Upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 - The Experience Thus Far
Jul 16th, 2007 by Tariq Bamadhaj
It’s been around 2 months since I upgraded to WM6 and while it has not been smooth-sailing, I would recommend this upgrade to those who have yet to jump on the bandwagon. Need more reasons? Here you go:
- VoIP integration. Finally you can decide whether to place a call over WIFI or your usual GSM network. Coupled with the sound switch program created by tonychen of Eten Users Forum, you have one kick-us phone that allows you to communicate in more ways than 1.
- Vector graphics. Alright I have to admit that this is more of a visual than a feature but still, who doesn’t want their devices to look good? Or maybe its just me with new graphics.
- More responsive. WM5 was a refreshing welcome for to those who constantly faced the hard reset problem of previous WM versions when their battery ran out. But with persistent storage, it somehow slowed the device down as well. Maybe that’s why my old HTC-Universal was so painful to use after a while. WM6 fixes this problem by cleaning the code. Now, 2 months after using it, my device has felt slower (which is normal after you load the software) but not to a point that I wanna throw it against the wall kind of slow.
- Integration of Live Services. Just when you thought you couldn’t put anything else in it, Microsoft decides it was time to soup up the Pocket PC version of Messenger. And they couldn’t have done it better. You get to see pictures of your contacts (something not possible with the older version) and it integrates nicely with your ‘Today’ screen.
With such great fixes and introductions, it would seem that this new ROM is the perfect ROM to use. Far from it. While the problem of missing passkey in Bluetooth sync-ing has been fixed, here are some quirks that you would have to bear with for the time being:
- LED Charging. It seems this problem is carried on from the WM5 platform and I suspect that it’s because of the moving battery level when charging. While its more of a cosmetic problem, I guess this bothers some people more than others.
- ‘Turn off WIFI’ shortcut. This has got to be one of the more irritating quirks of the WM6 ROM. When you want to switch off WIFI, you can no longer just type on the WIFI-icon at the top of the screen and select ‘Turn off WIFI’ because it actually says ‘Turn on WIFI’. Its not a typo because tapping it does nothing.
- Memory-loss. The funny thing about WM6 ROM is that my device suffers from memory loss of WIFI access points. Funny because from WM5, Microsoft implemented persistent storage. It can get on your nerves if you are using passwords for your networks.
Hopefully these problems are solved in the next ROM upgrade. How has your experience been thus far? Would you recommend the WM6 upgrade? Why or why not?
(No Ratings Yet)
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I just purchased my X800 and am pretty happy so far. But there are a few quirks that I am finding a bit frustrating to resolve, at least for the moment. You had mentioned WM6, which the Glofiish X800 does have and is standard. My beef is in regards to the Bluetooth Manager and how I cannot seem to complete a headset partnership, nor search for any Bluetooth devices. The darn thing just opens up a window with Step 123, but no values or anything else to tell me how to synch up with any devices or set up a partnership. The window is empty!! Is this a case of downloading the latest WM6 version?
Hi Alfredo
I think you have the latest version of WM6 and considering that I have not heard of such a problem on the X800 so far, it could be just specific to your device. Is your X800 in discoverable mode? Try turning on your X800’s bluetooth and see if another bluetooth device (such as a mobile phone or computer), can discover it.
Hi Tariq,
I went ahead and recharted my steps to configuring my bluetooth headset. I was actually successful this time, but discovered where the confusion came from:
1.) First of all, everyone needs to know that there are actually two Bluetooth Managers available for the X800. The instructions I followed to successfully configure my bluetooth device was directly from Microsoft and is specific to WM6.
2.) What I attempted to do initially was utilizing the proprietary Glofiish Bluetooth Manager and settings. This was not working for me.
3.) But in looking at all of my confusion, which is not uncommon btw, was that I had forgotten how to actually pair up my headset based on the manufacturers instructions. I had to hold the “on” button for 10 seconds, which enables the pairing feature once the light becomes solid!! Once I did that, well, voila’, the nirvana was realized..
In summary, I would probably bet that if I had this pairing enabled, even the proprietary Bluetooth Manager would have worked.. Oh well.. My brain can only hold and remember so much stuff before it goes full tilt!!
Thanks Tariq.. Btw, I am using a Samsung WEP 200, which is an awesome piece. It is almost as small as a CIA earpiece.
Hi Alfredo
Sometimes the most basic of steps eludes even the best of us. With everything going high-tech, we can sometimes forget the easiest of things. Don’t worry too much about it. The good thing is that you are able to get your devices paired and working great.
Am glad that you enjoy the WEP200. How is the sound quality when you put your phone in the pocket and walk around talking?
Hi Tariq
The WEP200 actually works well considering it’s overall size and reception. It gets weird sometimes especially when it’s not fully charged but other than that, I have been pretty happy with it. The only real gripe it the earpiece. I am not sure which one to use. There are only three sizes: Big, Bigger, Biggest. The small size that they provide on the unit itself is quite large for my ear so I have to constantly fumble with it. Since I travel alot, this is a bit of a nuisance. But most of the time I can get it to where it causes a vacuum and sticks to my ear and all is well. Perhaps I just do not know how to properly set it in my ear.. I think it’s probably time to look at the user guide again..
Alfredo
Hi Alfredo
That’s great to hear. I sometimes have some problem with BT earpiece as well in terms of reception but it looks like you have found a winner here.
Oh Tariq,
I was going to ask you whether you were familiar with any of the GPS software for the Glofiish, and which one is better. I am assuming (in my mind..) that because the X800 has the GPS receiver built in, all I need is the proper software to use for plotting and finding travel destinations. TomTom and Garmin are the two that I have been researching. I am thinking that after installing the software, everthing should work, right?
Alfredo
Hi Alfredo
Both a great software but I am not really able to provide a comparison because I did not use the latest Garmin. They should work out of the box but if they do not, configuration should be pretty straightforward. Let me know if you need any help.