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Pocket PC

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The Dell Axim x30, a Pocket PC

A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a handheld-sized computer that runs a specific version of the Windows CE operating system. It has many of the capabilities of modern desktop PCs. Currently there are thousands of applications for Pocket PC, many of which are freeware. Some of these devices also include mobile phone features. Pocket PCs can also be used with many other add-ons like GPS receivers, barcode readers, RFID readers, and cameras.

Definition

According to Microsoft, the Pocket PC is "a handheld device that enables users to store and retrieve e-mail, contacts, appointments, tasks, play multimedia files, games, exchange text messages with MSN Messenger, browse the Web, and more." [1]

From a technical standpoint, "Pocket PC" is a standard from Microsoft that sets various hardware and software requirements for mobile devices bearing the "Pocket PC" label.

For instance, any device which is to be classified as a Pocket PC must:

  • Run Microsoft's Windows Mobile, PocketPC edition
  • Come bundled with a specific suite of applications in ROM
note: the name Windows Mobile refers to both the Windows CE operating system and a suite of basic applications

Versions

Microsoft's current release is Windows Mobile 5.0, internally code-named Magneto. It was officially released by Microsoft on May 10 2005. Based on Windows CE 5.0, Windows Mobile 5.0 incorporates features such as Direct3D Mobile, and integrated Bluetooth and WiFi stacks. Pocket Word and Pocket Excel have been renamed Word Mobile and Excel Mobile, respectively, and both applications have gained more complete feature sets, including support for tables, ordered lists, and embedded graphics in Word Mobile, and support for charts in Excel Mobile. PowerPoint Mobile, a new addition to the Office Mobile suite, supports the ability to display PowerPoint presentations on a Pocket PC. Windows Mobile 5.0 also improves support for one-handed usage by inserting two, context-sensitive "soft" buttons at the bottom of the screen which can be mapped to hardware buttons on any specific device.

Windows Mobile 5.0 marks the convergence of the Phone Edition and Professional Edition operating systems into one system that contains both phone and PDA capabilities. A 'Phone' application is now included in the OS, and all PIM applications have been updated to interface with it. Windows Mobile 5.0 is compatible with Microsoft's Smartphone operating system and is capable of running Smartphone applications.

Pocket PCs running previous versions of the operating system generally stored user-installed applications and data in RAM, which meant that if the battery was depleted the device would lose all of its data. Windows Mobile 5.0 solves this problem by storing all user data in persistent (flash) memory, leaving the RAM to be used only for running applications, as it would be on a desktop computer. As a result, Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PCs generally have a greater amount of flash memory, and a smaller amount of RAM, compared to earlier devices.

The first devices to ship with Windows Mobile 5.0 were the HTC Universal (Europe) and the UTStarcom PPC-6700 for Sprint (United States).

The previous release, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition added native landscape support as well as other fixes and changes to those features already present in the original release of Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC, also known as WM2003. The first device to come with 2003SE was the Dell Axim x30.

Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC consisted of the Windows CE.NET 4.2 operating system bundled with scaled-down versions of many popular desktop applications, including Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word, Excel, Windows Media Player, and others. Past Pocket PC operating systems include Pocket PC 2002 (launched October 2001) and Pocket PC 2000 (launched April 2000), both running Windows CE 3.0 underneath.

Screenshots

File:Ppccomp.jpg

Vendors

Pocket PCs are manufactured and sold by several different companies; the major manufacturers include HP (under the iPAQ and now defunct Jornada brands), Toshiba, Acer, ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, HTC, and ViewSonic. In Mid-2003, Gateway Computers and JVC announced they would release Pocket PCs, but the projects were discontinued before a product was released. Prices in 2003 ranged from around $800 USD for the high-end models, some of which are combined with cell phones, to $200 for low-end models. A $100–$200 model was rumored to be released within 2004 or early 2005, although the lowest price for a just-released Pocket PC never went under $300.

Before Pocket PCs were released, there were other Windows-based machines of the same form factor made by HP, Philips, and others called Palm-size PCs. These devices ran Windows CE 2.0–2.11 and had an interface that was nearly identical to the then-current desktop version of Windows, Windows 98.

Companies like O2, T-Mobile and Orange are making PDAs that have an integrated mobile telephone inside. All users have to do is put in the SIM card and follow the wizard, to put their SIM contacts in the address book. An example is O2's XDA, or T-Mobile's MDA Compact. Both of these devices, whilst bearing the phone operator's logo, are actually manufactured by HTC.


See also

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