Buyer's Guide: 1997-2008

Stacked on a shelf behind me are 66 dog-eared copies of this magazine, one for every issue we've published since we started the publication as Handheld PC magazine in 1997. I pulled the first issue from the bottom of the stack; the 1998 Buyer's Guide. On its cover, we proudly announce 8 new handhelds, 300 software titles, and the 11 best Web sites. Things have changed a bit since then.

For one thing, the publication is no longer called Handheld PC magazine. In response to the introduction and popularity of new types of mobile devices, we changed it to Pocket PC in May of 2000 and to Smartphone & Pocket PC in early 2006. The size of the Buyer's Guide has also changed. The first one was 84 pages long, and last year's Guide was 116. The additional 32 pages were needed to cover the ever-increasing number of Windows Mobile PDAs and smartphones, the vast array of third-party software available for them, and the hundreds of Web sites that support Windows Mobile users.

The success of the Windows Mobile platform has encouraged the development of a greater variety of devices and software. In fact, there are so many devices, third-party software programs, and Web resources available that it's hard to choose between them. That's where the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Buyer's Guide comes in. We have a number of articles that will help you with your buying decisions, including:

• What is Windows Mobile?: A brief description of Windows Mobile, the software applications included in it, and the types of devices that use it. This is a good place to start if you're new to Windows Mobile.
• Pros and Cons: A look at over 50 of the top touch screen devices and non-touch screen smartphones, along with our evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. In the market for a PDA or smartphone? Check this section out.
• At A Glance: Our side-by-side comparison of the Windows Mobile devices currently available.
• Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine's Best Software Awards 2007: A listing and brief description of the over 470 winners and finalists in our sixth annual Best Software Awards. Are you looking for a game, application, or software utility? The best are described here, for both touch screen and non-touch screen smartphones.
• Ten Ways to Make a Good Thing Better: The ten most important things you can do to enhance the capabilities of your Windows Mobile device and have more fun with it.
• Jim Karpen's Online Guide: This looks at the best Windows Mobile Web sites available; places you can go to get information about new products; read reviews; download freeware, commercial software, and media content; and online stores that specialize in hardware and accessories for Windows Mobile devices.
• What's the Best GPS Solution for You?: Reviews of the top consumer GPS navigation software for Windows Mobile devices.
• Experts Favorite Accessories: Members of our Board of Expert Judges describe their favorite accessories for their Windows Mobile device.
• Enterprise Section: The articles in this section describe the available ruggedized and niche Windows Mobile devices, discuss the types of enterprise-related software solutions available, and provide a list of custom software developers.

The biggest challenges each year are confirming prices and contact information and making sure that everything is as up-to-date as it can be. However, new devices, software, and services inevitably show up after we send this to the printer. If you come across anything you think we missed or information that needs to be updated, e-mail me (rich@smartphonemag.com) and I'll check it out for a future issue.Thanks much for your continued support. We hope you enjoy the Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine Buyer's Guide 2008.