What were Microsoft's main goals for this release and why are they important?
We continue to hear from our customers and partners that they value the familiar Windows interface and the ease of integration with Microsoft Outlook and other information on their desktop. Our goals for Windows Mobile 2003 are to improve this Windows experience by enhancing wireless connectivity, enabling great messaging devices, and extending mobile media scenarios. We are also enhancing the platform to continue to drive hardware innovation, including new form factors and accessories.
What were the most important enhancements?
We've ported the Windows XP Zero Configuration Wi-Fi experience to the Pocket PC. Now it is even easier to connect to Wi-Fi networks because the software automatically detects and configures the device for the new networks. We've improved device to device wireless connectivity by adding native support for Bluetooth. And with the growing adoption of the Pocket PC Phone Edition, we have taken the opportunity to improve our WAN connectivity with always-connected data connections.
Windows Mobile 2003 makes significant strides in delivering an "always up to date" e-mail experience for customers. This is accomplished by providing greater flexibility for automatic, over-the-air schedule synchronization, including SMS notifications for customers using Exchange Server 2003 and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices.
We have also added a new Pictures application, which allows individual and corporate users to manage their photos, including easily beaming or e-mailing them, as well as allowing users to turn their Pocket PC into a digital picture frame.
We expanded the multimedia functionality on the Pocket PC by including a new version of Windows Media Player. The new version 9 delivers high-definition video with up to six times the resolution of today's DVDs. In addition, the DigitalMedia Plus! Pack, available for Windows XP, includes two cool applications optimized for Pocket PC (www.microsoft.com/windows/plus/dme/dmehome.asp). The first, Sync&Go, allows users to regularly cache and sync video content to their Pocket PC. The other--one of my personal favorites--is PhotoStory. This application lets users easily create digital photo albums by combining their photos with narrations, music, titles, and pan/zoom effects. Photo Story albums are optimized for the Pocket PC's screen resolution, to help share photo collections on the Pocket PC in a whole new way.
How did feedback from existing users influence the improvements in Windows Mobile 2003? What were the most asked for features?
We listened carefully to both our end users and our enterprise customers. Most users loved the existing functionality of the Pocket PC and simply wanted refinements to the user experience. They requested and got smarter notification bubbles and fewer taps to get to their information. The new Connection Manager makes it easier to configure the Pocket PC and the optimized search feature makes it easier to find information in the Contacts database. We've also added a mute button, SMS improvements, and separate volume controls for the telephony and PDA functionalities on the Phone Edition devices.
For our enterprise customers, we have increased security on the Pocket PC, added support for the 802.11x Wi-Fi standard, included a new IPSEC VPN client, and added support for multiple VPN connections. Finally, we've striven to drive down the support costs for operators and corporate IT departments. Windows Mobile 2003 supports provisioning via a standard WAP provisioning message, a CAB file on an expansion card, or an XML service, allowing remote configuration for e-mail and connectivity settings.
What are the most significant changes made to the existing built-in applications and why are they important?
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