Where is the WM5 Smartphone Backup Software?

Jerry Raia

This is maddening to me. Why is there apparently no functional backup utility for WM5 Smartphones? I picked three of the ones I know of to see where they are. I’m sure there are other applications out there. I just don’t know of them. My point here is not to bash these folks. Ok well maybe it is but come on! I realize that there aren’t as many Smartphones as there are Pocket PCs out there, yet. I bet the first one to come out with a good backup application and actually updates it will secure a nice place for itself. Have any of you run into any backup applications that work on the WM5 Smartphone platform?

Sprite Backup:
“Currently Sprite Backup is only compatible with devices using Windows Mobile 2002 and 2003. Windows Mobile 2005 devices cannot use Sprite Backup. We will be releasing a new version that will be compatible with these devices in the near future. Please keep visiting this site for updates.”

What exactly does near future mean? Sprite is not famous for great support other than asking you to submit a list of your installed applications and then not responding.

All-backup 1.3:
“Please note that this application does not work properly on Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition smartphones. For example the Motorola MPx220 and SPV C500”

These guys still don’t have an application that will run on 2003 SE!

SunnySoft:
Version 1.2 was released on 01/09/2005. Wow they have been busy haven’t they?

Which one of the above developers will be the first out of the block? Any guesses?
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Mike Temporale · Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:19 pm Post subject:

It's rather sickening, isn't it.

The worst part is they all have a good shot at producing a good application - if they put some effort into things. Sprite had a good product, once upon a time. But they managed to let things go, and now they don't even seem to have Smartphone on their mind. Rolling Eyes

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"I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious" - Albert Einstein

Rocco Augusto · Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 7:42 pm Post subject:

pfft, backups are overrated Wink

tamanaco57

We should also be asking why MS did not include a backup app as it's done for other previous versions of PocketPC. There are basically no accessories/apps shipped with WM5 for Smartphone. I'd like someone to help me justify what we are we paying for in the WM5 SP release?

Rocco Augusto

SnozBerries · Smartphone Ponderer Joined: 16 Nov 2004 Posts: 59

I'm with optikalsaint on this topic. I don't see the value in a backup of a smartphone device. Maybe I'm not enough of a "power user" but I don't have any mission critical information on my phone which I cannot live without, or which cannot be recovered simply by reinstalling the applications which I have convieniently organized on my PC.
--Contact info - comes staight out of outlook (although I think you need to manually set the default phone number - home, cell, office, etc.).
--Saved games/progress in the Pocket MiniGolf - I'm willing to start over.
--Movies for PocketTV and BetaPlayer I have sitting next to my applications on my PC, so it's just a matter of copying them.
--GPRS data settings, I've got in a document sitting next to the apps and the movies on my PC.

Power Users, I'd like to know how backups help you?

Rocco Augusto · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:11 am Post subject:

roma · Smartphone Pupil Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 12

With my MPx220 I really needed a backup applications since the phone decided to do a hard reset whenever it felt like it.

With my SP5m I haven't had a single moment where I wished I had a backup. The current WM5 devices are very stable and I believe the only reason to do a hard reset is like with your desktop computer, you've installed and uninstalled to much software over time, for trial and error reasons. So a clean install is a good thing to do. Your contacts and calendar are synced with your desktop computer in minutes an most (as not all) of my software is installed on my storage card. This way for most programs the little file with the settings for that program survives the hard reset and mostly is not overwritten when doing a new install. Settings saved, time saved.

I seriously doubt is a backup program for Smartphone is worth the money and wait.

Mike Temporale · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 7:16 am Post subject:

tamanaco57 · Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: I do not concur

Well, I disagree with the above replies; except for Mike's. From my (business) point of view the main reason why I bought a Smartphone was because of "convergence" (PPC<->Cell). I wanted/needed cell phone and PocketPC capabilities in one "small" device, hence I bought a Smartphone. The convinience of Mobility/Portability are key requirements for these type of devices if they're to be successful. A mobil user of so called SMARTPhone needs to to be able to work/use this device independently of a PC/Laptop. I understand that applications and some data can be installed/placed in the storage card of the Smartphone. But, I bet no one here can show me how to sync/place the most important data in my Smartphone (Calendar/Contacts) in the storage card. The problem is that this mission critical info can only be stored in the "volatile" memory of PPCs/SPs. So, if my SP crashes while I'm traveling and I don't bring my laptop to sync; what do I do? Some times I have to visit more than 5 clients in one day and I keep their addresses and phone number in my SP. I need to be able to restore this information on the flight in case my SP crashes. (Currently I create a document with the addresses of the clients I'm visiting that day and place it in my storage card - This is a waste of time and inconvenient) My PPC has the same deficiency, but from the day I bought it... it had built-in backup/restore capabilities. I can have all my schedule/contacts information and all the setting that took me "hours" to configure using my desktop backed/restored to/from the storage card in a couple minutes. I made many changes to the registry and configured many settings using the keyboard of my desktop. It would take many painful hours to do this with the keypad of a cell phone while on the road.

I understand that this capability can be bought from ISV, but currently there no backup programs available for Smarphones. So, having a native WM5 backup application in the SP, for me, is esscential. At least to hold me over until the software vendors get up to speed. I used Sprite Backup in my PPC. All updates I make while I'm working on the run are backed up to my storage card at the end of the day. When I get home from travelling is when I sync my data to my desktop.

Again, true "Mobility" requires independence of the mother ship. A backup program in our SmartPhones will give us that independence.

Yes, I'm still carrying a PPC and a StupidPhone.