Matthew Miller

Matthew Miller started using mobile devices in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since. Matthew started using mobile devices with a US Robotics Pilot 1000 and has owned hundreds of devices running Palm, Linux, Symbian, Newton, BlackBerry, iOS, Android, webOS, Windows Mobile, and Windows Phone operating systems. His current collection includes the latest and greatest foldables, wearables, and more, along with classic devices like the Apple Newton MessagePad 2100 and Sony CLIE UX50. Matthew can be found on various social networks under the user name of "palmsolo."

Latest Posts

Windows Mobile 6.5 disappoints; no Start customizations and stylus still required

Windows Mobile 6.5 disappoints; no Start customizations and stylus still required

Microsoft officially launched Windows Mobile 6.5 this morning and with all the leaks and AT&T releases the information has been out for over a day already. I've had the chance to use both an AT&T HTC Pure and Pharos Traveler 137 running Windows Mobile 6.5 and I have to say Microsoft disappoints me greatly with this release. We have seen more leaked than what was released today so maybe there will be some upcoming updates, but I am disappointed by the lipstick Microsoft gives to us with WM 6.5. The thing is, the beauty isn't even skin deep on this release and I think using Spb Mobile Shell 3.5 gives me a better experience on the Touch Pro2 than Windows Mobile 6.5 ever could.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile open for business

Windows Marketplace for Mobile open for business

I have several posts planned for tomorrow's release of Windows Mobile 6.5, including hardware, the new operating system, and services. The Windows Marketplace for Mobile link has been on the devices I am testing for a couple of days, but the service wasn't turned on to try out, but the switch has now been flipped on the Microsoft servers so I can try it out. Microsoft will include the new on-device store, Marketplace for Mobile, on Windows Mobile 6.5, but they are passing up the opportunity to get the store into millions of existing Windows Mobile 6 and 6.1 owners. They may have some valid reasons for this, but I would think they would want to help developers and get this thing finally kicked off with a huge rollout across all available platforms. Thankfully, the community is providing you with the opportunity to get the Marketplace for Mobile on your existing device.

Exchange on Sprint HTC Hero is good, but nothing beats Windows Mobile

Exchange on Sprint HTC Hero is good, but nothing beats Windows Mobile

One of the reasons I keep going back to Windows Mobile devices, like my T-Mobile Touch Pro2, is because the Exchange experience has always stood out from the pack. The iPhone and Palm Pre offer Exchange clients, thanks to licensing Microsoft EAS technology, but there are still a couple of capabilities lacking (meeting with attendee creation for one) that keep me going back to a WM device. I am testing a Sprint HTC Hero (review will be here Monday) and discovered that the included Exchange experience on this device is better in some respects than what a Windows Mobile device can offer, but a few key capabilities still hold it back. As I stated back when I was trying to figure out if one device could meet our desire to have a slick UI and all necessary functionality I chose the HTC Hero to be that devices and now as I get more and more hands-on time with it my statement seems justified. Let's take a look at why I think the Exchange experience is better for many people on the Hero than on other mobile devices.

October 2, 2009 by in Collaboration

Thousands of phone apps are available, but what 3 do you really need?

Thousands of phone apps are available, but what 3 do you really need?

We constantly hear how many thousands of applications the Apple App Store has available, yet the quantity of apps and the race to the bottom mean little to me personally. While choice is nice, there are probably too many applications available for people to even begin to find all the best and filter through the junk. Steve Litchfield posted an article over at All About Symbian talking about how most people can probably have a great mobile experience with just a few selected apps rather than loading hundreds and hundreds of them on their phone. I consider myself something of a power user and generally have 25 to 35 apps and games loaded on my devices. Can you get by with just 3 apps and if so, what are they?

September 30, 2009 by in Hardware