Sent from my Windows Mobile phone (v6.1)

I took the above picture with my new Windows Mobile Samsung Blackjack II

I’ve always had a problem with Windows Mobile. It’s always seemed to me that whatever handset you had (i.e. regardless of manufacturer), Windows Mobile and Windows for Smartphones was always, always comparatively useless if you wanted to do anything other than use the device sequentially.

It seemed natural to me to use instant messenger, email, maps and web browsing, not to mention other applications simultaneously. Do this on a Windows Mobile handset and it will quickly come to a halt with beautifully rendered egg timers. You’ll be totally screwed if someone picks that moment to call you. The phone will sort-of-ring for a milisecond. You won’t know who’s calling because the OS can’t get enough resource to look up the address book. Try and answer and the hardware doesn’t talk to the OS quick enough because the OS is too busy trying to render an animation or play a ‘you’ve missed a call’ audio notification. This has been my Windows Mobile experience for the last, what, 5 years or so.

The device is fine if you do one thing on it. If you use it for a calendar, for example. Or to write text messages. Don’t you dare do more than one thing at once.

Well, I went along to the Microsoft Pool Party for the media this week at CTIA. Aside from excellent event management, I was able to get a look — via a chap called Derek — at the new Windows Mobile 6.1. It’s a bit different. I was shocked to see fast menu animations as Derek navigated the device and showed a projected view of the device screen on a big plasma.

“Er, wait, do that again,” I had to ask as he flicked through text message, calendar items, the inbox and so on.

I nearly gasped. Animation that doe-does-doesn-doesn’t freeze half way through. A fast and usable front-end interface? Gosh.

Impressed. I created a video of Derek showing off the various features. I’ll post it up shortly. I resolved to try and take a look at version 6.1 soon.

I didn’t have to wait long. Microsoft being the multi-billion dollar professionals that they are, they had decided to offer all party visitors a Samsung Blackjack II device in a goodie bag, along with a Microsoft branded bottle of mineral water. I always worry about giving devices to journalists. Secretly, I don’t think a lot of them deserve free devices, especially if they take one look at the device then stick it on their pile of other free handsets.

The chap from Weber Shandwick, Microsoft’s PR, correctly recognised that I was a Brit.

“You need a test sim card?” he asked.

“Er, well,” I thought of my E90 — which I *still* had at that point, “I’ve got my UK sim card that I could use,”

“Wait, let me get you one,” he said. Smart thinking. I’d be more likely to spend time playing with the device if I wasn’t paying a good few quid per meg to Vodafone UK for the privilege of international roaming.

I stuck in the sim card when I got back to my hotel room and charged the device. The front menu screens are much improved. The animation is very well done. There are far less UI freezes — in fact, I’ve witnessed none so far and I’ve been using the device regularly for most of the week, more so since the E90 was half-inched (“pinched” / lost).

Anyway, I am delighted with the 6.1 improvements. I think I’ll give it another week of use and knock up a viewpoint on it.

And to the subject of this post. Every email I send has ‘Sent from my Windows Mobile(r) phone’ appended to the bottom as a signature. Finally. Nice one Microsoft. It’s about time they did the same as Blackberry in that regard. There is nothing wrong with owning a Windows Mobile.