Windows Phone Thoughts: Listenin' to the Music!--PocketMusic 3.0 Reviewed

Key Mapping
The ability to map hardware keys on the PocketPC to various functions within PocketMusic (such as volume up/down, next/previous track, etc.) has been around since version 1.0, but there were problems with the earlier versions. Most notably, when you mapped any PocketMusic function to a hardware key, all other hardware key functions were disabled while PocketMusic was running.

I’m very happy to report that this is no longer a problem with PocketMusic 3.0, as I have been able to use the joystick button for volume and track selection, while retaining my application buttons for initiating the screenshot capture software to get pictures of PocketMusic in action.


Figure 10: Key Mapping Options in PocketMusic 3.

Conclusions
Of course, there just isn’t the space to address all of the options in PocketMusic within the space available for a review like this. But it’s really great to see Pocket Mind continuing to upgrade this product – especially since it’s freeware. So many times, I’ve watched good applications start their life as freeware with some of the basic essentials, then quickly become next to useless as the ‘enhanced’ version (read as “The version with the bugs fixed and all the stuff you really need”) is released with a sometimes significant price tag. Thank you, PocketMind, for continuing to enhance the basic PocketMusic application, and provide us with a package of useful extra goodies at a reasonable price.