A few years ago I bought my first Windows Mobile phone - the Orange SPV. I soon realised this was the worst buying decision I had ever made. A mobile phone that cannot be used reliably to make and receive calls is not fit for purpose.
Now the reason I am writing again about Windows Mobile phones is due to an annoying problem on my latest. When I originally purchased the O2 XDA Orbit earlier this year, I honestly believed it would change my world. GPS, GPRS, Wi-Fi, mobile versions of Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word, mobile media player...what more could a road warrior ask for? I don't drive much, but the GPS impressed my friends. I even purchased a Windows Mobile-version of the A to Z street map, and a Freedom keyboard so I could use the device as a mini laptop.
But even with all these bells and whistles, it still lets me down. When I attempted to take a call from Microsoft on Tuesday, the phone simply crashed, with a system error. I'm all for progress, and convergence in mobile devices is certainly a good thing. But these devices must allow users to make and receive phone calls reliably, otherwise they are useless.
