Windows^® CE 2.0 For Dummies and the Quick Reference

Jinjer L. Simon
IDG Books

For Non-Dummies As Well!

by Rich Hall
Managing Editor

You know an operating system has made it when they do a "Dummies" book about it. Sitting on my desk are two books: Windows CE 2 for Dummies and the Quick Reference of the same name, both by Jinjer Simon and both from IDG Books Worldwide. I have avoided "Dummies" books for years because I didn't like the title -- I'm not a dummy! But once I got past that emotional reaction, I found that I liked the content, layout, and organization of both books quite a bit.

Why a 360 page book about Windows CE?

The whole idea behind Windows CE was to create handheld devices that were easy to use. Microsoft wanted the users to be able to put the batteries in, press the ON button, and go -- without a steep learning curve. To a degree, they succeeded. If you are at all familiar with Personal Information Managers, using electronic calendars and phonebooks, and the rudiments of desktop word processors and spreadsheet programs, then you can pretty much get by with the H/PC's skimpy documentation and built-in help feature. But if the H/PC is your first pocket organizer, or if you find that you need a little more help, a book like this makes a lot of sense.

Windows CE 2 for Dummies

The "Dummies" line of books are written and formatted to make complicated things simple for the average user. They do this well. The language is, for the most part, simple and straightforward. Occasionally the book goes into a little technical detail, but most of the time they put a "nerd" icon by the material indicating that you can skip it if you want.

Instead of organizing the book by applications, it is organized by the things you'll want to accomplish with your H/PC. So, for example, they have sections on what Windows CE is, what you can do with your device, how you can get it to communicate with your commuter, how you can go online with it, etc. It's a good way to organize the material.

This book is a basic reference, designed to be accessed as you need specific information. It's particularly valuable if you're new to Windows CE. You'll probably use it a lot the first few months, and relegate it to the status of occasional reference as time goes by. Let's take a closer look at what's inside, section by section.

Part I: Windows CE Basics --

Chapters 1 and 2

Ch 1: What is Windows CE? -- contains a lot of information about understanding Windows CE and selecting a CE device. This is very basic stuff , some of it aimed at a person considering the purchase of a handheld PC.

Ch 2: Working With Your Windows CE Desktop -- Again, a more introductory section describing the Windows CE desktop, taskbar, toolbars, scroll bars, dialog boxes, Start menu and the like.

Part II: What Can I Do with My CE Device? --

This section of the book gives a thorough description of the features of each of the built-in applications. It discusses the basics of each application, including how to start it, enter and modify information, organize and view it. I appreciated the patient explanation of the Windows CE filing system, using the file cabinet, file folder analogy.

Part III: Interfacing with Your Personal Computer

This section of the book teaches you how to connect to and synchronize with your desktop PC. It begins with a step-by-step description of how to install Windows CE Services ­ helpful to a new user but of limited value to someone who has already done it. More valuable to me was the tour of Windows CE Services and the discussion of synchronization, backing up and restoring Windows CE information.

Part IV: Getting Online with Windows CE

This is, to my mind, one of the most valuable sections of the book. Going online with an H/PC is supposed to be easy, but I don't find the process of doing it very intuitive (and I'm the editor of a magazine about Windows CE). I've been able to do it, but only by following simple, step-by-step instructions given to me by more knowledgeable authors.

Part V: Personalizing Your CE Device

This is another useful section ­ especially for the beginning user. The Windows CE manual that comes with the H/PC has one page on personalizing your handheld PC. This book has twenty, and walks you through the process in a step-by-step fashion.

I particularly appreciated the section on the Control Panel applications. These are used to customize your H/PC and almost nothing is said about them in the Windows CE manual. The more important Control Panel applications are covered in detail, and the rest briefly and clearly.

Part VI: Part of Tens

All Dummies books have a Part of Tens section. It's a kind of a catch-all section, organized in list form. Windows CE 2 for Dummies has two lists. The first list is titled: Ten Ways to Spend Money on Your Windows CE Device, describes things you can buy for your H/PC and ways you can save money. All suggestions were good, but in the cases of modems, memory cards, paging devices, and GPS receivers, I thought the book needed information on where to go to purchase, or find out more about them. I think most H/PCs come with a catalog of products from independent vendors, and perhaps that could have been mentioned here.

The second list is titled: Ten Common Problems You May Encounter with Your CE Device (things that can go wrong and how to fix them). This is a well-thought out list of common problems and their solutions. One point, "The Device Can't Locate My Personal Computer," describes the problem of not being able to communicate between the H/PC and a desktop PC. I suppose it could have gone into more detail about solving the problem, but this is a Dummies book. The author gives some good, simple advice. If that doesn't solve the problem, she suggests you "...ask one of the nerdy computer people to look at your personal computer..." Not all computer people are nerds, but asking someone who knows is an excellent, time saving solution to any problem. I would probably put it high on the list of solutions to any computer-related problem.

A good general reference

The book is promoted as "A Reference for the Rest of Us!" It is, for the most part, very simply written and easy to understand, with step-by-step instructions for everything. If you are the slightest bit nervous about using a new computer or new piece of software, this is a good way to learn. If you get an H/PC, find you are having difficulty, and want a more detailed look at using it, this book is for you.

Windows CE 2 for Dummies -- Quick Reference

I'll do a quick review for the Quick Reference. It's a more portable version of Windows CE 2 for Dummies, containing much of the same information in a condensed form. Its 212 pages organize Windows CE knowledge into 12 tasks (i.e., Maintaining an Electronic Calendar, Organizing Your Tasks, Dealing with E-Mail, etc.).

I compared some of my favorite sections in the full reference to the Quick Reference. All of the information was covered, though, of necessity, in slightly more abbreviated manner without as many graphics showing you what the screens look like.

It was almost as useful as the full reference, just a little less expensive and more portable.

Which one to buy?

I believe these are the only two Windows CE 2.0 books out there at the present time. Both are good general references, filling a gap in documentation. If you find yourself needing more than the small user guide that came with the H/PCs, either of these will do.

The Quick Reference is designed for readers who want something to carry along with them. It's almost as complete and easy to use as the full version. I could see it being preferred by H/PC users who spend a lot of time on the road.

However, I don't travel a lot, and when I do, I don't take any unnecessary books along. If I'm going to buy a reference, I want the most complete one I can find. I don't mind it being slightly bigger if it's easier to understand and more complete. For this reason, I prefer Windows CE 2 for Dummies (the full reference).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich has been writing and editing articles about portable computers for over 10 years. He's been the managing editor of five different portable and palmtop computing magazines and has been Editor of Handheld PC Magazine since its first issue in 1997. He and his wife Lucinda have been married 22 years. They have two children: Robert (12) and Ella (9), who occasionally help Rich review products. Rich's email address is: rich@thaddeus.com.