| Key enhancements and new features in Pocket PC 2003 |
(Jun. 23, 2003)
According to Microsoft's Pocket PC 2003 Reviewer's Guide, the following new features and enhancements are contained in the newly announced 2003 version of the Pocket PC software platform . . . - Enhanced Connection Manager user interface (UI) -- A new and more intuitive Connection Manager wizard features enhanced tabs to give users more control over selecting networks and setting dialing preferences.
- Zero Configuration connections -- Pocket PC 2003 has added Zero Configuration for Wi-Fi, designed to simplify connection with and authentication to 802.11 wireless networks. Zero Configuration is also supported when adding a dial-up modem or Ethernet network card.
- Improved animated connectivity status icons -- When using the cellular phone features of the PPC, new connectivity icons have been merged onto the navigation bar to better illustrate radio signal strength and data flow.
- Improved connectivity bubbles -- Connectivity message bubbles are clearer and less cluttered and more easily convey information about connection status, synchronization and signal strength.
- Bluetooth partnership wizard -- New wizard pops up at (Settings | Bluetooth | Paired Device Tab | New), which turns on the radio, searches for available devices and asks users to set a PIN to pair with a device. This feature allows users to easily configure Bluetooth bonding.
- Always-on Bluetooth discoverability -- The Bluetooth discoverable mode stays turned on after users activate it (until users manually changes the setting) to allow for easy Bluetooth bonding.
- Use of Bluetooth modems -- Bluetooth phones may be used as a modem to connect the Pocket PC to the Internet. This feature represents Microsoft's commitment to serving OEMs and mobile operators and to supporting the growing popularity of the Bluetooth wireless connection standard.
- Bluetooth beaming -- Users can now beam data such as Contact files using Bluetooth.
- Auto-correct -- Common spelling errors are automatically corrected during typing. Auto-correct can easily be overridden. (Not available in East Asia.)
- Auto-suggest -- Auto-suggest is extended to the email inbox, allowing users to type email more quickly.
- Turn all radios off -- One-touch ability allows users to turn off all wireless radios (802.11x, Bluetooth, cell phone, etc.) to conserve device power when not on a network or allow other features to be used while traveling on an airplane when cell phones must be turned off.
- 802.1x support -- 802.1x Wi-Fi security is supported natively.
- Certificate Management UI -- New control panel applet allows users to manage client and root certificates. This is useful when users have installed a bad certificate and have difficulty logging onto Wi-Fi networks.
- IPSec/L2TP -- Windows CE provides the support for IPSec L2TP (the Microsoft VPN standard for connectivity).
- Support for Multiple VPNs -- The new Connection Manager also supports multiple VPNs.
- IPv6 support -- PPC now supports IPv6/v4 mixed environments.
- New Today screen -- Today screen automatically shows users the next day's appointments immediately after the last current day appointment expires to better manage early morning meetings.
- Smart Lookup in Contacts -- Pocket PC 2003 incorporates Smart Lookup, a feature that enables users to input the first few letters of the contact they want to open.
- Windows CE 4.2 operating system -- With the new and improved operating system, Windows CE 4.2, users will experience improved performance and stability of applications built for Pocket PC 2003 devices.
- .NET Compact Framework -- The integrated .NET Compact Framework brings the power of new applications that simplify the overall development and integration of Web services on smart devices, enabling developers and enterprise end users to access a wealth of data from various sources such as back-end servers, intranets and the Internet.
- Enhanced developer support -- Developer support for Pocket PC 2003 is greatly improved with the addition of several new APIs that include Enhanced Messaging and Networking APIs.
- 128-bit encryption strength for Crypto API -- With Pocket PC 2002, 128-bit encryption required an installation, but it is now in ROM. It enables ISVs and corporate developers to develop additional security into the Pocket PC platform.
- Improved power management -- Pocket PC 2003 enables better handling of unattended applications so that it doesn't wake up or consume as much power when applications are not being actively used.
- Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003 -- Support for playback of Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series codecs, which gives users 20 percent improvements in audio compression and as much as 50 percent for video compared with previous versions. The new media player also offers enhanced performance for video playback, improved networking support, better Web streaming and an enhanced user interface.
- Plus! Sync & Go -- Plus! Sync & Go is a new feature of Plus! Digital Media Edition (a $20 enhancement pack for Windows XP) that enables Pocket PC users to take the latest music, news and more from the Web or their own personal digital media library with them on the Pocket PC. Plus! Sync & Go provides great benefits to users of the Pocket PC 2003, enabling them to enjoy audio and video content from many top content providers that is automatically downloaded and synchronized to their Pocket PC so it's always up to date. Content from the user's Media Library in Windows Media Player 9 Series can also be synchronized, offering automatic delivery of this content right to the Pocket PC 2003.
- Support for Plus! Photo Story -- Support for playback of Plus! Photo Stories in Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003. Now users can take their digital photos and the stories that go with them on the Pocket PC 2003 using Plus! Photo Story a fun new feature of Plus! Digital Media Edition, a $20 photo, music and movie enhancement pack for Windows XP.
- Windows Movie Maker 2 -- Windows Movie Maker 2 provides Pocket PC users with special save profiles for playback of home movies on the Pocket PC (including full-screen playback). The enhanced playback performance of Windows Media Player 9 Series for Pocket PC 2003 makes the experience of playing back home movies on the Pocket PC even better.
- Pictures -- Users can view their images individually, in slide show mode or thumbnails. Tools for simple image editing, such as brightness and contrast, pan and zoom, cropping and rotating, are also provided.
- New Version of Pocket Internet Explorer -- Pocket Internet Explorer performance has increased and reduced memory requirements. Pocket Internet Explorer includes support for XHTML Basic, Cascading Style Sheets, WML 2.0, JScript 5.5 and IPv6.
- "Jawbreaker" game -- This is a single-player graphical game. Earlier versions of it were known as "Bubblets."
- vCard and vCal Support -- Users can now accept a vCard into Contacts and a vCal into Calendar.
- Inbox Signature Support -- Users can easily configure their email accounts so that they include an email signature.
- New user notifications -- Better battery power reminders reduce the number of low battery notifications, while maintaining those reminders that matter the most (when battery power becomes critical). They also ensure that the reminder never wakes up the device.
The text of the above list is copyright © 2003 Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. Reproduced by WindowsForDevices.com with permission.
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