10 Things Windows Mobile Can Learn from S60

Over at Symbian-Guru, dotisisx wrote a detailed write up on 10 things that S60 can learn from WM, based on her experience of using both the platforms. Coming from a similar background, (except that I switched from Windows Mobile to S60) I do have similar sentiments about the Windows Mobile platform.

Because of its excellent Outlook integration and implementation, Windows Mobile trumps S60 when used as a PDA. The flaws become exposed when you start using it for internet connectivity or use the multimedia features. There are several enhancements that can be made in terms of general usability and handling. Here are some of the thoughts:

1. Get rid of the Start menu. Now, what is that Start menu doing on a mobile device? I have seen that many new users of Windows Mobile don’t even notice the existence of the Start menu and tend to search for the Applications menu. That is because the Programs menu, which shows all the applications that are installed on the device is listed at the end of the Start menu. Many new devices ship with a hardware key to solve this problem. Removing the Start menu completely and using an option from the Today screen to launch the Program menu could be a more natural solution. To make things simpler, application groups can be used.

2. Fix the connection manager. One of the greatest annoyance of Windows Mobile is the Connection management. The Work and Internet connection concept confuses everyone and does not have any real value. What we need is a user controlled connection management similar to the one on S60. While S60 slightly over does it by popping up the access point selection every time a new connection is made, Windows Mobile should provide this option at least during the first data connection attempt.

3. Make the menu structure simple. Even though S60 uses a similar soft key approach like Windows Mobile, Nokia keeps the menu structure simple. Windows Mobile on the other hand has nested menus in many applications. Check Internet Explorer for example. This makes the options confusing and sometimes keeps you wondering where the menus are.

4. Browser. A Better One Please. We don’t need a tabbed browser. Just a plain simple and usable browser as in S60. Period. Factory installed Adobe flash support is even more welcome. How about Flashlite 3? The presence of touch screen on Professional devices provide a nicer option to facilitate operations like zooming, panning etc.,

5. Provide better multimedia experience. The included WMP looks ancient. We need better navigation and jukebox capabilities on the media player. WMV and WMA are not the only formats we use every day. A feature rich media client with more codecs is a necessity if MS wants to project WM handsets as lifestyle devices.

6. Include better OTA support. I have never successfully received OTA configurations from my operator. Every time I put my SIM card into a new device, I get provisioning SMS messages from my operator. These configurations are accepted properly by all S60 and S40 devices I have used. Though my Windows Mobile devices also receive these SMS’, they never seem to accept the configuration. Everything including the GPRS configuration has to be done by myself manually.

7. Better Memory management. Please. Allow me to close the applications myself. All operating systems including Symbian do that. If Windows CE is better at memory management, why do so many third party application exist (including the one from your beloved HTC) whose sole purpose is to close a running application when the X is pressed?

8. Include other connectivity options. S60 always seems to be on the cutting edge with features like UPnP. This enhances the user experience greatly. Applications like Share Online and Lifeblog make your mobile device versatile and indispensable. Even though they are very small applications, once you start using them they become part of your daily life.

9. Printing support. While Windows CE has support for printing, it is still a mystery why Windows Mobile doesn’t include this. The business focused E series devices from Nokia support printing and MS too should include this in their next iteration of Windows Mobile.

10. Improve the built-in applications. Even after almost a decade, Windows Mobile devices still ship with the same old calculator, which is a joke of an application. Same applies for the other applications like Tasks, File explorer etc., A major revamp on this front is really required.

While the above is not a comprehensive list, it summarizes some of the major gripes that Windows Mobile users have for ages. But the news coming from the rumor mills are encouraging. Some of the recent leaked documents from the WM development team seem to indicate that MS is thinking in a new direction inspired by other vendors like Apple and Nokia. We hope that the Windows Mobile 7 will address most of our concerns.

Update: Rita (dotsisx) has published her own list of 10 things that Windows Mobile can learn from S60. Pretty interesting list with some common opinion. Don’t miss it! Hope MS is hearing all these gripes from its users.