End User Wishlist For Developers Of Pocket PC/Smartphone Software

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.jenneth.info/archives/000093.html">http://www.jenneth.info/archives/000093.html</a><br /><br />Jenneth has created a wishlist of 10 items she would like software developers of Pocket PC and Smartphone software to stick to. Sort of a 10 Commandments for Software Developers. :wink: <br /><br />"I like Pocket PC developers, especially when they're responsive to feedback. I like helping them in making their products even better. Some developers are really great and listen to their customers, answering emails for support and requests for new features. Others really need to get a clue. So I decided to put together a golden list of 10 things that developers should follow when developing Po'cket PC and/or smartphone software (in no particular order)."<br /><br />Let me just say #6 on her list would be #1 on mine, though hers are in no particular order. It has gotten to the point that every week or so I quickly visit the home page of every piece of software I own. There is a better than even chance I'll be downloading at least one update.

[Jason Dunn]

Isn't application update notification old school? It would be way cooler to have applications, when started, check for TCP/IP connectivity, then query a server on a schedule to look for updates, then give you the option to download it. THAT would be cool. :-)

I agree though, updates are brutal. Omega One is the worst - they rely on Handango to distribute their application updates, which is ridiculous, because every time you download an update Handango thinks you're downloading the original software again (which you sort of are) - and they have a limit to how many times you can do that. So, from what I understand, Omega One's boast of "free lifetime updates" is a hoax because Handango won't allow unlimited downloads.

[Ed Hansberry]

Isn't application update notification old school? It would be way cooler to have applications, when started, check for TCP/IP connectivity, then query a server on a schedule to look for updates, then give you the option to download it. THAT would be cool. :-)
Over GPRS? No. Otherwise, maybe. Gets into privacy issues with apps connecting servers without my authorization.

[PapaSmurfDan]

Maybe put the application update notification into ActiveSync, as most likely you will need to install the update from the desktop. And make it so that AS can only check for the applications you want updated. On device notification is not a good idea, esp. if you have to rely on GRPS or some other bandwidth monitered connection.

This list has all of the quarms I have with PPC software. The funny thing is, the only commerical software I own on my PPC is TextMaker for many of these reasons.

-Dan

[bretzke]

For those non-medical types, the recently reviewed program called ePocrates has a cool auto-update feature. Each week it goes out and downloads new clinical information along with any program updates. It's required 8O .

It would be nice for a developer to make a 'standard' update sync, so that updates could be loaded centrally by any developer and then users will get auto updates when they resync with their desktop.

--Dave

[Lday]

Thumbsoft's Pocket TV Listings auto-checks for updates every time you run it. Of course it hasn't had an update since 10-28-02, but it works well.

[koriel]

As one of the main uses for my Pocket PC is reading e-books, I would like to see a slightly different physical layout of the Pocket PC.

Make it about A5 in size, with a 640x480 display, a convenient rocker switch on the side for turning pages, get rid of the D-pad and application buttons from the bottom of the screen (they wouldn't be needed for this use of the platform). Nice clear speaker, it wouldn't have to be loud, just very clear, for audio books. Possibly also an "automatic" conversion between text files and MS Reader format so I can just have the one reader platform on the machine.

And finally, definitely some form of built-in wireless network for pulling free texts off the net.