What's new in Windows Mobile 6.1

Microsoft's mobile operating system (OS) may have a significant market share these days, but it has never been lauded for its user-friendliness. Though the company makes it familiar for those used to Windows on desktops, many of the things you want to do on a handheld or smart phone are just too cumbersome in Windows Mobile. Enter Windows Mobile 6.1 (WM6.1), an update to WM6 which looks to address some of the criticisms made about the interface of this OS.

The most obvious changes have been applied to WM Standard for smart phones without touchscreens. WM Professional has not been left out, receiving a few useful updates though they may not be as apparent as the enhancements on the Standard version. Here's an overview of some of the new and improved features in Windows Mobile 6.1. After that, go over to our Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade calendar to see if your device is slated for an update by the manufacturer.

To see a live demo of the new features, watch our interview with Microsoft's John Starkweather, director of product management for Windows Mobile. In it, he also gives us an idea of how Microsoft feels 6.1 stacks up to the competition.