Best of the Best: Free Windows Mobile Applications

Brandon just forwarded me an article from lifehacker detailing some of the best, most useful, free applications to enhance the functionality and/or look of your Windows Mobile devices. Most of these applications have been covered in detail at pocketnow.com, but it's a nice reminder of how much great, free software there is to make a great device even greater, especially in light of emerging platforms with stability woes (read: iPhone app crashes).

System Utilities

1. Mac synchronization: Sure, ActiveSync is a love/hate issue for Windows users, but if you're a Mac user and need a free way to synchronize your device, you can download SyncMate from Etima.

2. Backup of important data: PIM Backup is a great app that backups your PIM information, text messages, emails, and call logs. Best of all, it resides locally on your device so you don't need to be near a computer to use it. You can store it on your memory card.

3. Synchronization for the subversive: If you're not an Outlook user and use Thunderbird, you should check out FinchSync.

4. Backup to the cloud: DashWire allows you to backup your multimedia items, call logs, and important data to their website, where you can log on and access it later.

Productivity

1. Tasks for the working professional: TaskPlus helps the working professional divide tasks into categories--business, personal, familty, etc--and manage them that way.

2. Helping the procrastinator: If you're like me and have to look up numbers to call on your task list when it says "Call James," then you'd put it off until a later time and day to avoid switching to your Contacts, search for James, and then find the number and dial. However, with SmarterTasks, a trialware software for Windows Mobile Smartphone, this task manager will search automatically if you say "Dial" or "Call" so you don't have to do the looking up.

Internet Browsers

1. If Opera Mobile 9.5 didn't come pre-bundled on your device, go and download it!

2. For a full desktop-class web experience if you aren't too concerned with security and need Flash and other standards, give SkyFire a try. The webpages are cached on SkyFire's servers and sent to your mobile device so you can catch the best Flash videos.

There is more on lifehacker, but these are some of the basic applications that will help basic and advanced users alike.