- Easy Access to US, UK Streaming Services From Anywhere - August 18, 2012
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- Google Chrome Explodes On To iOS, Puts Desktop Experience In Your Pocket - June 30, 2012
In the beginning of August, Microsoft released a detailed case study intended to help developers actually port their iPhone apps over to the Windows Mobile platform, a move that has many Windows Mobile customers, myself included, a bit giddy with hope. We have been turning various shades of green over the past two years, watching those fancy iPhone types with their super-slick apps and their great (by comparison) user interface; not to mention the low prices that they pay for the software. In fact, it has been driving us crazy for some time now that, due to the overwhelming popularity of the iPhone, every new and cool or old and still awesome service out there has bent its mind to the task of creating an iPhone app — leaving Windows Mobile on the backburner, or in the dust completely, regardless of the much larger size of the Windows Mobile user-base.
This new announcement provides some small amount of hope that the Windows Mobile App store (Windows Marketplace for Mobile) will bring with it some of the better iPhone apps when it launches this fall. To that end, I have made up a short list of iPhone apps that I have always wanted to see properly ported to the Windows Mobile platform. Some are already there, in some semblance or other, but could use a better design and more robust functionality. Check them out below:
photo remixed from respres & Arjen Toet
BeejiveIM
This is truly one of the best multi-messenger programs I have come across. Very slick and easy to use, supports threaded conversations, and works with AIM, iChat, MobileMe, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Facebook, MySpace, GoogleTalk, ICQ and Jabber. There is a Windows Mobile Client available, but it has, much to my extreme annoyance, been discontinued and will remain forever in beta. That’s alright BeeJive. I’ll wait for the Digsby iPhone app to come out — then I can be mad at them instead…
Quicken Online
I use Quicken Online to manage and keep track of my finances. Like Mint, which may be better known to most due to the buzz about them this past year, they provide you with a slick and intuitive interface to keep an eye on your funds, complete with projections and a very visual look at where your money is going. Great service. They have an iPhone app. I do not have an iPhone… I had originally tried to use Mint, actually, but the service is not available in Canada. You can bet your last dollar that they have an iPhone app, though.
Evernote 
We talk a lot about Evernote here at 40tech — that is because it is awesome. Having that kind of powerful note-taking ability in your pocket, combined with the sync feature that keeps entire filing cabinets with you; and completed by geo-tagging and image/voice/document attachments (and an innumerable amount of other very sweet features) is enough to leave us just a bit giddy over here. There is a Windows Mobile application for Evernote. It has been updated regularly and has improved 300% since the first iteration, however, it still lacks when compared to the iPhone, which seems to take precedence in Evernote’s mobile development (updated just this past week, actually). The new iPhone version even has a browser built right in, for easy web-clipping, and the user interface is much better than Windows Mobile, overall.
Tweetdeck
Tweetdeck is one of the best applications for connecting you with all of your Twitter Accounts – and your Facebook account for good measure. It does other stuff too, like actually helping you manage the accounts, connecting you with other Twitter-based services, and showing you trending topics and so forth. Great for personal and business use. I use it on my laptop. Now it has an iPhone app. Unfortunately, Windows Mobile is nowhere in sight, and to add insult to injury, Seesmic, Tweetdeck’s main competition, is also coming out with an iPhone app sometime soon.
iFood Assistant
I’m a new daddy. I am home with the kid a lot. I am not a fan of cooking, but I hear tell those little people have to eat. This app is an awesome idea. 7000+ recipes? In your pocket? Many of them different ways to use Kraft Dinner, maybe? I am so there.
There are so many more that come to mind, and so many Windows Mobile apps already out there that would do well to look at the standards set by iPhone, and now Android, developers. Mobile applications in today’s world should be pretty, easy to use and navigate, and, if at all possible, cheap. Clever would be nice, too. Who wouldn’t love to see something as interesting as Ocarina (an app that actually turns the iPhone into a flute of sorts!) on the Windows Mobile platform? I know I would…
What apps would you like to see for Windows Mobile?
Klaus @ TechPatio says:
Wouldn't it just be easier to give in and get an iPhone? :) (sorry, couldn't help myself… I'll go to my Apple shrine and ask for forgiveness now)
August 30, 2009 — 5:48 pm
Evan says:
Nice post, Bobby. I'm with you Klaus, in that getting an iPhone would be the easiest way to go (I have one myself), but I could see how some people would have issues with the iPhone (app store craziness, too locked down, AT&T as a carrier in the U.S., etc.). Personally, I think the iPhone is the best smartphone out there, but if something that wasn't too much worse came along with full Google Voice support, I'd be tempted if I were making the decisions (it is a work phone).
Before the iPhone, I had an AT&T Tilt. I switched mostly because of how cumbersome it was to use, but if I had known of all the apps out there, I might not have been so eager to leave. Windows Mobile needs a much more integrated and centralized app store, minus the shenanigans that Apple likes to pull.
August 30, 2009 — 9:38 pm
Oscar - freestyle mind says:
I thought the same thing while reading this post. On the other side it's not that easy to deal with apple and some people prefer to have some kind of support when a problem arise and Microsoft is good at it if you are a business. That said I only have mac
August 31, 2009 — 12:42 am
jibjab says:
In the past I thought maybe it was the screen size of must WM devices that was holding back development of cool or useful app's. The iPhone had a great sizes screen that gave developers a nice canvas to work with. But now you have more and more devices that run WM that have a great sized screen. HTC as an example is putting out 4-8 devices a year and screen sizes are HUGE.
Perhaps once they open up the market place and have a central location for WM user to buy app's then can then prove to the world of developers that there is money to be made.
Only time will tell I guess.
August 31, 2009 — 10:32 am
Evan says:
I agree with you – it is the lack of a centralized place for apps that is the biggest problem. It was only after I ditched my WM phone that I realized how many apps there were.
August 31, 2009 — 11:47 am
Evan says:
That's an interesting take. I do get the impression that Apple support is great for the little guy, while Microsoft is more business focused.
August 31, 2009 — 11:48 am
chilyn says:
In all honesty, no, it would not be easier to get an iphone. Switching carriers would cost me and my wife about $700. Even if it were an easy thing to do, I would have to battle my urge to not give in to the marketing machine (a funny thing, being that I run a marketing company…). If the new Windows Mobile app store doesn't do it for me, and I have the option to switch, I will very likely move to Android (talking to you from a nearly perfect version of it on my HTC Touch right now…)
August 31, 2009 — 1:06 pm
Evan says:
It does sound like some tech folks are moving over to Android, after all the App store nonsense. I don't know enough about Android myself, but I've heard some of them (on one of the TWiT.tv podcasts) predict that Android will some day surpass the iPhone because of its openness, after Android has a couple more versions under its belt. They gave the comparison to Macs and Windows, and how Apple owned the world once but has long since been surpassed by Microsoft (although the pendulum does seem to be swinging back the other way slightly). Whichever guest was talking about it felt that it had to do with the closed vs. (relatively) open ecosystems, and he was of the opinion that Apple was going down the same path with the iPhone. Who knows?
August 31, 2009 — 5:46 pm
Evan says:
It does sound like some tech folks are moving over to Android, after all the App store nonsense. I don't know enough about Android myself, but I've heard some of them (on one of the TWiT.tv podcasts) predict that Android will some day surpass the iPhone because of its openness, after Android has a couple more versions under its belt. They gave the comparison to Macs and Windows, and how Apple owned the world once but has long since been surpassed by Microsoft (although the pendulum does seem to be swinging back the other way slightly). Whichever guest was talking about it felt that it had to do with the closed vs. (relatively) open ecosystems, and he was of the opinion that Apple was going down the same path with the iPhone. Who knows?
August 31, 2009 — 6:46 pm
Evan says:
It does sound like some tech folks are moving over to Android, after all the App store nonsense. I don't know enough about Android myself, but I've heard some of them (on one of the TWiT.tv podcasts) predict that Android will some day surpass the iPhone because of its openness, after Android has a couple more versions under its belt. They gave the comparison to Macs and Windows, and how Apple owned the world once but has long since been surpassed by Microsoft (although the pendulum does seem to be swinging back the other way slightly). Whichever guest was talking about it felt that it had to do with the closed vs. (relatively) open ecosystems, and he was of the opinion that Apple was going down the same path with the iPhone. Who knows?
August 31, 2009 — 6:46 pm