So you want to know the future of the Pocket PC? Well, there have been some recent hints from Microsoft that they are changing their ideas about what a Pocket PC should be and the features it should have. But before we get into that, let's briefly look at what it is now.
From the first Pocket PC 2000 devices through the newer Windows Mobile 2003 offerings, the Pocket PCs introduced by various manufacturers have had a lot in common. Not only do they have the same Microsoft OS and applications built in, they have similar physical designs. For example, all Pocket PCs have a 240x320-pixel color touchscreen, infrared communications, USB synchronization, application launch buttons, and a headphone jack. Since the release of the Pocket PC 2002 OS, manufacturers have had the option of integrating Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities into their designs, as well as CDMA or GSM phones. And since the release of Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC last year, the OS supported integrated digital cameras like the one found on the ViewSonic V36, VGA displays like the one found on the Toshiba e800 series, and built-in keyboards like the one found on the HP iPAQ h4350. As with all generations of the Pocket PC software, Microsoft has supported faster and faster CPUs. However, since the release of the Pocket PC 2002, the OS only supports CPUs using the ARM architecture.
The latest version of the Windows Mobile OS incorporates changes that will encourage the development of Pocket PCs with built-in digital cameras, as on the ViewSonic V36 (top), and with built-in keyboards, as on the HP iPAQ h4350 (bottom)
"Prepare for change" or "history repeating itself"
At the 2003 Professional Developers' Conference, Microsoft discussed adding even more functionality to the next release of the Pocket PC OS. They told software developers to be prepared to support larger displays and screen rotation in their applications. (I know of one software vendor who is working on a solution to provide screen rotation on the fly to devices running the Windows Mobile 2003 OS.) I think that adding VGA support and screen-rotation functionality as a standard OS feature will encourage adoption of the platform because it will make it easer for users to see the information on the screen.
Also, hardware vendors such as Wacom are reporting that future devices may use electromagnetic digitizers like the ones found on Tablet PCs, instead of the analog touch screens used by current Pocket PCs. That technology would make it impossible to activate a touch screen function by touching it with your hand or, in the case of a Phone Edition device, brushing against it with your cheek while making a call.
I find it quite interesting that the latest Smartphones are incorporating a clamshell design in which the phone folds in half when not in use, to cover the keypad. With the advent of higher-resolution displays and built-in keyboards, we may be seeing clamshell Pocket PCs in the not-to-distant future. I can visualize a device similar to the Sony UX50 Clié, with a screen that rotates out to uncover a small but useable QWERTY keyboard.
Incorporating screen rotation and enhanced keyboard capability into the Pocket PC operating system may encourage the development of Pocket PCs similar to the Sony UX50 Clié shown here.
With the possibility of a clamshell Pocket PC with a built-in keyboard, it seems that we may be taking a journey into the past. Microsoft's first version of this operating system, known as "Windows CE 1.0," was built into devices known as "Handheld PCs." These first generation devices had a clamshell design and included a built-in keyboard as well as a 240 x 480 display. Subsequent generations included 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 displays and the ability to connect to an external VGA monitor. It looks like future Pocket PCs may begin to blur the distinctions between the two form factors.
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