Todd's Top 10 for Windows CE

By Todd Ogasawara

Which items in the ever-expanding universe of Windows CE software and accessories should you buy? 

If you have used any kind of computer for a while, you've probably found a number of tools (hardware, software, or accessories) that you consider essential. It could be anything from a complex mathematical modeling program to a favorite brand of lint free cloth for cleaning your display screen. Whatever it is, you wouldn't be without it.

The following is my personal Top 10 list of tools for H/PCs. (I hope to have a separate Top 10 list for Palm-size PCs in the near future!) To make this list, the items had to generate a "gee whiz" reaction from me. In addition, it had to be something I found myself either using on a day-to-day basis or having value in unique situations (like the need for a good spare tire when you have a flat).

The list is highly personal and not meant to imply that you should run out to get each one of the items. However, I hope you might find something in the list that might help you in your day-to-day use of your H/PC.
 

1

eWallet^™

^$29.95

We live in a world of passwords, PINs, and credit card numbers -- too much for the mortal mind to remember. That's why I have Ilium's eWallet on my H/PC. eWallet is a simple, password-protected card file that lets you keep important, hard-to-remember information secure on your H/PC. It uses a "card" metaphor to represent information, so the information about your Visa card is displayed on the H/PC's screen in the form of a Visa card. Ilium provides a number of pre-defined cards to help you easily organize your information. If none of these meet your specific need, you can use a free-form card to enter almost anything. One side of eWallet's screen displays the card. The other side displays a structured list of the cards you have entered. Tap on the item in that list and its card is displayed. If you have a lot of small bits of information that you need to retrieve in a secure manner, you want to seriously consider eWallet.

Ilium Software

Phone: 888-532-5388

Web: http://www.iliumsoft.com.

2

ListPro™

^$24.95

ListPro does one thing and does it extremely well. It keeps lists! It lets you create almost any kind of list to organize all kinds of information. I use it to create shopping lists, categorize and annotate Web pages that I want to visit, and track stocks that I am interested in buying. You can use ListPro to keep lists of important procedures (say the list of actions you need to take before heading off on a business trip or vacation), repetitive instructions, construction items for a project, and much more. What's more, these lists are with you, on your H/PC, wherever you go. If you keep lists, or want to, you definitely need ListPro.

Ilium Software

Phone: 888-632-5388

Web: http://www.iliumsoft.com

3

smARTcommand™

^$39.95

Anyone who has watched Star Trek has probably wanted to talk to a computer. It would be so simple if you could say, "Computer, print out this page," and forget about pressing keys and clicking on icons. This capability would be particularly useful in the world of H/PCs and Palm-size PCs, where keyboards are either small, or non-existent. That's where smARTcommand comes in.

SmARTcommand, from Advanced Recognition Technologies, installs on an H/PC or Palm-size PC and lets you "teach" your PC Companion simple commands. You can associate a specific word or phrase with an application or document. Speak the word out and the application launches or the document opens in the correct application. The teaching process is fast and easy to perform. Within a few minutes of installing smARTcommand, I was using it to launch Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, eWallet, ListPro, and other of my frequently used Windows CE applications. To protect against accidentally starting programs, smARTcommand must be activated each time you give a command. Tap the smARTcommand icon in the status bar and then say the command phrase. What could be easier?

SmARTcommand is available separately (or as part of Voice Suite and includes smARTcontact).

Advanced Recognition Technologies

Phone: 818-678-3999

Web: http://www.artcomp.com/

4

smARTcontact™

^$39.95

This application lets you access Pocket Contact information with a spoken command. Tap on the smARTcontact icon and speak your contact's name and smARTcontact brings up your contact's information. Say "dial" and smARTcontact will dial your contact's phone number emitting DTMF tones through the speaker on your H/PC. Say "E-mail" and smARTcontact will instantly launch your InBox and insert your contact's e-mail address.

If the spoken command is similar to another command entry, a "best guess" contact is presented along with a list of other possible contacts. If the "best guess" is incorrect you simply tap the alternate contact on the list. I found speech recognition to be very accurate and rarely needed to use the list. As with smARTcommand, you have to train smARTcontact to associate a word or phrase with a particular contact.

SmARTcontact is available separately or in Voice Suite (including smARTcommand).

Advanced Recognition Technologies

Phone: 818-678-3999

Web: http://www.artcomp.com/

5

HPCVault Deluxe

^$39.95

Here is a useful Windows CE application that does not run on your H/PC at all! The backup routine on your Windows CE device archives your entire H/PC to a single file on your desktop PC. If you have to restore the backup, you have to restore the entire system. HPCVault Deluxe lets you select and restore individual or groups of files from the backup file to your H/PC (or to another desktop or notebook PC). This is one of those applications that you will not use every day. However, like a spare tire, when you need it, you really need it badly.

A free evaluation copy of HPCVault Deluxe is available.

AnyWare Consulting

Web: members.aol.com/anyware/wce/

6

15MB CompactFlash Card

^$179.95

I keep a lot of files on my H/PC: lists, Pocket Excel and Word documents, and even an occasional Pocket PowerPoint presentation. My CompactFlash (CF) Card lets me keep all of it on my H/PC without the fear of running out of the internal system RAM memory or losing the data in the event both my main and backup batteries fail at the same time (unlikely but possible).

I listed the 15 MB card because it was the one I could afford at the time of purchase. You may find that a smaller or larger capacity CF Card better fits your usage and price needs. I've never removed my CF RAM card since purchasing it and it doesn't seem to drain the H/PC's AA batteries. If you keep more than just contact and calendar information on your H/PC, you probably are a candidate for a CompactFlash Card.

CompactFlash Cards are sold by a variety of vendors, but are manufactured by the SanDisk Corporation. Visit the SanDisk Web site for a list of CompactFlash Card vendors near you.

SanDisk Corporation

Web: http://www.sandisk.com/buy/order.htm

7

NEC MobilePro™ 700 series

$599-$899

I like Windows CE's true instant-on and application persistence. I like a battery life longer than two hours. I like a portable computer that weighs less than two pounds. I prefer the Pocket Outlook Contact manager's information presentation to Outlook 97's presentation.

What I don't like is the size of the keyboard. While a friend of mine can actually type reasonably well on the HP 320LX keyboard, I can not. The keyboard on the NEC MobilePro 700 is about 90% the size of my notebook PC's keyboard. This is just big enough to let me touch type on a NEC MobilePro 700. As more of these mini-notebook H/PCs emerge, you might want to see if your productivity is enhanced by using a larger keyboard.

For more on the NEC MobilePro, see the review.

8

Protect-It™ Excursion Bag

^$45

I ran into an interesting problem with my NEC MobilePro 700 H/PC. It was too big for any of the H/PC or Newton carrying cases I owned. Fortunately, I found the Eagle Creek Protect-It Excursion Bag (one of three Protect-It models produced by Eagle Creek). The Excursion Bag is designed to hold cam-corders, cameras, and other portable equipment needing a little extra protection. Its main compartment is heavily padded and the NEC MobilePro 700 fits snugly. I've also used it to carry both an HP 320LX H/PC along with a 35mm camera. The main compartment's divider prevented the devices from hitting each other. The case has three pockets on the front (two zippered) that I use to carry cables, pens, spare batteries, and cellular phone. There are also separate pen slots on the side of the bag. It has both a shoulder strap and a waist belt that can be hidden away in the storage pocket. 

The Protect-In Excursion Bag is sold by authorized Eagle Creek dealers throughout the U.S. To find one, call: 800-874-9925.

Eagle Creek

Web: http://www.eaglecreek.com

9- Tie

Most of the styluses that come with the H/PCs are too thin, too short, or both. That's why I carry a Cross DigitalWriter stylus in my pocket. The DigitalWriter stylus has the heft and feel of a conventional Cross pen and its tip provides a smooth motion across an H/PC screen with just enough "drag" to prevent it from slipping.

Pilot's Pentopia styluses are a reasonably inexpensive alternative to the Cross DigitalWriters. However, the Pentopia stylus tips do not have quite the same smooth feel. On the plus side, Pilot offers Pentopias with retractable points that can be used with one free hand. All the DigitalWriters come with caps that you have to remove to use. With the exception of the DigitalWriter DuoPoint that has a permanently exposed stylus tip, the Cross DigitalWriter models requires twisting the pen to expose the stylus. This generally requires two free hands.

10

IBM Modem Saver™

^$24.95

Not all phone systems are equal. Some organizations have digital systems, as opposed to the normal analog phone system in most homes. The phone jacks may look the same, but if you plug a modem designed for an analog system into a digital phone jack, you can fry the modem. The IBM Modem Saver has a single function: It checks to see if it's safe to plug your modem into a "strange" telephone jack. If you travel a lot and connect to unfamiliar phone systems, you should seriously consider getting an IBM Modem Saver.

IBM Modem Saver is available from IBM dealers.

You can also visit IBM's Web site at: http://www.ibm.com/

That is my personal Top 10 list. Have you got a list vastly different from mine? Send it into Handheld PC Magazine (Email: editor@thaddeus.com) or drop by the Windows CE Forum's newsgroups and tell us about your list. You can find it by clicking on the "Newsgroup" link at computingcentral.msn.com/forums/windowsce/.

CE you there!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Todd Ogasawara is the forum manager of the Microsoft Network, Computing Central, Windows CE Forum and Telephony Forum. He has been working with computers of all sizes and with all kinds of operating systems since the mid-1970s. He lives in Hawaii with his wife and daughter. The Windows CE forum is found at: computingcentral.msn.com/forums/windowsce/.