 11 February 2011, Nokia announced that it would use Microsoft's Windows Phone OS as its primary smartphone platform, and Symbian will be its franchise platform, dropping Symbian as its main smartphone OS of choice.On 22 June 2011 Nokia made an agreement with Accenture for an outsourcing program. Accenture will provide Symbian-based software development and support services to Nokia through 2016; about 2,800 Nokia employees became Accenture employees as of October 2011.The transfer was completed on 30 September 2011.The Nokia 808 PureView is officially the last Symbian smartphone.
In February 2010, Microsoft announced Windows Phone to supersede Windows Mobile. As a result, Windows Mobile has been deprecated. Windows Phone is incompatible with Windows Mobile devices and software.The last version of Windows Mobile, released after the announcement of Windows Phone, was 6.5.5.
Features
Most versions of Windows Mobile have a set of standard features, such as multitasking and the ability to navigate a file system similar to that of Windows 9x and Windows NT, with support for many of the same file types. Much like its desktop counterpart, it comes bundled with a set of applications to perform basic tasks. Internet Explorer Mobile is the default web browser and Windows Media Player is the default media player used for playing digital media. Microsoft Office Mobile, the mobile versions of Microsoft Office, is the default office suite.
Internet Connection Sharing, supported on compatible devices, allows the phone to share its Internet connection with computers via USB and Bluetooth. Windows Mobile support virtual private networking (VPN) over PPTP protocol. Most devices with mobile connectivity include a Radio Interface Layer (RIL). RIL provides the system interface between the CellCore layer within the Windows Mobile OS and the radio protocol stack used by the wireless modem hardware. This allows OEMs to integrate a variety of modems into their equipment.
The user interface has changed much between versions but the basic functionality has remained similar. Today Screen, later called the Home Screen, shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mail messages, and tasks. Taskbar shows the current time and the audio volume and of devices with a cellular radio the signal strength.
Windows Mobile has supported third party software the original Pocket PC implementations.
History
An Alpha build of WinPad in the early days of development showing off stylus compatibility.
Windows Mobile was based on the Windows CE kernel and first appeared as the Pocket PC 2000 operating system. It was supplied with a suite of basic applications developed with the Microsoft Windows API, and is designed to have features and appearance somewhat similar to desktop versions of Windows. Third parties can develop software for Windows Mobile with no restrictions imposed by Microsoft. Software applications were purchasable from Windows Marketplace for Mobile during the service's lifespan.
Most early Windows Mobile devices came with a stylus, which can be used to enter commands by tapping it on the screen.[6] The primary touch input technology behind most devices were resistive touchscreens which often required a stylus for input. Later devices used capacitive sensing which does not require a stylus. Along with touchscreens a large variety of form factors existed for the platform. Some devices featured slideout keyboards, while others featured minimal face buttons.
Windows CE
Microsoft's work on handheld portable devices began with research projects in 1990, two years later work on Windows CE officially began.Initially the OS and the user interface were developed separately. With Windows CE being based on Windows 95 code and a separate team handing the user interface which was codenamed WinPad(later Microsoft At Work for Handhelds).Windows 95 had strong pen support making porting easy; with some saying "At this time, Windows 95 offers outstanding pen support. It is treating pens right for the first time."[8] WinPad was delayed due to price and performance issues,before being scrapped in early 1995 due to touchscreen driver problems relating to WriteTouch technology, made by NCR Microelectronic Products.Although WinPad was never released as a consumer product, Alpha builds were released showcasing many interface elements.During development of WinPad a separate team worked on a project called Pulsar; designed to be a mobile communications version of WinPad, described as a "pager on Steroids".This project was also canceled around the same time as WinPad. The two disbanded groups would form the Pegasus project in 1995. Pegasus would work on the hardware side of the Windows CE OS, attempting to create a form factor similar to a PC-esque PDA like WinPad, with communications functionality like Pulsar. A hardware reference guide was created and devices began shipping in 1996, although most of these device bore little resemblance to the goal of a pen-based touchscreen handheld device.
Pocket PC 2000
Pocket PC 2000 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2000, originally codenamed "Rapier",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 also. Further, 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. Infrared (IR) File beaming capability was among the original hardware features.
The original Pocket PC operating system had similar appearance to Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows 2000 operating systems.
This initial release had multiple built-in applications,many of them similarly branded to match their desktop counterparts; such as Microsoft Reader, Microsoft Money, Pocket Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. A version of Microsoft's Office suite called Pocket Office was also bundled and included Pocket Word, Pocket Excel and Pocket Outlook. Notes, a written and sound note-taking application saw its first release and would be supported by most later versions of Windows Mobile. Character recognition support allowed Notes to distinguish styles of handwriting to be learned by the OS during processing to improve accuracy and recognition levels.
Pocket PC 2002
Main article: Pocket PC 2002
Pocket PC 2002 Today Screen.
Pocket PC 2002, originally codenamed "Merlin",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.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. Newly added or updated programs include Windows Media Player 8 with streaming capability; MSN Messenger, and Microsoft Reader 2, with Digital rights management support. Upgrades to the bundled version of Office Mobile include a spell checker and word count tool in Pocket Word and improved Pocket Outlook. Connectivity was improved with file beaming on non-Microsoft devices such as Palm OS, the inclusion of Terminal Services and Virtual Private Networking support, and the ability to synchronize folders. Other upgrades include an enhanced UI with theme support and savable downloads and WAP in Pocket Internet Explorer.
Windows Mobile 2003
Main article: Windows Mobile 2003
Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Today Screen
Windows Mobile 2003, originally codenamed "Ozone",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. Communications interface were enhanced with Bluetooth device management. Which allowed for Bluetooth file beaming support, Bluetooth headset support and support for Bluetooth add-on keyboards. A pictures application with viewing, cropping, e-mail, and beaming support was added. Multimedia improvements included MIDI file support as ringtones in Phone Edition and Windows Media Player 9.0 with streaming optimization. A puzzle game titled Jawbreaker is among the preinstalled programs. GAPI was included with this release to facilitate the development of games for the platform.Other features/built-in applications included the following:enhanced Pocket Outlook with vCard and vCal support, improved Pocket Internet Explorer and SMS reply options for 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 back up and restore an entire device through ActiveSync.
This upgrade allows users to switch between Portrait and Landscape modes and introduces a single-Column layout in Pocket Internet Explorer. To make wireless internet access more secure Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) support was added. An array of new screen resolutions also debuted;VGA (640×480), 176х220, 240x240, and 480x480, to increase visual clarity and the range of form factors Windows Mobile could run on.
Windows Mobile 5
Main article: Windows Mobile 5.0
Windows Mobile 5.0 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 5.0, originally codenamed "Magneto",was released at Microsoft's Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference 2005 in Las Vegas, May 9–12, 2005. Microsoft offered mainstream support for Windows Mobile 5 through October 12, 2010, and extended support through October 13, 2015.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.The "push" functionality also required vendor/device support With AKU2 software upgrades all WM 5.0 devices supported DirectPush. This version 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, no distinction between the two is obvious to users). 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 prior devices, WM5 devices lose no data if power is lost. New to 5.0, OS updates were released as Adaptation kit upgrades, with AKU 3.5 being the final released.
A new version of Office was bundled called "Microsoft Office Mobile" with includes PowerPoint Mobile, Excel Mobile with graphing capability and Word Mobile with the ability to insert tables and graphics. Media management and playback was enhanced with Picture and Video package, which converged the management of videos and pictures and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. Among new hardware features were enhanced Bluetooth support, default QWERTY keyboard-support and a management interface for Global Positioning System (GPS). Improvements were made to ActiveSync 4.2 with 15% increased synchronization speed. Business customers benefited from a new error reporting facility similar to that present in desktop and server Windows systems. Caller ID now supports photos so a user can apply an image to each contact to show when a call is received. DirectShow was also natively added. This release was the first to include DirectDraw with hardware acceleration, replacing the deprecated graphics component of GAPI
Windows Mobile 5.0 requires at least 64 MBs of ROM (it's advisable to have 64 MBs of RAM), and the device must run an ARM compatible processor such as the Intel XScale or the Samsung and Texas Instruments ARM compatibles.
Windows Mobile 6
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.0
Windows Mobile 6 Using the HTC TouchFLO 3D User Interface
Windows Mobile 6, formerly codenamed "Crossbow",was released on February 12, 2007 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.
Windows Mobile 6 is powered by Windows CE 5.0 (version 5.2) and is strongly linked to the then newly introduced Windows Live and Exchange 2007 products. Windows Mobile 6 Standard was first offered on the Orange's SPV E650,while Windows Mobile 6 Professional was first offered on the O2's Xda Terra.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.
Along with the announcement of Office Mobile 6.1 with support for Office 2007 document formats (pptx, docx, xlsx); OneNote Mobile, a companion to Microsoft Office OneNote was added to the already installed version. In addition to the newly included programs with Office Mobile improvements were made to existing applications. Such as HTML email support in Outlook Mobile. A large number of Windows Mobile users are enterprise users business environments were targeted. With Server Search on Microsoft Exchange 2007, Out of Office Replies with Microsoft Exchange 2007, and search ability for contacts in an Exchange Server Address Book being implemented. To aid development for programmers, .NET Compact Framework v2 SP2 is now preinstalled with the OS. Developers and users also have access to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition for storage and retrieval of information. AJAX, JavaScript, and XMLDOM support were added to Internet Explorer Mobile along with improved devicewide Internet Sharing. Communication abilities were further enhanced with a new Microsoft Bluetooth Stack and VoIP (Internet calling) support with AEC (Acoustic Echo Cancelling) and MSRT Audio Codec.
To improve security Microsoft added Storage Card Encryption so that encryption keys are lost if device is cold-booted. Further updates both, security and feature, can now also be provided using Operating System Live Update.
Among other improvements:[32] 320x320 and 800x480 (WVGA) screen resolution support (The S01SH or "Em One" by Sharp was the first and only device to have a 800x480 screen on WM5),[33] Improved Remote Desktop access[34] (Available for only certain Pocket PCs),[35] Customer Feedback option,[36] Smartfilter for searching within programs and Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) support for select operators
Windows Mobile 6.1
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.1
Windows Mobile 6.1 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6.1 was announced April 1, 2008. It is a minor upgrade to the Windows Mobile 6 platform with various performance enhancements and 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 was not supported in the Professional edition.Several other changes such as threaded SMS, full page zooming in Internet Explorer and 'Domain Enroll' were also 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.The most apparent of the other differences is that the Standard version (like prior 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. This feature is not supported in the Professional version. Windows Mobile 6.1 also had improved bandwidth efficiency in its push-email protocol "Activesync" of "up to 40%";this 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
Main article: Windows Mobile 6.5
Windows Mobile 6.5 Today Screen
Windows Mobile 6.5 was a stopgap update to Windows Mobile 6.1 intended to bridge the gap between version 6.1 and the then yet-to-be released Windows Mobile 7 (Later renamed Windows Phone 7), that arrived in 2010. It 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) arrived in 2010.Ballmer also indicated that the company "screwed up with Windows Mobile", he lamented that Windows Mobile 7 was not yet available and that the Windows Mobile team needed to try to recoup losses.Microsoft unveiled this version at the 2009 Mobile World Congress in February,and several devices were supplied with it.It was released to manufacturers on May 11, 2009; the first devices running the operating system appeared in late October 2009.Several phones that officially shipped with Windows Mobile 6.1 can be officially updated to Windows Mobile 6.5.This update includes some significant new added features, such as a revamped GUI, a new Today screen resembling that of Microsoft's Zune player with vertically scrollable labels (called 'Titanium').WM6.5 also includes the new Internet Explorer Mobile 6 browser, with improved interface.
Along with Windows Mobile 6.5, Microsoft announced several Cloud computing services codenamed "SkyBox", "SkyLine", "SkyMarket". "SkyBox" has been confirmed as My Phone,while "SkyMarket" has been confirmed as Windows Marketplace for Mobile.This version was designed mainly for easier finger usage.Some reviewers have noted interface inconsistencies, with some applications having small buttons making them harder to operate using only a finger.Whilst this version of Windows Mobile does not natively support capacitive screens, mobile manufacturers have been able to use them on their devices.
In the months following this release, development shifted from Windows Mobile to its successor Windows Phone. As such no major upgrades were planned or released, although three minor updates; 6.5.1, 6.5.3 and 6.5.5; were made to satisfy consumers during the transition period. 6.5.1 brings larger user interface elements,including icon based soft buttons (rather than text based),an updated contacts app,native support for A-GPS,improved threaded text messaging,and performance improvements.It was unofficially ported to several Windows Mobile phones.
The second minor update was announced on February 2, 2010, along with the Sony Ericsson Aspen which was the first phone to use this version.6.5.3 continues the trend of attempting to provide a more finger-friendly user interface with several new usability features such as native support for multitouch; although device maker HTC Corporation created proprietary work-arounds to allow multi-touch to work on some applications it installed on its HD2 handset(However, Microsoft applications on this handset, such as the Internet Explorer web browser, did not support multi-touch.) and drag-and-drop start menu icons. Touchable tiles replaced soft keys."Internet Explorer Mobile 6 has also received some major updates including decreased page load time, improved memory management and gesture smoothing.As with other updates it was unofficially ported to some other devices. Additional features include threaded email and Office Mobile 2010.
The last minor update and the last released version is 6.5.5. It first leaked in January 2010, and was unofficially ported to some Windows Mobile phones.The name Windows Mobile 6.5.5 has been applied to these newer builds, although this name remained unconfirmed by Microsoft.
Hardware
An HTC Excalibur Smartphone
See also: List of Windows Mobile devices
There are three main versions of Windows Mobile for various hardware devices:
Windows Mobile Professional runs on smartphones with touchscreens
Windows Mobile Standard runs on mobile phones without touchscreens
Windows Mobile Classic which runs on personal digital assistant or Pocket PCs.
Windows Mobile for Automotive and Windows Mobile software for Portable Media Centers are among some specialty versions of the platform.
Microsoft had over 50 handset partners,when Windows Mobile was still being shipped on new devices. 80% of the 50 million Windows Mobile devices that were made from launch to February 2009 were built by one contract manufacturing group, HTC, which makes handsets for several major companies under their brands, and under its own brand.
Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5
On January 10, 2011, Microsoft announced Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5. The operating system has compatibility with Windows Mobile 6.5 and is presented as an enterprise handheld device, targeting retailers, delivery companies, and other companies that rely on handheld computing. Unlike Windows Phone, Windows Embedded Handheld retains backward compatibility with legacy Windows Mobile applications.
Pocket PCs
Main article: Pocket PC
Pocket PCs and personal digital assistants were originally the intended platform for Windows Mobile. These were grouped into two main categories: devices that lacked mobile phone capabilities, and those that included it. Beginning with version 6 devices with this functionality ran "Windows Mobile 6 Professional" and those that lacked it ran "Windows Mobile 6 Classic". Microsoft had described these devices as "a handheld device that enables you to store and retrieve e-mail, contacts, appointments, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages with MSN Messenger, browse the Web, and more".[69] From a technical standpoint Microsoft also specified various hardware and software requirements such as the inclusion of a touchscreen and a directional pad or touchpad.
Smartphones
Main article: Smartphone
Smartphones were the second hardware platform after 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.
Software development
See also: Windows Marketplace for Mobile
Software may be developed by third parties for the Windows Mobile operating system. Developers have several options for deploying mobile applications. These include writing native code with Visual C++, managed code that works with the .NET Compact Framework, writing code in Tcl-Tk with eTcl,GCC using CeGCC,Python using PythonCE or server-side code that can be deployed using Internet Explorer Mobile or a mobile client on a user's device. The .NET Compact Framework is 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.
To aid developers Microsoft released 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. Software can be tested on a client machine directly or be downloaded to a device. Microsoft also distributes Visual Studio 2008 / 2005 Professional Editions, and server / database counterparts to students as downloads free of charge via its DreamSpark program.[95] Third party integrated development environments can also be used to write software such as Lazarus, Resco MobileForms Toolkit,Lexico, NS Basic and Basic4ppc. Some third party development environments allow coding to be done on the device itself without the need for a computer.
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.At the same time Microsoft offered upgrades to Windows Mobile 6 versions to manufacturers for free.
Windows Mobile applications are strongly encouraged to be optimized for touch screen user interfaces. The developer also needs to take into the account the lower CPU performance of older devices.
On July 5, 2009, Microsoft opened a third-party application distribution service called Windows Marketplace for Mobile.In 2011, Windows Marketplace for Mobile stopped accepting new admissions.and then fully closed on May 9, 2012.
Connectivity
Main articles: ActiveSync and Windows Mobile Device Center
In the early years of Windows Mobile devices were able to be managed and synced from a remote computer using ActiveSync; a data synchronization technology and protocol developed by Microsoft, originally released in 1996. This allowed servers running Microsoft Exchange Server, or other third party variants, to act as a personal information manager and share information such as email, calendar appointments, contacts or internet favorites.
With the release of Windows Vista, ActiveSync was replaced with Windows Mobile Device Center. Device Center is included with Vista and Windows 7 and contains the same functionality of its predecessor. This new version provides many front end enhancements, allowing a home user to sync PIM information with Microsoft Outlook 2003 and later, photos from Windows Photo Gallery, videos or music from Windows Media Player and favorites with Internet Explorer; without the need for a server back end. Devices at this time also included a base driver compatible with Mobile Device Center so a user can connect to a computer without a need for any configuration.
Symbian is an open-source (ECL) mobile operating system (OS) and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture.Symbian was originally developed by Symbian Ltd.,as a descendant of Psion's EPOC and runs exclusively on ARM processors, although an unreleased x86 port existed. The current form of Symbian is an open-source platform developed by Symbian Foundation in 2009, as the successor of the original Symbian OS. Symbian was used by many major mobile phone brands, like Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and above all by Nokia. It was the most popular smartphone OS on a worldwide average until the end of 2010, when it was overtaken by Android.
Symbian rose to fame from its use with the S60 platform built by Nokia, first released in 2002 and powering most Nokia smartphones. UIQ, another Symbian platform, ran in parallel, but these two platforms were not compatible with each other. Symbian^3, was officially released in Q4 2010 as the successor of S60 and UIQ, first used in the Nokia N8, to use a single platform for the OS. In May 2011 an update, Symbian Anna, was officially announced, followed by Nokia Belle (previously Symbian Belle) in August 2011.
On 11 February 2011, Nokia announced that it would use Microsoft's Windows Phone OS as its primary smartphone platform, and Symbian will be its franchise platform, dropping Symbian as its main smartphone OS of choice.On 22 June 2011 Nokia made an agreement with Accenture for an outsourcing program. Accenture will provide Symbian-based software development and support services to Nokia through 2016; about 2,800 Nokia employees became Accenture employees as of October 2011.The transfer was completed on 30 September 2011.The Nokia 808 PureView is officially the last Symbian smartphone.
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