With Windows Mobile 5.0 Microsoft has focused on refining the existing concept of the Pocket PC and Smartphone. Rich Hall covered the high level changes in his article "First Look: Windows Mobile 5.0" in the July 2005 issue of Pocket PC Magazine (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/jul05/winmobile.aspx). This article expands on the new features of Windows Mobile 5.0, based on hand-on experience with it.
Visual changes to the user interface
Microsoft decided to make a variety of changes to the Windows Mobile 5.0 user interface. Some of these changes are to make the Pocket PC and the Smartphone user interfaces more alike. An example of this is the decision to implement the soft input buttons on the Pocket PC. This makes the Pocket PC and Smartphone user interface much more similar.
Further, Windows Mobile 5.0 offers support for more screen layouts, including 320x 240 (QVGA) Smartphone displays, so that applications designed for the QVGA Pocket PC screens will look the same on a Smartphone screen. However this does not mean that the Smartphone and Pocket PC versions of Windows Mobile 5.0 applications are the same even though the screen sizes are the same.
Also, menus in the applications have had to change to accommodate the introduction of the soft input buttons. The menus can now have submenus that appear when you select a menu option. A submenu overlaps and partially covers the previous menu so the user knows to click on an option in the submenu (see below).
In Windows Mobile 5.0, menus overlap and partly cover previous menus.
Finally you will notice that the "OK" and "X" button were redesigned. The OK and X are in an offset colored box in the upper right hand corner. However the buttons still perform the smart minimize functionthey do not completely close down the application. Also, on the Today screen you will see that Microsoft has chosen to go with a new icon which looks like a person in lieu of the Contacts icon. Also, the option to open new Calendar, Contacts, Tasks items, etc has been removed.
Microsoft has also added additional languages to Windows Mobile 5.0. The Pocket PC has added support for Czech, Danish, Dutch, European Portuguese, Finnish, Greek Norwegian, Polish, Russian and Swedish. For the Smartphone, Greek is now supported. These new languages allow OEMs to create an optimized device for regional markets.
Application changes and additions
Word Mobile
With Word Mobile (formerly Pocket Word), Microsoft has focused on allowing the user to edit files and retain the original formatting of the document. This allows you to receive a Word document, edit or read it in Word Mobile, and then synchronize or send it back to a desktop. All formatting information including headers, footers, tables, etc will be retained even if they are not visible or editable on the Pocket PC.
PowerPoint Mobile
Windows Mobile 5.0 includes PowerPoint Mobile for those who want to view or rehearse their presentations. It includes support for PowerPoint animation. Though you are unable to edit presentations on your Pocket PC, this at least means you won't have to convert your presentations into another format in order to view them.
Excel Mobile
In Excel Mobile (formerly Pocket Excel), Microsoft has added the ability to create and edit charts. These charts are synchronized to your desktop as well. However unlike Word Mobile, formatting or add-ins that aren't supported in Excel Mobile will be deleted when you save the file. Microsoft has added a prompt to remind users of the potential loss of formatting so they have the option to save the file under another name. I highly recommend saving Excel Mobile spreadsheets to a different file name; if you save them to their original Excel file name, you'll lose the original formatting contained in that Excel file.
Internet Explorer Mobile
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