Spotted this item at WMExperts today.  A Windows-style Run dialog box in Windows Mobile???

Enough background. I came across this sweet, hardcore (in a good way) Windows Mobile development blog and was largely mystified. Until I saw that you could do this: “tap and hold down the ‘Action’ key while tapping and holding the stylus on the clock shown on the nav bar.” “Action key” is your center button. This’ll work on a Pocket PC / Pro edition phone (but not, strangely, a Treo 750). What pops up is essentially the same as Desktop Windows’ ‘Run’ dialog.

Wow, who knew this?  Not me for sure.  And it works just as described at WMExperts, and pretty much just like a standard Windows Run dialog – and even includes the ability to add command-line parameters. So, for instance, not only can you type in ‘iexplore.exe’ and get PIE to launch, but you can add a space and then ‘www.yahoo.com’ and have PIE launch and go to the Yahoo mobile site.  Nice.

I know that for most of us – probably – there will be rare occasions where we prefer to hold down Nav buttons and stylus on clock simultaneously and type in commands just to go to a web page, or launch Calculator – but this is just one of those ‘wow, you can do that’ little hidden features that appeal to the geek in all of us, right?

Or … someone far cleverer than I (tjchan pops to mind immediately) may even find some good, practical uses for this.

Anyway, the WMExperts piece is well worth a look and – just for grins – give this a try on your WinMo device when you have a moment …

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile – Run command – Just Another Mobile Monday