Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Announces Best Software Award Winners for 2008

Posted by: dgoldring on Oct 03 2008 - 40 views

This was the second consecutive year that I was able to be a judge for the Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Awards.  It is a daunting task, testing all of the nominees, providing feedback (both positive and negative) and ultimately helping select a winner.  And this is all done in a very short span of time.  This year, 80 judges evaluated over 900 software entries to select the winners.  The reward for this hard work, however, is fairly significant, as I see the contribution these awards make to our little Windows Mobile community.  At long last, the process has once again drawn to a close, and the winners (perhaps for the last time) have been announced.  Check out the full list of winners and finalists at the Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine website. 

Did your favorites win?  Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts on the final list. 

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Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine Stops The Presses

Posted by: dgoldring on Aug 26 2008 - 34 views

I received some sad news today from Hal Goldstein, the Publisher of Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine.  It seems that this fall will mark the end of the run for the only magazine which was completely dedicated to the Windows Mobile platform.  According to Goldstein, they decided to suspend publication after 11 years, because:

It has become harder and harder to grow our circulation over the past three years since Windows Mobile changed from being PDAs to being phones. Pocket PC manufacturers like HP used to work with us to offer their customers a free issue of our magazine in their packaging. The phone companies have not shown similar interest in working with us.

The other business challenge has been the lack of advertising sponsorship from Microsoft, phone companies, and OEMs, despite our coverage of their products. In order for us to sell subscriptions at current low consumer magazine-type prices, we must have a stronger and growing circulation, and we much attract the large advertisers who benefit the most from our existence.

I have personally been involved with the magazine through their Best of the Year Software Awards, in which I was a judge.  I found the staff at the magazine to be some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated Windows Mobile users around, and the loss of the magazine will certainly leave a void in the Windows Mobile community.  While I will still anticipate the next issue of Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine, I will read it with the sadness of knowing it will be my last. 

For more information, check out Hal’s post explaining his reasons for suspending publication over at Smartphonemag.com.  There, you can also learn about the new iPhone Life publication, and the Knowledge Bundle he is now offering. 

After you read all of that, chime in here and let us know your thoughts.  I am sure many of you were subscribers.  What will you miss?  Do you see this as an indication of the direction the industry in general is moving?  Let us know.

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Smartphone and Pocket PC Magazine Wants Your Opinions

Posted by: dgoldring on Jun 26 2008 - 134 views

I am very excited because I was asked to be a judge in the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine’s 8^th annual Best Software Awards (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/awards).  This marks the second consecutive year I am involved with the awards, which, “help users select the best Windows Mobile applications, utilities, and games, while honoring companies that produce outstanding software.”  I know what you are thinking…but Doug, you are so busy.  How can you possibly have time for this?  Well, the truth is I just really enjoy it.  I spend all year reviewing mostly fantastic Windows Mobile software.  In a lot of ways, these awards feel like the culmination of that year of work. Now is the time when I get to sit down and recognize the programs that really shined during the past year. 

Before I get to that though, it is time for all of you to step in and help us out.  Over the course of the last month or two, Nominations Manager, Werner (“Menneisyys”) Ruotsalainen, and the rest of the 2008 Board of Experts (myself included, and for the first time, JAMM’s very own Lauren Weigand), developed the nominations list. Now, the preliminary list of Windows Mobile Windows Mobile nominations is ready for public viewing and comment.

That is where all of you will come in.  We need you, the Windows Mobile end-users and Windows Mobile developers to help us out by making some nominations suggestions.  Nominations will be open until July 16, 2008, and all nominations will be frozen on July 21.

You can nominate a program, suggest a new category, or un-nominate it if you feel it is not worthy by completing the Nominations form.  You can also discuss the nominations, awards, or anything else relating the this year’s awards by visiting the Awards Forum.  For more information about this year’s awards, check out: www.pocketpcmag.com/awards

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