James & Vilija

After buying my first Windows Mobile phone a O2 Atom, I was immediately disappointed.  Coming from a Nokia that did what it needed to do and did it well.  For a multi-function device it did lots of things, but only poorly.  Slowly, slowly I have found third party software that adds, what I believe, basic functionality to my phone that should have been there from the start.

The first thing to do is ensure that your phone has the latest firmware.  Visit the
web site of your phone’s manufacturer and get any updates.  Another good source of phone firmware originally manufactured by HTC is XDA-Developers.  Most HTC phones were sold with different names so if you’re not sure, head over and check out the pictures to see if your model is there.  If it is, there is a very active community working on (un)official firmware for their phones.

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The following is a summary on how to install .Net Compact Framework on a PocketPC without Activesync.

1. Download .Net Compact Framework from Microsoft
2. Using a Windows PC, extract all the files from the installer package by running the following command msiexec /a PackageName.msi from either the command line or the run dialog box. The /a ommand specifies to run it ass an adminstrative install that will extract the files to a specified location rather than install them as usual. Replace PackageName.msi with the name of the installer you downloaded in step 1.
   • For non-windows systems (linux/mac etc…) 7-Zip is supposedly (I haven’t tested it myself) able to extract files from .msi files. If you goto to the download page, at the bottom there is a list of unofficial packages for other systems.

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When I bought my O2 Atom Pocket PC earlier this year I had visions of finally being able to keep fully up-to date. That’s the idea with a PIM Phone. However, given circumstances, I found myself without a Windows PC and hence no access to the Microsoft ActiveSync Client. The only PC I had access to was my partners Mac iBook. This left my phone a little “island in the wind”. I found that there are several options for syncing a Windows Mobile (WM) device with a Mac.

• The Missing Sync
• Windows Emulation/Virtualisation and use ActiveSync

I was reluctant to use Missing Sync as I believe the fewer programs on a computer, the better. Regarding emulation/virtualisation, this wasn’t an option as we don’t yet have an Intel Mac. After a LOT of research I finally stumbled upon a solution that allows me to sync my contacts, calendars, to-do list between OS X Address Book, iCal and our two phones. This method does not require you to install any new software or to pay for expensive services. Inspired by this informative write up on syncing for windows, this article provides an overview of how I achieved my Sync goals. (more…)