What is new on Windows Mobile 6.1

Now that Windows Mobile 6.1 has been announced you must be thinking "what's in new?"... So here is a list of things you will find in Windows Mobile 6.1:

A new Getting Started center (pictured below) provides a way of helping people perform the primary tasks the phone is used for during the first 10 days. Those setup tasks include date and time, personal and work e-mail, security passwords, Bluetooth headsets, backgrounds and ring tones, as well as the ability to transfer music from the PC.



One of the first changes users will notice in Windows Mobile 6.1 is the new home screen user interface, shown on the right. The Sliding Panel plug-in offers quick, at-a-glance information of the clock, notifications (including voice mail, missed calls and text messages), e-mail, appointments, music and, optionally, Windows Live for Windows Mobile.



Nice - but only for Windows Mobile Standard handsets  - not for the touch screen devices, a.k.a. Windows Mobile Classic and Windows Mobile Professional.

In addition, once the Start menu button is pressed, people will notice it is now reordered to display the most recently used programs and applications at the top, enabling quicker access. The Most Recently Used Applications view can be turned off from the home screen settings panel.

For people who communicate through SMS, Windows Mobile 6.1 allows people to view a series of short message service threads in one view, cutting down on search time and providing one view of a conversation’s history.

Entries also show that contact details and contact names are hyperlinked, allowing people to respond immediately via text, phone or e-mail.

In Messaging, people will now be able to select multiple e-mail or text messages from the List view and enable various bulk actions: delete, move, mark read or unread, and flag messages. In the Contacts view, people can select or select all to delete multiple contacts at once.



Microsoft also says the over-the-air synchronization process in Windows Mobile 6.1-based devices has been improved further with Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1). The synchronization architecture has been redesigned to reduce bandwidth by up to 60 percent and improve battery life by up to 33 percent, according to Microsoft.

Windows Mobile 6.1 adds a Task Manager to help people better manage their device’s memory and battery life by allowing them to shut down and switch applications and programs. Users are also able to view general performance data regarding device memory and CPU use.

Live Search is an optional in-ROM application for device-makers to include in Windows Mobile 6.1-based devices. Live Search for Windows Mobile helps people search for and find destinations and content. Examples include finding restaurants and movie times, checking traffic, getting directions and finding the cheapest gas prices in a city.

Internet Explorer Mobile now allows zoom in and out, so you can select particular sections of the page. Don't expect the new Internet Explorer Mobile based on the Internet Explorer desktop code to be out until Q3 2008 though.

For Enterprise users there's now the ability to associate the device with a domain, and remotely manage the devices through the new System Center Mobile Device Manager.

And what existing devices will get an updated OS? Here is the list:

• Mobile operators:
– Alltel Wireless: HTC PPC6800, HTC Touch
– AT&T: Samsung BlackJack II, MOTO Q 9h global, Pantech duo, AT&T Tilt by HTC
– Sprint: A new Palm Treo and updates for the Mogul by HTC, Touch by HTC, MOTO Q 9c, Samsung ACE
– T-Mobile International: T-Mobile MDA Ameo 16 GB, T-Mobile MDA compact IV

• Device-makers:
– ASUS: New phones including the P320, ZX1, P560, M536 and updates for the P527, P750, M930
– HTC: A new Touch Dual for the U.S. and updates for the AT&T Tilt, Touch by HTC, Mogul by HTC from Sprint, TyTN II
– i-mate: 8502, 9502, 8150, 6150
– Intermec: CN3
– Motorola: MOTO Q 9c, MOTO Q 9h global, MC70, MC9000
– Pantech: Pantech duo
– Samsung: BlackJack II
– Toshiba: Portégé G810,Portégé G910

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