Rant: Make It Simple, Stupid!
A couple of things that have happened lately have made me come to one conclusion: software (and hardware) vendors need to stop making incremental and relatively worthless changes in their existing products and just concentrate on making the existing products work easily and continuously.
Take the Windows-Powered Smartphone crap I’m going through right now. Frankly, I don’t care if it’s a problem with the phone (HTC’s fault), the software (Microsoft’s fault) or the carrier (T-Mobile’s fault) - I just want the damned thing to work every time I turn it on, not whenever it feels like it. That’s what I liked about the old (less than a year) Pocket PC Phone. With very few exceptions, it always connected via GPRS. Of course, it’s not small like the Smartphone, it doesn’t get as good battery life, and it isn’t as “sexy” as the Smartphone. But hell, it worked. And that’s probably why I’m going to start using it again since nobody can seem to figure out why the Smartphone GPRS connection is so flaky. I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but it’s also rather discouraging that Microsoft wants the Mobius crowd to try out this new technology but isn’t willing to provide even scant technical support to resolve issues.
Here’s another example - my wife has been having continuing problems with her MSN e-mail account for at least six months, and nobody at MSN can figure out what’s wrong. We’re allowed to have up to six accounts under each main MSN account, so we set her up with an e-mail account. No problems for years, until MSN 8 came along. Then all of a sudden the account just falls off the face of the earth about every week. Here’s a situation where a new software release was supposed to help things out, but caused more problems and provided very little in terms of new features.
Palm’s not exempt, either! How about my problems last year with the i705? I had to go through support tech hell and two new devices before the wizards at Palm would finally agree that it was a wireless network problem. As soon as they listened to me and worked with the wireless data carrier, the problem went away - but not before they had pissed me off enough that I dropped my Palm.net wireless account.
I would just like to see the tech industry slow down a bit and work on one thing - making things work, simply and steadily. I don’t care if there isn’t a new model of PDA coming out every 3 months, just as long as I can get the existing equipment to work reliably. Of course, I’m dreaming if I believe that they’ll ever do anything like this, because the tech industry survives on change, by making people believe that the next version or new model will solve all the problems inherent in the older products.
OK. Rant mode is officially turned off now.
Press Release: New CoolClock Software Wakes You To Music and Displays Stunning Clocks
Applian Technologies announces CoolClock, a new multimedia alarm clock software program for the Pocket PC.
CoolClock lets you set alarms that play music or recorded voice. You can easily set multiple alarms for a time and day of the week, and choose any MP3, Windows Media, or playlist file as an alert. Or, attach a cheap set of PC speakers to your Pocket PC, and you’ve got a full stereo alarm clock!
Plus, CoolClock comes with eight designer clock faces built with Macromedia Flash. Not only is CoolClock fun to listen to, but it’s fun to watch as well.
CoolClock is available now from Applian Technologies at www.applian.com. You can purchase immediately, or try a free 7 day demo.
CoolClock requires a Pocket PC 2002 or 2003 device. Purchase price is $19.95.
Not The Phone - Maybe The Network?
You’ve probably read my earlier comments about the HTC Tanager Smartphone that I’m currently testing. In the Denver area, I’m lucky if I can use it for internet browsing an hour per day before getting a “no GPRS signal” indication from it. Well, when I was out of town this weekend in Vail and Aspen, Colorado I had NO problems with GPRS service at all - it worked just fine in both towns all weekend. That tells me that there must be an issue with the Denver system. When I got back to Denver this afternoon, sure enough the “G” indicator that informs you of a GPRS signal had disappeared and I was unable to make a connection. What’s truly odd is that the signal strength for GSM is stronger in Denver than it was in either of the two resort towns, but I was able to get both a good phone connection AND a really good GPRS signal anywhere in those towns. In fact, I even had service at the top of the Vista Bahn gondola (on top of Vail Mountain)!
I’m also going to try to set up a WAP or MMS connection in hopes that I can “back up” my crappy GPRS signal with one of those GSM-centric services. Whatever happens, I am finding that I really like the smaller size of the Smartphone compared to the Pocket PC Phone. The screen is awesome! The only thing I really don’t like is having to use T9 input to write e-mails, but perhaps I can get an external keyboard for written input on this device.
On The Road Again…
Actually, this is the first time I’ve taken my Tablet PC on a trip with me. As I write this, I’m sitting at Pepi’s Bar & Restaurant in Vail, Colorado, outside on the patio on a lovely summer evening. This little Tablet PC is sitting next to my glass of Fat Tire beer as I type away (not what you’re supposed to do with a Tablet PC, but it’s great for fast data entry).
As I’m extremely security conscious, I brought along a newly-purchased lock (Fellowes) to secure my Tablet PC when it is sitting in the room. Unfortunately, nobody told me that the Fellowes lock is a piece of crap. I have a Kensington combination lock at work and it is great. This thing is hard to open, seems loose in the lock slot that is built into every notebook and Tablet PC, and is otherwise pissing me off.
One thing I really like about this Compaq TC1000 is that it has a Compact Flash slot, so I can move pictures from my digital camera to the hard drive to back them up. I just grab the CF card, slam it into the slot, and it shows up as a removable drive on my Tablet PC. Then I can move the picture files over to a folder, look at ‘em in full-screen mode, and do all the other things you ordinarily can’t do with “just a camera”.
One thing I was hoping to find was a WiFi hotspot of some sort. No such luck. I checked just about every online directory of WiFi points and there was nothing here in Vail. As a result I’m stuck with very non-broadband dialup. I can’t believe that someone hasn’t opened up a coffee shop with a WiFi connection here in this yupster town. Hmmm….maybe a money-making opportunity…
Press Release: MobiMate’s WorldMate bundled in the U.S. and Asia Pacific with HP iPAQ Pocket PCs
The leading mobile travel application developer proudly announces its first bundling deal on a Pocket PC (R) device.
REHOVOT, Israel, June 25, 2003 — MobiMate Ltd. announced today that its WorldMate will be bundled with the new HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5100 and h5500 series for the U.S. and Asia Pacific. This is the first Pocket PC handheld to ship with WorldMate, a full-featured travel utility that includes world clocks, world weather, currency conversion and more.
Nadav Gur, MobiMate’s CEO, says, “The WorldMate franchise has been growing by leaps and bounds. Sales have been increasing exponentially and the feature set is getting richer with each new version. It is becoming a ‘must have’ for business people that work or travel across borders.”
“More and more, consumers are relying on their handheld devices to access needed information at their convenience,” said Cindy Box, Director of Marketing, HP Handhelds. “The WorldMate utility enables HP customers the ability to use their iPAQ Pocket PCs as a travel resource.”
WorldMate is a leading handheld travel application for PDAs and smartphones with hundreds of thousands of downloads to date. Its key features include world clocks with automatic DST calculation, a Today screen plug-in, a world map, 5-day worldwide weather forecasts from The Weather Channel updated on-line, a currency converter with daily exchange rate updates, and an international weights and measurements converter. WorldMate?s unique on-line capabilities make it a natural complement for wireless mobile devices.
About MobiMate
MobiMate is one of the most well-established mobile application software developers in the industry, publishing best selling titles such as WorldMate and DateMate. MobiMate’s Mobile Enterprise Framework serves as the foundation for some of the world?s most ambitious PDA-based systems, including Israel’s Bank Leumi’s Handheld Banking system, launched this fall. MobiMate is based in Rehovot, Israel and is privately held.
For a FREE trial download & more information, please visit http://www.mobimate.com
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MobiMate and WorldMate are trademarks or registered trademarks of MobiMate, Ltd. The Weather Channel, and weather.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of The Weather Channel Enterprises, Inc. All other trade names and trademarks are the property of their holders.
Press Release: Beiks Introduces First ARM-Optimized Dictionary Reader for Palm OS PDAs
DALLAS (June 26, 2003) - - Beiks LLC announces a new version of its popular BDicty Dictionary Reader for Palm OS, leveraging the power of the underlying ARM processor that drives Palm OS 5.x devices. BDicty is the first dictionary reader optimized for ARM, resulting in the fastest searches available for any Palm OS dictionary application.
BDicty works with the entire collection of dictionary lexicons available from Beiks’ Web site at www.beiks.com, including languages, phrase books for travelers, and professional and scientific terminologies, among others. Beiks’ collection of dictionaries is the largest assortment of international dictionaries and phrase books available for mobile devices.
“BDicty is one of those applications that is an essential add-on, and once it is used for the first time, people wonder how they lived without it,” said Bobby Kolev, president of Beiks LLC. “Our newest version offers near instantaneous search results, delivering on our promise of providing the most robust and useful Palm OS dictionary on the market.”
BDicty Dictionary is available in two versions, Light and Pro. Both versions can open and work with any of the lexicon data files designed for BDicty, but the Pro version includes high-level features such as faster speed and the ability to access a BDicty dictionary from within other applications (for example, users can look up the meaning of a word in an eBook document without having to close the viewer application to launch BDicty). The Light version of BDicty is free while the Pro version costs US$10.00. Volume discounts for corporate and education customers are available.
The company plans to also release immediate updates of BDicty Dictionary for Pocket PC and Sharp Zaurus PDAs.
Got A Dell Axim X5 and $29? Get The Pocket PC 2003 Upgrade!
Yep, if you’re a Dell Axim X5 owner and want to experience the latest version of the Windows Mobile operating system for your Pocket PC, go to:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&sku=310-4214
and order your upgrade immediately. I’m very impressed that Dell has announced this upgrade so soon and that the cost is so little.
RSS Feed Slightly Hosed - Should Be Fixed Now
If you’re one of the folks who uses our RSS newsfeed (the XML button at the top left of the page), the recent upgrades at Blogger made for some interesting errors with that feed. You could see a list of all of the new PDAntic.com articles, but clicking the links to those articles came up with a “page not found” error. The error has been fixed and everything should be in order now. Let me know if you experience any problems!
And More Info About The Gateway 100X PDA!
Wow. I knew today was going to be busy and full of announcements, but this is fantastic!
In other news, Gateway officially announced the “Gateway 100X PDA”, which will be a Windows Mobile 2003 device. It’s easy to see that they’re trying to compete directly with Dell, since this device is very similar to the Dell Axim Pocket PC. The 100X weighs a hefty 6.52 ounces and measures 5.11 inches tall by 3.07 inches wide by .71 inches thick; not a lightweight or small product by any stretch of the imagination. Also like the Axim, the 100X features both SD and CompactFlash slots.
The 100X runs on the same Intel XScale 400 MHz processor that drives many of the new devices, has 32 MB of flashable ROM and 64MB of RAM. Built-in Bluetooth isn’t included, but with a $299 price tag I wouldn’t expect it to. If I can get Gateway to send me a review unit I’ll be sure to run a pile of benchmarks and let you know how it stacks up to the competition.
Windows Mobile Upgrades for iPAQ 3900 and 5450 Models
If you have an HP iPAQ Pocket PC 2002 device and you’re having serious Windows Mobile 2003 envy today, don’t worry too much! If you still have your receipt and you purchased (or will purchase) a qualifying device between May 23, 2003 and September 23, 2003, you will get a free upgrade. If you purchased before this date range, you’ll need to cough up $29.95 for the upgrade CD. HP will have more information available later this week, as the upgrade order page isn’t online yet.
This is wonderful news for people who own iPAQ 3900 and 5450 devices, although it appears (at least at this point) that the 1910 and possibly the 3800 series won’t be upgradeable. You can check here for more information.
2003 Upgrades For Pocket LOOX, V35 and mmO2 XDA
The great folks at infoSync World have gotten word that there will be Windows Mobile 2003 upgrades available for owners of the ViewSonic V35, Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 600, and the mmO2 XDA (aka Pocket PC Phone).
From the infoSync World site (see link above), here’s the word on the upgrades that they’ve heard about so far:
ViewSonic V35
“In conjunction with Microsoft’s launch of Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC - more commonly known as Pocket PC 2003 - ViewSonic today announced that it would provide free upgrades to the new version of the operating to users in compliance with the Microsoft Technical Upgrade Program. The program ensures users who have purchased the V35 within 30 days before or 90 days after the launch a free upgrade.
ViewSonic V35 owners who did not purchase their device within this time span will be required to purchase the upgrade, however ViewSonic has yet to decide what the company will charge. According to an estimate from ViewSonic, the manufacturer will have an upgrade ready within 14 days upon which owners eligible for a free upgrade will be notified through the ViewSonic web site.”
Fujitsu Siemens Pocket LOOX
“Timed to coincide with the launch of Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PC, Fujitsu Siemens is announcing its support for the new operating system on the Pocket LOOX 600. Customers who purchased their Pocket LOOX 600 between 23 May and 23 September 2003 will be able to upgrade their device for a handling fee of 26.99 EUR, while customers who purchased their device beyond the upgrade period will be able to obtain the upgrade for 59.95 EUR. Fujitsu Siemens will make the upgrade available in the third quarter.”
mmO2 XDA
“Mobile network operator mmO2 today announced its intent to bring to market an upgrade to Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC - the successor to Microsoft’s Pocket PC 2002 platform - for its O2 XDA WAN handheld. Currently undergoing internal alpha testing, mmO2 could neither comment on whether the upgrade would be made available to users for free, nor at what time the upgrade could be expected to arrive. The O2 XDA is currently powered by Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition.”
All quotes are taken verbatim from infoSync World and were written by J?rgen Sundgot.
Press Release: HP Unveils Its Broadest Range of Handhelds Ever
Line Includes Industry’s Smallest Dual Slot HP iPAQ Pocket PC
PALO ALTO, CALIF., JUNE 23, 2003
HP (NYSE:HPQ) today expanded the award-winning HP iPAQ Pocket PC product line to offer customers a full range of handheld computing options. New models include the HP iPAQ h2210, the smallest dual slot pocket PC; the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h1940, a slim, value-priced pocket PC; and the HP iPAQ h5150 and h5550, which include a 128-MB RAM power machine.
HP iPAQ Pocket PCs, the No. 1 selling Pocket PC family worldwide, include common features such as a brilliant and vivid transflective display, a secure digital input/output (SDIO) expansion slot allowing for additional storage and capability, removable batteries, mobile printing software, and the company’s exclusive iPAQ Image Viewer for viewing images and creating slide shows.
Integrated Bluetooth(TM) wireless capability is offered across the entire iPAQ Pocket PC family announced today, allowing connectivity to Bluetooth notebook PCs, printers and accessories, as well as access to remote data when combined with a Bluetooth enabled phone. Bluetooth enables users to effortlessly synchronize and share data through their own personal area networks.
Mobile printing software shipping with the new models allows customers to take advantage of the integrated Bluetooth capability to wirelessly print e-mail attachments, documents or photos conveniently from the Pocket PC to a Bluetooth enabled HP printer.
The HP iPAQ Pocket PC’s innovative screen technology continues in the new models. The transflective liquid crystal display combines the rich color saturation and high contrast of a backlit TFT display, while remaining viewable outdoors in bright sunlight. All of these models are powered by Microsoft Windows(R) Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PC.
“By creating feature-rich handhelds for every need and every budget, HP continues to drive industry-leading innovation with industry-leading value,” said Ted Clark, vice president handhelds, mobile computing group, HP Personal Systems Group. “The combination of wireless connectivity and expandability across the HP iPAQ Pocket PC product line empowers our customers to be more productive at home, at work or on the go.”
HP iPAQ h2210 ? the Smallest Dual Slot Pocket PC Available
Designed for the mobile professional, the HP iPAQ h2210 is the smallest Pocket PC on the market to include dual slot expansion (Compact Flash Type II and Secure Digital). This offers customers the ability to increase data storage, play more music and view more photos while extending the capability of the device based on the card that best fits their needs.
The h2210’s small, sleek design includes integrated Bluetooth wireless capability, enabling wireless synchronization and data sharing through a personal area network.
Also included in the h2210 is the Nevo universal remote control software, allowing users to control all their home and office audio and video equipment with a single device.
The device comes with 64 MB of RAM (56 MB of main memory) and the 400-MHz Intel? X-Scale PXA255 applications processor for accelerated multimedia and security. A slipcase and desktop cradle with an extra battery slot for charging is included with the device, and a variety of optional accessories are available including extra styli, a spare lithium-ion battery, auto adapter and a variety of cases. Its estimated street price is $399.
Slim and Affordable HP iPAQ Pocket PC h1940
The iPAQ Pocket PC h1940 offers consumers and mobile professionals integrated expansion and wireless connectivity at a low estimated price of $299.
Building on the success of the h1910, the h1940 has a similar slim and sleek design and includes a dazzling color display, SDIO and integrated Bluetooth wireless capability. The h1940 weighs a mere 4.37 ounces and easily slips into a shirt pocket or purse.
The SDIO expansion slot allows customers to do even more with the iPAQ Pocket PC by adding not only memory cards but also wireless cards, digital cameras and other features in the future.
The h1940 includes 64 MB of RAM (56 MB of main memory) and the Samsung S3C2410 processor (266-MHz processor). A synchronization cable is included with the device, and a variety of optional accessories are available including a USB cradle with an extra battery slot for charging, extra styli, a spare lithium-ion battery, auto adapter and a variety of cases. Street price varies by country. Estimated U.S. pricing for the h1940 is $299.
Versatile and Expandable HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5150 and h5550
The HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5150 and h5550 offer small- and medium-sized businesses and enterprise customers a powerful and expandable option for their handheld computing needs.
Building on the success of the h5450 model introduced in 2002, the h5150 and h5550 offer a stable platform that allows customers to get more from their iPAQ Pocket PC by adding expansion packs with additional capabilities. Both models include a removable slim battery (1250mAh) and integrated Bluetooth capability.
The h5550 is the first Pocket PC to include an unparalleled 128 MB of RAM as well as integrated biometrics security and wireless LAN network access (802.11b). This model also includes up to 17 MB of iPAQ File Store (non-volatile flash storage). Its estimated street price is $649.
Through wireless LAN networks, the h5550 and h5150 allow access to information when connected to a corporate network or wireless “hotspot,” making it an ideal component of any mobile business solution. (The h5150 requires the addition of a wireless LAN card for wireless access.) When combined with a Bluetooth enabled phone, this allows access to remote data while waiting for a flight, meeting with customers or sitting in a hotel.
A thermal biometric fingerprint reader on the h5550 helps to ensure that critical data is protected from unauthorized access by authenticating the owner’s unique fingerprint, which can then be combined with a personal identification number, password or both.
The h5150 allows additional expansion and, like the other models announced today, incorporates Bluetooth wireless technology so customers can exchange and print documents and photos without the need for a cable or specific print drivers. Users can also choose to add an SDIO wireless LAN card or the HP PC Card Expansion Pack Plus and a wireless LAN card to connect to high-speed wireless LAN networks. This model includes 64 MB of RAM and up to 4 MB of iPAQ File Store. Its estimated street price is $549.
The h5150 and 5550 also incorporate a wide range of applications such as the iPAQ Backup utility and iPAQ Task Manager. These models feature a 400-MHz Intel X-Scale PXA255 processor for accelerated multimedia and security. A desktop cradle and holster case is included with the device, and a variety of optional accessories are available including slim and extended removable batteries, extra styli, auto adapter and a variety of cases.
To further expand the capabilities of the HP iPAQ Pocket PC, various solutions and tools are available at the HP iPAQ Pocket PC Solutions Catalog Web site, http://www.hp.com/go/ipaqsolutions, and HP’s matrix listing compatible third-party Bluetooth products, www.compaq.com/products/wireless/wpan/btcompmatrix.html.
Press Release: Microsoft Unveils Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PCs
New Pocket PC Software Offers Easy Wi-Fi Access, Advanced Support for Digital Imaging
REDMOND, Wash. — June 23, 2003 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Windows Mobile (TM) 2003 software for Pocket PCs. Customers can choose among a variety of devices based on Windows Mobile software, available for purchase today. This new version of Microsoft(R) Windows Mobile software enhances the Pocket PC software experience by including support for easy access to wireless networks, a powerful digital media experience, and support for developers building Microsoft .NET services and applications. Industry partners around the world, including new and existing Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC manufacturers, mobile operators and independent software vendors (ISVs), joined Microsoft in the introduction of this offering. In related news, Microsoft today also announced the new Windows Mobile brand, a single brand that extends the familiarity of the Windows(R) brand, while reflecting the uniqueness of software for mobile devices.
“Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs creates new opportunities for hardware, software and wireless companies to partner and deliver innovative solutions to help improve the way people work and live,” said Juha Christensen, corporate vice president for the Mobile Devices Division at Microsoft. “By improving the core elements of Windows Mobile software, Microsoft has enabled customers to take advantage of software features that are wireless-ready and easy to use, and to connect with people and information with a broader range of new device hardware — and at attractive prices.”
New Devices and Partners
Microsoft is pleased to announce two new manufacturers for the Windows Mobile platform, Gateway Inc. and JVC Company of America, which will introduce new Pocket PCs later this year. Customers can choose among a variety of devices from ASUSTeK Computer Inc., Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. and ViewSonic based on Windows Mobile software, available for purchase today. In addition, Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC devices will be available soon from existing device manufacturers including Acer Incorporated, ASUSTeK Computer, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, Intermec Technologies Corp., Legend Group Ltd., MiTAC, Panasonic Computer Solutions Co., Symbol Technologies Inc., Toshiba America Information Systems, Trimble and ViewSonic.
In conjunction with today’s announcement, Microsoft and Wi-Fi industry leader T-Mobile HotSpot, along with Boingo Wireless Inc. and Wayport Inc., announced offers to provide free 30-day access with new qualifying subscriptions to their Wi-Fi services to U.S. customers who purchase a Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC.
“T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi promise of wireless broadband solutions where you already go means our customers can check e-mail, download large files or access corporate intranets at T-1 speeds,” said Joe Sims, vice president and general manager of T-Mobile HotSpot. “T-Mobile is excited to work with Microsoft to launch Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs. We believe that this software will further enhance our customer’s user experience.”
Pocket PC, Refined
This latest version of Windows Mobile improves the core elements of the Pocket PC software through enhancements in wireless connectivity, easy navigation and rapid application development support as well as more entertainment options. Enhancements include these:
Enables easy connection to a variety of wireless networks. Automatically detects and easily connects to Wi-Fi networks and personal area networks via native support for Bluetooth(R)
Delivers a great messaging and e-mail experience. Enables always-up-to-date e-mail synchronization through integration with the upcoming Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and encourages further hardware innovation with native support for integrated keyboard devices
Expands the digital media experience. Offers improved mobile experiences with users’ photos, music and home movies through support of Windows Media(R) 9 Series audio and video technology:
Pictures. Users can store, edit and display digital photos on their device.
Windows Media Player 9:
Provides access to a wider range of high-quality digital media content (no longer just content formatted for portable devices) over Wi-Fi networks at speeds of up to 300 Kbps.
Enables playback of home movies and digital photo albums created with Windows Movie Maker 2 or Plus! Photo Story.
Supports Plus! Sync & Go, allowing users to synchronize digital content from the Internet or their PC.
Encourages platform innovation. Includes integrated support for the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework, providing an exciting opportunity for enterprise developers, ISVs and solution providers with a rapid application development platform for a wide variety of applications that can take full advantage of Web services and XML
A Superior Platform for Developer Innovation
Windows Mobile 2003 software for Pocket PCs is a rich, extensible platform for application development that takes full advantage of the new Windows CE .NET 4.2 operating system and the .NET Compact Framework in ROM. Utilizing Visual Studio? .NET 2003 development tools, millions of Visual Studio application developers can now use their existing skills to develop and deploy innovative applications and take advantage of Web services. The .NET Compact Framework brings the power and performance of the desktop to the handheld device.
Today, Microsoft officially released the Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PCs Software Development Kit (SDK) to new and existing Windows Mobile developers. To date, more than 8,000 developers have received the Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PCs SDK in advance, at the Microsoft Mobility Developer Conferences in the United States, Europe and Japan, at Tech?Ed in the United States, and through the Microsoft Mobile Solutions Partner Program. More information on the SDK is available at http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/developer/.
Interest from the community of Pocket PC developers continues to grow with new and existing ISVs and solution providers today announcing their support and commitment to create applications based on Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PCs.
“Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs continue to generate increased interest from users and developers alike,” said Laura Rippy, chief executive of Handango. “The community of Windows Mobile developers selling Pocket PC applications has nearly doubled and is up 95 percent in the first quarter of 2003 over the first quarter of 2002, and Pocket PC software sales are up over 67 percent from the first quarter of 2002.”
About Windows Mobile-Based Pocket PCs
Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs, the next generation of personal digital assistants (PDAs) from Microsoft and industry partners, offer customers the best way to connect to their most essential information while on the go yet are versatile enough to satisfy the personal needs of today’s busy mobile consumer. This Windows Mobile software includes a broad range of native business, personal productivity and entertainment applications and can be expanded easily to adapt to each customer’s changing needs through a continually growing number of industry-standard hardware designs, hardware peripherals and software applications. More information about the new lineup of Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs is available at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/windowsmobilelaunch/default.asp.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows Mobile, Windows, Windows Media and Visual Studio are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The Bluetooth trademarks are owned by its proprietors and used by Microsoft under license.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Pocket PC 2003 Is FAST!
Some benchmarks that have been posted show that for the first time, Pocket PC 2003 has been optimized for the hardware it is running on. While previous generation devices (Compaq iPaq 3900, Dell Axim X5, iPaq 5450) averaged about 21.22 KB/sec in opening a 240 KB Pocket Word document, the new iPaq 2215 whizzed through at 100.5 KB/sec! That’s almost 5 times as fast!
I’ll bet there are a lot of us anxiously waiting for the word from manufacturers on ROM upgrades for older devices…
New Features of Pocket PC 2003
It’s official! Pocket PC 2003, the latest incarnation of the Microsoft Pocket PC GUI, has been released. This will be a long post, but I’m sure everyone will want the word on the new features of this powerful tool. In a nutshell, the big additions in Pocket PC 2003 include improved connectivity tools (both WiFi and Bluetooth), better security, better power management, several application improvements, the long-awaited update to Pocket Internet Explorer, and improved multimedia support.
Here are the details from a Microsoft document - I will also make other postings today as news is made available:
Enhanced Connection Manager User Interface - A new and more intuitive Connection Manager wizard features enhanced tabs to give users more control over selecting networks and setting dialing preferences
Zero Configuration connections - Pocket PC 2003 has added Zero Configuration for Wi-Fi, designed to simplify connection with and authentication to 802.11 wireless networks. Zero Configuration is also supported when adding a dial-up modem and Ethernet network card
Improved animated connectivity status icons - When using the cellular phone features of the PPC, new connectivity icons have been merged onto the navigation bar to better illustrate radio signal strength and data flow
Improved connectivity bubbles - Connectivity message bubbles are clearer and less cluttered and more easily convey information about connection status, synchronization and signal strength
Bluetooth partnership wizard - New wizard pops up at (Settings | Bluetooth | Paired Device Tab | New), which turns on the radio, searches for available devices and asks users to set a PIN to pair with a device. This feature allows users to easily configure Bluetooth bonding
Always-on Bluetooth discoverability - The Bluetooth discoverable mode stays turned on after users activate it (until users manually changes the setting) to allow for easy Bluetooth bonding
Use of Bluetooth modems - Bluetooth phones may be used as a modem to connect the Pocket PC to the Internet. This feature represents Microsoft’s commitment to serving OEMs and mobile operators and to supporing the growing popularity of the Bluetooth wireless connection standard
Bluetooth beaming - Users can now beam data such as Contact files using Bluetooth
Auto-correct - Common spelling errors are automatically corrected during typing. Auto-correct can easily be overridden. (Not available in East Asia)
Auto-suggest - Auto-suggest is extended to the e-mail inbox, allowing users to type e-mail more quickly
Turn all radios off - One-touch ability allows users to turn off all wireless radios (802.11x, Bluetooth, cell phone, etc.) to conserve device power when not on a network or allow other features to be used while traveling on an airplane when cell phones must be turned off
802.1x support - 802.1x Wi-Fi security is supported natively
Certificate Management UI - New control panel applet allows users to manage client and root certificates. This is useful when users have installed a bad certficiate and have difficulty logging onto Wi-Fi networks
IPSec/L2TP - Windows CE provides the support for IPSec L2TP (the Microsoft VPN standard for connectivity)
Support for Multiple VPNs - The new Connection Manager also supports multiple VPNs
IPv6 support - PPC now supports IPv6/v4 mixed environments
New Today Screen - Today screen automatically shows users the next day’s appointments immediately after the last current day appointment expires to better manage early morning meetings
Smart Lookup in Contacts - Pocket PC 2003 incorporates Smart Lookup, a feature that enables users to input the first few letters of the contact they want to open
Windows CE 4.2 operating system - With the new and improved operating system, Windows CE 4.2, users will experience improved performance and stability of applications built for Pocket PC 2003 devices
.NET Compact Framework - The integrated .NET Compact Framework brings the power of new applications that simplify the overall development and integration of Web services on smart devices, enabling developers and enterprise end users to access a wealth of data from various sources such as back-end servers, intranets, and the Internet
Enhanced developer support - Developer support for Pocket PC 2003 is greatly improved with the addition of several new APIs that include Enhanced Messaging and Networking APIs
128-bit encryption strength for Crypto API - With Pocket PC 2002, 128-bit encryption required an installation, but it is now in ROM. It enables ISVs and corporate developers to develop additional security into the Pocket PC platform
Improved power management - Pocket PC 2003 enables better handling of unattended applications so that it doesn’t wake up or consume as much power when applications are not being actively used
Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003 - Support for playback of Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs, which gives users 20 percent improvements in audio compression and as much as 50 percent for video compared with previous versions. The new media player also offers enhanced performance for video playback, improved networking support, better Web streaming and an enhanced user interface
Plus! Sync & Go - Plus! Sync & Go is a new feature of Plus! Digital Media Edition (a $20 enhancement pack for Windows XP) that enables Pocket PC users to take the latest music, news and more from the Web or their own personal digital media library with them on the Pocket PC. Plus! Sync & Go provides great benefits to users of the Pocket PC 2003, enabling them to enjoy audio and video content from many top content providers that is automatically downloaded and synchronized to their Pocket PC so it’s always up to date. Content from the user’s Media Library in Windows Media Player 9 Series can also be synchronized, offering automatic delivery of this content right to the Pocket PC 2003.
Support for Plus! Photo Story - Support for playback of Plus! Photo Stories in Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003. Now users can take their digital photos and the stories that go with them on the Pocket PC 2003 using Plus! Photo Story, a fun new feature of Plus! Digital Media Edition, a $20 photo, music and movie enhancement pack for Windows XP
Windows Movie Maker 2 - Windows Movie Maker 2 provides Pocket PC users with special save profiles for playback of home movies on the Pocket PC (including full-screen playback). The enhanced playback performance of Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003 makes the experience of playing back home movies on the Pocket PC even better.
Pictures - Users can view their images individually, in slide show mode or thumbnails. Tools for simple image editing, such as brightness and contrast, pan and zoom, cropping and rotating, are also provided
New Version of Pocket Internet Explorer - Pocket Internet Explorer performance has increased and reduced memory requirements. Pocket Internet Explorer includes support for XHTML Basic, Cascading Style Sheets, WML 2.0, JScript 5.5 and IPv6
“Jawbreaker” game - This is a single-player graphical game. Earlier versions of it were known as “Bubblets”
vCard and vCal Support - Users can now accept a vCard into Contacts and a vCal into Calendar
Inbox Signature Support - Users can easily configure their e-mail accounts so that they include an e-mail signature
New user notifications - Better battery power reminders reduce the number of low battery notifications, while maintaining those reminders that matter the most (when battery power becomes critical). They also ensure that the reminder never wakes up the device.
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Joy of Tech!
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MacLevelTen
