Tips and Tricks

Basic Tips

Do you really need a screen protector?

The short answer is “Yes!” For a detailed discussion on this topic, check out this post on the Pocket PC magazine forums (http://www.pocketpcmag.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13233).

Don't need to buy storage cards from device manufacturers

If you want to buy a storage card and call up any Pocket PC or Smartphone manufacturer, they will most likely tell you that you need to buy your storage card from them to “insure compatibility” or because they only support the cards they sell. The reality is that storage cards don't need very much support and one purchased from another source should work fine. Device manufacturers usually charge premium prices for Windows Mobile accessories and you can save money on storage cards by purchasing them from other sources. Newegg.com and eCost.com have super deals on all kinds of storage media, and a search on PriceGrabber.com will help you find bargains.

Assign applications and functions to buttons

All Pocket PCs and Phone Edition devices come with user-programmable hardware buttons that let you launch applications with one push. The number of hardware buttons varies, depending on which model you have. You'll have anywhere from two to six buttons available.

By default, the buttons are assigned to the most common applications. For example, the Dell Axim X50v has six hardware buttons, assigned to Calendar, Contacts, Messenger's Inbox, the Axim Home application, voice recorder, and the Wi-Fi enable function. However, you can re-assign other applications and even some functions to these hardware buttons. Here's how you do it:

1. From the Start menu select Settings and then tap on the Buttons icon. This takes you to the Buttons configuration screen (Fig. 1). The buttons you are able to program are listed in the top window of this screen. The programs and functions you can assign to these buttons are listed in a pop-up list at the bottom of the screen.
2. From the top window, tap on button you want to reassign.
3. Then, go to “Assign a program:” at the bottom of the screen and tap on the down arrow all the way to the right. A list of applications and functions will pop up.
4. Use the scroll bar to the right of this list to find the application or function you want to assign to the button. When you find it, tap on it and it will be assigned to the button (Fig. 2).
5. Tap on the OK button to close the Buttons screen. That's all there is to it.