Windows Mobile is a family of mobile operating systems developed by Microsoft for smart-phones and Pocket PCs. Windows Mobile is the predecessor of Windows Phone.
In February 2010, Microsoft announced Windows Phone to supersede Windows Mobile. As a result, Windows Mobile has been deprecated. Windows Phone is incompatible with Windows Mobile devices and software. The last version of Windows Mobile, released after the announcement of Windows Phone, was 6.5.5.
Most versions of Windows Mobile have a set of standard features, such as multitasking and the ability to navigate a file system similar to that of Windows 9x and Windows NT, with support for many of the same file types. Much like its desktop counterpart, it comes bundled with a set of applications to perform basic tasks. Internet Explorer Mobile is the default web browser and Windows Media Player is the default media player used for playing digital media. Microsoft Office Mobile, the mobile versions of Microsoft Office, is the default office suite.
Internet Connection Sharing, supported on compatible devices, allows the phone to share its Internet connection with computers via USB and Bluetooth. Windows Mobile support virtual private networking (VPN) over PPTP protocol. Most devices with mobile connectivity include a Radio Interface Layer (RIL). RIL provides the system interface between the CellCore layer within the Windows Mobile OS and the radio protocol stack used by the wireless modem hardware. This allows OEMs to integrate a variety of modems into their equipment.
The user interface has changed much between versions but the basic functionality has remained similar. Today Screen, later called the Home Screen, shows the current date, owner information, upcoming appointments, e-mail messages, and tasks. Taskbar shows the current time and the audio volume and of devices with a cellular radio the signal strength.
Windows Mobile has supported third party software the