Here in tech support, we are commonly asked, “Do you know of a Windows Mobile application that does X?” There are thousands of third-party applications available for Windows Mobile devices, and if your request is generic enough, it’s very likely someone has already written the application you’re looking for. And although those of us who work in tech support try to keep current with what’s available, we simply can’t keep up with all the third-party Windows Mobile applications that can run on Recons and Rangers.

Fortunately, someone else has already done the work for us. Every year, Pocket PC Magazine publishes a Best Software Awards list. It includes

Windows Mobile applications in dozens of categories, such as calculators, multilingual dictionaries, Web browsers, games (of course!) and much, much more. The editors at Pocket PC Magazine review many Windows Mobile applications, choosing one “winner” and one or more “finalists” in each category. When I’m looking for a third-party application or utility to run on a Ranger or Recon, I usually start with the Pocket PC Magazine Best Software Awards list.

So the next question becomes, “Will a particular third-party Windows Mobile application run on a Recon or Ranger?” The answer is, “probably.” In a perfect world, all Windows Mobile applications would run on all Windows Mobile devices. However, in the real world, third-party developers are likely to test their applications on iPAQs or other commercial-grade Windows Mobile devices, but they’re unlikely to test their applications on a Recon or Ranger. Usually this isn’t a problem; the Windows Mobile platform is standardized enough that most Windows Mobile applications are compatible with most Windows Mobile devices. But there are no guarantees, and it’s a good idea to test an application before assuming it’s compatible. Fortunately, many third-party Windows Mobile applications provide free demo versions so that you can test them before you buy.

Finally, I would like to mention one of my favorite third-party Windows Mobile programs: Resco Explorer. This nifty utility is an outstanding replacement for the File Explorer program that Microsoft includes with Windows Mobile 5. You may have noticed that File Explorer on Windows Mobile devices provides far fewer functions than Windows Explorer on a desktop PC. Resco Explorer overcomes many of these limitations, including support for ZIP file compression, FTP capabilities, a registry editor, a recycle bin and more. And like many third-party Windows Mobile applications, Resco provides a free, fully functional, 14-day-trial demo download. If you’re a Windows Mobile power user—or a mere mortal who has been burned by the lack of a Recycle Bin in the Windows Mobile operating system—Resco Explorer and similar programs are definitely worth checking out.