Simplification was paramount in designing Windows Mobile 6.1, with less cluttered, more task oriented screens, modeled after the successful Windows Media Centre. Among the improvements are:

• more readable font;

• threading of SMS and email messages (much like on the iPhone), instead of displaying them all on a single screen;

• cut-and-paste on non-touch screen smartphones (on Windows Mobile smartphones with touch screens, cut-and-paste already works);

• new Vista-like interface for the Home screen that uses horizontal tiles which expand when clicked to reveal more detailed information;

• a dedicated task manager that displays CPU usage listed by process and overall as a whole;

• ability to change the Master Security Code;

• Recent Programs displayed when the Start menu is pressed;

• a total re-haul of the system's web browser, with a display that looks more like Internet Explorer or other PC web browsers, with the entire web page able to be viewed on a single screen or in segments by zooming in to user-selected areas;

• auto-complete of email addresses entered into the "To:" field;

• ActiveSync Exchange email auto-configuring;

• Wi-Fi status indicator.

Business users will also enjoy the ability to enroll a domain in Settings, allowing for mobile access to various company resources.

On the downside, Windows Mobile 6.1 (like its predecessor) can only be used with a keyboard or a stylus - even the Windows Mobile touch screen phones. Microsoft still hasn't made it so that people can use their mobile OS by simply touching their screens with fingers alone (even though Apple seems already to have mastered it).

Current users of certain Windows Mobile 6 smartphones - like the AT&T Tilt and the HTC Mogul - will be able to upgrade their mobile OS to Windows Mobile 6.1. One of the first new smartphones already bundled with Windows Mobile 6.1 is the WiFi-enabled Motorola Q9.

Devices running on Windows Mobile 6.1 are scheduled to start shipping in May.

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