It was a pleasure attending one of the Windows Mobile User Group Tour events for two reasons. First of all, I got to see new Pocket PCs, software applications, and most importantly, new Windows Mobile Smartphones. (At least they’re new to us in North America.) Second, I was able to visit the birthplace of the Pocket PC.
Lobby of building 117 on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. The home of the Windows Mobile team.
The Tour visited 11 cities in North America, including Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, and Redmond—home of Microsoft. I attended the November 18 event, held on the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Washington. I can see why they call the facility a “campus.” It has the look of a large, futuristic university. The first thing I did was find building 117, home of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile team. From the outside, it’s almost identical to any other building on campus. But once inside the lobby, you find a large display of current Pocket PCs. And over by the reception desks is a large mock up of the Dell Axim with a functional screen displaying the features of the Pocket PC.
Later that night I attended the User Group Tour meeting, held in Microsoft’s large conference center. The main sponsor was Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Community Program, headed up by Product Manager, Erikka Ahn Arone (http://erikkaarone.textamerica.com/). Other key sponsors of the Tour were Handango, Socket Communications, Visto, Pharos, Handmark, Illium, and Pocket PC magazine.
It was a dark and stormy night in Redmond, but the weather didn’t deter an over-capacity crowd of more than 400 Pocket PC and Smartphone enthusiasts and curious potential new users from attending the well-organized event.
Developers and Microsoft personnel were on hand to display the latest Windows Mobile Smartphones, Pocket PCs and Pocket PC Phone Edition devices. Microsoft demonstrated its new CDMA Smartphone, the Samsung i600 offered by Verizon. Also demonstrated was the new Motorola MPx200 Smartphone, offered through AT&T Wireless. The new Toshiba e800 Pocket PC (with SVGA display capability) and HP’s new 4150 series Pocket PCs (slimmest yet, with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) were also on display.
Windows Mobile also has over 100 clubs for enthusiasts, called User Groups (see page 95), that meet at various places all over the world (http://www.windowsmobilecommunity.com). The local club, the Puget Sound Handheld User Group, was there helping answer questions about the devices. The conference center was packed, and it wasn’t long before the tables were surrounded by rows of people hoping to get a glimpse of the new devices. People from as far as Alaska and New York attended the session. Over forty prizes were given away, game-show style, including HP Pocket PCs, Motorola Smartphones, Socket CF and SD cards, Handango gift certificates, Illium Software applications, Pharos GPS software and hardware, Handmark gift certificates, and Microsoft software.
While waiting to get a closer look at the new devices, many attendees took advantage of the catered buffet table and bar. I was able to get a slice or two of the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. Later, while visiting the Microsoft museum (http://www.microsoft.com/museum), I learned that pizza is the most served food at Microsoft cafeterias—now I know why!
About an hour after the doors opened, we were ushered into the conference center auditorium for the main presentation. It was a well laid out, fully equipped room with large projector screens to the left and right of the stage. Each auditorium seat had a table in front of it so you could take notes. Wi-Fi hot spots were enabled, making it easy to connect to the Internet from anywhere in the room.
Microsoft campus auditorium, where presentations were made for this meeting of the Windows Mobile User Group Tour 2003.
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