A term for the computing hardware that fits into a shirt pocket, and increasingly with various connectivity options seen in
MobileInformationDevices.
Prior to 2003, the term refers to both a shell with additional features and a specific form factor for
MicroSoft WinCe-based devices. Now it refer to hardware of either
PersonalDigitalAssistant or
SmartPhone types, and generally use a Microsoft
WindowsMobile OS variant.
PocketPc debuted with
WinCe 4.2 (aka Windows CE.NET).
The
PocketPc shell was developed when
MicroSoft realized that the standard, Windows 95-like Explorer shell used by
WinCe was a poor fit for
HandHeld devices. As of 2005, most consumer-based
WinCe devices use the
PocketPc shell, although some industrial devices still use the Explorer shell.
The
PocketPc hardware platform won the
Product of the decade award from the Mobile Data association in October 2004:
http://www.mda-mobiledata.org/mda/Page_10Anniversary_Review.asp.
Upsides:
Downsides:
- Can only synchronize with MicrosoftWindows PCs without additional software
- Free-form handwriting recognition is fairly inaccurate; block (letter-by-letter) recognition is still the most accurate method
- Shorter battery life than PalmOs devices
Hardware:
Languages:
Alternative OperatingSystems:
Alternatives
Some years ago, if you had a deep and large pocket, you could buy one of the first $2000+ subnotebooks. However, now that the new generation of
netbooks -- 8-10" laptops with power-saving CPUs and often sporting solid-state drives -- is storming the market, you can buy one of these for the same price of a
PocketPc, and maybe get a special vest with a custom-made pocket. The
AcerAspireOne, for example, has been pretty much conquering the laptops market thanks to its small size, its decently sized 120 GB HDD, and its equally great price of $400. You will lose the advantage of the
PocketPc's total portability, but you will gain in return a fully IBM-compliant computer that can in theory run anything a desktop computer could.
My target PocketPc
Late 05 - An Oxygen model 2i, or the newer one (with HTC Universal core) running WM5. Around 1000US.
Most who have tried the new
PocketPcs like them, and have no desire to go back to their last PDA, whether it's the
PalmOs or Newton or what not.
Marketing alert! You got numbers to back that up?
No, but in this page's
ThreadMode incarnation, there were a few who swore to that assertion. It seemed like a fair summary.
CategoryHardware CategoryHandheld