Whats new in Pocket PC 2003 (!)

[WillyG]

UPDATE: I took the freedom to update my imagined readme file from the "Im off to see the wizards" (page 8.) tread by Jason Dunn. The updated version corrected some spelling (im sure there is more) and added some features. Edits are in italic
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README FOR POCKET PC 2003

User interface

New Look and feel:
With a refreshed look and feel, the Pocket PC 2003 is visually more
appealing, easier to navigate, and completely customizable for a unique,
"personalized" look.

"Skin-able" Title bars:
Pocket PC 2003 comes with the same (compatible) theme support as its
predecessor but now also includes the 3D color settings for title bars you
may recognise from WindowsXP (Standard (blue), Olive green and Silver).

Better navigation:
New navigation methods allow users to utilize the multitasking in a more
effective way ("Alt+tab" functionality can now be assigned to a hardware
button). Power users can now permanently turn off smart minimize (to normal close/exit).

Battery monitor:
Pocket PC 2003 comes with a new battery monitor accessible from the
navigation tray. A click on the clock in the navigation tray unveils a baloon as before but now also with current remaining battery power visually presented as a bar with % of power remaining.

Notifications:
Improved snooze settings for tasks and appointements. Users of Microsoft
Outlook will recognize the same slots in the dropdown list as on their
desktop. Adible alarms are now repeating. Number of repeats and volume can be set separately via the "Alarm volume" slider in "Sounds and notifications" under Settings. We also added the ability to set excact alarms on tasks directly on your Pocket PC, wich of course is syncronised over to your desktop when you Active Sync.

Tap and Hold close:
Users now have the option to easily close an aplication (as opposed normal smart minimize) via tap and hold on the Close button (X) (Smart minimize if the user had swiched to "Close" as standard mode of operation for the close
button.)

Better support for left handed users:
The Pocket PC 2003 now supports scrollbars on the left side of the screen.

Input methods

Enhanched Transcriber:
European users will be excited to find out that the Transcriber handwriting
recognition software has been improved to recognize international characters

International SIP keyboard:
Soft input keyboard will now show the users correct keyboard layout
according to his/her settings in "International Settings"

Application enhancements

Workday settings:
Users will be pleased to find that "work day" in Pocket Outlook are now
seamlessly syncronized from Outlook on their main computer.

Improved weekview:
Based on user feedback, the improved weekview in Pocket Outlook now displays a clear and highly effective presentation of your appointements and tasks.

Subfolder Synchronization:
Pocket PC 2003 now supports syncronisation of subfolders for other Outlook items as Contacts, Calendars and tasks.

Organize your work:
Organize your work even better. Save and open files in multiple subfolders to the "My documents" folder. Organize your work the way you want it, the most effective way.

HTML mail:
For your viewing pleassure, Inbox can now display rich formatted HTML mail messages

Outlook Express support:
The updated Active Sync now supports syncronisation of mail and news from Outlook Express. Syncronized news messages is presented as a service to the user, seamlessly integratining with the users existing POP, Exchange and SMS (new) services

Updated Mediaplayer:
Pocket PC 2003 comes with Windows Mediaplayer 9.0 for Pocket PC (WIMP9PPC) with 3rd party codec support.

A better Pocket Word
Pocket Word is enhanched and now retains more formatting than ever, including tables, when converting documents from your desktop

Smile with Microsoft Messenger
The newest version of Windows Messenger now supports smilys and file transfers directly to and from your connected Pocket PC.

Enhanched Connection Manager

New applications:
The latest version of Pocket PC now comes with Microsoft Powerpoint Viewer and Microsoft Pocket Access, Microsoft Pocket Streets and the award winning Microsoft Money 2003 readily buildt in ROM.

Better Internet Explorer:
Internet Explorer is strengthened with higher encryption support, Integrated FTP (folder view) and support for browsing 2 websites simultanously. We have also strengthened Internet Explorers "Fit to screen" function and also added the ability to browse the web fullscreen in ladscape mode
Hardware

Xscale support
Updated support for xscale processors. Your new Pocket PC now actually runs faster than the old one :lol: (had to fit in a smiley there )

Integrated Bluetooth drivers
Basic bluetooth drivers integrated (Supports Active sync and Desktop
Pass-Through)
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NOTE: This is not what it looks like, and is just my personal guesses and
wishes (rant) as an entousiast.

Guess im just having a lill fun daydreaming of a perfect PDA.
Now did i forget somthing in my list? Feel free to jump on the wagon. 2003 or not,
wish for the future.

Kindest regards WillyG

[ironguy]

How 'bout

Full MS Office compatibility
POP3 email support from any POP3 email program
likewise for html, imap, etc
MP3 conversion from CDs

the list could go on and on

[WillyG]

the list could go on and on

Exactly my purpose of this post. Im curious what other "fella" Pocket PC users want to see in Microsofts next release of PPC.

Microsoft is holding their cards tight, and not releasing any "thought food". Do they know what we want? Or where we want to go today? :lol:
Keep the ideas and thoughts coming.

[jimr18]

Do you assume that it is safe to believe that the next version OS will be available as an upgrade to any Xscale processor unit currently available?

[WillyG]

Well, i would expect that since we are talking software here.
Taking into consideration Microsofts requirement regarding the PPC2002 devices regarding beeing flashable.
I hope they get an update out soon. Its kindof frustrating that my new beautiful LOOX is [email protected] than my old 3660 iPAQ :?
Does anyone know or have heard any rumor out about an interim patch/update with support for the new processors (before the next major release)?

[CoreyJF]

Support for more PCcard devices e.g. A portable DVD player for those long trips

[Charles Pickrell]

Higher resolution displays a la Sony Clie. Some people need to visualize a lot of information on the screen, and 320x240 just doesn't do it. Anything higher would be useful.

[Foo Fighter]

This is just a repost of my earlier thoughts. I didn't want to write another long winded post:

Here’s my list of things that need to be done to improve the PPC experience. Many of these items are things that I’ve touched upon before, so my apologies if I sound like I’m repeating myself (I know, I never do that).

* Improve the UI. If the plan is to keep the current UI, then a number of features need to be added. First, an option should be added to allow the X button to actually close the app down at the user’s discretion. Having multiple apps open at one time can quickly overwhelm the OS and bog the system resources down. “Smart minimize" is smart in name only. This is a very inefficient solution.

* Multitasking: The current method for multitasking is simply worthless. The row of six icons at the top of the start menu only represent the last six apps accessed from the start menu or Programs folder. They don’t indicate which programs are currently running. As I see it, there are two opposing solutions to the multitasking and app handling dilemma. Either have a separate “minimize” button next to the close button. And then place a tap’n’hold function on the minimize button to activate a pop-up menu that lists all currently running apps with an option to “close all”. Or leave the current UI as is, and build a “tap’n’hold function into the close “X” that toggles the same afore mentioned list of apps.

* Add an option to the Start Menu settings called “Expand Menu items”, which enables cascading menus. This will appease folks like Rob Alexander who prefer the old school way of doing things.

* The Programs folder also needs some help. Why not add a “sort” feature to this folder to show “Games, Apps, Utilities, and so on. Instead of burying everything away in subfolders. This makes accessing applications much faster.

* Work with third party developers to create a set of tools that make porting PalmOS apps over to PPC simple and seamless.

* Launch PPC as the official Xbox Mobile gaming device platform. Create a scaled down version of DirectX for WinCE.Net (and PPC) and set up a list of standards that game developers must meet to qualify for the Xbox moniker. Game developers can sell their products on SD cards in blister packs hanging in retail stores shelves right alongside Xbox gear.

* A marketing campaign (TV, print) needs to be put into motion, presenting PPC to consumers. Why not market the Pocket PC as a “Lifestyle” device that puts “Your life, in the Palm of your hand”? Some glitzy TV commercials would be a good start.

Start pushing PPC devices into locales other than geeky consumer electronics stores. Retail stores like Target are a good way to target mainstream consumers. And put in-store displays similar to Palm’s old showcase displays that used to appear in Staples.

* Tie Pocket PC into Microsoft’s MSN services. Create a special section of MSN’s web site for Pocket PC users that offer Windows Media Content and other goodies only to PPC users. The official club for PPC users. The current “Club Pocket PC” is not effective at all. Work with partner sites like PPCthoughts to offer daily news and contests.

* Windows Media Player for PPC is in desperate need of an overhaul. Speed improvements are needed, but most of all it needs to be seamlessly tied into Windows Media Player on the Desktop. Maybe having PPC sync to WMP the way Apple’s iPod automatically syncs content and playlists to iTunes would be an excellent way to simplify and improve the multimedia experience offered by PPC.

[GregWard]

Two things on my wish list for Pocket Outlook.

1. I like to have my sent mail with me as well as Inbox plus sub-folders. Sometimes I send an email and then arrange a follow-up meeting to discuss it - so it's good to have the sent box on my PPC. Currently I can only do this via an Outlook rule to copy (move doesn't seem to be available!) from sent items to a sub-folder called "sent items".

2. Far more thought being put into wireless e-mail. I'm not sure what currently happens on a wireless email sync but the whole process takes far longer than surely it could do. Why can't there be more sync options? For example - from (one extreme) full sync (ie check both the device and server for differences and delete/add both ways for full consistency - this is what seems to happen now) through to (other extreme) "just give me the headers since the time we last sync'd 30 minutes ago". Maybe there could be other options in between (headers vs full message etc). If you actually use GSM based e-mail (as I have for the last four years) it gets really frustrating having to choose between sorting through emails that could have easily waited until I was back in the office and regularly checking in case there's something important there.

As an extension of 2 - it would also be good if Bluetooth was smarter. If I use a T68 with a bt enabled iPaq - why can't the iPaq check for what's been updated to the t68 before connecting to my mail server? So the iPaq gets any new information from the T68 and only then looks for new information from the server.

I haven't upgraded my phone contract to GPRS (as I still use a Nokia 9210 as well!!!) so maybe this works better. However, I suspect it only helps partially. In the main GPRS is just changing payment by time connected to payment by data volume. Obviously this does mean that you can (server permitting - and assuming you're not moving in/out of coverage!) stay connected. Presumably, therefore, the full sync only needs to happen on initial connection. But I still think it would be far more sensible to only full sync on request.

[vincentsiaw]

for me i just want microsoft to make support for xscale processor, and a better media player for now. because at some time i quite disapointed for the fact that pogo flipster play a better video than my beloved ipaq 3900 series :x

[snappy2515]

Being able to make graphs in Pocket Excel would be nice too. :)

[Timothy Rapson]

The one thing that drove me from PPC was lack of stability. How about before it ships any PPC model is sent to Timothy Rapson with the basic apps only. If I lock it up once in a week, it goes back into the oven until it is done. Phones, EPOC devices, and Brother Word Processors don't have to be reset regularly just to keep working. I can stand add-on apps crashing. If they don't work I can just not buy them. But built-in apps? No excuse.

Bluetooth in every device. If they made it standard it should cost less than $10 per, maybe far less.

Standard power and sync. This is such a mystery. Every desktop has USB, Serial, Parallel and other ports. You don't need to go to your OEM or wait for your OEM to get peripherals. All it really would take is a standard USB port on the bottom for power and sync. Is this so hard?
Casio had this almost right. All it needed was for Microsoft to make it standard. I don't know why this wasn't standard in CE originally. Other PDAs are all just as goofy.

Let Dell sell all of them for $199 :twisted:

[Foo Fighter]

How about before it ships any PPC model is sent to Timothy Rapson

Or Foo Fighter. :wink:

[Dr. DVS 1]

I watch a lot of Anime. And listen to a lot of the soundtracks. Most of their filenames are in Katakana/Hiragana/Kanji. Would be nice to see Japanese websites correctly too (on a US handheld).

I also whole-heartedly agree with the 3rd-person codec support in WMP9. I shouldn't have to use another app to play DivX files. :x Or MPEGs. :evil:

[Coralie]

my two cents' worth:

- you can already do an 'insert date' on tap & hold, but how about an 'insert time' as well?

- this one may already have been mentioned, more than one level of folders allowed under the 'my documents' folder. by copying & pasting, i found that i could, in fact, make subfolders, but then i was horrified to discover later (after a crash) that everything in my subfolders was lost. (was pointed to a good app later (by hp, no less! 8O) that helped me to get my files back, called mobilevault. can't locate the url right now. anyway, it's kind of like 'ghost explorer' for norton's ghost, where you can open up the backup file & see the files within it. i found that the download from mobilevault's site was no good :?, but i then found it to be available from another site. go the google search & you're bound to find it.)

- for the keyboard (the onscreen keyboard), the ability to repeat characters or actions, such as holding down the backspace 'key'.

[innersky]

A real browser would be nice... one that *gasp* supports java.
Or in other words, one that has the same features as the desktop version.

[CoffeeKid]

You know, I'm not even going to "ask" for it... I'm just going to see if the PPC dev team finally gets it and delivers it - the x closes the app, no more "smart" minimize. It's only been asked for over three versions of this OS now...

That's the litmus test for me - if they finally do "get it", I'll probably be happy with the OS overall. It's a constant head shaker for me how the PPC guys simply don't (didn't) get it over why developers asked for this in PPC 3/2000, and expected it in PPC 2002.

Mark

[GregWard]

Being able to make graphs in Pocket Excel would be nice too. :)

Definitely!!!

[Foo Fighter]

You know, I'm not even going to "ask" for it... I'm just going to see if the PPC dev team finally gets it and delivers it - the x closes the app, no more "smart" minimize. It's only been asked for over three versions of this OS now...

That's the litmus test for me - if they finally do "get it", I'll probably be happy with the OS overall. It's a constant head shaker for me how the PPC guys simply don't (didn't) get it over why developers asked for this in PPC 3/2000, and expected it in PPC 2002.

This is yet another reason why I am hesitant to come back to the PPC platform. Leaving PalmOS not only means giving up some apps, but also putting up with Pocket PC's "not quite there" experience. :?

[andyclap]

My personal faves (with a slight phone edition bias):

- Buy Nyditot's screen rotator/resizer and incorporate it in the OS. Ensure all apps (e.g. Today) scale to fit.
- Imporove PocketWord: styles, tables, etc.
- Printing support with simple driver devkit for printer manufacturers. Fax driver.
- Consolidated inbox/outbox/deleted items/sent items, rather than separate messaging hierachy for each communication method.
- Fix the simple bugs that are still unfixed (SMS contact lookup, alarms not firing reliably).
- Separate volume levels for phone/application/keypress. Profiles, i.e definable schemes for these settings
- i.e/avantgo cache on flash card.
- "Find" works across all of device, remove stupid My Documents/single level heirachy limitation for user data files.
- Drop the 2bp format, it's a waste of time and just confuses things.
- Battery life warning user defined.
- Cut down the PC processor usage taken by activesync
- DirectX (s/w emulation) support for developers.

[mookie123]

-plug in system for pocket office. (that way one can add feature that other people doesn't need)

-built in landscape view.

-a real note taking application. (something like the one in tablet. Able to handle extensive math, sketches)

[rocky_raher]

I'd like an AM/FM tuner. How hard can this be? I built an AM receiver in high school shop class that looked like something thrown together from scrap wire, and it worked.

Next, a broadcast TV tuner. Agreed, this would be harder, but the chips already exist, in LCD TV's that are slightly smaller than most PDA's.

[Coralie]

I'd like an AM/FM tuner.
rocky, rocky . you just beat me to this post & i was thinking whether it really belonged here anyway since it would be a hardware thing, not a software thing. then again, i guess it would need software too.

i totally agree with you. i mean, they already have the speaker & headphone jack in them, they already have the ability to control volume & software would be the tuner. when you can buy a crappy little radio where the biggest part is the battery, then surely a radio tuner would be more than possible?!

then again, if it had that & a couple of other things, i might never go out into society again. it would be just me & my ipaq *dream, dream, dream* :D :wink: