Putting Windows Mobile to Work
Microsoft's wireless operating system does lots of things well, but e-mail is a drawback. The Audiovox SMT makes the most of this software
The Good The world's smallest smart phone is an great realization of Microsoft's mobile vision
The Bad No real-time access to corporate e-mail
The Bottom Line With a little more work, it could rivals such leaders as PalmOne's Treo 650
Although Microsoft has been struggling to make a name for itself in the rapidly growing market for wireless communications, its offerings have been overshadowed by rival devices such as Research in Motion's (RIMM
) BlackBerry and PalmOne's (PLMO
) Treo 650. Both devices connect seamlessly to Microsoft's desktop software, and corporate information-technology departments are rolling them out to workers by the millions.
Microsoft (MSFT
) just hasn't been able to crack the market with its operating system for mobile devices, since cell-phone makers and wireless phone companies are reluctant to let Redmond get between them and their customers. And Microsoft hasn't really come forward with any great wireless products.
That's beginning to change. The latest version of Windows Mobile works pretty well as a personal organizer, music and video player, and Web browser.
DATA STREAM. The system lags behind its rivals in one important aspect, though: It isn't competitive in the crucial area of wireless e-mail. The BlackBerry and the Treo 650 offer "push" e-mail (for our reviews, see BW Online, 4/27/05, "BlackBerry: Too Long on the Vine?", and 4/29/05, "The Treo Grande"). "Push" means the devices are connected to corporate computer systems through the wireless networks 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They exchange information continuously, in real time, without the need for a cradle or a USB connection. If you're in a hotel room in Houston, you can enter contact information for that new client in your BlackBerry or Treo. It will automatically appear on your computer desktop at the office in Chicago in a matter of seconds.
Microsoft isn't quite there. Devices based on Windows Mobile automatically synchronize wirelessly with the desktop, but not in real time. They have to be set to synch at regular intervals, such as once every 10 or 20 minutes.
Microsoft seems to think that most people can afford to wait a few minutes for their wireless e-mail to sync with their desktop. I disagree. After testing five smart phones over the last few weeks, I've concluded that true push e-mail is a great thing. Accept no substitutes.
DEADLINE PERFORMANCE. You don't need to be an eight-figure-a-year investment banker to appreciate this feature's appeal. That became apparent to me a few weeks ago, while I was testing the Treo 650. I was riding the B train back to Brooklyn and decided to check my e-mail as it crossed the Manhattan Bridge. I had about 90 seconds before the train went underground, out of range of the cell-phone networks.
One of my editors had sent me an e-mail with a question about a story that I had written. I was able to read the query and send a reply while I was still in cell-phone range on the bridge. My editor, who was working in BusinessWeek's Silicon Valley office, received the answer instantly. If I had been using a Windows device, the answer might have lingered in my outbox until I reached my destination 15 minutes later. Those 15 minutes count when you're on deadline.
Microsoft will eventually offer its customers real push e-mail. Until then, it'll be at a competitive disadvantage in the world of mobile corporate communications. As a consumer, I can probably wait a few minutes to send and receive my messages. But I can't afford to wait when I'm at work, especially when other devices get the job done at a comparable price.
SELF-EXPLANATORY. Despite this serious flaw, I was pleasantly surprised at how well Windows Mobile worked in every other respect. I didn't need to consult the instruction manual very often -- the program seemed to explain itself to me as I went along. Scrolling through my list of 1,300 contacts was a cumbersome process with the Nokia 9300 (see BW Online, 5/1/05, "This Nokia Is Too Much Phone"). Windows Mobile made it fast and easy.
Adjusting the volume on the Nokia 9300, which uses Java and Symbian software, was a two-step process. And the Nokia device's external speaker didn't shut off when I installed headphones, which was an annoyance. The mobile version of Windows Media Player was a pleasure to use in comparison.
Since the Audiovox smart phone is subject to Windows Mobile's limitations, no true push e-mail is available at the moment. On the bright side, the phone is durable and well designed. The screen is large, bright, and easy to read. And the keypad works well. It's fine for sending text messages or short e-mails.
LAYOUT PROBLEMS. I liked using the tiny phone to access Microsoft's msn.com portal. I don't use the service very often when I'm working at a desktop, but I thought the mobile version did a good job of aggregating news, weather, e-mail, and other kinds of information. It was easier to use than the mobile version of Yahoo! (YHOO
). And Windows Media works well on the tiny screen. I downloaded a trailer for the upcoming Batman movie without a hitch.
I also liked the Audiovox's tracking device. The three-position bar gives the BlackBerry's famous scroll wheel a good run for its money. It's easy to steer your way through Windows Mobile, and the bar makes a satisfying "click" whenever you press it.
I thought the Windows Mobile homepage was a little crowded, though. I loved the layout of the Treo 650 homepage, which was based on software from Good Technology. The Treo provides the time and date, my next three calendar items, and the subject line of my latest e-mail in an easy-to-read environment. Icons for battery strength, reception, and five or six important applications are there, too. And it's easy to read, with plenty of extra space between each item. The Windows Mobile homepage didn't do as good a job of previewing the next few meetings on my calendar.
STYLUS STYLES. I tested another Windows device, the SX66 Pocket PC Phone from Siemens, but it wasn't nearly as polished as the Audiovox, though it has its points. It readily accepted the memory card that I had used in the Treo 650 -- which was great, because it meant I didn't have to waste time transferring dozens of songs. The Nokia device, by contrast, accepts a different kind of memory card that's more common in cell phones. While some people may fear Microsoft will extend its monopoly from the desktop to the mobile device, the real threat to compatibility comes from the cell-phone makers.
Despite these strengths, I thought the Siemens device compared poorly to its rivals, and I would give it only two stars. It's heavy and a bit too wide to fit comfortably in the hand. While the Treo 650 had the fit and polish of a mini-Mercedes, the Siemens drove more like a rattling Yugo. The Treo's stylus was heavy and well made, and rested in my palm like a little pen. The Siemens' stylus was flimsy and wouldn't stay attached to its mount on the back of the device.
Overall, the Siemens SX66 looked and felt like a small, mobile version of every nondescript "Wintel" computer that you had to endure in the '80s and '90s, before companies made industrial design a priority. The slide-out keypad should have been fun to use, like a James Bond gadget. But it had all the flair of the keyboard drawer at your desk at work. And with a price of $499, it's no bargain. Better hardware is available at that level, the SX66 doesn't even include a camera.
Microsoft has done a good job with its mobile version of Windows. It isn't perfect, but all in all it's better than anything the cell-phone companies have come out with. It's compatible with lots of other products, and accepts smart cards from many MP3 players and digital cameras. If Microsoft can master the art of push e-mail and work with equipment makers to develop consistently strong handsets, it will be an important player in the wireless market.
Editors Note:
Thanks for all the comments on the special report. Many of you have posted reviews and sent e-mails to me directly. I appreciate the feedback. And to those of you who took exception to my review of the Audiovox and Microsoft Mobile, here's a fuller explanation of my point of view. But please let me know what you think.
There's no question that Microsoft does a good job with e-mail. As I stated in my review, it's only a "half-step" behind Treo and Blackberry. I can understand why these folks love their Audiovox devices. But in each case, they have to fiddle around with settings and "background" messages to achieve something that Treo and Blackberry do automatically. I still give Treo and Blackberry the edge when it comes to what I consider true, real-time, automatic delivery of "push" e-mail.
Let me put it another way: Do these readers have to fiddle around with settings and background messages to send and receive their mail when they're at their desktop computer at work? I doubt that they do. The Treo and the Blackberry work the way my corporate e-mail works when I'm in the office because they are one and the same.
— Steve Rosenbush
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Rosenbush is a senior writer for BusinessWeek Online in New York
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