Here is a list of top 10 Windows Mobile Software that I found extremely useful. Although, Windows Mobile 6.1 is already old stuff and people are flashing their phones to try the latest Windows Mobile 6.5, I still decided to post this for people who have recently bought smartphones and are looking for softwares.

1) Browser: Opera Mini Browser

Opera Mini is one of the best browsers out there for  mobile devices. Take all your favorite Web sites and download images, MP3`s on the go with Opera Mini! If you do not use Opera Mini I would recommend you give it a try, its free and works great.  If you are still using Pocket Internet Explorer, you don’t know what your missing out on! Download

Alternative: Skyfire

Skyfire is a free, downloadable mobile browser that gives you a Web browsing experience exactly like PC browsing. Now on your phone you can watch any video, connect with friends, listen to music, shop, and browse the web using the full-featured PC versions of your favorite websites. With Skyfire, mobile browsing just works–speedy page loads, full video, images and audio. Watch any video: YouTube, Hulu, any web video–you name it–it’s playing on Skyfire. Skyfire supports full Flash and Windows Media videos, including Flash 10 and Silverlight 2.0. Download

2) Audio Player: Core Player

CorePlayer is designed to be a next-generation multimedia platform that will extend upon what you thought were limits in playing back fluid multimedia, with its simple yet extremely powerful interface and features that is designed to empower the CoreCodec Community. Download

Alternative: TCPMP Player or GS Player

GSPlayer is a simple audio player for PocketPC. Features include MP3 playback using the MAD 0.15.0b, Ogg Vorbis playback, WAV playback, HTTP streaming playback, SHOUTcast streaming playback, ID3 v1/v1.1 support, PLS/M3U playlist support, a 10-band equalizer, surround and bassboost effects, reverb and echo effects, skin support, hardware button mapping, noiseless playback, and a sleep timer. Download

3) Maps: Google Maps

Google Maps for mobile is a free download that lets you view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get driving directions on your mobile device. Since the application is designed for users on-the-go, it provides features like click-to-call and saved search history that are especially useful for mobile phone users. Download

Alternative : GPS Today

GeoTerrestrial GPSToday now brings an unbeatable combination of location features to your mobile device. Download

4) Security : Spybot Search and Destroy

5) Utility: Magic Button

Magic Button is a Pocket PC task manager. Located on title bar, it does not cover any standard info, i.e. Sound icon, notification icon. It matches perfectly with the current theme. The program makes close button really close applications. Magic Button provides Task bar with running task icons, activated by tap and hold on the Close/OK button. It hides automatically when you don’t need it. Map a hardware button to MB then show or hide task bar with a touch. Download

6) Paint Software : PDA Craft Paint

Now you can draw directly on the touch screen of your PDA. No more sheets of paper and pencils. Using this program you can draw lines, shapes and text. Paint is a drawing tool you can use to create simple drawings. This program is similar to well-known desktop program Paint. Unlike desktop version, PDA version is more comfortable, because you can draw directly on touch screen with stylus. You can work with pictures in BMP format. Download

Alternative: VS Painter

Vspainter has advanced drawing tools using the last technologies of your portable windows mobile equipped with a style. Draw, modify, and publish your creations easily using many creation tools. A good complement tool for your professional PC / Mac desktop software. Vspainter is also able to create, store and view simultaneous creations. Download

7) Instant Messanger: Slick
Slick is a free instant messaging client that allows you to talk online with your friends via the most popular IM networks. Specifically, the client lets you connect and communicate with friends on ICQ, Yahoo!, AIM and MSN Messenger. Besides just sending and receiving messages you can also add emoticons (not enough to choose from for my liking though), change your status and add new contacts. Download

Alternative: Talkonaut

Talkonaut™ is free mobile calling, VoIP enabled, Google Talk™ like application for your mobile phone. Talkonaut™ supports Jabber, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, AIM and Yahoo networks both for chatting and voice calling. Talkonaut™ allows to make free VoIP over GPRS/EDGE calls, as well as calls over 3G, or WIFI

Download

8)Game:  PocketMan

The PocketMan is a Pocket PC-compatible remake of the 1980s classic Pac-Man arcade game. It now has a modern look and adjustable gameplay. PocketMan 2 is the further evolution of the game. The core is the same, yet we have added new graphics, music and plenty of new levels! Download

Alternative: PocketQuake

Find key cards and switches. Navigate through a 3D, first-person, real-time gaming environment. Don’t forget about the enemies that you have to destroy along the way. Download

9) MyMobiler
View your mobile screen and control with your keyboard and mouse on your desktop. Download

10) Compression: PocketRAR

Pocket RAR is a powerful archive manager for Windows Mobile Pocket PC. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.

There are tons of freeware for your Windows Mobile device out there. The few I have covered are all general day-to-day use softwares. For more specialized softwares like expense calculators or scientific calculators, you need to do a bit of googling.

Check out the different websites that I have linked to for downloading the softwares for more.