Microsoft, Where is the Standalone Device Emulator for Windows Mobile 5.0?

[Kris Kumar]

This Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to do a little Windows Mobile 5.0 programming. Since the Express editions for Visual Studio 2005 do not support Windows Mobile development. :roll: I knew I had to look for the Professional or Standard edition. And was hoping that Microsoft would have a time-limited trial version for those editions. I was happy to see the link for the 90 day trial version of Visual Studio 2005 Professional (http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/products/trial/) edition. But it was short lived, for $3.50 shipping and handling, the site would register me for a copy of the trial version, which would ship around Dec 12th. 8O So I changed plans. And proceeded to download the Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK for Smartphone. Which I realized requires Visual Studio 2005 Standard or Professional. We talked about this tough requirement over here. (http://smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8313) I wasn't willing to give up, so I decided to get my hands on the Microsoft Device Emulator (http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx) and load the Windows Mobile 5.0 emulator image, so that I can at least play with a Windows Mobile 5.0 device. But guess what?

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Kris-Nov05-EmulatorProblem.jpg

The Microsoft Device Emulator ships with Windows Mobile 2003 SE image. And the Windows Mobile 5.0 emulator image needs to be installed separately. I searched and found the localized emulator images. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=52fed581-8f8d-4c46-9966-4832098191b7&displaylang=en) Which refused to install because I do not have Visual Studio 2005 installed on my box. :evil: So after all that effort I had nothing. Didn't have Visual Studio 2005, could not install Windows Mobile 5.0 SDK and most importantly, I could not use the Device Emulator to test the Windows Mobile 5.0 environment. This is the statement made by Microsoft on the Device Emulator download page - "The standalone emulator is intended for situations when you want to demonstrate or test your application on a computer that does not have Visual Studio 2005 installed." Am I missing something? :?

[Sven Johannsen]

Have you tried this route?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx

That's the one I have on my machine and I don't have VS anything on it. I haven't played extensively, but you are supposed to be able to connect it via AS and tereby 'install' apps to the emulator. Yes it has WM5 images, PPCPE, smartphone, various resolutions.

[runbuh]

Have you tried this route?
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx

That's the one I have on my machine and I don't have VS anything on it. I haven't played extensively, but you are supposed to be able to connect it via AS and tereby 'install' apps to the emulator. Yes it has WM5 images, PPCPE, smartphone, various resolutions.

I installed that and only got support for 2003 SE.

[Kris Kumar]

I installed that and only got support for 2003 SE.

Thanks runbuh for confirming what I am seeing.

sven, I did download the Microsoft Device Emulator from the same link that you have mentioned. And it is also specified on my original post.

But as runbuh mentioned you don't get the WM 5.0 images with it and it seems like there is no way to install them either. :-(

sven, It would be great if you could check the Device Emulator you have and confirm the WM 5.0 images and also the version info in the About box for the Device Emulator. Mine says 8.0.50215.35. Thanks

[Sven Johannsen]

Odd, mine came from the MEDC (or was it PDC?) DVD when it was released and it doesn't have 2003SE support, or images?, just WM5. Maybe the link takes you to the wrong one. Mine is definately intended for standalone use and WM5. Got to be home to check the version.

[badbob001]

You can use the wm5 images with the community preview emulator, but the problem is with the wm5 image installer, which checks for Visual Studio. The trick is to extract the images out from the installer. I posted about this a LONG time ago here:

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37325

[Sven Johannsen]

Maybe the PDC DVD just had a diferent or better installer. My version is 8.0.50215.35 BTW

[Pennan]

The final version of the Device Emulator is due soon. Maybe this version will include or allow WM5 images.

[Pennan]

I just found this reply in Micorsoft's Device Emulator forum:

"As of now, there is no easy way to get the Windows Mobile 5.0 emulator images on a machine that only has the Standalone version of the Device Emulator. The Emulator team is working on a new standalone version of the emulator that will include WM5.0 images. However, i do not have an ETA for the next release."

See this tread:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=97628&SiteID=1

[Kris Kumar]

So the current version cannot standalone when it comes to WM 5.0. :-(

WM 5.0 has been out for ages. How hard is it to put out an installer with just the image and no stupid checks.

[Mike Temporale]

I think Microsoft has come along way in co-ordinating product releases so that they line up with the other products they integrate with. (VS2005 & SQL Server 2005 for example)

However, it looks like they have a long way to go. A WinMo5 stand-alone emulator should have been available at the product launch, or at least at the same time VS2005 launched. With any luck, maybe they'll have it ready in time for the next major release. :roll:

[badbob001]

To run the WM5 emulator without visual studio:

1. Download and install the Windows Mobile Community Emulator. Guest id : MSDEVICE
http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/windowsmobile/downloads/emulatorpreview/default.aspx

2. Download wm5 English rom:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=83A52AF2-F524-4EC5-9155-717CBE5D25ED&displaylang=en

3. Extract contents by running:
msiexec /a <name of msi file downloaded in 2.>

It will prompt you for where to extract the files to. After extraction, there should be a subfolder called 0409 with a bunch of .bin files. These are the emulator images. Copy them to your emulator folder.

4. You will have to run the emulator from the commandline. The following example runs the VGA wm5 rom (PPC_USA_VGA.bin):

deviceemulator.exe PPC_USA_VGA.bin /video 480x640x16 /s PPC_USA_VGA_state.dat /flash PPC_USA_VGA_flash.dat /sharefolder c:\ /memsize 128 /vmname PPC_USA_VGA

5. If you save the emulator state and want to restore it, you have to start the emulator differently else the previous state is ignored:

deviceemulator.exe /s PPC_USA_VGA_state.dat /nosecurityprompt

[Foxbat121]

I don't know if it requires MSDN subscription or not but you can download VS2005 Team Suite trial version directly from MS.

[anandba]

We are working on releasing the RTM bits of Microsoft Device (ARM) emulator and the OS images for Windows Mobile 2003 SE and WIndows Mobile 5.0.

Please stay tuned for more information.

Thanks,
--Anand

[Kris Kumar]

We are working on releasing the RTM bits of Microsoft Device (ARM) emulator and the OS images for Windows Mobile 2003 SE and WIndows Mobile 5.0.

Please stay tuned for more information.

Thanks,
--Anand

:clap:

[Kris Kumar]

I don't know if it requires MSDN subscription or not but you can download VS2005 Team Suite trial version directly from MS.

I believe if you have MSDN subscription you can download it right away. But otherwise we have to order a trial DVD, and it gets shipped on or after Dec 12th.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/trial/
:evil:

[Kris Kumar]

To run the WM5 emulator without visual studio:

....


Thanks badbob001 8)

It will definitely help out our readers who are looking to try out the emulator.

As for me, I wanted to figure out - a. is it me or this happening to everyone and b. is Microsoft aware of the problem. :-)

Both of them are answered.

[Kris Kumar]

A WinMo5 stand-alone emulator should have been available at the product launch, or at least at the same time VS2005 launched. With any luck, maybe they'll have it ready in time for the next major release. :roll:

I totally agree. It would have helped all the application developers to test their current applications on WM 5.0. Right now we are seeing that WM 5.0 application support is lacking. Maybe this is one of the reasons. If the developers dont know their app is broken and have to wait for a customer to contact them, then that's bad.