Five reasons to choose… Windows Mobile

Confused about the ever-expanding number of smartphone platforms? Unsure which is the right one for you? Our Five Reasons to Choose series gives you an instant guide to the things you need to know about every mobile OS.

Part four: Windows Mobile

1. Business integration
Many businesses choose Windows Mobile devices simply because they use a Microsoft OS, one that is highly compatible with Windows computers. In some cases, larger businesses have support contracts that include WinMo devices and connecting them to the desktop. Business execs often like to have consistency in their platform, choosing to use Microsoft Exchange for all e-mail and Microsoft Outlook on both the desktop and on mobile platforms.

2. PC support
While it’s true that mobile devices are now more autonomous – you can load apps and share data online without ever connecting to your PC with a USB cable – Windows Mobile devices provide better data syncing than other handsets. The recently released Windows 7 even has a Device Stage feature that works best with Windows Mobile phones for syncing data.

3. Fastest processor
One of the fastest phones on the market – the Toshiba TG01 – uses a super-fast 1GHz processor, the fastest in the smartphone market to date. Not surprisingly, given the PC processor pedigree of Windows Mobile, the TG01 runs Windows Mobile. Although Apple does not release exacts specs, the iPhone 3GS probably runs at only about 600MHz.

4. Known interface
Because Windows Mobile phones share some similarities with Windows on the PC, the look and feel is usually more familiar to first-time smartphone users. There is a Start button, apps for Word and Excel, and Internet Explorer browser, and settings screens that align with the desktop equivalent. Of course, whether the WinMo interface is actually better is up for debate.

5. Compatible browser
Other browsers – including the one on the Android platform – tend to run faster, but Internet Explorer on a Win Mobile device is highly compatible, especially with legacy sites originally developed to work well with Internet Explorer on the desktop.

See also:
Five reasons to choose… iPhone
Five reasons to choose… Nokia & Symbian
Five reasons to choose… WebOS

Series written by John Brandon. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials magazine.

Popularity: 1% [?]