Sunday, July 15, 2007
Using Windows Live Messenger Mobile on Windows Mobile 6? Be Careful!
Posted by Ed Hansberry in "THOUGHT" @ 04:00 PM
http://www.theunwired.net/?itemid=3985
I have been using Messenger on my Pocket PC since 2002 when it was first released. It has always been an acceptable client, though not a great one. Things like emoticons never worked, and contact listings were downloaded each time - a lengthy process if you had a lot and were on GPRS - and were not sorted by categories as they were on the desktop. Still, it was more than functional.
Windows Mobile Messenger for WM6 fixed a few of these issues. Emoticons work, contacts are stored on the device and they are grouped now. However, while the ideas are great, the implementation is less than stellar. First of all, contacts in WML are sync'd to your contact database. So, if you have Joe Smith in your Outlook contacts and also in Messenger, you'll now have two "Joe Smith's" in your Contact application on your Pocket PC. 8O
Second, there is no way to turn this sync off. If you answer "No" to the question of whether or not you want to sync, WML simply exits. No sync, no chat.
Third, I found after syncing, some contacts in Messenger on my desktop were gone. I assumed it had to do with my Pocket PC syncing to that database, so I immediately killed my passport userID on the device, essentially rendering Windows Live Mobile totally inert. I started hearing of others who had lost contacts as well, and many were complaining of the duplicates in their contact database. My suspicions were confirmed. WML Messenger is causing problems.
So, for the first time since Pocket PC 2002, I am not using Messenger on my device. This implementation of Messenger is two steps forward, and three steps back. The contact duplicate alone is enough to cause me to disable its use. However, my experience is nothing like that of Arne Hess! Click the link above to read his horror story in dealing with WML on his Windows Mobile 6 device.
I have been using Messenger on my Pocket PC since 2002 when it was first released. It has always been an acceptable client, though not a great one. Things like emoticons never worked, and contact listings were downloaded each time - a lengthy process if you had a lot and were on GPRS - and were not sorted by categories as they were on the desktop. Still, it was more than functional.
Windows Mobile Messenger for WM6 fixed a few of these issues. Emoticons work, contacts are stored on the device and they are grouped now. However, while the ideas are great, the implementation is less than stellar. First of all, contacts in WML are sync'd to your contact database. So, if you have Joe Smith in your Outlook contacts and also in Messenger, you'll now have two "Joe Smith's" in your Contact application on your Pocket PC. 8O
Second, there is no way to turn this sync off. If you answer "No" to the question of whether or not you want to sync, WML simply exits. No sync, no chat.
Third, I found after syncing, some contacts in Messenger on my desktop were gone. I assumed it had to do with my Pocket PC syncing to that database, so I immediately killed my passport userID on the device, essentially rendering Windows Live Mobile totally inert. I started hearing of others who had lost contacts as well, and many were complaining of the duplicates in their contact database. My suspicions were confirmed. WML Messenger is causing problems.
So, for the first time since Pocket PC 2002, I am not using Messenger on my device. This implementation of Messenger is two steps forward, and three steps back. The contact duplicate alone is enough to cause me to disable its use. However, my experience is nothing like that of Arne Hess! Click the link above to read his horror story in dealing with WML on his Windows Mobile 6 device.
