Develop Bugs

WM2005 sucks?

Looks like wm2005 still not very stable, a lot of programs still not working.
For example, Xbackup, set as ringtone or Monster Chinese, etc.

well alot of programs required new versions when 2003SE came out as well

ttseng said:
Looks like wm2005 still not very stable, a lot of programs still not working.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using it on my Imate for a month or more and no problem so far and no lock-ups like there were on WM2003SE

I think the title of this thread is misleading... :?
The fact that it does not run several applications or crashes is because:
1.- This version is not final
2.- It's not compatible because of it's very nature, IT'S A NEW OS!!!
The same happened when we upgraded our PCs to Windows XP don't you remember?
New versions will start to come up eventually, and even if you don't see any advances "right-out-of-the-box" it's because the main improvements on this OS reside behind the scenes, so Programmers will start to develop new and exciting apps that take advantage of the new features and APIs.
For me Windows Mobile 5.0 has been very stable even with the very first version that Buzz, Toe and the gang which had very limited memory resources I had no stability problems whatsoever.
There are limitations of course, (like no MMS, mediocre video camera, sms problems, etc) but eventually Microsoft OR our very own developers will take care of that!
So, BE PATIENT!!!!! :wink:

Hi,
Using it for 3 days in my Qtek 2020 and no problem at all.
Even Jabra250 works fine, when in 2003SE was difficult to setup.
About software that don't work, we must wait until new versions come out...
I'm sure when you update you computer from NT to W2K you has software that didn't work and had to buy new versions, so why should be different here?
Be patient.... Mobile5 is ok for now.
AF

if only we can fix the camera it would be Superb

Xeon said:
if only we can fix the camera it would be Superb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if only we could run it on magician

some0NE said:
Xeon said:
if only we can fix the camera it would be Superb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if only we could run it on magician
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i double that

Rayan & all the rest are right!!!
I can't agree less to what Rayan wrote.
It's a new OS and a beta for that matter (check out Goras thread on "WM2005 that I can share"), If I'm not mistaken it's not also intended for Himalaya, judging on the memory problems just solved(!) by Buzz, toenailed, XdaJojo, mamaich & all the other contributors as well.
Personally in my opinion its a lot 'solid' than the WM2003 & SE since it has to crash yet on my xda II, as mentioned by Rayan even the initial release of the OS with limited memory was stable.
The problems with the apps like backup & camera are being solved one-by-one, MMS which doesn't even start before is now working (check out the threads on WM2005 in the forum).
Even now, the benefits of using the OS in terms of performance, stability & looks far outweighs its limitations (in my humble opinion) just be patient & leave it to the WIZARDS (Buzz, toenailed, XdaJojo, etc. etc. etc).
Besides, hey ttseng this is the xda-developers forum & we all are having fun testing, tweaking, & breathing new life to our "soon to be outlawed" XDA II ....... if not for the WIZARDS in the forum !!!!! Notice the request for the OS on the other xda models, aren't we lucky we have the WiZARDS working on the HIMA? :lol:
Cheers!

works flawlessly on XDA2 Himalaya!!!!!!!!
best os and most stable one ive come across ,wm200se never really happy but this WM2005 is and has been stable without a single hard reset or rest since install.even self configured the o2email and hotmail!! took the o2 uk config & connections setup file from a XDA2s_1-12-178-WWE_UK_Extended_ Rom.

Is there more than one version of WM2005 kicking about?
I successfully installed WM2005 on my XDA II, but I couldn't get many 3rd party apps to install on it. So I was surprised to see screenshots with certain utilities running ok.
I was wondering if there is more than one version of it floating about on the net. The one I installed was found on these forums, but I have recently downloaded another off usenet.
They are both himalaya.
I am sure a non-beta copy will rear its head on here sooner rather than later (I hope!)
Cam

this version is in the ftp section ,the rom has a file name of
wm2k5_XDA2_HIMALAYA_O2_fullRAM.rar

Yep!
That's the one!

That would make both copies I have the same.
Is this a late BETA or even an RTM version?
Now that the OS has been officially released I am guessing it's a race for someone to post the released version ;-)

the official full version is released?
wow!
so when can we have it for download here?
i am planning to put off my upgrade till the full version comes out.
currently i am on the win2003se which i aint very happy with!
plz advise...
thanx everybody.

It out but you cant get it.
I have a friend who is a manger in Microsoft. I sent the MS link of the offical release and asked if it can be obtained from the internal web software store. At the moment it cant and I feel it will also never be the case (2003 the end user could never buy).
So we are back to the carriers and if they will ship 2005 as an upgrade for ood devices or only on new (MDA XDA IV).
Dont think one needs to be a rocket scintist to answer that, was not one of the devices never shipped with 2003, the way I remember it it was buz that did a Chines to English translation.
So at least w on the BA side have to wait untill something gets leaked.

A little help with WM2005 upgrade please!!!!!!!
I see that most people have upgraded to WM2005 without much trouble, but not me!! I am with o2 and I've just upgraded and I can't us GPRS (it keeps trying to dial 193.113.200.195 and then drops the conx even though the IP is entered in the APN section) I can't run Worldmate pro (not compatable), TOMTOM 3 (need to upgrade to ver 4.4) pick up email etc etc.
Could I have the details that you need to enter into your XDA to connect to o2 network via GPRS so that I can access hotmail, messenger, MMS, Internet etc etc
I hope you can help as I don't want to downgrade to the old windows version.

i can send u a O2 customisation cab file if u need ,however your phone must b on contract with O2UK not payg or orange etc..

Yes Please!!
That'll be great. yes I am with O2 contract.......

where is the awesome rom !!! please
iam running w2005 in my XD2..but still MANY applications cant be installed..and i was surprised to see the screenshot (above) with many applications runing ..BUT i couldnt find the ROM...i found only the one for XDA2s..."XDA2s_1-12-178-WWE_UK_Extended_ Rom" actually is a zipped file with no rom inside..just many cab files ..can anyone help me please...thanks guys

Today plugins

Recently i was thinking about creating an app which would show me my remaining calltime with one of polish prepaid services. I imagine it would work like that:
1. receiving a specific text message with my account balance from my operator the app would capture it and store the value
2. after each call being made operator sends sms with call cost. this should be deducted from previously stored value. etc etc.
3. value should be displayed somewhere, like on today plugin...
seems simple, but theres a catch;] i can't code for WM5. i just got myself delphi 2006 today and i see it has limited CF support so i can create applicatons... but am i able to create Dlls? also i don't have clue about creating dll's at all, especialy those for WM5. is it even possible with .net? is there any chance for me?
i know, i know, i shoud start to use c++ long time ago, but i'm affraid it' might be a bit to late for me;]
ps. is there anything like WM5 sdk, any guide kit for programmers, specs of any kind? where to look for it? thanks for any help. please note, i'd like to become one of you guys, i could even be of some value;]

heard somewhere that today plugins
cant be written in .net
here is a link to the subject of today plugins
http://forum.xda-developers.com:80/showthread.php?t=234162&highlight=codeguru

thanks, gonna try it in a minute.
(today unbelievable happened - my wizards battery got empty )

interesting. i'll consider switching to c++. as far as i understand it's not normal C, its some kind of mobile oriented c? but no connection with .net? how does it work?

Ok.
C++ is an extension of C to include object oriented programming. The language is not specific for mobile devices, so any book / article on the subject will do for starters.
I taught my self C++ after learning Pascal (Delphi is for Pascal right?) in school and it was quite easy because the languages have similar structure.
Your second stop is to learn WIN32 programming. I don't know how Delphi deals with APIs and function exports (that's what you need for DLLs).
Basically WM programming is very similar to desktop windows programming, except for a few miner difference (like all APIs using only Unicode).
You can download a free development tool called eVC 4 from MS. It looks exactly like Visual Studio 6 if you have any experience with that.
Unfortunately system DLLs like plugins can not be written using .NET but if you search MSDN (I really don't remember the link), there is an article on how to use a basic C++ DLL for the plugin and delegate all the real functionality to a .NET DLL.
Good luck.

yes, delphi is much like pascal
i know it's not that hard if you mean the structure. i just don't know how to start. in fact i got myself evc yesterday, after what you say i'll take good lok at it as soon as i prepare some room on my HD.
Delphi does well with windows api - as far as i can tell, i played with theese a bit so it shouldn't be hard to catch up when starting with c++. other thing is i never did dll, although i know how it works in general, i also used other peoples dll's in my programs. will do i hope. also, Rudegar provided us with good tutorial/example on today dlls, so i hope i'll be able to expand it. the only thing, i'm a bit anxious. you say evc is good for starters? ok, going to give it a try.
what a week, four days, four new RAD environments already

delphi is object pascal which is an extention of pascal like c++ is of c
c programs should compile without any problems in c++

Hi,
I saw a way to develop today plugins in .net : http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnppcgen/html/TodayScrn.asp?_r=1
I did not try and I guess it will slow down the device as .net is not very fast, but you can try...
Good luck

what are the best Apps and roms? and other questions

i just got my self an O2 XDA Orbit and i'm wondering what are the best apps and roms to have. i know it's a lil up to preference - i'm interested in the opinions out there. I already picked myself up copies of opera and cardexport 2 (i used the palm version and was very impressed). My main concerns is that i have previously been told that a firewall and a virus scanner were needed. Is this true?
Also i have read a lil bug the sd card issue. how do i know it has struck me? is the fix i have seen good?
i'd also love to be able to play fps games on the device when i am away. goes anyone know of any good review sites and/or shops? i also love playing GPL (general public license) games on my linux machine (no windows machines in this house. may have to, begrudingly, get a cheap laptop if i get problems with the device) so if there are any good free ones i will take a look.
I think that will cover it for now. if i get any more questions i will post and thanks for your thought guys and gals

if you feel progressive you'll start by joining the touchflo club using B&B4 rom (-->here<--). that might be a bit ...well, progressive.. if you just got the device, but hey, you got it for playing around like the rest of us, right?
before you flash a non-original rom to your device, make sure you read this thread. i recommend to ALWAYS use USPL before flashing something.

soardiac said:
if you feel progressive you'll start by joining the touchflo club using B&B4 rom (-->here<--). that might be a bit ...well, progressive.. if you just got the device, but hey, you got it for playing around like the rest of us, right?
before you flash a non-original rom to your device, make sure you read this thread. i recommend to ALWAYS use USPL before flashing something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
whats the difference between B&B4 and the official wm5 and wm6 roms? i do have the o2 wm6 update rom but i haven't installed it (coz i hadn't looked up how yet). so the phone is pretty much stock.
I bought the phone as a work tool but as i'm a techie and techie's get bored and wanna tweak stuff there is room for tweaking

The B&B4 ROM is WM6 but has extra features such as touchflo: like the HTC touch, certain finger movements make access to contacts, messages, music easier and finger scrolling like the iphone. It also has a much cooler look.
For WM6 and thus probably B&B4 there is a reg hack to reduce CPU usage: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=308792
To put a new ROM on your device, It is recommended to flash with USPL unless it is from your manufacturer and for your country. USPL allows other ROMs to be downloaded without disabling your device. I could describe it as a sim-unlock for ROMs, if you use a sim from your carrier, all is good, if not, you cant use the phone. A little more serious than a simlock though, if you flash the wrong ROM without USPL, it could damage the phone/bootloader so as to make it a 'brick'.
To flash a ROM, make sure device has more than 50% battery. Soft-reset it and wait for it to load. Plug into usb port and wait for activesync to recognise. Run USPL and a command prompt will load, wait for it to finish (~5 mins). A new window will open with a picture of the device, tick boxes, click next then update... A progress bar will let you know how far the download has got to. Once complete, the device will reboot to wondows mobile. It is now temporarily CID unlocked with a SuperCID. Now run the exe for the ROM you wish to flash. The same kind of interface will appear as before, tick boxes, next, update... Watch progressbar eagerly (wipe drool off mouth) and let it complete. Your device will reset with new ROM.
If at any point a problem occurs, aslong as you see windows or a multicoloured screen (the bootloader) you can do this (whole) process again to complete installation.
Hope this rather messy post helps you out a bit. As to applications, somewhere on the FTP site I think is pocket doom. BEWARE: Some files on the FTP site are viruses, not detectable by antivirus software.
Pete

wicked and that leads me on to my Anti virus question. is that any anti virus tools for WM5/6? iirc i have seen some pc side ones that scan the phone if it's connected and the app is setup for it. also is a firewall advised? are there any?

There are a few antiviruses for PDAs, but TBH the only viruses I have heard of for them are proof-of-concept so I doubt anyone really bothers.
If you really want an antivirus, I've tried this before and it seems to be ok http://www.freewareppc.com/utilities/airscannermobileantivirus.shtml
When I mentioned viruses on the FTP site, I meant for your home PC!

oh right. i run linux so it's pretty much impossible to catch a virus infection. although i spose caution would be needed if i needed to install windows for something. i'm trying to install stuff straight to the device from the net atm using cabs and i have a tool that strips the cabs out of the exe files so all looks good there.
one question that has just crossed my mind (coz i just tried to do it and couldn't). Is there a way to install cabs once they have been save to the eeprom or memory card? i checked out "File explorer" for an option and didn't find one. "remove application's" seems to be remove only so, i'm a lil lost as to what to use. If i hit open in the d/l dialog in opera or PIE it installs them. Any tips?

You should be able to just tap them in flie explorer and they will run... You'll get a notification asking whether you want to run and then the usual installer screen will come up asking where etc...

i have to admit i didn't try that. i was thinking too far outside the box
thanks for all the help so far btw

No probs, I'm not an expert, computers and techy things just seem to come naturally to me!

same here but i'm known to have moments of thinking too abstractly and after using linux for so long i have kinda gotten used to having to think to get most of the things i do done.
i just saw some screen shots of B&B 4 and i do have to say "how good does that look?" i can't seem to find a feature list. i found it the other day. seems to have vanished in to the depths of the board tho. any clues?

Well I've got B&B4 and I must say It's probably the best ROM you can use on your Orbit... The black and blue go really well with the black and blue (duh) of the Orbit...
Heres the post for B&B4 with some screenies and the programs list: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=321503
It's basically WM6 based, with TouchFlo making it a bit like an iphone where you can use your finger to scroll through stuff. Other finger friendly interfaces like the new today screen interface (with quick contacts access, programs, weather, time, phone profiles etc), htc audio manager, new skin for wmp, some very useful utilities, etc etc
Like WM6, and in the (edited) post I made earlier, you should carry out the reg hack to reduce cpu usage, other than that, and needing a separate cab for live messenger, it is _thebest_
If you decide to flash it, remember to use USPL...

i may do. i think i'm gonna check out my options first. i don;t wanna mess about with it too much because it is spose to be a tool for work. but seeingas realvnc works pretty well i think i'm pretty much covered for my objectives in the software department except for GPS software. money is no object there. i want the best. i heard tomtom was a bit unstable (from a treo 750w user) so if that's true i'm gonna stay away from it

Tomtom seems to work fine on mine so far ...

As a 'working' tool
I've tried all the flavours of roms out there - but didn't like the touchflo stuff on B&B4... I need my today screen to have my calendar and messages on it, so the big clock is no relevance, and the touch stuff is gimicky.
I'm running O2 WM6 on mine, with a few tweaks. It's definitely most stable, and quite fast, although I run batterymeter to overclock to 240-ish mhz for a bit more slickness.
I also use todayagenda to replace the calendar plugin as its far more useful.
I have a synchronisation with my corporate Exchange server for office mail, and route my personal mail throuh an excelllent free imap service at www.axigenmail.com - simple imap servers, no frills, works excellently.
TomTom 6.02 or 6.03 work absolutely fine, no issues whatsoever.
I've just started using SPB PhoneTools on my todayscreen to give me a decent quickdial in the car... I've just replaced my car stereo with a Sony MEX-BT2500 unit (£90 on ebay) that gives full bluetooth handsfree integrationand streaming with minimal fuss.

New to the Excalibur

Hi all! This is my first time posting in here as I'm just now getting one of the "new" T-mobile Dash phones. I've been reading the different threads, especially the ROM threads, trying to figure out which is the most stable/usable.
I know my way around PDAs pretty well, having had an IPAQ 1945 and then a Dell Axim x30 (the 624 MHz processor one), which I still love and have with me constantly. But this new Dash will be my first smartphone and my first entry into the WinMo 6+ world.
I'm interested in hearing which ROMs you guys like and what are some of the good and bad with them. I've read the version changes and all of that, but there's nothing like reviews from the guys that use the software/hardware every day. Basically what I'm looking for in a ROM is:
1) WinMo 6.1
2) Updated radios for bluetooth and wi-fi (might as well have the hardware at its best if you've paid for it, right?)
3) SDHC compatibility (Anyone know what the largest size memory card is that the Dash (Excalibur) can read and fully utilize? I've heard 16 is the max.)
4) Stability. If the phone isn't constantly crashing, it'd be great. haha
So to all you Excalibur users: What ROM do you recommend and why?
Thanks all for your time and I'm glad to be joining the Excalibur community!!!
~Walter

Your best bet is to flash them all and see the ROM you like as best ROM there is none, it's down to personal preference, won't take more than 30 mins to get base set, with regards to SDHC all WM6.1 support 16GB "taken from other threadz" as i only have tryed 8GB.
Hope that helps.

i had used the 6.1 final from kavana, and flashed to the rose Rom by Ricky and Stylez last night. so far, i like the Rose rom the best. but like said, its all personal preference as to which is the best. and like Stylez sad, 16gb is what people say will work. i havent even tried anything over a 2gb yet lol

I tried the various 6.1 roms from this site and from my experiance with them, IMHO I think the Kavana 080408 WWE is the most stable and less laggy over the Rose 1.7 rom.
But I have to agree its all about personal opinion and what features you are looking for. Your just gonna have to try them out for yourself and decide wich one you like the most.
MY favorite improvement is that I can now use my 4gig SD over the 2gig I had to use with inMo 6, I was so dissapointed about that.

Thank you guys for the response. I'll start with the suggested ROMs and then work my way around to others.
I just got off the phone with t-mobile, my Dash should get here either tomorrow or Friday. I'm going to spend the whole weekend flashing ROMs and loading all my favorite software onto it! haha
Okay, a related question: I've been looking into Java games for the phone since it seems most of the ROMs on here have Jbed or Esmertec Java loaded on them. The games list phones they're meant to run on, but I know on my old Sony Ericsson phone I could run Java games that weren't meant for that device, but were compatible.
So are there any phones "like" the Excalibur that I should keep in mind when doing my Java game buying? (Like will games that work on the Blackjack II most likely work on my new Excalibur?)
Thanks again!

Help please!
I thought I will use this thread since I am new to the Dash too.
I just got a couple of easy questions. I tried to look here and even on Google, but I either suck at searching or the answers I am looking for are not there.
I read the wiki on how to flash and I read that: If necessary, unlock your phone using either the SDA Application Unlock program or Surreal Networks' AppUnlock or both. This will enable third-party software installation. Not performing this step properly is the primary reason why Error 270 happens.
So, either or? The reason I ask is because I would do both just to be safe, but SDA unzips fine but Surreal does not. When I unzip it, it copies the files that are in the zip in the folder I chose to unzip them into. Do I have to do both? And if so whats wrong and how do I fix this. Same thing happens for other supposed CAB files I downloaded. They just copy themselves but don't "change" into one cab file to be installed. Same happens with tegic.
romupdateutility.exe... where do I find it and what is it? I saw all the videos possible about flashing Kavana's and even Jamerican doesn't use this.
Is it true that if I update to Kavana I will not be able to use MMS and the Internet or are those an older update problems? The new 6.1 works flawlessly correct? (I saw a thread on how to fix the sms, mms, and web problem) Where can I find an original uncooked WinMo 6.1 update?
It doesn't seem hard to flash, but I am a newbie to this smart phones WinMo stuff. My Dash, I got it yesterday and I already run low in memory. I closed all the apps and I still only have 7.212 Kb of memory! That sucks! I hope WM 6.1 is better because WM 6.0 is not good.

Captain Totti,
Please read the sticky "guide to flashing"
With re: to surreal check our RoseRom remade first post there is a guide to flash click the if stuck @ 3%, as both files & what to do there..
Re: MMS either connection setup or input of settings manually will work.
stylez.

Capitan Totti you will not be dissapointed in 6.1. Imagine your drowning in a pool and someone finally decides to pull you out of the water and you finally get to breathe, thats what going to 6.1 feels like! IMO WinMo 6 is complete garbage and 6.1 should be the standard for every phone out there thats running 6.
Flashing is very simple as long as you read the directions. Good luck!

Oh I have been reading a lot alright! Yes, it does not seem hard, but I just wanted to make sure I don't brick the phone.

Double post.

I screwed it up the first few times (from not reading the directions first) and still came out ok.

I found some good threads and done a lot of reading, but I guess no one had this problem so far but me. As I said above, I got the tegicet9 files and also the fullet9 files... (I am Italian so I would like to have both Italian and english on the phone) but when I unzip them into a folder I called New Folder for all my unzipping... they just copy themselves and don't change into one icon like say the SDA unlock or the USPL thing I got makes itself as more than one folder... ?? Thanks.

Was wondering if I should also call T-Mobile to SIM Unlock the phone, you know so I can use the Dash with any SIM. I am gonna have to do it anyway for when I go to Italy but I was wondering if NOT sim unlocking the Dash and then upgrading will cause issues on the phone. ???
So far it seems easy.
Connect Dash, run SDA unlock from desktop, once its done unzip (if you have not before) SurrealNetAppUnlock (which is another file that does not unzip for some reason), place it in My Documents (I don't have a memory card yet), go to Dash itself, go to File Explorer and install it from Dash itself. Once done turn off Dash.... turn it back on connected to ActiveSync, run USPL.Bat (Mine says USPL.Batch but I take it its the same), click enter on keyboard and ok on dash when prompt to, after a bit it will go black then white (bootloader mode), open RUU.Kavana and follow the steps (if I pass 3% I know I am good)... now I got a question... When the upgrading is complete 100% and you can click finish... I know it does a cold reboot, do I have to (ever? I've seen videos and all but this part is not clear also sound wise on say YouTube) unplug the usb cable or no?I know that for et9 I got to just place it and install it on the Dash but like I said, it does not unzip insto an installable file. If someone can read this and answer my few questions and help, I will be done hacking this baby in less than 30 minutes. Thanks

SharpDevelop: a VERY simple question from a beginner

Hi everyone.
I'm a beginner in Pocket PC / Smartphone development, though i have some (amateur) experience in creating PC apps (Delphi, C++)
So i just need a "kick start" to begin working on PPC apps. Like, a code to make an app that draws a window with "Hello world" and an OK button in it, you know
I've downloaded the SharpDevelop environment, because it looked like the best freeware alternative to Visual Studio. However, i have to admit i've downloaded the 1.x version, as i have a very old computer. But if it's critical, i can try and install 2.x or 3.x.
Anyway, the question is: how do i create a project for Pocket PC / Smartphone? All i see are options to create PC projects... But i saw SharpDevelop in the D&H wiki, so there must be a way to use it for it, right?
Big thanks in advance for answering my very silly question
upd: also, do i need any special device emulators to run the project, or... w/e

kiruch said:
Hi everyone.
I'm a beginner in Pocket PC / Smartphone development, though i have some (amateur) experience in creating PC apps (Delphi, C++)
So i just need a "kick start" to begin working on PPC apps. Like, a code to make an app that draws a window with "Hello world" and an OK button in it, you know
I've downloaded the SharpDevelop environment, because it looked like the best freeware alternative to Visual Studio. However, i have to admit i've downloaded the 1.x version, as i have a very old computer. But if it's critical, i can try and install 2.x or 3.x.
Anyway, the question is: how do i create a project for Pocket PC / Smartphone? All i see are options to create PC projects... But i saw SharpDevelop in the D&H wiki, so there must be a way to use it for it, right?
Big thanks in advance for answering my very silly question
upd: also, do i need any special device emulators to run the project, or... w/e
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not a silly question mate - it's a perfectly good one. Unfortunately, I don't think that you can use SharpDevelop to create .Net CF applications easily. The Windows Mobile SDKs come with plenty emulators (to answer your latter question), but they're Microsoft, and therefore they're for Visual Studio. It's really easy with Visual Studio - you just install the SDK and select a smart device as your target when you create a new project. It just works.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=20686a1d-97a8-4f80-bc6a-ae010e085a6e
However, as far as I'm aware, you can't use VS Express (the free version), as the SDKs only work with full versions of VS. If you can get hold of that, I'd recommend it.
I do remember seeing a website talking about using SharpDevelop with the .Net CF, but it was sketchy and didn't promise it would work. Maybe google a little more to make sure about that, but I'd strongly recommend a copy of VS Professional, if that's an option.

If you are a student, you can get VS2008 for free (www.dreamspark.com)
If you are not a student, you can get VS2010 RC for free (works for another 100 days from today).

I use Sharp Develop to program in C# for my phone, and it works fine.
However, it's possible that smartphones are only supported in version 2 and 3 (I never tried version 1).
In the newer versions, when you start a new solution, there will be an option to start a Compact Framework Project.
Some code that is automatically added when adding controls to your form, will throw errors and will have to be deleted. There is more information on that in the forums at Sharpdevelop.
Good luck!

It depends on what u want to program in. .net c# c++ ect. Tho if i were u i would try and get VS. If your going to do c++ i can provide some examples, but not for anything else xD. GL.