There are a few mysteries about the inherent behavior of the Windows Mobile OS. Probably one of the most common issue that Pocket PC users have found frustrating is the "X" button that seemingly closes the application, but really doesn't. I've always wondered why it is the way it is. I guess you and I are in luck as the Windows Mobile Team Blog has given us the answer and reasoning behind the infamous "X" button.
One thing we did has been pretty contentious. Along the way, we got feedback that users didn’t mind letting us manage the memory for them, but they really wanted a way to say, “I’m done with this. Make it go away.” So we put a “go away” button in the upper right corner of PocketPCs. This button just sends the application to the background. It doesn’t close it. If the system needs more memory while the app is in the background, it’ll close the app. But, if the system doesn’t need more memory, the app will stay in RAM and be ready to come back quickly the next time the user needs it. Now, in a move that some people consider brilliant and others consider unforgivably stupid, we made the “go away” look like an “X”. Brilliant because anyone who has ever used Desktop Windows will know that an “X” button in the upper right corner of the window will make the window go away. Unforgivably stupid because every one of those same people will assume an “X” button in the upper right corner of the window will make the app close. Whether you think the move is brilliant or stupid is pretty heavily tied to how much you believe that users shouldn’t have to manage their own memory.
Thanks to Mike of the WM blog team for the explanation ... click
here to read the rest!
By the way - if you've been looking for third party freeware that will actually shut down applications, check out
Magic Button.
[via Brighthand]