Windows Mobile

[Adeydiver]

Great work on Diving Log 5.0 it is looking good for the desktop. When might an updated windows mobile version be on the horizon?

[divinglog]

Hi

I'll write a blog post about Windows Mobile and the upcoming Windows Phone 7 Series next week after Microsoft's developer conference "Mix 2010". But I can say already that I will mainly focus this year on Windows Mobile and that I'm very excited about the new Windows Phone 7, but I'm also updating the Windows Mobile 6 version to make it more touch friendly.

Best regards,
Sven

[maverik464]

Hi Sven,
first of all congrats for your nice and useful software. I'd like to know if you have any extimate release date for the "more-touch-friendly" version of software for WM6.

Thanks in advance
maverik464

[divinglog]

Hi

Thank you very much! I'm trying to use the SenseSDK, which is itself work in progress. So it's a bit difficult to say a release date and I don't want to promise too much. I'm sorry, I don't want to be too specific, but I trying to get it done as fast as possible.

Sven

[maverik464]

Hi Sven,
do you have any teeny-weeny news about a new version for WM6.5?? Maybe as a XMas present??

Thanks again
maverik464

[divinglog]

Hi Maverik

I'm sorry, at the moment it's not looking good for Windows Mobile. I've really tried hard to include the Sense SDK and I've released in September a GPS Tool for Windows Mobile based on it, but unfortunately the development of this SDK stopped since June (which you can see in the linked blog post) and it contains some strange problems and missing features, which makes it in it's current state impossible to use it for Diving Log. I've also looked for other suitable UI libraries, but none of them was really good.

Additionally the Windows Phone 7 release was in the meantime and I had to do a complete rewrite of Diving Log for Windows Phone 7, which was also a lot of work. In the long term WP7 is much more promising and development is a lot easier for this platform. I've used this year Diving Log 4.5 on my WM 6.5 HTC HD2 (which is a touch only device without stylus) and I must say it was usable with fingers, even though it is not looking nice and it isn't touch friendly.

I'm not sure if it makes currently sense to spend a lot of time on Windows Mobile because it has no future. I don't like that, in fact I was always a fan of this open platform and surely, WP7 is a step back in many areas. But I think it has great potential and you can do a lot of things which were impossible on Windows Mobile. Even big companies like Mozilla and Skype has stopped their Windows Mobile developments, so I'm not sure if I (with my limited ressources) can justify to hold back other developments (desktop and WP7) in order to release a big update for Windows Mobile.

I'm sorry to have no better news, but without the right tools it is hard to do good apps.

Best regards,
Sven

[maverik464]

Hi Sven,
thank you for your early reply, it's really a pity not have the possibility to have a more finger-friendly software on WM6.5. I've been using an HD2 too since last August and as you said it's usable but very far away from an iPhone/WP7 version.

Would have been nice having an only readable version as it's in WP7 right now. Anyway good job regarding the desktop version.

Best Regards
maverik464

[divinglog]

Hi Maverik

A readonly version would be probably possible with the Sense SDK. The main problems are related to the data editing. Maybe I can create at least a separate touch friendly viewer app for Windows Mobile.

Sven

[maverik464]

Hi Sven,
if you're able to do so would be very appreciated..at least by me..as I only use the WM version for a quick look-up..I've never used it to enter new dives..but, as I told you, this is my situation

have a nice day
maverik464