[missing-sync-winmobile-talk] Re: two requests

[Jacob Spindel]

No, actually, I'm afraid PocketMac definitely does not have any  
Windows emulation. It just has a simple extractor that can pull a CAB  
file out of a small proportion of EXE files - and, although I have  
not tried that particular feature of PocketMac, I seriously doubt  
that it does much more than what Stuffit Expander can already do.

I used to work retail, and I don't think some people realize how  
unfair it is to incorrectly state "your competitor performs  
[impossible or uncommon feature] for 5 bucks." I'm not referring to  
any individual person - I just want to say that it is not a good idea  
to make a serious accusation like that, if you're actually wrong.

Anyway, back to the original issue - Windows Mobile executables  
are .EXEs, and Windows executables are .EXEs, but they are not  
interchangeable. Understandably, this can be confusing and frustrating.

Most Windows Mobile EXE programs are distributed wrapped inside a CAB  
archive, which contains all the files needed to install the program,  
plus a configuration document that explains how they should be  
installed. CABs are not really executables at all - Windows Mobile  
itself has built-in installation code that processes CABs when you  
tap them. (This is actually exactly the same as .pkg's on Mac OS X.)

Sometimes, the CAB itself is then wrapped into a Windows XP EXE  
executable. Some developers think that this is the most convenient  
method since they figure users don't know what to do with a CAB,  
which is obviously not good reasoning. However, some of the Windows  
XP EXEs also install a desktop component or perform some sort of  
licensing/unlocking process, which makes somewhat more sense,  
although it still isn't what we would like.

Thanks,
Jacob