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Pocket PC Features

The newest Pocket PCs feature 206 MHz processors, 32 MB of RAM memory (but no hard drive, although one can be added), and full-color, high-resolution screens. With other companies developing hardware and software for Pocket PCs, these devices rival recent generations of desktop and laptop computers in both depth of features and computing power. Some of these features are third-party software that allow Pocket PC users to send and receive faxes, view Adobe Acrobat PDF documents, create and display Power Point presentations, and conduct numerous other business-related functions for which they currently use laptops. Wired and wireless Internet access allows attorneys to use the Web for research, to send and receive email, and to find maps and other online information while traveling or even in court. Three Pocket PCs (Hewlett Packard's Jornada 565, Casio's EG-800, and UR There Productions @migo) represent a variety of the configurations that are available.

The Jornada 565 fits easily into the palm of one’s hand. Its sturdy metal and plastic case features a flip-open cover that protects the device’s screen. The @migo’s all-metal case seems more rugged than the Jornada’s but has a square shape that makes it less comfortable in one’s hand. The EG800 is even sturdier and more rugged, encased in a heavy rubberized material with seals covering its openings. Casio claims that the EG800 is water-resistant and can be dropped from a height of approximately three feet without damage (as long as it does not land on its glass screen). Not surprisingly, this Pocket PC is also the thickest and heaviest of the three. All three devices feature "one-button" recording of voice notes, something that many attorneys appreciate. A key benefit of the Pocket PC is that users can input information— for example, while away from the office—and then transfer the information to a laptop or desktop. To transfer information (including files, contact information, and email) from a Pocket PC to a desktop, users must first install Microsoft’s Active Sync utility software onto their full-sized computer. Active Sync is included with all Pocket PC purchases.

Pocket PC software is usually transferred to the Pocket PC from the desktop’s CD drive with a serial cable or what is called a sync cradle. The sync cradle that comes with the Jornada 565, for example, is well worth owning because it charges the Pocket PC’s batteries at the same time that syncing is in progress. This cradle also holds the Pocket PC at an angle that makes it easy to see the progress of the synchronization on the screen. Apple users can also transfer documents between their Pocket PCs and their Mac computers with Pocket Mac software. Users with Mac OS 9.x and 10.x can synchronize Word, Excel, PDF, and other file formats. Synchronization of contact files, however, is not available in the current Regular Edition of Pocket Mac, but a free converter is included that saves contact files as Excel spreadsheets that can be read on the Mac. The ability to sync contact information is a feature promised for the forthcoming Professional Edition of Pocket Mac. Mac fans should note, however, that a Windows PC is necessary to initially install Pocket Mac on the Pocket PC.

 

Gadgets and Screens

 

A variety of expansion cards allow Pocket PC users to add a camera, modem, global positioning device, or hard drive to a Pocket PC. The Jornada 565, Casio EG800, and @migo all have a built-in expansion slot, but some other Pocket PCs require an optional "sled" or "jacket" to add an expansion slot. If you plan on using an expansion slot, you should be aware that there is more than one type. The four common types are not interchangeable, so examine the slot you need, as well as labels and manuals, before buying. Two more common types of expansion slots are the PCMCIA (which is found on most laptops) and the Compact Flash (or CF). The @migo is the only Pocket PC that currently includes a PCMCIA card expansion slot as a standard feature. The Casio and Jornada devices have a CF expansion slot. In addition to add-on devices, Pocket PCs offer attorneys the ability to display information on a computer screen, data projector, or in some cases even a television screen. These display capabilities can be exploited with expansion cards (including the Margi Presenter-to-Go and the Colorgraphic Voyager). Using one of these display adapters, users can show Power Point presentations with their Pocket PCs and leave their laptops at home. Although no pocket version of Power Point exists, presentations can be converted to a format compatible with Pocket PCs. The Margi features slide show viewer software and a display adapter in one package, and it makes conversion of a PowerPoint presentation into a slide show a simple, one-button process. On the other hand, the Voyager is a display adapter only, and thus requires users to buy separate slide show software. One suitable application is Pocket Slides, which also makes it simple to convert PowerPoint presentations into slide shows.

Users should not necessarily favor the Margi because it comes complete with its own software. Many users note that Pocket Slides offers more features than the Margi’s software. After a Power Point presentation has been converted to the Pocket Slides format, for example, users can still add or delete text from the slides and add new slides. Pocket Slides also preserves animations within slides and transitions between slides. In contrast, the Margi’s software does not allow users to edit the text in slides or create new ones and loses all animation and transitions. The Margi only allows users to delete slides or put them into another order. Both slide show viewers allow users to view their PowerPoint speaker notes on the Pocket PC screen while hiding them from the audience that is viewing the projected slides. The Margi speaker notes screen is larger than the Pocket Slides screen, and thus easier for the speaker to see. The Margi also includes a small remote control device that can advance the slides or select a specific slide to display.

For more information on evaluating and purchasing a Pocket PC, see our new Pocket PC Information Center.