I don't know if the "leaked" version of Windows Mobile 5 was "on purpose" or an accident. I'll leave that to the conspiracist out there. But, I see that it was a good thing for Microsoft and for us end users.

Here's why I believe this to be true. Most of the different developers out there are already creating WM5 friendly applications. Yes, that's a great thing! Now, when the OS is released in 3 months or so it will be very compatible with a host of applications that many people already use. Here are a few that I am already seeing:

Pocket Informant 2005
Lakeridge Softwares - Wisbar Advance 2
A bunch of AstraWare stuff is slates as WM5 compatible
Ummm, actually, I can't think of the other stuff right now

- Munk

My first PPC program. Ultimate Amiga Emulator for PocketPC Launcher

My work place with Time and Attendance

Calligrapher 8 is in beta at the moment and is WM5 compatable

(although is there a WM5 certification scheme? and MSDN subscribers would have got the dev kits anyway, even if there was no leak)

This week I have been mostly listening to..... Short cummings audio

Life — In Funny, Six-Minute Slices

     

Any developer can use tools from http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/w...indowsmobile5/ to develop for win mobile 5. In Visual Studio 05 with some downloaded windows mobile tools, you can play with the actual windows mobile 5 through emulation. The leak had no effect on microsoft's developer support. However, it did bring a lot of publicity to it's new OS. Developers like to develop products that they can sell... if win mobile 05 is "what's in", then they're gonna be ready for it.

Get the free (~$5 shipping) developer evaluation kit here.. http://msdn.microsoft.com/mobility/w...t/default.aspx

Yeah... Its pretty obvious that microsoft would allow the largest software developers the right to develop software that will work with WM5. I mean... I don't really think those brand name companies you suggested used an ILLEGAL version of WM5 to develop their software.