HOWTO: TechNet Blogging with Windows Mobile

shinsley — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 21:36:00 GMT

The following was posted via Windows Mobile 5.0 using a Cingular 8525 with Pocket SharpMT...

Several folks expressed interest in blogging on TechNet and MSDN blogs using Windows Mobile, so I thought I'd share what I've learned... The Windows Mobile application I use is called Pocket SharpMT. It supports tags, images, text formatting and a lot of other coolness that I haven't even looked at yet. Having a slide-out keyboard makes blogging with Pocket SharpMT on my 8525 a breeze. Until now, I had only posted a couple of test entries. So this is the first public test of my newfound freedom. Now that I'm mobile, I hope to pick up the pace. Perhaps I'll blog from airports, waiting rooms, coffee houses, restaurants or anywhere else I'm inclined/required to hang out...

WARNING: The urge to blog while in traffic may be a symptom of a more serious genetic disorder requiring professional assistance.

HOWTO Section:

First things first...

Get the latest bits at (Thanks Randy!): http://www.randyrants.com/sharpmt/

Here's what you'll need to do once you've installed Pocket SharpMT:

1) Launch and click Tools | Options.

2) Complete the following for TechNet blogs (CGI-BIN path is likely the same for MSDN blogs. Someone else will need to verify).

Web server: blogs.technet.com

CGI-BIN path: /metablog.ashx

3) Provide your username and password.

4) Click refresh and verify your blog is listed...

The only thing I didn't like about Pocket SharpMT is the Software Input Panel (a.k.a. SIP) that pops out every time a text field is selected. Even setting the default device setting to NullKB didn't help. On most devices, this would be a plus, but with a slide-out keyboard it was annoying. After finding a hack, I noticed a handy little check-box labeled Auto-show SIP under Options. It was about then that I said "Gee, what do you suppose this does?" while smacking myself squarely on the forehead. In my enthusiasm over features, I had forgotten to RTFM. Those of us with slide-out keyboards haven't been left out after all!

Happy blogging!

Scott Hinsley's WebLog : Windows Mobile

HOWTO: TechNet Blogging with Windows Mobile