About Pocket PC

Introduction

Pocket PC is one of the most advanced Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) platforms today. It is useful to get insight into the evolution of this platform. What is actually the Pocket PC? What is difference between the Windows Mobile 2003 SE and the Windows Mobile 5.0? On these and other questions you can probably find answers here.

Pocket PC

On January 6, 2000 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft introduced a new version of the Windows CE operating system, previously code-named "Rapier", as the Pocket PC. Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates demonstrated for the first time two new Pocket PC applications: Microsoft Reader™ with ClearType™ display technology and the Microsoft Windows Media Player™. The successful brand of Pocket PC was born! Historically, this Pocket PC 2000 release is called the Pocket PC. Since a handheld device which is run by the Pocket PC operating system is called just a Pocket PC device.

The first Pocket PC devices including Compaq, Casio, Hewlett-Packard appeared on the market from the mid of 2000. They showed real improvement of the consumer experience with PDA. The following screenshots give some impression of these first Pocket PC devices.

Pocket PC Today screen and Microsoft Reader™
First Pocket PC

View the most popular Pocket PC devices

Pocket PC 2002

On October 4, 2001 Microsoft released a new version of the Windows CE operating system code named Merlin, and officially called Pocket PC 2002. Therefore, a Pocket PC device which is run by the Pocket PC 2002 is called a Pocket PC 2002 device.

Beside specific technical improvements, the Pocket PC 2002 had some improvements that satisfied consumers as well, including a new Microsoft Reader for electronic books that allowed for an e-book to be downloaded directly on a Pocket PC device, and Windows Media Player 8, which supported both streaming and static video, as well as audio.

View the most popular Pocket PC 2002 devices

Pocket PC 2003

On June 23, 2003 Microsoft launched the Windows Mobile 2003 Software platform for the Pocket PC which was a new version of the Windows CE operating system code named Ozone. The Windows Mobile became a new Microsoft brand. So a Pocket PC device which is run by the Windows Mobile 2003 is called nowadays Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC 2003, or more shortly, Pocket PC 2003.

The new release contained completely new core operating system. The Pocket PC ran on top of Windows CE .NET 4.2, a brand new version of the Windows CE operating system. Support for Wi-Fi (802.11b) cards had been implemented. But from consumer point of view the Pocket PC 2003 was more an evolution, adding little improvements here and there. For example, a new version of the Windows Media Player was added. The User Interface had been just polished but not re-designed.

View the most popular Pocket PC 2003 devices

View the most popular Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition devices

Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition

On March 24, 2004 Microsoft introduced an update of the Windows Mobile 2003 Software platform for the Pocket PC code named Ozone Update, and officially called Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, or Windows Mobile 2003 SE, or just Pocket PC 2003 SE.

The new release included a new version of operating system, namely Windows CE .NET 4.21. The main new thing in the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition was implementations of different screen orientations and resolutions, including landscape, square and VGA support for Pocket PC. This is ideally suited for manufacturers wishing to include a hardware keyboard. It is also suitable for advanced users that might wish to use Pocket PC in different screen orientations. The Pocket PC 2003 SE allows to change the screen orientation via Settings options right on the spot, or by holding for 2 seconds the "Today" button. There are even options to set an orientation for left- or right handed users. Here is an example of such screen changing. The Odometer Recorder Pocket PC program can be used in both portrait and landscape modes (see the followings screenshots).

Odometer Recorder Pocket PC™ - portrait mode

Odometer Recorder Pocket PC™ - landscape mode

Windows Mobile 5.0

On May 9, 2005 at Microsoft® Mobile & Embedded DevCon 2005 in Las Vegas Microsoft Corp.‘s annual mobile and embedded developers conference, Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft, announced the release of the Windows Mobile 5.0, originally code named Magneto. It is powered by Windows CE 5.0 and uses the .NET Compact Framework 1.0 SP2.

Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system offered hardware makers more flexibility and mobile operators more ways to customize devices, allowing for a wider range of devices. For example, the operating system supports more buttons, landscape and square display, QWERTY keyboards that lets users control the device in one hand.

New network support functions included support for 3G high-speed networks, the addition of Wi-Fi in Windows Mobile-based Smartphones and support for push-to-talk. The support for encryption over a virtual private network connection has been added. Another security feature in Windows Mobile 5.0 is Bluetooth authorization.

For entertainment, the Windows Media Player 10 Mobile was added. The media player software supports Microsoft‘s digital rights management technologies, which let users play music bought in online stores and view TV shows recorded on Media Center PCs on their mobile devices.

For productivity, Microsoft has updated the mobile versions of Excel Mobile, Word Mobile and PowerPoint Mobile.

[Home] [Pocket PC Software]