As I see it, the next release of Windows Mobile, version 7, is in need of updating in at least five major respects.  First, the UI, or the general look and aesthetic appeal of the OS. Second, more touch-friendly navigation.  Third, better mobile web browsing.  Fourth, better multimedia management and control.  And finally, simple, instant and fully wireless syncing.

I’ve decided to focus this first in a multi-part editorial on the syncing possibilities of Windows Mobile and what improvements need to be added for Windows Mobile 7, which is due out next year.

The Sync Cable: An Optional Accessory

Syncing a PDA with a cable was cool in 1999, but we now live in a wireless world.  Modern handhelds, including Windows Mobile devices, have onboard Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, EV-DO, HSDPA and GPS.  There's no reason why you should use a cord with today's handhelds unless you're charging a battery.  With onboard Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and increasingly fast mobile broadband technologies, cable syncing should be a thing of the past, or at the very least a secondary feature.

Syncing e-mail, contacts and calendar entries - and installing third-party applications - should be simple, immediate, and largely Cloud-based. 

The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowing in the Wind

The Cloud, or Cloud Computing, is the answer to the syncing woes of today, and fortunately some of Microsoft's latest and greatest involve evolving Cloud technology.  The Windows Live team (for whom I have growing respect) have been doing great things of late, things which WM7 can take advantage of in very interesting ways. 

Windows Live Mail, for example, formerly known at Hotmail, is a web-based email and PIM system which handles not only electronic mail but contacts, tasks, calendar and notes. Outlook (which is often not included with Windows Mobile devices any longer) should no longer be a required partner for a Windows Mobile handheld, though it should certainly be an option.  Microsoft should cut the cord and embrace the Cloud with direct over-the-air syncing via a new and improved Windows Live Mail experience. 

Imagine a system where Windows Mobile, Windows Live and Windows work together seamlessly and entirely cable-free.  Windows Live Mail in the Cloud and the Windows Live Mail desktop client could provide Web-PC-Handheld access to email and PIM; change an entry or compose an e-mail on one system - PC, Web or Windows Mobile - and the information is immediately synced across all three platforms.  Windows Live FolderShare , Live Mesh or Windows Live Skydrive would allow files to be shared, changed and/or synced via the Cloud so users have access to files stored on a PC or in the Cloud from a Windows Mobile handheld and vice versa, and you could even mark specific files for syncing with each platform.  Windows Live Writer for Windows Mobile would allow you to post to your blog from any platform, and with synced and shared data you could start writing a post on your handheld then edit and publish once you're at your desk.  Live Photo Gallery would allow you to view, edit and share photos from any device.  And, of course, Live Messenger could provide instant IM and SMS communication.

The existing Windows Live systems, with augmentation and adjustment, could provide this seamless Windows Mobile experience by connecting the WM device with the desktop client and Cloud-based applications, effectively transforming Windows Mobile into what it has always aspired to be: a portable extension of your PC.  All that's required are WM-dedicated applications.

Installing Software Without Wires

There are options for installing some software for Windows Mobile without a wired connection with ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center, but choosing, purchasing and installing software entirely from a mobile device isn't always ideal.  There should be a solution for installing software on a WM handheld that doesn't take the desktop out of the loop, but also ditches the cable. 

Even with the Cloud taking the place of a sync cable for syncing, I still believe there's need for a software installation solution.  I propose a Cloud-based module, similar to Skydrive or FolderShare, which frees users to browse and select Windows Mobile software on a PC, but performs the installation without wires.  Much like Firefox allows you to quickly select and install add-ons without downloading and running an installation file, a Windows Live app, let's call it Live Installer, could be created which allows a user sitting at a PC to select and purchase (if need-be) software and have the installer file pushed to their WM device for automatic installation.  For example, I could peruse available Windows Mobile jukebox software on my PC, make my selection, submit payment, and with the click of a mouse have the application wirelessly pushed to my device and installed; the next time I picked up the handheld, the software would be installed and ready to go.

It's Simplicity, Stupid

The key to this brave new seamless and wireless world is simplicity.  Make Windows Live the hub of all data, whether it be in the hand, on the desk or in the Cloud.  If you want to use Outlook, great.  Prefer Windows Live Mail on your PC?  Download and go.  Does having all of your data in the Cloud make more sense to you?  You can do that, too.  Just choose and go. 

The Windows Live suite of online and desktop applications is impressive, and provides a solid foundation for each of the solutions I've mentioned.  Making them play nicely with both desktop and handheld interfaces will take work, but it's one of the most important steps Microsoft can take to bring Windows Mobile into the future; leave the complicated stuff to the programmers.  The user - consumer or corporate - just wants things to work, to be easy to set up and to be enjoyable to use.

Current, Albeit Limited, Solutions

Microsoft has made some of its Windows Live products available on today's Windows Mobile handhelds courtesy of Windows Live for Mobile.  This application installs on current WM devices to provide limited access to mail, Messenger and search.  This is a step in the right direction, small though it may be, and is an indication that there's some intent on the part of Microsoft to marry Live and Windows Mobile.  Unfortunately, the application is crippled by its current features. 

If you want to give Windows Live for Mobile a try on your Windows Mobile 5 or 6 handheld, point your mobile browser to mobile.msn.com. 

Part II: Multimedia

In the second part of my Hopes for Windows Mobile 7 editorial, I'll discuss the UI changes Microsoft needs to make in the next version of Windows Mobile.  Stay tuned.

Have a question or comment?  Please e-mail me.