How can I get a 15% VIP discount on all software?
How
are the 2008 winners determined?
How are products nominated in 2008?
How do judges determine the winner?
Is there an entry fee for nominees?
How can nominees get feedback from judges?
How can I become a judge?
What is the schedule for 2008?
How can I get a FREE Special Report?
Who’s in charge?
How are the 2008 winners determined?
There have been over 15,000 games, utilities, and
applications written for Windows Mobile Smartphones and PDAs. To be considered
for the Best Software Awards, developers need to enter their product description
in the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine
Encyclopedia of
Software and Accessories (free listing). Roughly 20% of the 4000 software
products in the Encyclopedia are nominated by the Board of Experts. These
experts vote in over 180 Smartphone and Pocket PC categories to determine
finalists and winners.
All expert
judges are prominent Web Site associates, Microsoft MVPs, support forum
contributors, and Smartphone & Pocket
PC magazine contributors. These experts are all volunteers and none are
employed for the purpose of judging by Smartphone
& Pocket PC magazine.
How do products become nominated in 2008?
The 2008 Best Software Awards Nominations Manager,
Werner (Menneisyys) Ruotsalainen and our
Board of
Expert judges select the 2008 award nominees in
May and June 2008 from the Encyclopedia of
Software and Accessories. Vendors must make sure their free
Encyclopedia listings are entered and up to date by using the submission form.
Werner Ruotsalainen initially selects nominations based on
his extensive knowledge
of Windows Mobile software. In most cases these nominations include winners and
finalists from last year's contest. The
2008 Board of Experts judges are then asked to examine Werner’s initial nominations
list for validity and to suggest additions and category changes.
Judges, the public, and software vendors can use the nominations
form to nominate products for the 2008 awards. Werner and the Smartphone & Pocket PC staff make
the final judgment on nominations, giving the most weight to judges’
suggestions.
A great deal of quality time and attention is put into the
nominations process. Even so, with so much Windows Mobile software available,
it is certainly possible that some excellent products are missed.
In order to minimize the chances of missing great products,
the working list of nominees are made public for a 2-3 week period currently scheduled June
25-July 16.
The 2008 nominations are frozen on July 21, 2008. Products
and versions released by July 21, 2008 are eligible for the voting. It is possible
that newer versions of products released during the judging period are considered
by some judges. However, this anomaly is a function of the logistics of the process and not
from vendor request.
How do judges determine
the winner?
The Board of Experts judges make use of the Smartphone & Pocket PC Web voting
infrastructure to comment on the nominees and to cast votes. Experts vote for
first, and optionally second and third place. Winners and finalists are the top
vote getters in each category.
A big thank you goes to Handango, www.handango.com.
Handango works with Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine to
provide the Board of Experts with registered versions of software that they
need for their judging. Judges are provided the URL to download demos of
software Handango doesn’t carry. If the demo isn’t sufficient to judge the
product, the judge can E-mail the vendor, copying Hal Goldstein, requesting a
full version.
Is there an entry fee for nominees?
Contests such as these
normally charge a substantial fee, since the publicity the contest generates benefits
nominees. Smartphone & Pocket PC does not require the nominations fee
to partecipate in
these awards. However, in order to defray costs associated with conducting the
awards, Smartphone & Pocket PC requests a modest voluntary entry fee
for each commercial nominated product, after the nominee list is
announced and frozen. Payment of the fee has no effect on the voting, because
that information is not available to the judges.
How can nominees get feedback from judges?
When judges vote, they may choose to
comment on individual products, discussing what they like, and offering
constructive feedback. Nominees will be able to view those comments at the time
they are requested their voluntary entry fee. At the judge’s option, the judge’s name and
email is included with his comment.
How can I become a judge?
Publisher Hal Goldstein
(hal@thaddeus.com) selects the judges. If
you feel qualified as a true expert in Windows Mobile Pocket PC or Smartphone
software, e-mail Hal with your qualifications or background. Important: Judges must agree to the following:
- That as a Board of Expert member, I will represent Smartphone &
Pocket PC magazine with integrity and civility.
- That I will not judge any category in which there is even an appearance of
conflict of interest. That is, I will refrain from judging a category in which
I am associated directly or in any significant way indirectly that could be
construed as a conflict of interest. If there is doubt, I won't judge in the
category without checking with Hal Goldstein.
- That I understand that once nominations are closed on July 16, it is too late
to add or subtract products. Therefore, I will study nominations before they
are closed to give input as I think appropriate.
- That I will fairly and objectively examine every product nominated for each
category that I judge.
- That I understand that judging and putting products through their paces,
takes time, and I will allot enough time to properly judge all the products in each
category I select to judge.
- That I will cast my votes within the time allotted. (Voting will take place
in August.)
- That I understand that by signing up at the Smartphone & Pocket PC
magazine forum, I will have access to a private area for discussion with fellow judges.
- That I understand the purpose of the awards is to provide end-users with
guidance for selecting software, and to reward developers for their efforts. I
take my role as a judge seriously, and I understand that my votes have economic
consequences both for developers and end-users.
What is the schedule for 2008?
Here is the tentative schedule of the seventh annual Smartphone & Pocket PC
magazine Best
Software Awards. Dates are subject to change.
May - Experts invited to join the Board of Experts
May - Initial draft of nominations ready for Board of Experts
May - June - Judges nominate products
June 25 - July 16 - Late draft of nominations available for public
input
July 21 – Nominations frozen
July 21 – Last date new release of nominee product eligible
July 23 - July 31 – Handango supplies registration codes to judges
Aug 1 - Sept 3 – Judges evaluate software and vote
Mid September- Nominations published in Oct/Nov issue of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine
Late September - Finalists announced on-line at this site
Late October - Winners announced at this site
November 12 - Winners and finalists published in 2009 Smartphone & Pocket PC Buyers
Guide
How can I get my FREE Special Report
of the 2007 winners and finalists?
Get a FREE Special Report of 2007 Best Software Awards
winners and finalists (value $5.95) by
subscribing. You may also
purchase it directly. This GREAT report contains screen
shots, live URLs, and descriptions of all the winners, as well as the product names and live URLs of the
finalists. Includes bonus sections on judges' favorites and best GPS software. (5.25MB PDF)
How can I get a 15% VIP discount on all software?
All subscribers to Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine
get a 15% discount on all Windows Mobile software through our exclusive VIP
Subscribers site. Access to the VIP site
and VIP Handango Software store with over 12,000 items is FREE for
all subscribers!
Subscribe
now, get instant VIP access and save 15% on all software!
Who’s in charge?
Hal Goldstein, hal@thaddeus.com, publisher of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine, is
in charge of the awards.
Werner Ruotsalainen will make final nominations determination.
Werner reviews all judge, vendor, and end-user entries of the nominations
form
New Products Editor, Noah Ouellette, is the maintainer of the Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories. www.PocketPCmag.com/encyclopedia.asp
from which the nominees are selected. Contact noah@thaddeus.com with Encyclopedia entry problems or questions.
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