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If you're on-the-go alot, you may browse around and see an app you'd like to run right then and there.

Now, you can do this via ActiveSync while at your desktop, but one of the great things about the MDA Vario is that it's a lightweight PC that fits in your pocket, so why not do as much as you can on-the-go?

It would be great if the MDA had the real Windows XP under the hood with a true phone OS perhaps like one those OQO Model 01+ micro tablet PCs with nice phone that had excellent reception duct-taped to the back of it :). But that may have to wait...

In the meantime, the MDA really does make downloading apps on-the-go easy (with a few exceptions) and here's how...

Let's first talk about when things don't quite work.

If you try downloading a .CAB file from the web, you're going to run into problems. For example, we wanted to try the Opera Mobile Browser which is different from Opera Mini, we first located the right download from the website:


Then we located the version (note that there are many versions for different phone platforms, so choose the right one!):


Notice what happens when the CAB file is being downloaded. Oops!


What really needs to happen is for the phone to allow for saving the file locally for an install.

Here's another method of downloading and installing an app. In this example, we'll download PocketPutty which is a .zip file that we'll save locally and extract using the tools in your MDA.

Let's again visit the website:


We'll then be prompted to save the file and in this case we'll just save it to the My Documents folder

Once downloaded, we'll use File Explorer to locate the file and extract it. Just select the app and a prompt will ask you if you really want to do this:


Go for it by choosing "Yes", and it'll invoke the ZIP utility:


Now using the menu options, select Action -> Extract:


In this example, it'll then ask us to extract it to a location (we'll use the same location - the My Documents folder):


That's it! Now, if you go back to your My Documents folder you'll notice the zip file and the actual app. Just click it to open it. You can also create a shortcut for future use.

Hope this helps!