New Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition Pocket PCs set the standard for power and connectivity.
In the last issue, we announced the winners of the Pocket PC magazine Best Software Awards 2004, honoring the contributions made by independent software developers. We did not mention the company that spends the most time and resources developing and perfecting Windows Mobile software—Microsoft. They continue to enhance their mobile OS and application suite, adding features, making it easier to use and more reliable. Their most recent effort is Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, which has been incorporated into new Pocket PCs since June 2004.
This series of four reviews actually covers 10 new devices, all of which incorporate the Second Edition software. ASUS will offer two versions of the A730, Dell will offer three versions of the X50, HP will offer three versions of the hx2000 series, and Sprint will offer two versions of the PPC 6600 series Phone Edition.
Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition
The latest version of Microsoft's mobile software includes the Windows Mobile operating system and a number of setup and configuration utilities. You'll also find a number of productivity and entertainment applications, including Pocket Outlook (Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks), Pocket Office (Word and Excel), Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, MSN Messenger, and more. A complete listing of these applications can be found on our Web site: http://www.smartphonemag.com/bg. A review of the Second Edition software can be found on our Web site (http://www.smartphonemag.com/_archives/sep04/wm2003.asp).
Microsoft's new OS supports the ability to switch between landscape and portrait views (Fig. 1), and all of the reviewed devices can do this. In addition, the OS supports higher-resolution VGA screens on the Pocket PC. Two of the reviewed devices, the Dell Axim X50v and the ASUS A730, have VGA screens. The new OS also includes enhancements to the Transcriber handwriting recognition program, Wi-Fi network security, and Pocket Internet Explorer.
Fig. 1: Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition supports portrait and landscape viewing modes.
All Pocket PCs ship with a "Companion CD" that includes user-installable versions of the following Microsoft software:
- ActiveSync—A PC program that lets you synchronize your Pocket PC's data with a desktop or laptop PC.
- Outlook—Microsoft's personal information manager for the desktop/laptop PC.
- Web links to other Microsoft applications.
- Third-party applications provided by the manufacturer of the Pocket PC.
The manufacturer of the particular device may build additional Pocket PC applications into the device. Most manufacturers will at least provide a utility that backs up data to a storage card, and an alternative task manager for the device.
Common hardware features
All the Pocket PCs reviewed in this article are similar in size and shape, and have similar hardware features, including the following:
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