Windows Mobile sofware dev. V Symbian OS sofware dev.

[seanmeade]

Hi,

Please can someone tell me what the key differences, relative advantages and disadvantages are between developing for the Windows Mobile platorm and the Symbian OS platform for Smartphones and Pocket PCs?

Cheers!

[Kris Kumar]

Hi seanmeade, welcome to Smartphone Thoughts.

The first question that you have posted on our forum is pretty tough one. :-) And not sure if there is a simple answer.

Before I begin I must state that I have zero Symbian programming skills. I have good Windows Mobile knowledge but have never written a Symbian app. So my answers might sound un-informed or biased. :)

I think the advantages or disadvantages are relative. Before you can select the platform identify the following:
- Target market. Handhelds and Smartphones or Smartphones only. If it is Smartphones only then Symbian is the current leader. If you chose the first one Handhelds and Smartphones, then being in the Microsoft camp will help you to keep the coding skills the same and re-use the code.
- Target market - enterprise vs individual owner. I lean towards Microsoft for enterprise solutions. Windows Mobile offers native support (API, .NET CF) for many office related functions.
- Your coding skills. If you are a Windows developer, switching to the Microsoft mobile platform is easy and relatively painless. Same development environment (Visual Studio). Lots of samples. Vast online community. Plus Microsoft does a good job of supporting the developers.
- Your coding skills. If you are C++ developer, then you can switch either ways. Same for Java. But Java is more supported on Symbian based phones. In the future I believe all Windows Mobile phones will have Java run time.
- Windows Mobile offers consistency when it comes to hardware. The screen resolution, buttons, IR, Bluetooth etc. You can expect a higher degree of consistency across various manufacturers or models. In case of Symbian I am guessing this may not be true. An app written for one model will work without almost any change on another model in case of Windows Mobile.
- Your own comfort level. Do you want to go after an existing market (Symbian phone market base is huge) or target an emerging platform (Microsoft Smartphone has a small market but is growing well).

I had some more stuff written up, but I hit the 'Back' key on the keyboard (I hate using laptop) and lost all that stuff. I will post more of my thoughts tomorrow.

[Kris Kumar]

This is a presentation from MS Mobile Developer Conference 2004.

Windows Mobile Development for Symbian and J2ME Developers (http://www3.mscorpevents.com/mdc/Resources/documents/CLI347_Yuan_WindowsMobileforJava.ppt)

Hope you will find it useful. Again have to warn you, the slides are tilted in favor of MS (after all it is from an MS conference). :-)

[Andy Sjostrom]

Hi,

Please can someone tell me what the key differences, relative advantages and disadvantages are between developing for the Windows Mobile platorm and the Symbian OS platform for Smartphones and Pocket PCs?

Cheers!

Hundreds of books and studies can be written on this subject! I have both written and read a few. There are so many factors to consider. The first factor begins with yourself and what you want to do. Let us know and I'll do my best at providing you with an answer.

[seanmeade]

Hi,

Andy and Kris, thank you very much for your answers. They have been very useful.

In my original question, I debated about keeping the question very brief or providing more background information behind the question. Therefore, I’ll give you some more background to my question…

I am Masters student at City University, London. My dissertation concerns Augmented Reality Navigation Systems - Augmented reality (AR) “supplements the real world with virtual objects that appear to coexist in the same space as the real world”

I am not developing an AR navigation system. Rather my work is contributing to a sponsored project that is being conducted my supervisor and her research team at City University. The project's ultimate aim is to build a commercially available AR navigation system where a video camera will film the scene ahead and navigation data will be overlaid as per the traveller’s route. The developed software will be Smartphone/Pocket PC independent, as well as screen size, resolution, etc independent.

Well, that's the background sorted.

One of my tasks is to gain a better understanding about the pros and cons of developing for the Windows Mobile and Symbian OS'. As I understand, its difficult to build for both platforms and thus choosing your platform is crucial. Such factors to consider will be what the typical user of each platform uses the device for. Are they going to want to use an AR navigation system? Needless to say, when the software is released in 4 or 5 years time, Smartphones/Pocket PCs will have advanced substantially by them.

The other issue that I need clarifying is that is there anything that you can develop for the one OS that you cannot develop for the other platform.

I have searched for papers on this subject, but as yet have not come across any. I would be extremely grateful if you could point me in the right direction.

Many thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.

Regards,
Sean