HTC Pocket PC shipments to rise to two million units

[Jason Dunn]

<a href="http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/MailHome.asp?datePublish=2002/2/26&pages=06&seq=39">http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/MailHome.asp?datePublish=2002/2/26&pages=06&seq=39</a><br /><br />HTC is ramping up Pocket PC production, which is good news for all of us: more devices are on the way!<br /><br />"High Tech Computer (HTC), the world’s largest contract manufacturer of PDAs, is expecting to ship two million Pocket PCs (PDAs running on Microsoft’s Pocket PC OS) in 2002, up about 30% from last year’s 1.49 million units. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), global Pocket PC shipments reached 2.897 million units in 2001, and the figure is expected to increase by 25% to 3.6 million units in 2002. The Taiwan-based company could account for about 55% of the world’s Pocket PC shipments this year...<br /><br />...Despite a shortage of LTPS (low-temperature poly-silicon) panels in 2002, HTC still shipped one million to 1.2 million units to Compaq, said company president H.T. Cho. LTPS supply should not be a problem this year, Cho added, since an increasing number of panel makers now have LTPS capability.<br /><br />HTC will launch a wireless Pocket PC in April, and its smart phones will hit the market in the second half of the year, Cho said. Pocket PCs and wireless Pocket PCs will be the company’s main product lines this year, he pointed out, with a significant contribution from smart phones not expected until 2003."<br /><br />Source: Christopher Coulter

[JohnnyFlash]

is expecting to ship two million Pocket PCs (PDAs running on Microsoft’s Pocket PC OS) in 2002, up about 30% from last year’s 1.49 million units. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), global Pocket PC shipments reached 2.897 million units in 2001, and the figure is expected to increase by 25% to 3.6 million units in 2002. The Taiwan-based company could account for about 55% of the world’s Pocket PC shipments this year...

So there is expected about 8 million PocketPCs shipped this year. Do I get right?

Is it small or not in comparisiont to number of mobile phones shipped: about 400 millions this year? (according to my data smartphones - or phones with built-in PDA - will percentually account for 30-40% of whole mobile phone market in 2-4 years)

How much is there Palm OS based PDAs shipped yearly?

[Jason Dunn]

So there is expected about 8 million PocketPCs shipped this year. Do I get right?


Yes, that stands to reason, although the figure is pure speculation. For all they know the other ODM/OEMs could crank up production.


Is it small or not in comparisiont to number of mobile phones shipped


Yes, quite small, but that shouldn't surprise anyone: cell phones are ubiquitous in North America, Europe, and elsewhere. PDAs, no matter what the brand, are not.

[William]

So there is expected about 8 million PocketPCs shipped this year. Do I get right?


Yes, that stands to reason, although the figure is pure speculation.


Sorry, I don't get it. "According to International Data Corporation (IDC), ...3.6 million units in 2002" That means 3.6, not 8. HTC will make 2 million of those 3.6 million: (2/3.6)*100%=55% which concords with "The Taiwan-based company could account for about 55% of the world’s Pocket PC shipments this year... "

What am I missing? 8 million would be great, though.

[Jason Dunn]

What am I missing? 8 million would be great, though.


You're not missing anything - I'm not good at math. :lol:

[JohnnyFlash]

(IDC), ...3.6 million units in 2002" That means 3.6 not 8. HTC will make 2 million of those 3.6 million - (2/3.6)*100%=55%


Yes, William, sorry. I know companies for which 10 million devices is "small series"...

By the way I have just discovered best hidden secret of Microsoft: MS Smartphone 2002 lacks .Net technology inside!!! Actually Microsoft is going to drop MS Smartphone 2002 as soon as .Net version of it will be ready!!! So the question for developers is: is it worth to go into it if WindowsCE.Net will be the basis of next, FINAL, version of this smartphone. Don't kill the messenger (=me=jpzr), I just noticed it... I am a bit schocked!!! It is so as if Microsoft is saying "use C++ now, but eventually you will HAVE TO SWITCH to .Net and to things like C#". I understand that there is time pressure on Microsoft but it is really very disturbing if somebody is a developer - a person or a company. At least in Java world the basis will stay the same 4 Ever but here... I see big disturbance in force...

[Jason Dunn]

This is no different than Microsoft launching Pocket PC 2002 based on CE 3.0 when Windows CE .NET was on the way. One is the CORE OS, the other is the GUI and applications that wrap around the OS.

It's not a big deal - but you like spreading FUD don't you? :roll:

[JohnnyFlash]

This is no different than Microsoft launching Pocket PC 2002 based on CE 3.0 when Windows CE .NET was on the way. One is the CORE OS, the other is the GUI and applications that wrap around the OS.

It's not a big deal - but you like spreading FUD don't you? :roll:


This IS a big deal. I don't know Jason, what is your profession/occupation, but I am a professional software developer.

If you will look at this from the point of view of software development companies: then there is no point to invest in technologies, which will soon be outdated.

If you will look at this from the point of individual developers: no point to learn/work on Smartphone 2002 because .Net bring bigger benefits: it is useful ALSO ON SERVER SIDE so such experiences are better sellable.

Either way: it is really VERY BIG POINT, particularly because smartphone will be in most cases connected to internet, ALWAYS ON connection, and lack of .Net services and platform makes everything more complicated.

I just am researching the issue and not just "spreading fud" or "attracting traffic to my crappy website". Sorry Jason, but I am looking at this all from the software development point of view.

8)

[Andy Sjostrom]

Clarification, perhaps!? :)
The Smartphone 2002 runs on Windows CE 3.0, as does Pocket PC 2002.

.NET development for Pocket PC 2002s will be enabled by VS.NET Smart Device Extensions (SDE) and the .NET Compact Framework.
In essence, Microsoft has already scaled down the framework and the Common Language Runtime (CLR) to run on Windows CE 3.0 and the Pocket PC 2002 incarnation of that OS.

This means that developers will be able to use VB.NET or C# to develop Pocket PC applications. Developers will continue to be able to use eMbedded Visual C++ as well. eVC++ won't go away any time soon.

So, what's with VB.NET and C# on the Smartphone 2002? Well, it's being discussed. I believe it definately CAN be done. However, from a software development point-of-view, I am not sure those languages combined with the runtime environment will be the optimal choice. eVC++ will, I believe.

So, while I have no doubt that Microsoft will eventually put the CLR, the .NET CF, VB.NET and C# on the Smartphone, I believe many developers will choose to use eVC++ anyway. At least for the time being.

Conclusion: don't worry! .NET will eventually arrive to a Pocket PC and Smartphone near you!

[johnm]

Well jpzr,

I am also a software developer. All I can say is I can't just sit around a wait for the future to take shape. And I really have no interest in JAVA so don't get on that soap box. There are opportunities today, and there will be opportunities tomorrow. All investments in technologies, by their very nature, will become outdated some day. It is fun to speculate, especially negatively, but at the end of the day none of us really knows what the future will bring. .Net could go .SPLAT, or it could be the biggest thing for computing since the (insert favorite nerd thing here.) I happen to love the pocketPC platform so I view any progress in this market as a good thing for me personally. I would not go so far to infer that just because a huge company doesn’t manage to deploy their new strategies on all of their products simultaneously does not necessarily mean that there is some ‘hidden secret’ or conspiracy.

Seriously though, if you are trying to convert people away from MS and pocketPC toward embedded Java, I think you have the wrong forum.

Nothing personal, just my two cents.

-johnm

[JohnnyFlash]

Seriously though, if you are trying to convert people away from MS and pocketPC toward embedded Java, I think you have the wrong forum.

Nothing personal, just my two cents.


NO! I am not trying to convert. I am just watching it from both C++ and Java point of view - both I know very well. You know: some people have a dream "write once and run everywhere" and I was thinking (but Andy pointed out that wrongly) that the same will be here: if we have OS with .Net then, I thought, we will be able through CLR any .Net application on any platform. Let's say: I would write a game in C# and run it on both smartphone, pocketpc and XP -without recompilation. That is idea of CLR, isn't it?

But I agree with Andy that in order to write professional applications for both PocketPC 2002 and MS Smartphone 2002 we HAVE TO use eMbedded VC++ (or maybe even eVB). This is the conclusion and thanks to Andy I get it now quite good. That's all. I open minded, and I have installed already eVC++, MS Smartphone SDK and I already compiled first samples. Now, I will try to write some application 8) , but I have yet no idea what kind of... :lol:

[isrjt]

...MS Smartphone SDK and I already compiled first samples. Now, I will try to write some application , but I have yet no idea what kind of...

What SDK, where, who. I thought only very special people could get a hold of this. I'm not saying your not, but how does jo blow developer get a hold of this. If I have to use evC++, I need to get crack'n. Does it include an emulator???

Just a question, isn't .net MS-JAVA sure sounds like it to me.

[JohnnyFlash]

If I have to use evC++, I need to get crack'n. Does it include an emulator???


You can find all your answers at:
http://wirelesssoftware.info/show1news.php?&ID=95

(Jason: I do it in good intentions! feel free to copy this
news item to your site, even without linking to my site)

no, you don't need to use eVC++, you can also use eVB. yes,
emulator is included. See SCREENSHOTS and explanation in above
mentioned link.


What SDK, where, who. I thought only very special people could get a hold of this. I'm not saying your not, but how does jo blow developer get a hold of this.


No, I am not special. I am just average.

[JMountford]

Aren't you the guy that plagerized the original code from someone else that you used for Pocket Mascott? And if my memory serves didn't you further not back down when you were confronted with your crime?

[JohnnyFlash]

Aren't you the guy that plagerized the original code from someone else that you used for Pocket Mascott? And if my memory serves didn't you further not back down when you were confronted with your crime?


What else, will you invent? Your memory is totally corrupted, JMountford: change your harddisk, please! I haven't heard such ridicolous things, JMountford, since kindergarten. Are you sure that you completed primary school already?

I have plagiarized nothing.