The Pocket PC may be the king of the hill right now, but the original "Windows Powered" device still has a very dedicated following. I'm referring to the Handheld PC, the device that comes with Microsoft's Windows CE OS, Pocket applications, and a built-in keyboard. In spite of the success of the Pocket PC, the Handheld PC format is still quite popular.
It is true that a large number of developers have switched their focus to producing software for the Pocket PC format. But many are continuing their support of H/PCs, and new software titles are being introduced all the time. This article briefly looks at some notable additions and a few of my favorite new software titles. It concludes with a list of companies developing software for the H/PC, along with their available software titles. If you know of companies and titles that need to be added to the list, please contact Pocket PC magazine (editor@PocketPCmag.com). Note that many of these programs are also available for the Pocket PC.
Bolts & Nuts by BallShooter Games
Bolts & Nuts is an entertainingly addictive strategy game in which your aim is to accumulate as many points as you can by swapping adjacent items (bolts, gears, or jewels) in order to create horizontal or vertical sets of 3 identical items. Multiple scoring levels and two different play modes will keep you entertained for hours. In Normal mode the game ends when there are no more available moves. In Time Trial you race to beat a preset clock time.
Bolts & Nuts is priced at $14.95 and is available for the Handheld PC, the Pocket PC, and the Casio BE-300 Pocket Manager. The commercial version and a free demo are available on the BallShooter Web site (www.ballshooter.com/pocketpc_games/diamond_mine.htm).
HandheldRats by Sean O'Connor
If you like mazes but dislike rodents, you're going to love HandheldRats. Your task is to exterminate the rats before they get the chance to mate and overrun the entire maze. To accomplish this task you are provided with an arsenal of weapons such as bombs, poison, gas, radioactive waste, bricks, etc. It's not as simple as it sounds to stop those pesky rodents, but it sure is loads of fun.
HandheldRats is priced at $15 and is available for the Handheld PC and the Pocket PC. The commercial version and a free demo are available on Sean O'Connor Windows Games Web site (www.windowsgames.co.uk/HandheldPC.html).
TextMaker by SoftMaker Software GmH
TextMaker has all of the functions available in Pocket Word, plus so much more that it is almost mind-boggling. You can insert images (in various formats such as .bmp, .jpg, .gif, etc.) and import or create tables in your documents. TextMaker is fully compatible with MS Word and Pocket Word files, so documents can be opened or saved in these and other file formats. It includes a built-in spell checker and a thesaurus. If you use your H/PC for word processing, then this is a 'must have' piece of software.
TextMaker is currently in beta release and free. A commercial version will be available soon. The current version is available for the Handheld PC; a Pocket PC version is in development. It is available on the SoftMaker Web site (www.softmaker.de/anywhere/anyce,en.htm).
TheSky Pocket Edition by SoftwareBisque
TheSky is an easy-to-use, full-featured, graphical astronomy program that turns your Handheld PC or Pocket PC into a personal planetarium. TheSky allows you to display the sky as it appears from your location for any date between 4,713 B.C. and 10,000 A.D. Tapping on any screen object provides you with a wealth of information.
TheSky Pocket Edition is priced at $49 and is available for the Handheld PC and the Pocket PC. The program is available on the SoftwareBisque Web site (www.bisque.com/Products/TheSkyPE/TheSkyPE.asp). There is no demo version of this program.
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