Pocket Profiles

My introduction to Windows CE, as a student intern in 1998, was more part of my job than a personal choice. But since then, as the New Products Editor of Pocket PC magazine, the Pocket PC has become an integral part of my life and accompanies me almost everywhere I go. Not only do I depend on it to organize my personal life, I turn to it for entertainment when I'm bored.

I have an iPAQ 3850 and have come to love this model of Pocket PC because of the many accessories available for it. The most important accessories for iPAQ users are the Expansion Packs that add CF and PC Card slots. I use a SeidioPakD Expansion Pack, which adds two Compact Flash expansion slots and a removable rechargeable battery—it adds expansion capability and keeps my iPAQ running longer.

Getting and staying organized

Like most people, I use my Pocket PC to manage appointments, contact information, and tasks. I also use Inbox to take my e-mail with me to read in my spare time. I also use the third-party application Agenda Fusion (www.developerone.com). Agenda Fusion integrates with the Pocket Outlook databases, but displays data in alternate views that are a little more accessible than those found in Pocket Outlook. You can reschedule your tasks or appointments by just dragging them from one day and dropping them into another day while in the week and month views. You can create relationships between items by linking contacts, appointments, tasks, documents, and Websites.

Agenda Fusion integrates with the Pocket Outlook databases, but displays the data in more accessible views.

Another program I use a lot is ListPro from Ilium Software (www.iliumsoft.com). ListPro helps me keep track of all my lists, including tasks, shopping lists, and more. I like the way it organizes lists by categories and priorities. I also use Ilium's eWallet software to keep my important information, such as passwords and credit card information, secure and password-protected.

ListPro enables me to create and organize checklists.

Listening to music and watching videos

I am an avid music fan and listen to a lot of hip-hop and rap. With Windows Media Player on my Pocket PC I can take my favorite music with me and listen to it whenever I want. I usually transfer my music from my CDs to the Pocket PC using the desktop PC version of Windows Media Player. I can then listen to it when I go jogging, hiking, biking, or working out in the gym. Exercising is a little more enjoyable when you're listening to music and you can usually work out longer.

I also use my Pocket PC to listen to music when I'm in my car. I carry my favorite songs on my Pocket PC and have a cassette adapter that lets me play my music through the audio system in my car. The adapter looks like a cassette tape with a cable attached. I turn on the car stereo, slip the cassette in the cassette slot, attach the cable to the Pocket PC's stereo headphone jack, and play the music. You can get these cassette adapters at most consumer electronics stores.

I also use my Pocket PC to watch videos, especially when I'm traveling. It's a great way to pass the time. The built-in Windows Media Player lets you view videos in .wmv format, but I mostly use the Pocket TV application (www.pockettv.com) to watch .mpeg videos. I download .mpeg videos from www.pocketmovies.net. I also have some full-length films from Pocket PC films (www.pocketpcfilms.com).