Where Palm has always focused on simplicity and ease of use, Microsoft tried to do too much in CE; as a result, the OS did nothing particularly well. Pocket PC 2002 changes that equation to some degree, though there are still more than a few warts.
PDAs based on both the Palm and Pocket PC platforms have matured to the point that they are now viewed as important enterprise productivity tools, especially with the advent of wireless 802.11b and Bluetooth connections. The Pocket PC platform has a unique advantage in the corporate world, particularly for enterprises that have standardized on Microsoft Office--and that means most of them. Where Palm devices require third-party software to access Office documents and databases, Microsoft's Pocket versions of its Office apps are built into its OS. Plus, many IT managers prefer to support just one global platform--Windows--and deal with just one software vendor, Microsoft.
According to the Palm, it still has the significant advantage of a larger pool of developers (175,000), resulting in more than 11,000 applications available for the 16 million Palm OS devices in use. Microsoft claims to now have some 3,800 "partners" developing software and hardware products for the Pocket PC platform, and points to Gartner's claims that Compaq's Pocket PC product revenues are approaching that of either Palm or Handspring.
There are new Pocket PC-based versions of the existing handheld models from the vendors that have been there all along--Compaq, Casio, and Hewlett-Packard--along with products from newcomers Audiovox and Toshiba. Beyond that, there are now "ruggedized" models, one from Intermec Technologies and two more from Symbol Technologies; while these are much heavier (as much as one pound for the Intermec unit) all three come with integrated WLAN or WAN Radio capability. All the above companies offer Pocket PC devices that use Intel's 206MHz StrongARM processor, which provides enough zip to run reasonably demanding applications.Pocket PC 2002 has a refined new interface that will still be familiar to users of prior Pocket PC products--the previous version launched in April 2000--or to users of any version of Windows, for that matter. Unlike the Palm platform, which has primarily aimed for simplicity, the Pocket PC platform has always reached for flashiness, with bright color screens right out of the gate, and Pocket versions of familiar Microsoft applications included with the hardware. Minor new interface tweaks include a new way of calling up commands for a specific item, by tapping and holding the stylus until context-specific commands appear, such as cut, copy, paste or delete.
But connectivity was a problem with the earlier Pocket PC version, because the expansion packs simply weren't available. Compaq's iPAQ 3600 series, for example, was demoed at its April 2000 launch with both PC Card and Compact Flash expansion packs; however, these products weren't really available until early 2001. There is currently no shortage of PC Card and Compact Flash cards that serve multiple purposes for the Pocket PC platform.
All the new models provide at least some variety of Compact Flash connectivity, either through expansion packs or internal slots, such as that on the HP's Jornada 565 we examined. Another enterprise-friendly feature, Strong Passwords, enforces the same level of stringent password rules found in Windows 2000. Though the Pocket PC may be lost or stolen, the data it holds is secure from prying eyes.
There's also a new Connection Manager feature, which allows for intelligent connection routing based on the user's location. It's supposed to make it easy to set up the device to automatically connect to both the Internet and to a corporate network VPN connection when away from the office, or directly to the corporate network when working at the office. We found the interface to be non-intuitive--and actually counter-intuitive. For example, the Connection Manager assumes that any connection will be a dial-up. (Word is that Microsoft's programmers were operating under the premise that Connection Manager would be used in a new generation of Pocket PC phones, and that the cellular connection would be the normal way to connect.) That wouldn't be bad, except that there's no way to drill down to the TCP/IP connection settings without getting past screens that promise only to set up a modem to make the connection. We also couldn't get one of our test units--a Compaq iPAQ H3835 equipped with a Symbol Wireless Networker Compact Flash WiFi (802.11b) card--to automatically connect to a Windows 98 Second Edition desktop that was serving as an Internet Connection Sharing server. The server apparently didn't recognize the iPAQ as a device to which it needed to assign an IP address, and we could connect only after we had manually assigned a static IP address within the server's range. Even then, it couldn't find a DNS server (we had to manually input IP addresses to reach Web sites), and we had to enter this information manually, as well.
The good news is that once the connection was made, it proved to be fast and usable. The enjoyment of the Internet experience, of course, depended strictly upon the ability of the site being accessed to recognize that you were using a handheld (as did MSNBC.com), and to provide content to match the screen's reduced dimensions. It was also easy to access shared documents and folders on the network, and one particularly useful feature was WiFi syncing. After the device had established a partnership with a desktop PC, it no longer needed its cradle to sync files, but could sync at will over the 802.11b network. And though the setup is a pain, if performed by IT personnel up front, the very obtuseness of the interface will likely prevent end users from making changes.It is these connections that finally make Pocket PC 2002 such a promising productivity tool for enterprise customers. At last, there is a small, lightweight device that allows users to access corporate data from any location with a hardwired or wireless Internet connection. And besides access to Office apps, the new Terminal Services Client lets an administrator use a Pocket PC device to access the corporate server remotely to fix problems. (The program breaks up a standard-size screen display into five sections to allow it to mimic the full-sized PC screen.) Sure, it's a little tiring to keep flipping sections to see what you need to see, but the added functionality goes a long way to mitigate this annoyance.
What's more, because proprietary corporate applications can be developed for the Pocket PC using familiar tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic or C++, the range and flexibility for the enterprise are virtually limitless. This adds true usefulness to the Pocket PC, especially with the advent of wireless technology, that didn't exist previously. (Keep in mind, however, that custom Palm applications are also relatively easy to program in C or C++, using free, downloadable tools on the Web.)
For many, if not most users, the Pocket PC will boost productivity. And when you add Pocket PC's special abilities into the mix, such as built-in dictation, digital music, and electronic books, the Pocket PC is no longer a solution in search of a problem. It is instead a problem solver that can make itself at home in the enterprise.
Are you using the Pocket PC as an enterprise tool? E-mail us or Talk Back below.
