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How to make Windows Mobile more like Windows - Mobile Minute
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. A 3.5-inch screen is much smaller than a 15.4-inch screen. I know it's shocking, but there it is. Forget the processor, the memory, the battery life, and all the other things that make your PDA or smartphone different from a notebook computer. One of the biggest reasons PalmOS and Windows Mobile are designed to look the way they are is because you need to fit the most vital information on a tiny screen.
Good, now that we've got that out of the way, let's take a look at some ways you can make your Windows Mobile PDA look more like a full desktop operating system. Under the hood, you'll still be running Windows Mobile, which means you've got the advantages of instant on/off and long battery life (compared with a laptop). But your friends will think you've got Windows XP or Vista on your phone.
There are a couple of free applications that can help us on our quest, and a few that you need to shell out a few bucks for. At least one of them is probably worth the money.
eXPerience
One of the early innovators in bringing a Windows XP-like interface to WIndows Mobile devices, eXPerience ceased development in 2005. On the downside, that means it's not compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0 or 6. On the upside, DigitalExpedition released eXPerience as freeware for Windows Mobile 2002/2003 users.The start menu moves from the top left of your screen to the bottom right. And when you click Start, you'll see a Windows XP-style start menu.
So basically eXPerience is a glorified application launcher. But it's a pretty nice application launcher. If you're a fan of desktop shortcuts, you can create a pretty much unlimited number of shortcuts on your eXPerience desktop for quick launching/opening any application, control panel item, file, or folder on your mobile device.
PocketWin
If you've got $11.85 burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to take PocketWin for a spin. Like eXPerience, PocketWin brings the look and feel of a Windows XP desktop to your mobile device.
In other ways, PocketWin does even less than eXPerience. When you click on the programs menu, for example, it takes you to a list of programs using File Explorer. And the graphics seem to be designed for QVGA devices. While you can load PocketWin on a 640x480 screen, the images all look very grainy.
PPX3k
If you'd rather have a Windows Vista-style theme for your PDA, you might want to check out PPX3k. It's a highly customizable application for customizing your desktop. At its most basic level, PPX3k gives you a program launcher and start menu replacement, as well as new ways to view your calendar and tasks.
But some users have gone all out designing custom themes, including this excellent Windows Vista theme.
Click on the start menu, and you'll see a Windows Vista-like start menu. Click on the Windows button at the top of the screen and you'll get a start menu that more closely resembles the Windows Mobile start menu.
Unlike eXPerience and PocketWin, when you open an application from within PPX3k, your menu bar retains the PPX3k theme, giving you the impression that you're still operating in a Windows Vista environment.
The developer of this theme even went and tossed in a custom built Vista-like control panel.
PPX3k is available for $10. A free trial is available that will not save any changes you make to your desktop when you exit the application.
SimpleOS
Okay, enough of this Windows stuff, you say. I want something new and different. Maybe a little more Linux-like.
SimpleOS is a free and very beta-level application that runs on top of Windows Mobile. It's an OS sort of the way EyeOS is. That is to say, it's not an operating system at all, but it acts sort of like one. Not only does SimpleOS replace your start menu and program launcher, but it includes (or will include) a series of programs designed to run within the interface.
Conclusion
There are a number of ways to make your PDA act a little more like a desktop operating system. For another method involving Wisbar Advance 2 and Wisbar Advance Desktop check out AFX's instructions on Aximsite. He's managed to create a Vista-like theme complete with a sidebar.
There's certainly a wow factor that goes along with these custom themes and modifications. But the truth is, no matter what you do, you're not going to be running Windows Vista on your PDA any time soon. If you need a full operating system, you're probably best off buying a notebook or a UMPC.
The Windows Mobile interface is designed for small screens. The reason most windows pop up in full screen is because you'd have to squint to see them otherwise. Even if you have a 640x480 pixel device, you have to hold it pretty close to your nose in order to see fine detail.
However, if you regularly find yourself double-clicking on your screen or looking for a control panel, you might want to check out some of these modifications. I'm not promising they'll improve your efficiency with a Windows Mobile device. In fact, they may slow you down. But they might make you feel a bit more like you've got a laptop in your pocket. Just remember this: you don't. And generally, that's a good thing. A Windows Mobile device may do less than your desktop, but it what it does, (like boot or let you jot down a quick memo) it does much faster.
That's pretty much where the Windows XP experience ends though. When you click on My Documents, Windows Mobile File Explorer loads up and shows your My Documents folder. And when you open any program you're taken out of the eXPerience interface.
So basically eXPerience is a glorified application launcher. But it's a pretty nice application launcher. If you're a fan of desktop shortcuts, you can create a pretty much unlimited number of shortcuts on your eXPerience desktop for quick launching/opening any application, control panel item, file, or folder on your mobile device.
PocketWin
If you've got $11.85 burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to take PocketWin for a spin. Like eXPerience, PocketWin brings the look and feel of a Windows XP desktop to your mobile device.For the most part, PocketWin, like eXPerience is a program launcher. When you click on the start menu to open applications, you're looking at the default Windows Mobile user interface again. But PocketWin does have a few nice features. The image at the top of this article shows the "control panel" and "system status' windows designed for PocketWin.
In other ways, PocketWin does even less than eXPerience. When you click on the programs menu, for example, it takes you to a list of programs using File Explorer. And the graphics seem to be designed for QVGA devices. While you can load PocketWin on a 640x480 screen, the images all look very grainy.
PPX3k
If you'd rather have a Windows Vista-style theme for your PDA, you might want to check out PPX3k. It's a highly customizable application for customizing your desktop. At its most basic level, PPX3k gives you a program launcher and start menu replacement, as well as new ways to view your calendar and tasks.
But some users have gone all out designing custom themes, including this excellent Windows Vista theme.
Click on the start menu, and you'll see a Windows Vista-like start menu. Click on the Windows button at the top of the screen and you'll get a start menu that more closely resembles the Windows Mobile start menu.
Unlike eXPerience and PocketWin, when you open an application from within PPX3k, your menu bar retains the PPX3k theme, giving you the impression that you're still operating in a Windows Vista environment.
The developer of this theme even went and tossed in a custom built Vista-like control panel.
PPX3k is available for $10. A free trial is available that will not save any changes you make to your desktop when you exit the application.
SimpleOS
Okay, enough of this Windows stuff, you say. I want something new and different. Maybe a little more Linux-like.
SimpleOS is a free and very beta-level application that runs on top of Windows Mobile. It's an OS sort of the way EyeOS is. That is to say, it's not an operating system at all, but it acts sort of like one. Not only does SimpleOS replace your start menu and program launcher, but it includes (or will include) a series of programs designed to run within the interface.
SimpleOS does not appear to be based on Linux in any way, but the developer has taken some graphics cues from Linux, with Gnome and KDE-inspired backgrounds. There's an email application included, but I couldn't get it to work with my GMail account. SimpleOS shows promise, but it's not quite useful yet.
There are a number of ways to make your PDA act a little more like a desktop operating system. For another method involving Wisbar Advance 2 and Wisbar Advance Desktop check out AFX's instructions on Aximsite. He's managed to create a Vista-like theme complete with a sidebar.There's certainly a wow factor that goes along with these custom themes and modifications. But the truth is, no matter what you do, you're not going to be running Windows Vista on your PDA any time soon. If you need a full operating system, you're probably best off buying a notebook or a UMPC.
The Windows Mobile interface is designed for small screens. The reason most windows pop up in full screen is because you'd have to squint to see them otherwise. Even if you have a 640x480 pixel device, you have to hold it pretty close to your nose in order to see fine detail.
However, if you regularly find yourself double-clicking on your screen or looking for a control panel, you might want to check out some of these modifications. I'm not promising they'll improve your efficiency with a Windows Mobile device. In fact, they may slow you down. But they might make you feel a bit more like you've got a laptop in your pocket. Just remember this: you don't. And generally, that's a good thing. A Windows Mobile device may do less than your desktop, but it what it does, (like boot or let you jot down a quick memo) it does much faster.
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsJennyJun 11th 2007 3:43PM
Looks good to me. I never enjoy remote desktop sessions on my PDA (extremely low resolution and it is almost impossible to navigate)
Jenny
http://www.spaml.com
RandalJun 11th 2007 3:53PM
Is there anything like this for the PalmOS?! I have a Treo 650 and man I hate that theme! For once I can say Windows looks better then another OS! :)
merosenfeldJun 12th 2007 7:31PM
Wisbar is probably the best one out there and they just released a new beta version.
CaseyJun 13th 2007 4:22PM
'think' (sp?)
But your friends will thing you've got Windows XP or
Vista on your phone.
Brad LinderJun 13th 2007 4:23PM
Thanks for the proofread. I've fixed the post.
TRJun 17th 2007 9:16PM
For Palm OS, there's: http://www.taptarget.com/products/ispin.html
And also another one in development that looks real nice, but I think is private and I forget it...
djJun 26th 2007 9:47AM
aiit i get all ur methods but wats da free method
bobJul 19th 2007 8:49AM
veri nice mouve