Over 90 experts judged more than 850 nominations for the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards 2007. Our judges had plenty to say about their favorite products. In this issue we are publishing their comments about the programs nominated in the Communications software category. We will publish their comments on other software categories in future issues.
The purpose of publishing the comments is to give insights into a variety of products-not to show how the judges voted. For the sake of brevity, we've included only 1-3 comments per product and edited them for clarity and conciseness. A listing of the 2007 winners and finalists can be found on our Web site (smartphonemag.com/awards/main.asp).
Touch ScreenThe comments in this section were for the touch screen version of the application. We indicate if a non-touch screen version is available.
Bluetooth
BlueMouse
teksoftco.com
Touch screen only
BlueMouse works as advertised! I installed the app easily and was immediately able to use my Bluetooth mouse without any problems. Where has this product been all my life? (Amy Zunk) They could improve the product by adding a macro edit feature to assign custom triggers for more advanced mice with more buttons. (Mike Riley)
BlueMusic
teksoftco.com
Touch and non-touch screen
BlueMusic redirects any audio sent to the speaker through the Bluetooth transmitter on your device to a Bluetooth headset. It even gives you control over ringtone volume and will automatically resume music after you end a phone call. It works well not only with music, but with VoIP and GPS. (Steven Hughes) The setup process is complicated. The developer needs to combine the three-file setup into a single installation file. The installation also occupies a lot of memory. (Mike Riley)
Bluezard
wm-soft.com
Touch and non-touch screen
This easy-to-use Bluetooth connection manager also allows you to send files, messages, and check security settings on other devices. (Steven Hughes) The interface could be nicer. (Chris Brunskill)
Sniper
gadgetapps.net
Touch and non-touch screen
Sniper allows you to scan for Bluetooth devices in your vicinity and send them messages and files. (Steven Hughes) It did not work on my WM 6 device. (Chris Brunskill)
Call and SMS autoblocker/rejecters
Call SMS Blocker
winmobileapps.com
Touch and non-touch screen
This application is simple to use, but the interface could use some work. It was tested on and worked with a Palm Windows Mobile device, which handles SMS a bit differently. (Jon Westfall)
MagiCall
mobiion.com
Touch and non-touch screen
MagiCall has an easy-to-use and efficient rule-based interface. (Helio Diamant)
PhoneGate
maxicon.cz
Touch and non-touch screen
A very good program that lets you create a "white" list of contacts you want to receive calls from and a "black" list of unwanted contacts. It works well, but I was bothered by the need to create separate lists. They should use categories within Contacts for the white and black lists. (Helio Diamant)
Call recorders & answering machines
Resco Audio Recorder
resco.net
Touch and non-touch screen
It's possible to control this audio recorder program with your fingers, thanks to the large buttons on the well-designed user interface. However, it doesn't record phone conversations at a real audible volume level. (Gianni Carfagno)
VITO
AudioNotes
vitotechnology.com
Touch and non-touch screen
AudioNotes has a well organized user interface. (Gianni Carfagno) This is a good program that supports all devices, but the quality of speakerphone recordings is poor. (Helio Diamant)
Fax
eFax
efax.com
Touch and non-touch screen
This online fax service lets you send and receive faxes as e-mail attachments. There are three levels of the service, two of which involve a monthly fee; the third is free. I would like to see a fourth level added that is less expensive than the mid-level ($16.95 per month) service but with more features than the free service. (Helio Diamant)
Pocket PhoneTools Pro
bvrp.com
Touch screen only
This suite of software tools includes the ability to send and receive faxes from your device-it doesn't involve a paid service from third parties. However, it hasn't been updated in a while and is designed to work with Windows Mobile PDAs connected to a cell phone-not with devices with embedded phones. They need to update the program. (Helio Diamant)
Multifunction phone utilities
phoneAlarm
pocketmax.net
Touch and non-touch screen
PhoneAlarm has a Today/Home screen interface that allows you to turn phone-related features off and on at set times of the day. The program is skinable, and there are a lot of skins to choose from, as well as a well-supported user forum to help create your own. (Steven Hughes) This great application allows you to set up to seven different user profiles on your phone. (Julie De Jong)
PhoneWeaver
sbsh.net
Touch screen only
PhoneWeaver has a simple and appealing user interface that lets you start using it without having to read the manual. Multi-language support is a big plus; lack of profiles is a big minus. All in all, this application is a "must have" for WM phones. (Raj Pillai) They could improve it by adding features that dealt with unread mail, missed calls, signal strength, etc. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)
Photo Contacts Pro
pocketX.net
Touch and non-touch screen
Photo Contacts is a good profile management utility with call filtering options. It does a great job of displaying the individual's photo, but the Today screen plug-in appeared magnified on my Windows Mobile 6 device. They should improve the user interface and allow fonts to be customized. (Raj Pillai)
PocketZenPhone
pocketzenphone.net
Touch screen only
This phone profile manager and switcher has a simple and attractive user interface. You can access the application from the Today screen, system tray, or as a standalone application, but a separate CAB installation file is required for each of these. Inexperienced users might have trouble dealing with this multi-CAB file installation process. (Julie De Jong)
Spb Phone Suite
spbsoftwarehouse.com
Touch screen only
Spb Phone Suite adds a collection of phone-related features missing from Windows Mobile's Phone Dialer application. These included call filtering, photos in the call log, reject/reply with SMS, and more-all those great little functions that make phone use easier. (Bradley Gillett)
Phone dialers
EZdial 2
mesoftware.biz
Touch screen only
EZdial 2 is an innovative and clever solution that works well but is somewhat redundant on phones running Windows Mobile 5 or later version of the OS. It needs to be more customizable and have better support for skins. (Vijay Rathour)
PhonePlus
mesoftware.biz
Touch screen only
The phrase support and SMS editor in PhonePlus are very helpful when you're on the go. It has an attractive interface, functions fast, and works well. However, it doesn't attempt to integrate into OS style or give customization options. (Vijay Rathour)
Phone info access - WM
Phone Dashboard Minute Tracker
hudsonmobile.com
Touch screen only
This one has a great user interface and really nice graphics. It captures and displays information about minute usage and text messaging (SMS/MMS); setup is easy and precise. Add data usage (GPRS/EDGE, etc.) to this application and it will be perfect! (Julie De Jong)
Jeyo Mobile Companion
jeyo.com
Touch and non-touch screen
You can save your SMS on your PC or send and receive SMS using your PC with your Windows Mobile phone attached to it. It's a good backup solution for SMS and for sending out mass SMS. If this included the MMS folder, it would increase its usefulness a hundred-fold. (Carlo Guerrero)
Smaato Cost
smaato.com/network.php
Touch and non-touch screen
This full-featured program helps me manage my minutes usage, GPRS usage, and SMS messages; it's fairly easy to set up. It's free, but displays advertising, which was not a problem for me until I went out of town and had to sync the ads. They should develop a commercial version of the program without the SOMA Launcher advertisements. (Julie De Jong)
Spb GPRS Monitor
spbsoftwarehouse.com
Touch and non-touch screen
GPRS Monitor is a long-time favorite of mine that has improved over time. It's a perfect way of monitoring your wireless connection expenses. (Carlo Guerrero) The program has nice graphics and is easy to set up. However, they need to expand it to address more phone functions: tracking minute usage, SMS messages sent, etc. (Julie De Jong)
SIP and VoIP
4Talk
4pockets.com
Touch screen only
Finally, a program that lets you pair two or more touch screen devices to create a mini walkie-talkie network. (Alan Zaks)
Express Talk VoIP Softphone
nch.com.au
Touch screen only
This VoIP program has a robust set of features, but is too complex for casual users. It's great for a business environment. (Tim Hillebrand)
Fring
fring.com
Touch and non-touch screen
Fring is a communication tool on steroids. It not only allows you to VoIP from your Windows Mobile device, it lets you communicate with different networks. Best of all, it's free. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)
Mundu Speak beta
speak.mundu.com
Touch screen only
Mundu Speak is the most feature-packed chat client for touch screen devices I've ever seen. (Alan Zaks)
Skype for Windows Mobile
skype.com
Touch and non-touch screen
Skype has always been my VoIP application of choice, no matter the platform. It's easy to install and works with any type of hardware I throw at it. (Amy Zunk)
X-PDA
globaliptel.com
Touch and non-touch screen
X-PDA is a great, feature-rich application for users with a SIP- based VoIP service. (Remzi Semsettin Turer)
SMS autoreply / mass sending
Auto SMS Reply
bytesurge.com
Touch screen only
Auto SMS Reply is the best application in this category-very complete and very stable. (Helio Diamant) A handy utility, but it needs multiple message capability, the ability to send to specific groups, and recognize, record, and categorize new senders. (Tim Hillebrand)
SMS Answering Machine
boointeractive.com
Touch screen only
This software turns your Windows Mobile device into an SMS answering machine. It has multiple message capability, can send messages to groups, and recognizes and records new senders with the ability to categorize them. (Tim Hillebrand)
Synchronization
CompanionLink for Google Calendar
companionlink.com
PC program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devices
If you use Google Calendar, you need this product. It handles Calendar (multiple and shared) and Outlook synchronization. The developer needs to add Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity support. (Dick Grier)
Intellisync
intellisync.com
PC program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devicesIntellisync is a robust application, but they need to reduce the bloat. (Krishna Iyer) This is an enterprise-level synchronization, push e-mail, and mobile device management product. It's expensive! (Dick Grier)
Missing Sync
markspace.com
Mac OS program; syncs with touch and non-touch screen devices
Missing Sync is a must-have for Windows Mobile users with Mac desktops or laptops. It has even more features than ActiveSync/Mobile Device Center, and works like a charm on my Apple G5 with synchronizing my office sheets, iPhoto Albums, iTunes Playlists, and much more. (Alex Januschewsky)
Non-Touch Screen
The comments in this section are for the non-touch screen versions. We indicate if a touch screen version is available.
Bluetooth
Sniper
gadgetapps.net
Touch and non-touch screen
This was definitely the most user-friendly Bluetooth application. I loved its ability to send items to multiple devices, which is very handy when you're in meetings or conferences. (Bradley Gillett)
Bluezard
wm-soft.com
Touch and non-touch screen
This has great functionality, but it can be quite confusing the first couple of times you use it, especially if you are not familiar with Bluetooth capabilities or are not very tech savvy. I found the controls to be somewhat cumbersome and clunky. (Bradley Gillett)
Instant Messaging & IRC
Agile Messenger
agilemobile.com
Touch and non-touch screen
Agile Messenger is a feature-rich and user-friendly instant messaging client that lets you send text, voice, photo, and video messages. I loved the fact that you can shoot a video and then instantly share it with your friends or associates. It also offers interoperability across just about every IM service out there. (Joel Evans)
Fring
fring.com
Touch and non-touch screen
This one offers the best possible number of services (everything I want and more) as well as voice communication supported on Wi-Fi and 3G, which is very stable in the last version. The user interface is a little complicated; it doesn't indicate statuses beyond accessible/non-accessible. It's also difficult to understand who is away, busy, or anything else. A help file and quick status table would help. (Helio Diamant)
IM+ All-in-One Mobile Messenger
shapeservices.de
Touch and non-touch screen
This straightforward and easy-to-use program is a must for anyone who uses IM. However, it sometimes hangs up on logging into application. (Michael Sommer)
Mundu IM
messenger.mundu.com
Touch and non-touch screen
Mundu IM has a simple to use interface that really shines. Within seconds you are effortlessly logging in and chatting with your buddies from just about every instant messaging service-you can even share photos and files. (Joel Evans)
Phone tools and synchronization
Jeyo Mobile Companion
jeyo.com
Touch and non-touch screen
Mobile Companion is a simple product that can backup and restore as well as import and export SMS data, Call History, and Phone Book information. (Reynold Flores) I just love the ability to control my handset through my PC-it saves me from having to control two devices simultaneously. (Bradley Gillett)
SMARTFilter
novomobile.com
Touch and non-touch screen
SMARTFilter lets you divert calls and block calls and filter them by callers or by your Calendar, preventing inappropriate interruptions. (Andreas Erle)
scanR
scanr.com
Touch and non-touch screen
ScanR lets you use the built-in camera on your Windows Mobile phone for business-oriented tasks. For example, you can snap pictures of drawings, diagrams, and text written on a whiteboard during a business meeting, send it to the scanR service, and have a perfectly usable version in your inbox when you get back to your computer. (Joel Evans)
Spb GPRS Monitor
spbsoftwarehouse.com
Touch and non-touch screen
GPRS Monitor is great for someone who needs to count their minutes and usage for expense reports-it saves a lot of aggravation. (Amy Zunk)
VITO VoiceDialer for Smartphone
vitotechnology.com
Touch and non-touch screen
VoiceDialer provides solid voice recognition, even in the noisiest environments. You can also record more than one voice tag for a Contact so that you can voice dial someone's mobile, home, or another phone number. (Joel Evans)
Submitted Date: Jun 13, 2008
Source: Pocket PC Magazine
