bSQUARE Power Handheld to be available in Europe (above)
Windows Mobile 2003
What's in Microsoft's latest version of the Pocket PC's operating system and applications?
by Chris De Herrera
Microsoft recently introduced Windows Mobile 2003, which is the latest upgrade to the Pocket PC's operating system and built-in applications. The previous version of this software was referred to as "Pocket PC 3.0" or sometimes as "Pocket PC 2002" (for the year it was released). But the new naming scheme for all of the software built into the Pocket PC is meant to emphasize the relationship between the mobile device and Windows, Microsoft's classic brand. Unless otherwise indicated, whenever I refer to a Pocket PC in this article, I mean a device running Windows Mobile 2003. Not all of the features listed in this article are available for all Windows Mobile 2003 devices since some of these features require additional hardware such as a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a keyboard.
Along with Windows Mobile 2003, Microsoft released ActiveSync 3.7, an upgrade to the software used to synchronize data between the Pocket PC and the desktop PC (see ActiveSync 3.7 sidebar). Later on in this issue, I write about Windows Mobile 2003 from the enterprise perspective (read more). This article focuses on the new software from the perspective of an end-user—the improvements that make using a Pocket PC an easier, more enjoyable experience. In summary, Microsoft improved the operating system, enhanced communications capabilities, added some useful features to some standard applications, and included a new multimedia application and one new game.
Windows Mobile 2003 uses the Windows CE 4.2 OS
One of the major changes, and one that may not be obvious to the end user, is that Windows Mobile 2003 uses the new Windows CE 4.2 operating system. Previous versions of the Pocket PC used Windows CE 3.0. The 4.2 OS seems to be more efficient than the previous versions. I tested identical Pocket PCs—one with 3.0 and the other with 4.2—and the newer OS seemed more responsive. Windows CE 4.2 also supports Internet Protocol version 6.0 (IPv6), which is being used now in Japan and will soon make its way to this country and the rest of the world. This will ensure that Pocket PC users are able to connect to the next generation of the Internet using the current standards.
Added support for built-in and add-on keyboards
Recognizing the success of add-on keyboards and the desire of some manufacturers to develop units with keyboards built in, Microsoft enhanced keyboard support in Windows Mobile 2003. When a Pocket PC with the new OS detects a keyboard (built-in or added), it automatically enables "menu mnemonics" (those underlined visual hints in a menu that tell you which keys to press). It also enables "Auto Menu Accelerators" (chorded keys such as Control-C for copy) so you can navigate even faster. On Pocket PCs with an integrated keyboard, navigation and application keys allow you to launch and move around in applications. Finally, the addition of the "SYM" key makes it easier to enter accented characters for foreign languages.
Enhanced communications
Windows Mobile 2003 makes the setting up of communications a lot easier. Plug in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a wired modem, or turn on your LAN connection and a "wizard" pops up to walk you through the process of configuring the connection. In order for Windows Mobile 2003 to use an add-on communications device (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, etc.), the manufacturer of the accessory must provide a software driver written specifically for Windows Mobile 2003. Drivers written for previous versions of the Pocket PC may not work.
Bluetooth Features—Microsoft has added a standard way to manage Bluetooth connections in Windows Mobile 2003. With the Bluetooth Partnership Wizard, you can turn on Bluetooth, search for devices, and pair with a device. Also, when Bluetooth is enabled, the user can check to see if Bluetooth is "connectable" (the Bluetooth transceiver is on) or "discoverable" (set to seek out and establish communications with other Bluetooth devices). Support is included for using Bluetooth as a modem connection to cellular phones as well as for beaming contacts, appointments, or files to other Pocket PCs. You can also use Bluetooth to synchronize with your desktop. In addition, OEMs have the ability to support the headset profile, so you will be able to use a Bluetooth headset with selected Pocket PCs.
Beaming—As mentioned above, Windows Mobile 2003 supports the use of Bluetooth to beam information. This is in addition to the infrared beaming capability found on this and previous versions of the Pocket PC software. With 2003, Microsoft has selected OBEX (OBject EXchange protocol) as the default communications protocol for beaming and receiving information via IrDA or Bluetooth. If you are receiving a beam from an older Pocket PC or Handheld PC, you'll need to click Start > Settings > Connections > Beam, and select the link at the bottom, "Receive an Infrared Beam from a Pocket PC 2000 or Handheld PC."
New multimedia application and game
Windows Mobile 2003 includes two brand new programs:
Pictures is a simple picture viewer that lets you display .jpg image files in thumbnail or full screen on your Pocket PC. The application also supports the DCIM digital camera card format, allowing you to slip your digital camera's CF or SD card into the Pocket PC and view your photos. Once you've selected a picture from thumbnail view, you can rotate, crop, or zoom as well as do a slideshow, and beam or e-mail pictures.
Pictures (above) lets you view .jpg images in thumbnail view (top) or full view (bottom). In full view you can rotate, crop, or zoom in on a .jpg image.
Jawbreaker: old game, new name—In addition to Solitaire, Windows Mobile 2003includes Jawbreaker, a puzzle game originally released by Oopdreams under the name Bubblets. The idea is to match like-colored bubbles to score points and eliminate them from the screen. You play until you can't match any more or until you clear the screen and go to the next level.
Jawbreaker challenges you to match colored bubbles and score points (above).
Enhancements to Pocket Outlook
Microsoft made the following improvements to the usability of the Pocket Outlook applications:
In Calendar's Agenda and Day views, a list of the days of the week is found at the top (S M T W T F S). On Windows Mobile 2003 the "S" for Sunday is in red and the "S" for Saturday is in blue. In Calendar's Week, Month, and Year view, all Sunday dates are in red and all Saturday dates in blue.
Once the time for a day's final appointment has passed, the Today Screen will display the next day's appointments.
You can now edit recurring appointments in a different time zone (i.e., when your Windows Mobile's time zone has been changed to a different time zone) without creating an exception or causing the appointment to disappear.
You can now add contacts and calendar events using the VCard and VCal standard formats. These formats are commonly used in e-mail to send contact or appointment information. Once a VCard has been received, you can easily add the sender to your contacts. Likewise, VCal data can be used to schedule an appointment.
Pocket Internet Explorer (above) is faster and handles the Fit to Screen option better. It now supports HTML 4.0, XML, XHTML, Jscript 5.5, and animated GIFs.
After the current day's appointments are past, the Today screen will display tomorrow's appointments (above).
Pocket Internet Explorer: Faster, with more features
Microsoft has rewritten and greatly enhanced Pocket Internet Explorer, which now supports HTML 4.0, XML, XHTML, and JScript 5.5. It even supports animated GIFs so you can see those banner ads change! The new Pocket Internet Explorer is faster and handles the Fit to Screen viewing option better. I noticed the latter when I was checking my e-mail in Pocket Internet Explorer via a Web interface—the text wrapped for easier readability. Microsoft also added WTLS, UAProf (for accessing WAP from secure Web sites),and WAP 2.0 support as well. The new Pocket Internet Explorer has all these new features, but uses less RAM when running—pretty amazing!
Windows Media Player 9.0 makes video playback a much better experience with its higher frame rates and better video rendering (above)
Windows Media Player 9.0
The new version of Windows Media Player makes video playback a much better experience with its higher frame rates and better video rendering. Microsoft also focused on improving the video buffering to enhance streaming playback; you can now play back a 300k video stream. To optimize playback you can now select the connection speed in Windows Media Player to tell the server the speed of your wired or wireless connection. Windows Media Player also supports Microsoft's Plus! Sync & Go for Pocket PC, which allows you to keep the latest Web information, video, and audio with you. Plus! Sync & Go is part of Microsoft's Plus! Digital Media Edition, a desktop PC application that costs $19.95. Additional fees may be required by specific Web sites to download their content.
Plus! Photo Story—If you have purchased the Plus! Digital Media Edition (DME) pack, you can use its Plus! Photo Story application on your desktop PC to create custom slideshows in .wmv format and play them on your Pocket PC using Windows Media Player. Plus! Photo Story lets you create slideshows from digital photos and add narration to tell family and friends about the event being displayed. It lets you add panning and zooming effects to emphasize specific aspects of an image. You can also add a title and credits, as well as select background music for the slideshow.
Backward compatibility for third-party software
The Windows Mobile 2003 is "backward-compatible" with software written for previous versions of the Pocket PC operating system. In most cases, if an application worked on Pocket PC 2000 or 2002, it should work on devices with Windows Mobile 2003. Exceptions would be applications written for Pocket PC 2000 devices using MIPS or SH3 processors. With the release of Pocket PC 2002, Microsoft standardized on ARM processors; applications written for MIPS or SH3 devices won't work on Windows Mobile 2003. There are also a few applications written for specific Pocket PC models that may not work on Windows Mobile 2003. In order to take advantage of new functions like IPv6 and the new Zero Configuration/wizard technology, you will have to acquire new drivers or applications.
Enhancements to Pocket PC Phone Edition devices
The release of Windows Mobile 2003 also brings improvements to Pocket PC Phone Edition devices using the new software:
Microsoft has added a number of features to the Phone Edition's SMS messaging capability. You now have the ability to reply to an SMS message directly, call the person back, delete the message, or close it. If the person who sent the message is in your Contacts list, his or her name and phone number are displayed in the message.
The GPRS connection icon in the title bar is now animated when you are connected to the Internet.
You can use the suspend-and-resume feature to stay connected to the Internet via GPRS even when you power off your Pocket PC. Microsoft's philosophy seems to be that once you connect via GPRS you don't need to disconnect. I found this a little disconcerting since I pay per kilobyte of data sent or received and I want to control when GPRS is connected and when it is not. I found that if I clicked on the connection in the title bar, I was no longer given an option to disconnect from GPRS. So I tried clicking on the Turn Off Phone option and that disconnected me. The interesting thing is that it did not turn the phone itself off!
You can now use MIDI files in addition to WMA files as ringtones. Tip: Place sound files in the WindowsRings directory and they will be available to be selected as a ringtone. Now you can use those cool "polyphonic" rings that other cell phones use.
Upgrading existing Pocket PCs and Phone Edition devices
Pocket PC 2002 Upgrades—All Pocket PC 2002 devices and the original iPAQ Pocket PC 2000s are physically capable of being upgraded to Windows Mobile 2003. However, it is up to the manufacturer of each device, not Microsoft, to offer the upgrade. Microsoft creates Windows Mobile 2003 and licenses it to the manufacturer, who must decide whether or not to create a customized "ROM image" for a specific device and offer it to the end user. The decision is made based on business concerns and technical issues. As I wrote this article, manufacturers were in the process of deciding which models they would offer upgrades for.
The upgrade would come in the form of an installation file that the user would download from a Web site or get on a CD. Based on past experience, I expect the cost to the end user will be around $30. Pocket PC 2002 users should contact the manufacturer of their device for specifics.
Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition upgrades—Manufacturers of the Pocket PC Phone Edition devices are in the process of testing Windows Mobile 2003. This will delay the introduction of Phone Edition devices using the new software, and any upgrade for existing users. At the time I wrote this article, no upgrade plans had been announced. Again, check with the manufacturer of the device for upgrade information. As soon as we find out, we'll publish it here in Pocket PC magazine.
Meeting users' needs
It seems that Microsoft likes to make progress in small steps, with releases timed a year to a year-and-a-half apart. Sometimes I wish they would take a little more time, make a dramatic improvement in the Pocket PC, and then let it rest for a while so we could get used to it. Still, I understand their desire to incorporate the latest version of Window CE. As is, Windows Mobile 2003 adds new features that users will appreciate and new applications that some will find useful. Overall I am pleased that Microsoft has moved the Pocket PC forward to better meet users' needs.
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Check at www.PocketPCmag.com for latest links to developer's web sites.
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MS Reader Bug Fixed
Thaddeus Computing offers Pocket PC magazine in MS Reader .lit format, complete with graphics. This e-magazine runs properly on Pocket PC 2000 devices. However, some Pocket PC 2002 users experience a slowdown in the turning of pages because of a "memory leak" bug found in the Pocket PC 2002 software. Eventually, they need to completely close done MS Reader and restart it. Windows Mobile 2003 does not have this problem.
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ActiveSync 3.7
Just prior to the release of the Windows Mobile 2003, Microsoft released the latest version of ActiveSync, the user-installable PC program that lets Pocket PC users exchange files and synchronize data with their desktop or laptop PCs. ActiveSync 3.7 can be installed on PCs with the following Microsoft operating systems: Windows NT SP6, Windows 98, Windows 2000 SP2, Windows ME, and Windows XP. It supports data synchronization with Outlook 98, Outlook 2000, or Outlook 2002 as well as with Microsoft Office 97 (only Word and Excel), Office 2000, and Office XP. ActiveSync 3.7 supports all Pocket PCs as well as Handheld PCs with Windows CE 2.11 or later.
According to Microsoft, ActiveSync 3.7 addresses some of the problems that users were reporting with USB connections, especially with Windows 2000. No word on what those problems were. Also, Microsoft changed the look of the icons used in ActiveSync for the Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, files, etc. to match those used on the Pocket PC. Also, users of Microsoft's Mobile Information Server or Exchange 2003 can now change the synchronization settings of the Pocket PC from the server.
You must use ActiveSync 3.7 on your desktop PC to synchronize data with a Windows Mobile 2003 device. However, there is no compelling reason for users of Pocket PC 2000 and 2002 devices to upgrade to 3.7. ActiveSync 3.5 or 3.6 will work fine for those devices.
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Microsoft's OEM Technology Guarantee
Microsoft has offered its OEM partners such as Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, and Dell a "technology guarantee" in order to encourage them to offer Windows Mobile 2003 upgrades for their customers that have purchased Pocket PC 2002 devices around the time of the Windows Mobile 2003 launch. The Technology Guarantee Program is between OEMs and Microsoft, not between Microsoft and the end user.
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Pocket PCs with Windows Mobile 2003
The following companies have released or have formally announced that they will release Pocket PCs based on Windows Mobile 2003
Hewlett-Packard iPAQ Pocket PCs
Concurrently with Microsoft's formal launch of Windows Mobile 2003, HP will int
roduce four new Pocket PCs: The iPAQ h1940, h2200, h5100, and h5500. For an in-depth review of the h2200, click here. For brief reviews of the iPAQ h1940, h5100, and the h5500 Pocket PCs, click here.
Dell Axim X5 Pocket PCs
Dell will continue to offer its popular Dell Axim X5 series, but from June 23 onward, all X5s sold by Dell will come with Windows Mobile 2003. List price for the Basic Axim X5 is now $199 (before rebates/promos etc.); the Advanced Axim X5 is priced at $325. We reviewed the original Axim X5 in the March 2003 issue of Pocket PC magazine (www.PocketPCmag.com/mar03/dell.asp).
Toshiba e750/e755 and e350/e355
Toshiba has announced that they will introduce updated versions of two currently available Pocket PCs.
The Toshiba Pocket PC e750/e755 devices were originally released with the Pocket PC 2002 software, but will now include Windows Mobile 2003. With the exception of an add-on photo album program that ships with the e755, the e750 and e755 are identical devices. Both include 64 MB of RAM, 32 MB of user-accessible NAND flash ROM, 32 MB of flash ROM, and built-in Wi-Fi capability. We reviewed the e755 in our September 2003 issue (www.PocketPCmag.com/Sep03/e755.asp). The e750/e755 devices will be priced at $499.
Pocket PC Magazine, November '03 Page 2