Why Windows Mobile developers suck

There is a simple reason that I just hate people who write software for Windows Mobile and Pocket PC devices. Is it that thy write bad code? No. Is it that they deploy bad user interfaces? No. Is it that the programs just suck? No.

It's that these developers keep distributing their programs in Windows-only .EXE installers, which means that any Mac or Linux user in the world can't install their programs onto their devices. It's important to remember that not everyone is using Windows, and not everyone has access to ActiveSync software which these .EXE installers are depending upon.

Sure, you're probably thinking "You should have bought a Palm; it is supported much better on a Mac". Quite frankly, I don't like Palm devices. I think that Palm OS is clumsy and is not intuitive, and I would prefer to use Windows Mobile over Palm anyday.

So, why should you distribute your Windows Mobile applications in .CAB files?

Simple. Because it solves many problems quite easily.

• Any computer in the World can then send the file to your device (be it using Infrared, Bluetooth, Serial or USB cable, or even a memory card) without having to worry about whether the installer will work or not.
• The device already knows what to do with the .CAB installer file. The user only has to tap it on their device and it'll install itself.
• It makes it so much less frustrating when Mac and Linux users can actually install your program. Remember, we can't run Windows .EXE files, and if your application is packed inside of one, that means we can't install it.
• It makes it possible to provide "OTA" downloads. This means that it's damn easy and fast for people who are downloading the file straight onto their device using a wireless connection, instead of people downloading the file onto their computer first.

The solution?

Don't distribute your Windows Mobile applications in .EXE files; .CAB files are clearly the way forward. It's frustrating when people using other operating systems can't use your software due to laziness in packing and distributing the software, and a bit of well-thought out distribution of .CAB files can make it easier for everyone to use your software.