

The second thing that is needed is marketshare and lots of it. This is where it gets expensive for Microsoft. In my opinion they do not have time to grow Windows Phone, they need to buy other companies. I have read about rumors of a RIM buyout and I think that would be a good fit for Microsoft. I also still believe that HTC should be acquired and they should stop letting others make their hardware for Windows Phone. Marketshare is what will ultimately bring developers back into the fold, it is the one thing that trumps all others.
If all things I mentioned sound overly negative, it is, and should be considering where Microsoft has slipped to on the mobile pecking order. That being said I think they have some very good people working on Windows Phone and the issues are beginning to get attention from the top which is translating into action. They just need to realize that time is not on their side and successful execution is required for success. The developers are watching.
Merge replication for Windows Mobile is probably one of the most important technologies for devices running business applications "out in the field". Mobile software development projects seem to start quite easily and everyone is happy until the questions, "how do we get this data back into our servers" or "how to we populate the devices database", come up. Typically data replication is an afterthought for most mobile business application project planning. A line item of a project plan that really isn't considered until it is needed. What most people do not realize until it is too late is that it is the most important thing to plan for in a project. Whether your project has planned well or not at all for data replication, you can benefit from Rob Tiffany's latest book on merge replication for Windows Mobile devices.
In my opinion Rob has created merge replication manual on steroids. If you have any question on how to go set up a database for replication, it is answered. If you need to know about the different security strategies for setting up the SSCE Server Agent, it is covered. If you need information on setting up a publisher, distribution database and how to properly set up the tables, it is explained. If you need information how to set up your device databases as subscribers, Rob has provided that also.
Some of the most valuable information pertains to performance tuning. You will never find field proven information regarding merge replication tuning in any documentation or manual but it is in this book. There is also an appendix section that covers network load balancing should your servers require such an arrangement.
One thing I found most convenient in this book is the use of chapter takeaways at the start of each chapter that gives the reader a "heads up" as to why the chapter is important and what to look for in the chapter's content. Each chapter is summarized nicely so you make sure you have read and understood all the information. As for the server configuration sections, Rob provides detailed step-by-step instructions and explanations along with screen shots to make it a snap to get all the server pieces up and running.
This book is valuable to most serious compact framework developers who deliver business applications. The book will pay for itself easily on the performance tuning sections alone. SQL Server DBAs who support such systems could benefit greatly from owning this book. System Architects should also seriously consider purchasing this book because, as I stated earlier, data replication should be planned and designed at the beginning of any project.
To restate, this book is a must have for any serious Microsoft Windows Mobile developer, architect, or database administrator.
You can purchase this book here.

