Windows Mobile Phones are Coming Back in Competition

Introduction:

Windows Mobile is a family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smartphones and Pocket PCs. They are the predecessors of Windows Phone.

Brief History:

Microsoft's work on handheld portable devices began with the research projects in 1990, two years later they officially began to work on Windows CE . Initially the OS and the user interface were developed separately.

Software Development:

To aid developers Microsoft released software development kits (SDKs) that worked in conjunction with their Visual Studio development environment. These SDKs included emulator images for developers to test and debug their applications while writing them.

Windows Mobile applications are strongly encouraged to be optimized for touch screen user interfaces. 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.

The evolution of Windows

Windows 8.1 isn't for everyone but it's coming along nicely. It's not strictly a mobile OS but it's evolving into a decent one. The advantages discussed in this post are not the only their advantages over Android phones, but they are big enough to make a difference.

Someone may feel that the availability of Microsoft Office on Windows 8.1 is a big advantage over Android and wonder why it's not on this shortlist. While the absence of Office on Android is a disadvantage over Windows for some, it's not for the millions of current Android users and thus is not discussed here.

Android makes more sense for some mobile users as it's a robust platform for tablets and phones. It's now making its way onto the desktop, too. Those wanting a pure mobile UX can do well with Android.

Windows is a better mobile OS than some realize, and it would be a mistake to overlook it. Mobile devices of all types are now available with Windows 8.1, and that alone could be an advantage for some over Android.

The window 8.1 has advantages over android

There are many advantages of Windows 8.1 over android some of the following.

Snap view

Microsoft wasn't the first to develop a scheme allowing multiple apps to run and display at the same time, but it's done it better than anyone. Snap view allows putting multiple apps onscreen and then adjusting each pane to the size that works best.

While Android doesn't have this ability, Samsung has its multi-view which works in a similar fashion. It's restricted to a few approved apps, though, and that is a big limiter compared to Windows 8.1. It's only on a few Galaxy devices and not part of Android proper.

Updates

Have a lengthy discussion about Android and it will eventually turn to the thorny subject of updates. Perhaps the lack of updates is a more accurate way to put it.

Updates to Android devices are at the whim of the device makers and carriers and there's no guarantee that a given device will ever get that shiny new version of Android. If they do, it will likely be long after it's available from Google.

Windows device owners aren't saddled with this update envy, as all updates are pushed to devices. A very few may not have the smoothest update experience, but at least they get the chance to grab new updates.

While it's true that Android devices continue working just fine without each new OS update, they do miss getting some security updates that are part of these OS renewals.

Mobile experience improvement

Android has been out longer than Windows 8, and it seems that the user experience  is roughly the same as it's been for a long time. Sure there are minor improvements with each new version, but that's about it.

The story is different when it comes to Windows 8. While there were some serious shortcomings in the original version of Windows 8, Microsoft stepped up to the plate and ironed them out with Windows 8.1.

That Windows 8.1 rolled out so fast is a testament to the new Microsoft. The improvements that are ingrained in Windows 8.1 are not minor. The advantage of snap view is due in large part to the 8.1 upgrade.

Rumors are already appearing about the upcoming Windows 9, which will no doubt be another major step forward as far as the UX is concerned.

Sharing

We've been taught since an early age that sharing is a good thing, and that certainly applies to information. The ability to send information from one app to another is very powerful on mobile devices.

Both Windows 8.1 and Android have the ability to share information between apps, but the Windows implementation seems to be more consistent. The Share feature is always available right there in the Charms menu, and many apps have it implemented well.

There are a few apps that don't have the ability to share, Google's Chrome comes to mind, but for the most part apps make it simple to do so.

A great example of sharing in Windows 8.1 was given to me by a friend. He's able to take ink notes in Windows Journal on his tablet and share them to his Evernote cloud where all his other notes live.

Another good example is the ability to share web pages to the Windows 8.1 Reading List app. This saves information on the web to read later in the Reading List app designed specifically for that purpose.

Sharing information is not missing from Android, but it's more useful in Windows 8.1 in this writer's experience.

The revolution will be coming with Windows 9

Windows 9, as the next version is reported to be called, is no doubt a push to get more people to make the switch to the new Windows that Microsoft has so much riding on. The adoption to the current phase of Windows hasn't been great, according to Paul Thurrott of Win Supersite.

Microsoft isn't sharing information about Windows 9, but Thurrott speculates that a windowed version of Metro will run on the desktop. I'm not sure what to make of that if it becomes a reality. Many call for the elimination of the desktop to avoid the bipolar nature of Windows 8. Moving windowed Metro to the desktop seems backwards to me.