Microsoft packs a lot into the little Pocket PC
But users may prefer Palm's simplicity
By Doug Bedell Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News
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For Microsoft's hand-held computer operating system, perhaps the third time is the charm.
Two previous versions of the company's Windows CE, or WinCE, operating system have been ignored by consumers while the Palm operating system has gobbled up a hefty 80 percent of the market.
For Microsoft's latest charge at Palm, the company recently staged a lavish outing at Grand Central Station in the heart of New York to unveil WinCE 3.0 under a new name, Micro-soft Windows for the Pocket PC.
This newest incarnation — now hitting the consumer market in devices manufactured by Symbol Technologies, Compaq Computer, Casio Computer and Hewlett-Packard — is a radical departure in more than just name.
With more vivid color screen capabilities and enhanced power, the Pocket PC aims to be everything the Palm isn't. Microsoft and its partners are banking that Palm owners will flock to new, sleeker devices such as the HP Jornada 545 for their ability to play music, display electronic books and gain mobile access to the Web with a mini-Internet Explorer browser.
The Gartner Group estimates WinCE devices hold about 15 percent of the personal digital assistant, or PDA, market, which is expected to grow to 32.5 million units by 2003.
Microsoft desperately wants a bigger piece, and it's convinced that users are frustrated with Palm's business-oriented limitations. "It's really all about customers wanting to do more with their devices," says Phil Holden, group product manager for Microsoft's Productivity Appliance Division. "Today, popular PDAs are simply personal information managers. They are essentially a replacement for personal organizers. The Pocket PC will have a wealth of functionality that will enable users to take the best of their PC with them wherever they go." This huge push from Microsoft builds on the company's dominance of the PC desktop in corporations and homes. Mac and Linux users, in other words, should forget about it.
Windows CE 3.0 comes bundled with Pocket versions of Word, Excel, Money and the Internet Explorer browser. Pocket Outlook syncs with your desktop calendar, contacts and e-mail using new USB interfaces rather than the clunky serial ports of old. And with an updated Windows Media Player, users can listen to MP3 music tracks and take advantage of Web-based mul-timedia downloads — from weekly Robin Williams rants to e-book releases from Stephen King.
The cosmetic changes to the operating system are fundamentally retro. Rather than mimicking the Windows 95/98 desktop, the Pocket PC has employed a flat look that reminds many users of Windows 3.1.
To make navigation easier on small screens, Microsoft has moved the Start menu to the top and revived use of Windows 3.1's old Programs folder.
A single tap with a stylus now opens folders and starts programs, while tap-and-hold gives users the same function as a right mouse click on the Windows 95/98 desktop.
The additional functions carry baggage, however. The sleekest of the new devices running Pocket PC are thicker and heavier than the popular Palm V and VII. At about $500, users will have a real choice to make between the enhanced functions of devices such as the Jornada 545 and Palm's slimmer new color model, the Palm IIIc.
To further entice consumers, the Pocket PC is pushing power. Manufacturers are building these new units on 32-bit microprocessors with lots of core system memory. And Compact-Flash expansion slots provide room for more than 300 additional megabytes of storage while offering plug-in capabilities for small digital cameras, modems and other gizmos.
Notable among the features of Pocket PC are: ClearType — Microsoft founder Bill Gates calls this "a real breakthrough," and this new software definitely makes it easier to read downloaded textbooks and e-books on hand-helds. The Grand Central Station launch of the Pocket PC was symbolic because Microsoft believes commuters and students want easy-to-read mobile access to such documents. The popularity of the short story recently unleashed on the Web by novelist Stephen King may bode well for this prediction. And an e-book Web superstore partnership with Barnes & Noble offers a wide range of options.
Pocket Internet Explorer —Microsoft programmers have done a remarkable job scrunching their browser into these 240-by-320-pixel backlit displays. Not everything works right in miniature, but many popular Web pages are legible and navigable.
Audible Player — With built-in speakers and microphones, the Pocket PC brings tape recorder functions to the PDA. Audible.com makes available more than 20,000 hours of digital spoken-word audio, ranging from bestselling and classic audio books to public radio programs. There are also audio editions of leading newspapers and magazines. Subscriptions can be set up to automatically update news, sports and other content.
Windows Media Player — Near-CD-quality music downloads in MP3 and other formats eliminate the need for carrying specialized players such as the Rio 500.
Games — As with its upcoming Windows Me desktop upgrade, Micro-soft is concentrating on entertainment options for the user. Golf and the arcade classic Pac-Man are already available for the Pocket PC, and more games are on the way.
With this new hand-held operating system, Microsoft attempts to be all things to all people. Whether mobile professionals want all these features —especially if many of the same features are made available in new-generation cellular phones — remains to be seen.
In fact, one analyst attending the Grand Central Station ceremony said he doubts whether Palm users really want anything more than "glorified versions of their leather address book." "If I'm a businessperson on the road, I don't know if I want to play games or be able to watch movies on a 2-by-2 [inch] screen," says Kelly Quinn, Aberdeen Group senior analyst.
Microsoft's attempt to climb back into this game is also dependant on new Internet access devices, such as the wireless modules planned by Acer NeWeb using Bluetooth technology to communicate via mobile phones.
On the other hand, Microsoft may be creating a whole new consumer market for the PDA — one less centered on the functions of the traveling business professional and more useful for everyday chores and entertainment. "When people leave the house now, they typically grab their cell phone, keys and wallet," says Mr. Holden. "Soon, they'll be grabbing their Pocket PC, too."
Contact staff writer Doug Bedell at dbedell@dallasnews.com