Hello Everyone,

Those of us who are long-time users of Windows Mobile Smartphones are well aware of the fact that, out of the box, we must trick the email messaging program in order to retrieve our MSN, Live, or Hotmail messages on our wireless device.

Yes, yes, I am well aware that Microsoft attempted to fix this little problem sometime ago but, recently, especially with the release of Windows Mobile 6.1, this little issue has reared it’s ugly head, yet again. 

If you do not know to what I am referring, consider yourself lucky.  For those who do, I am pleased to relate that Microsoft has finally gotten it right with the release of Windows Live  Wave 3. 

Scenario:

Cara has just arrived home with her new Windows Mobile 6.x Pocket PC Smartphone which, by the way, is jam-packed with marvelous new features. 

Before learning how to get her new phone to cook her breakfast, wash her laundry, take her puppy for a walk in the park, negotiate a peace treaty with a rogue nation, and connect to a WiFi Hotspot, she wants to setup her phone to access her Microsoft web-based email account (msn.com; hotmail.com; or live.com).

Being well aware of the past issues associated with this task, she sits in front of her computer and points her browser to the Mark Taylor Candle Shore BLOG (She’s a very smart girl.) to get the latest news on how to quickly and easily get her email up and running. 

Cara knows that if she opens her phone’s messaging program and selects the Setup New Email item, she will be asked to enter certain information about her mail account.  She also knows that if she enters any email address with the domain of msn.com, hotmail.com, or live.com, the setup wizard will abort and invite her to view her emails on her phone’s mobile browser.

Cara does not, under any circumstances, wish to use her phone’s mobile browser to access her Microsoft email for many reasons, not the least of which being that it takes significantly more time than to have  her messages automatically synchronized via the phone’s built-in messaging application.

She locates an article on the Candle Shore BLOG entitled “THE HEAT IS LIVE ON HOTMAIL”. 

Intrigued by this subtle yet provocative title, obviously penned by a maestro of word wizardry (oh yes, and oh so modest), she reads the following excerpt from Microsoft:

1.
Read, compose, and delete messages on your phone more simply and quickly than you thought possible.

2.
Designed expressly for your phone’s screen – see more of your inbox and messages without scrolling.

3.
With Address Auto Complete, just type a couple of letters in the “to” field, you’ll see a matching list of names from your contact list. Just click the one you want

4.
It’s free!*

5.
Already have a Windows Mobile phone?  Get Windows Live Hotmail for Windows Mobile.

NOTE
Your Mobile wireless provider may charge you to access the Web on your mobile device.  We recommend you have a web enabled mobile device.  

After viewing the excerpt, she reads the following written by Mark Taylor:

It’s simple, really.  All that is needed to keep the mobile messaging program from aborting during the email account setup process is to install Windows Live Hotmail for Windows Mobile on the phone.

Once this is done, you may setup your MSN, Hotmail, or Live.com account as you would any other email account with the added benefit of knowing that all of your messages in the account will be synchronized from the phone to the webmail version and vice versa.  In effect, you will have free iMap access to your Microsoft email account.

To get Windows Live Hotmail for Windows Mobile:

1.
From your wireless device web browser go to:
http://wl.windowsmobile.com

NOTE
I strongly recommend that you purchase an unlimited data plan from your wireless service provider before accessing the web on your mobile device.

2.
Follow the onscreen prompts.

That’s all there is to it.

Enjoy,

Mark