INTRODUCTION

    In a bold opening gambit, VITO Technology claims on their web site: "FunContact is a Windows Mobile contact manager that brings iPhone experience to your Pocket PC." Putting aside the immediate desire to make jokes about not wanting my device to become overpriced and catch fire if I flash the ROM, I decided to take up the gauntlet and see if their entry in the iPhone look-alike stakes actually brings any functional benefit to Windows Mobile, or if it is just another pretty face hiding a CPU hogging customization. Read on to find out how VITO Funcontact measures up.

WHAT’S HOT

    Here’s a list of features that makes FunContact better than the standard contacts application:

• Thumb-friendly scrolling lists
• Instant access to call history
• Keypad and T9 lookup
• Completely replaces the Windows Mobile interface
• Dial numbers right from the application’s own dial pad
  

PRODUCT FEATURES

   VITO FunContact is not a shell for your Windows Mobile Contacts application but a full replacement. After the initial animated splash screen your are presented with a list of your contacts, ordered alphabetically by first name. The application allows thumb-scrolling and flicking as seen in the iPhone(TM) interface.

    Tapping the arrow on the right of the list activates a T9 dial pad. Using this you can filter for contacts or directly dial a number. You can also access your recent calls history using the appropriate button. Tapping the call direction icon to the left allows you to directly SMS that contact or open their details. If the number is not already associated to a contact you can also add a new one.

Other buttons give access to your favourites list and the application menu.

Stroking down the right of the screen allows you to locate a contact by alphabetical search. The T9 dial pad searches all matches for the selected keys.

    Tapping a contact name in the list makes the contact details view scroll smoothly from the right of the screen. A summary screen shows a contact picture and their contact details. You can instigate SMS, calls to mobile and land line phones and email right from this screen with a single tap on the appropriate screen area. The buttons at the bottom of the screen enable you to return to the contact list, view the full contact details and edit the contact details. Simply tapping the star in the top right corner will add or remove the contact to or from your favourites list.

True to their word, VITO have not only replaced the look and feel of the contacts application but the contact management features behind it, including the interface used to edit your contacts.

New contacts are added from the main application menu. You can select the communication options for the contact to avoid the screen being clogged with empty fields.

The information entry method makes usability clear and simple. When saved, a default picture of a Geisha-esque girl is used if you don’t have one of your contact.

From the application menu you can also change the language and activate the product.

    The activation sequence consists of you entering a code sent to you when you purchase the product. This is then sent to the activation server. If you have internet access from your device then it is sent directly, if not then a file is saved to your phone which must be emailed to VITO. 

HELP SUPPORT

    VITO Technology have both an FAQ section and a system for registered users to raise support tickets. There does not appear to be any email or contact telephone numbers advertised on the site, but a support email address is given in the online manual, available during the install process.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

    size=2>VITO Funcontact is designed for Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6 with touchscreen.

BUGS AND WISHES

    Although you can sort your list by first name, last name or company, the choice is not retained if you close the application. Saving preferences is common in most programs so it seems odd that this has been overlooked. The scrolling nature of the application means that sometimes a tap on a screen item is interpreted as a scrolling movement. This however may vary from device to device. A nice-to-have would be contact images in the name and favourites list, though this may compromise the speed

PURCHASING

    You can buy VITO FunContact for $19.95 from the iWindowsMobile store, or you can download a trial.

PROS

• Simple and easy to use interface
• Great one-handed operation
• Quick access to most common contact operations
• Very smooth and fast animations

CONS

• Action response sometimes temperamental
• Cannot save preferences
• No built-in help

Value
Ease of Use
Features
Overall

OVERALL IMPRESSION

    Whether you like the iPhone or not, no one can argue that it has lit a fire under developers and made them realize that the best interface for mobile devices may not be a pixel-accurate touch screen. Indeed many Windows Mobile applications have become so obsessed with cramming information on the screen that one would need to be Edward Scissorhands to stand any chance of using it accurately without a stylus. With FunContact, VITO has created another in the list of applications that seeks to break the mold and, in my opinion, done it quite well. Having used the application for several weeks now it has become my default contact manager and I can’t recall the last time I accessed my contacts, created and SMS or made a call using the standard Windows Mobile interface. Of course it still has nags that could be improved but they don’t adversely affect the overall experience sufficiently to not use it. I think we are currently seeing the start of a revolution in user interface design with the focus where it should be; on usability rather than most icons per square cm. With FunContact, VITO Technology have brought us an application that augments that genre and in my opinion is well worth a try.