Those involved in bringing us Pocket PC products deserve much praise ... as well as their share of criticism. This column is devoted to my personal "thumbs up" and "thumbs down".
The death of the Handheld PC
To Microsoft for all but abandoning the Handheld PC for the consumer and the individual business user. These clamshell devices look like miniature laptops, with a landscapeoriented display and built-in keyboard. Instant bootup, light weight, and long battery life make them ideal for on-the-road e-mail, Web browsing, and basic word processing and spreadsheet work. The last update to the Windows CE-based operating system, Handheld PC 2000, took place three years ago and was a minor upgrade from the previous version.
To HP for abandoning the only remaining "pocketable" Windows CE-based Handheld PC, the HP Jornada 728. This unit solved many problems for business and end-user customers, many of whom are quite unhappy with HP's decision.
To NEC for finally recognizing the value of, and promoting, their incredibly practical MobilePro 790 Handheld PC 2000. The unit is not pocketable, but is the smallest possible form factor containing a truly useable keyboard. It is ideal for business and individual users who just want to send e-mail, browse the Net, and perform basic Outlook and Office tasks. For more on the 790, see my review in Pocket PC magazine online (www.PocketPCmag.com/Nov01/NEC790.asp).
Hal Goldstein cramped in his coach seat but with plenty of room to type using the NEC 790 MobilePro Handheld PC 2000.
The birth of the inexpensive Pocket PC
To Toshiba for introducing the first practical under-$350 Pocket PC.
To Dell for introducing an under-$300, quality Pocket PC with two expansion
slots.
To HP for its sleek h1910 design at the under $300 price point.
To Dell for turning the Pocket PC into a low-priced commodity. This may sound like a plus to consumers, but smaller profit margins will help to drive away competition and discourage spending the money necessary for innovation. My concern is that major companies may not want to innovate when marketing pros like Dell, who spend little on R&D, have jumped in.
Pioneers exit
To HP for killing its Singapore R&D mobile devices division. Some of the best and most reliable handheld devices ever came out of HP's Corvallis division, which moved to Singapore in 1995. This division had a 30-year history of designing miniature calculators and computing devices. The HP Jornada 560 (which I still use), the HP Jornada 928 Phone Edition (with limited European and Asian distribution), and the HP Jornada 728 handheld were the last of the superior products produced by this great HP legacy. Compaq's iPAQ Pocket PCs were more successful in the marketplace, so HP killed the Jornada division in favor of the iPAQ after the merger.
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