| A Pocket PC, abbreviated P/PC or PPC, is a | | | | system bundled with scaled-down versions of |
| specification for a handheld-sized computer | | | | many popular desktop applications, including |
| (Personal digital assistant) that runs a | | | | Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Word, |
| specific version of the Windows CE operating | | | | Excel, Windows Media Player, and others. Past |
| system. It may have the capability to run an | | | | Pocket PC operating systems include Pocket PC |
| alternative operating system like NetBSD or | | | | 2002 (launched October 2001) and Pocket PC |
| Linux. It has many of the capabilities of | | | | 2000 (launched April 2000), both running |
| modern desktop PCs. | | | | Windows CE 3.0 underneath. |
| | | | |
| Currently there are thousands of applications | | | | Vendors |
| for handhelds adhering to the Microsoft | | | | |
| Pocket PC specification, many of which are | | | | Pocket PCs are manufactured and sold by |
| freeware. Some of these devices also include | | | | several different companies; the major |
| mobile phone features. Microsoft compliant | | | | manufacturers include HP (under the iPAQ and |
| Pocket PCs can also be used with many other | | | | now defunct Jornada brands), Toshiba, Acer, |
| add-ons like GPS receivers, barcode readers, | | | | ASUS, Dell (under the now defunct Axim |
| RFID readers, and cameras. | | | | brand), Fujitsu Siemens, HTC, and ViewSonic. |
| | | | In Mid-2003, Gateway Computers and JVC |
| Definition | | | | announced they would release Pocket PCs, but |
| | | | the projects were discontinued before a |
| According to Microsoft, the Pocket PC is "a | | | | product was released. Prices in 2003 ranged |
| handheld device that enables users to store | | | | from around $800 USD for the high-end models, |
| and retrieve e-mail, contacts, appointments, | | | | some of which are combined with cell phones, |
| tasks, play multimedia files, games, exchange | | | | to $200 for low-end models. A |
| text messages with Windows Live Messenger | | | | $100–$200 model was rumored to be |
| (MSN Messenger), browse the Web, and more." | | | | released within 2004 or early 2005, although |
| (src: microsoft buyersguide) | | | | the lowest price for a just-released Pocket |
| | | | PC never went under $300. Many companies |
| From a technical standpoint, "Pocket PC" is a | | | | ceased to sell PDA's by 2003–2004 |
| Microsoft specification that sets various | | | | because of a declining market. Major |
| hardware and software requirements for mobile | | | | Companies such as Viewsonic and Toshiba |
| devices bearing the "Pocket PC" label. | | | | stopped producing new Pocket PCs. |
| | | | |
| For instance, any device which is to be | | | | Before the Pocket PC brand was launched, |
| classified as a Pocket PC must: | | | | there were other Windows-based machines of |
| | | | the same form factor made by HP, Philips, and |
| Run Microsoft's Windows Mobile, PocketPC | | | | others called Palm-size PCs. These devices |
| edition | | | | ran Windows CE 2.0–2.11 and had an |
| | | | interface that was similar to the |
| Come bundled with a specific suite of | | | | then-current desktop versions of Windows, |
| applications in ROM | | | | such as Windows 98. |
| | | | |
| Note: the name Windows Mobile includes both | | | | Companies like O2, T-Mobile and Orange are |
| the Windows CE operating system and a suite | | | | marketing Pocket PCs that have integrated |
| of basic applications along with a specified | | | | mobile telephony (smartphones). All users |
| user interface | | | | have to do is put in the SIM card and follow |
| | | | the wizard, to put their SIM contacts in the |
| Include a touchscreen | | | | address book. An example is O2's XDA, or |
| | | | T-Mobile's MDA Compact. Both of these |
| Include a directional pad or touchpad | | | | devices, whilst bearing the phone operator's |
| | | | logo, are actually manufactured by the |
| Include a set of hardware application buttons | | | | dominant Pocket PC manufacturer HTC. |
| | | | |
| Be based on an ARM version 4 compatible CPU, | | | | An example of a high end consumer-market |
| Intel XScale CPU, MIPS CPU or SH3 CPU. (As of | | | | Pocket PC currently available is the Dell |
| the Pocket PC 2002 specification, ARM-based | | | | Axim x51v. Hardware specs include 3.7" color |
| CPUs are required.) | | | | TFT VGA display with 640x480 resolution, |
| | | | Intel XScaleTM PXA270 Processor at 624MHz, |
| Versions | | | | 336MB of Memory (256MB Flash, 64MB SDRAM), |
| | | | integrated 802.11b and Bluetooth 1.2, |
| Microsoft's current release is Windows Mobile | | | | integrated Intel 2700G multimedia accelerator |
| 6, internally code-named Crossbow. It was | | | | with 16MB video memory. Expansion is possible |
| officially released by Microsoft on February | | | | via CompactFlash Type II and SD slots |
| 12, 2007 and Microsoft has promised that it | | | | (supporting SDIO Now!, SDIO and MMC cards). |
| will work seamlessly with Windows Vista. | | | | Included is a 1100 mAh user replaceable |
| | | | battery (est. 4-6.5 hours, 2200mAh also |
| Windows Mobile 5.0 marked the convergence of | | | | available). |
| the Phone Edition and Professional Edition | | | | |
| operating systems into one system that | | | | Some Pocket PCs feature integrated GPS often |
| contains both phone and PDA capabilities. A | | | | combined with mobile phone functionality. |
| 'Phone' application was included in the OS, | | | | Pocket PCs with built-in telephony differ |
| and all PIM applications were updated to | | | | from Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition |
| interface with it. Windows Mobile 5.0 was | | | | devices in several respects - including the |
| compatible with Microsoft's Smartphone | | | | lack of a touchscreen on the latter. Some |
| operating system and was capable of running | | | | examples of current Pocket PCs with GPS |
| Smartphone applications. | | | | integrated are the Fujitsu Siemens Pocket |
| | | | Loox N560 a high-end Pocket PC with a VGA |
| Pocket PCs running previous versions of the | | | | screen and an integrated SiRF Star III GPS; |
| operating system generally stored | | | | the HTC TyTN a small communicator with |
| user-installed applications and data in RAM, | | | | integrated slide in keyboard; the HP hw6945 |
| which meant that if the battery was depleted | | | | and HP iPAQ hw6515 with integrated |
| the device would lose all of its data. | | | | thumb-board, GPS and GSM/GPRS telephony |
| Windows Mobile 5.0 solved this problem by | | | | integrated; the HTC top of the line Universal |
| storing all user data in persistent (flash) | | | | - branded as the QTek 9000 (also branded by |
| memory, leaving the RAM to be used only for | | | | various telecommunications companies as the: |
| running applications, as it would be on a | | | | Orange SPV M5000, T-mobile MDA Pro, Vodafone |
| desktop computer. As a result, Windows Mobile | | | | VPA IV, O2 XDA Exec, i-Mate JasJar, Dopod |
| 5.0 Pocket PCs generally had a greater amount | | | | 900). |
| of flash memory, and a smaller amount of RAM, | | | | |
| compared to earlier devices. | | | | A newer entrant into the Pocket PC market are |
| | | | Palm who sell devices like the Treo 700w/wx |
| The first devices to ship with Windows Mobile | | | | based on Windows Mobile 5.0 and featuring |
| 5.0 were the HTC Universal (Europe) and the | | | | integrated telephony. Previously Palm only |
| UTStarcom PPC-6700 for Sprint (United | | | | produced PDAs running the Palm OS (as did the |
| States). | | | | first versions of the Palm Treo) and still |
| | | | sell versions of the Treo based on the Palm |
| The previous release, Windows Mobile 2003 | | | | operating system. |
| Second Edition added native landscape support | | | | |
| as well as other fixes and changes to those | | | | HTC, responsible for manufacturing up to 80% |
| features already present in the original | | | | of all phone enabled Windows Mobile devices |
| release of Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for | | | | for other companies (including HP and O2) as |
| Pocket PC, also known as WM2003. The first | | | | well as many non-phone enabled Pocket PCs |
| device to come with 2003SE was the Dell Axim | | | | (for companies such as Dell, HP and Fujitsu |
| x30. | | | | Siemens), have announced their intention to |
| | | | market Pocket PCs and Smartphones under their |
| Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC | | | | own brand, as well as that of Dopod (a |
| consisted of the Windows CE.NET 4.2 operating | | | | company they are buying out) |