The hand held PC revolution has caused quite a stir. Practically everyone knows what a Palm Pilot is, and these PDA's ( personal digital assistant ) are commonplace everywhere we turn. Microsoft developed an operating system for this form factor some years ago called Windows CE. Recently announced was the follow up, Pocket PC, but we won't see anything for a while and for this article I'm only talking about Windows CE.
All hand helds basically work the same way: the operating system is stored on a ROM chip in the system and is static, but can be upgraded by replacing the ROM chip. The system has RAM to handle uploads, custom applications, email and the like. Microsoft released three versions of their Windows CE software: P/PC for Pocket PC, H/PC for hand held PC, and H/PC Pro for hand held PC Pro.
I'd say the categories are self explanatory, but let's look briefly. P/PC is for those Palm size units that input via a stylus, while H/PC is the larger rectangular units with small keyboards and a range of options like Compact Flash and PC Card slots. The last category, H/PC Pro, is what I'm looking at today because I just bought one, an IBM Workpad z50. IBM U.S. has recently discontinued this model and flooded the market, so I was able to pick one up for U.S. $275 compared to it's previous selling price of U.S. $900. IBM Canada has yet to discontinue their model, but I couldn't get any answers.
The IBM Workpad z50 is a full size CE device; it has an 8.2" colour screen with a 95% of full size keyboard. A 33.6 modem, stereo sound, PC Card and Compact Flash slots round it out. It's a laptop based on Windows CE, plain and simple. Let me run down the programs included: Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Pocket PowerPoint, Pocket Access, Terminal, Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks. For some reason Outlook is broken into its components. The applications and operating system are stored in ROM, so the unit is instantly on when you hit the button. If fact, the machine is never off; it sits in suspend mode. The onboard RAM is used to any additional software you load on, as well as a work area for applications. Using ActiveSync, new software is installed and the Windows CE device is backed up into a PC. You can connect to the PC three ways: Infra-red, through a serial cable or over a network. I've tried the latter two and it's quite simple, once you download ActiveSync 3.0 from www.microsoft.com/windowce, which also has quite a few other tools and tips. The applications work as their full size counterparts, with a smaller feature set. The mainstream items are covered, and only if you're a serious number cruncher will you miss out. If you know Windows 9x or NT 4.0, you'll have no trouble with Windows CE.
The IBM z50 is based on Microsoft's specifications for an H/PC Pro machine, and so is a good example of what you'll see from this platform. When I ordered it I was afraid the screen would be small to work with, but I find it easy to see and is large enough to get things done. Since the resolution is limited to 640x480 it's a lot smaller than the 1024x768 I'm used to working with, and the 256 colour limit cramps my surfing style. The keyboard is a good size and has a nice feel, even though I have large hands. The Track Point mouse takes some getting used to, but is quite comfortable after a few weeks. What I like about the z50 is that it's a Windows device and fits the bill of a very small and portable laptop that isn't a laptop; in that it's always on and ready to go, and is a lot cheaper. It has all the apps I need on the road to work and play, plus the built in modem let's me surf the internet. I do recommend getting a Compact Flash ( CF ) memory card for the device, as well as the optional 32 MB RAM upgrade. The CF card is nice for a backup device or for carrying files you want around, like WMA or MP3's. The extra memory let's your applications perform a lot faster and speed up surfing.
I looked at one of these devices last summer when they were released, but the price was restrictive. Since they're discontinued, finding on is tough but worth the effort.
by Scott VanderPloeg
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