Most PDA being left in the dark

With the recent release of Windows Mobile 6, most PDA user are being left in the dark, on whether their Windows mobile PDA will be updated or not.

Reading the specs needed to run Windows Mobile 6, most current PDA running Windows Mobile 5 will be able to run the newer operating system. According to the specs released by Microsoft, the new OS will greatly improve PDAs productivity, especially those in the corporate sector. Plus, it adds more robust integration of the phone part of the Hardware. Making it easier to use as a phone. With most PDA being sold today are PDA-phone, this update is a really big improvement to users.

Upgrading operating system on a PDA is not as simple as upgrading on a desktop. Most ROM update are vendor specific, and vary from vendor to vendor. Most vendors however are not as eager as consumers on upgrading OS on PDA. I think their philosophy would be, don't upgrade a released PDA, let coustomer buy a new device for a huge profit margin.
Remembering the old days when windows mobile 2003SE was released. there are hardly any company that offer their consumer an upgrade. Hp being one of the biggest company that sells PDA only offer an upgrade to their device at a cost of $40, and only for a select few PDA are upgradeable. My 6365 wasn't given any option for an upgrade, the reason being that the hardware wasn't capable. Well, I could live with that, if the hardware isn't capable there's no reason to push it. However my current 6828 should be able to handle WM 6 just fine, HP hasn't issue any statement on whether my particular model will be updated. But I really wish it would. But not keeping my hopes too high. Most HP's PDA hardly ever sees a rom update. the old 6365 only sees one ROM update during it's lifetime. My 6828 already seen one update, will there be another update?

Microsoft call updates for Windows mobile AKU (Adaptation Kit Upgrade), the latest release is AKU 3.0. HP is slow to release new updates, the last update from HP still uses AKU 2.6.

It's more of, if it runs without any major bug, let it be. O2 Atom which is a twin brother to 6828 has newer AKU, and they release update more often. They even give out update to WM5 for free for lots of their devices.

Being left without updates, making a device obsolete. We can't turn to microsoft for updates, because updates are vendor specific, and the vendor leave us in the dark. where can we go for help?

We can seek PDA enthusiasts for help, XDA-developers has been giving support to PDA users for a while now. AKU updates or OS updates are sometimes being offered there, not b vendors, but programmers, who work it out on their own time without pay. And this has been going for a while now. However recently, Microsoft demands XDA developers to remove any ROM images on their site, stating that it was illegal and considered piracy.

well I'll be damed, since most people allready pay for their device with the OS, shouldn't updating the same operating system, tweaked with the lates update be legal. I can see their point if it was with newer OS, but if it was the same OS, shoudn't it be legal since we've paid for it allready.

with most PDA costing almost as much as a budget PC. It's just unfair for us, where desktops can upgrade thir OS easiy, while PDA can't. Instead of hammering people for tweaking their OS, who worked really hard by the way to ensure that we get the latest updates, I think Microsoft should be pushing Vendors to update their software. It really is a no brainer, if updates are given by vendors everytime there's a new update. People won't be tweaking thir software anymore, since it's allreay available from device vendors.

My guess is that they just want to push people around, while most vendors are harder to push around not mentioning cash cows. They just go to the path of least resistance and push us around, and forgetting that WE are the one shat shell out cash to hardware maker, without us, no income from them.

They just don't learn do they.