Editing the homescreen on a Microsoft smart phone simply involves copying one of the standard Windows homescreen files (*.home.xml found in \Windows), editing it and changing the title tag to something like “Tony’s Home Screen”, and saving it as a new file in \Storage\Application Data\Home. The file has to be named something like this : tonys.home.xml (ending in .home.xml).
Once you’ve dropped the new file onto the phone simply click Start, 9, 1, 4 (Home Screen) and select the Home Screen Layout you defined in the title tag.
I had to replace my phone recently and after much research I settled on the Audiovox SMT 5600. This phone is incredible. The processor is fast and the data comes in pretty fast from AT&T so surfing the web is truly an enjoyment. The browser handles plain HTML websites beautifully.
The level of customization that comes with Windows Mobile 2003 is unlike anything I’ve experienced with a cell phone thus far. I even edited the standard homescreen from AT&T. I replaced the “mMode” links to URLs I actually care about (Google, raleighlist movie listings, Google news, and a personal links page).
The only disappointment so far is that synchronizing contacts, email, and calendar via Bluetooth is nearly impossible. Microsoft ActiveSync does not support Bluetooth syncing but I was able to get it to work. You have to jump through a bunch of hoops to make ActiveSync use a Serial Cable for syncing and set the COM port of the serial cable to match the COM port for Bluetooth syncing on the phone. Once you are connected it works beautifully but as soon as you walk out of range the link is severed and it is difficult to get it connected again. I’ve given up and use the USB cable only for sync and moving files.
UPDATE ON BLUETOOTH SYNCING : New version of ActiveSync solves the problem!
Here is what raleighlist.org Chapel Hill movie listings looks like in the phone browser:
Everything else I like/dislike about the SMT-5600:
* MSN Messanger is nice and fast
* The camera takes darn good pictures in the daytime
* The camera takes lousy pictures in the low light
* Windows Media 10 plays video and music as smooth as a PC
* I just bought a 512 MB miniSD for lots of storage
* Photo caller ID is handy
* Voice Dialing is much more accurate than the Samsung I used to have
* Camcorder takes pretty darn good videos for such a tiny device
* Sound quality when making calls is good
* Battery life is great
* Get the unlimited data for $25. The other plans are too small.
* Cell phone can be tethered to a laptop for a mobile internet connection
* No car charger is currently available
* Can receive and dial (voice dial) wirelessly with Bluetooth headset
* Some apps don’t have a quit option in the menu and they have to be killed in the Task Manager
