Windows Phone Thoughts: A Not-so-Rosy Review of the Sprint PPC-6700

"...there's one unfortunate problem with Windows Mobile 5.0 in its current incarnation: faulty plumbing. ActiveSync, the program that synchronizes the device with a PC, has been totally reworked using Internet protocols instead of the proprietary system of yore. But though the old system was no prize, the new one is so bad that Microsoft offers a long, long Web page devoted to things you may need to try on your PC (ready to "un-bind NDIS Intermediate Drivers?") if you want ActiveSync to work. A software fix is due on the Web, but there are plenty of problems it won't resolve."

This is one of the more painful reviews I've read of a Windows Mobile device in a long while. While some of the article is silly - the device cannot magically password protect itself, it's likely someone else put it on there and didn't tell him - I can't disagree with all of it. ActiveSync 4.0 doesn't seem to be an improvement over 3.x. And in some ways, Windows Mobile 5 has less features than previous versions (WiFi sync anyone?), which is utterly bizarre. I can't get Windows Media Player 10 to see my device, so I can't sync music either. Overall the reviewer focuses too much on ActiveSync and ignores what's good about the device, but the harsh reality is that every part of the equation matters - if you have a fantastic operating system that has an unreliable part, the unreliable part will get all the bad press.