Hardware accessories are an essential part of making the Windows Mobile experience productive and happy! Whether it’s a case to protect your investment from the hard knocks of everyday use, earphones that spare you the agony of a tangled mess, or a TV to catch up on the daily news—they enrich our user experience. Here’s some of the best hardware I’ve discovered over the past few months.
For more hardware picks you can also read my Bluetooth Fever article (on page 36) for some Bluetooth connectivity favorites that I’ve found recently.
CF card TV tuner
Watching TV on a Pocket PC is finally a reality! This accessory adds a TV tuner, an A/V input, and an RF input via a Type I CompactFlash card interface. Not only can you watch over-the-air and cable TV broadcasts, you can play videos from an external source such as a VCR, DVD player, or camcorder, in either landscape or portrait mode. The telescoping antenna folds away, and a carrying pouch is included. The tuner is powered by 4 AAA alkaline batteries. It’s available in PAL or NTSC versions, and I’m told by the company that they are working on a Windows XP driver, which should be available in a month or two, for use with notebooks and Tablet PCs.
TV CF Card turns your Pocket PC into a portable TV.
Use With: P/PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 with Type I CF slot
Price: $99.00
URL: http://www.eopstech.com
PDA Panache styluses
PDA Panache offers a wide range of high-quality stylus products for just about every popular PDA on the market today. I was impressed with their custom stylus upgrades, which are designed to replace your stock stylus, fitting perfectly in your Pocket PC’s stylus holder. To top it off, they also offer free lifetime tip repair.
PDA Panache offers high-quality replacements for standard PDA styluses.
Use With: P/PC, P/PC 2002, and Windows Mobile 2003
Price: $2.29-$19.95
URL: http://www.pdapanache.com
DRY PAK
If you’re in the mood for some hard outdoor play on the weekend, here’s an excellent solution to protect your Smartphone or PDA. DRY PAK is a waterproof pouch that will hold most PDAs, GPS units, or cell phones. The nice thing about it is that you can operate the device while it’s inside the pouch; even talk and listen through it. It’s made of strong, durable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that is not affected by extreme heat and cold, it’s watertight down to 60 feet, and it floats. I haven’t actually tested the “60 feet” claim, but the pouch seems very solid and well made. It comes with an adjustable neck lanyard and a belt clip.
DRY PAK
Use With: P/PC, P/PC 2002, Smartphone, and Windows Mobile 2003
Price: $14.99
URL: http://www.drypakcase.com
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