E-mail from your Smartphone or Phone Edition device
Both the Pocket PC and Smartphone come with an application that lets you send and receive e-mail. This is a particularly handy feature when you are using a device with an integrated phone. The wireless connection lets you check and respond to e-mail anytime, anywhere.
If you are just getting started with your Smartphone or Phone Edition device, or if you want to take a refresher course on setting up and using e-mail, check out the "Out of the Box" column by Suzanne Ross, found on Microsoft's Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/email.mspx). It's full of a lot of good information on the subject, including step-by-steps and links to other articles.
Working off line with Internet Explorer
When you install ActiveSync on your desktop PC, it installs a plug-in called "Mobile Favorites" in the desktop PC version of Internet Explorer (version 5.0 or greater). This lets you download Web content to your Pocket PC, which you can read offline. Once the plug-in is installed, an icon in the shape of a Pocket PC appears in Internet Explorer's tool bar on your desktop PC. While you're browsing, if you find a Web site you want to read offline, click on the Mobile Favorite icon, and the Web pages are saved on your desktop PC. Next time you sync, they are transferred to your Pocket PC and you can view them offline.
Make sure "Favorites" is selected in ActiveSync to download your Mobile Favorites.
The only other thing you have to do is make sure that ActiveSync "knows" that it has to sync these files. With your Pocket PC in the cradle, open ActiveSync, go to the Tools > Options screen, and make sure Favorites is checked in the Mobile Device list.
You can access your cached pages easily using the NetFront Internet browser (http://www.access-us-inc.com). It even has a dedicated "Browse offline" feature. I find that it's more reliable than PIE in this respect.
(Based on Pocket PC magazine forum tips from Joint Sense and Menneisyys)
Accidentally pressing buttons
I love the Dell Axim X50, but am annoyed by the fact that I keep turning on the Wi-Fi accidentally, every time I pull out my Pocket PC. The enable Wi-Fi button is located on the upper left edge of the device. When I reach in to grab my X50, I grab it by the edges to avoid leaving fingerprints on the screen. I inevitably press the enable Wi-Fi button and have to press it again to turn it off.
To avoid this, I reassigned the function to one of the application launch buttons on the face of the X50. This worked fine. However, Dell just released a system update for its X50 series. Among the enhancements and fixes that the update includes is one that "Updates wireless button usage scenario to avoid enabling or disabling wireless accidentally." This update is for the Dell Axim X50 only! Owners can download the update for free from Dell's online support Web page (http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/). Note that there is a separate download for the X50v with additional enhancements for that device.
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