Buzz on the Boards!

(Tom Gibson reports on hot topics from Windows CE newsgroups and online forums.)

It sure seems as though the Pocket PC market is finally taking off. Judging by the number of messages posted daily on all of the forums, there are a lot of people talking about these devices. On a recent day, there were over 350 messages on the Microsoft Pocket PC newsgroup alone. Microsoft, or more accurately Derek Brown, has taken to evangelizing the platform ­ which is a very good thing for the Pocket PC. I am starting to see Pocket PC devices, particularly the Compaq iPAQ, in more print and TV ads, even though some do not show them being used quite accurately. For example, a Lucent Technology ad shows people biking through Europe. One guy goes to a used car dealer to buy a car. He uses his Compaq iPAQ to connect to his bank and transfer the funds to the dealer's account. He drives off in his new car happily passing the other cyclists. Great ad for the iPAQ, and it can all be done. But he does it without the iPAQ's Expansion Sleeve, which is necessary to use the Lucent wireless card! I don't know about you, but I want one of those iPAQs!

As I said, Derek Brown is really out there supporting Pocket PC. If you remember my last column, Derek invited Palm OS devotees to come to Redmond for the Pocket PC: Wireless and Beyond summit to give them a hands-on look at the Pocket PC and hear any comments or criticisms they might have. There have been meetings of Pocket PC users at trade shows around the country, including New York at Fall Internet World, one at November's COMDEX in Las Vegas, and there is supposed to be one in Europe. Besides this, Derek has asked Pocket PC users to go out to retail outlets in 26 states to demonstrate and talk about Pocket PCs. This will occur for six consecutive weekends between November 25 and December 31, and they get paid for it! The states that Microsoft is sending people to are: CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI. Big Kudos to Derek and Microsoft for finally getting out there and telling people about Pocket PC!

ActiveSync troubleshooting

Elsewhere on the boards ActiveSync is one of the major areas of discussion. If you're having problems with the desktop PC synchronization software that came with your Handheld or Pocket PC, you should first make sure that you have the latest version. If you are using ActiveSync that came on a CD with your Pocket PC, you probably don't have the latest version. You can get it from Microsoft on the PocketPC.Com Web site under downloads. Handheld and Palm-size PC users can get it at (www.microsoft.com/mobile/downloads/default.asp). The problems people are experiencing with ActiveSync has led Microsoft to build an online troubleshooter. It is not available as I write this article, but it may be when you read this. Again, go to PocketPC.Com to find it.

Other things to do with your pen-stylus

There was also a long, tongue-in-cheek thread about the things you can do with your pen-stylus, including the following uses:

• Scratching ones back/head/foot
• Opening CD wrappers
• Getting dirt out from under ones finger-nails
• Impatiently tapping on your desk while you wait for your computer to open a file
• Puncturing the straw seal-hole on Tropicana cartons
• Flipping DIP switches on old printers and motherboards
• Waving menacingly at people while making an impassioned point
• Getting popcorn kernel skins out from under one's gums
• Twirling it in the air trying to catch it in one's mouth
• Chopstick replacement
• A shish kabob skewer
• And my personal favorite: "Belly button Maintenance tool"