"Microsoft Previews PDAs, Tablets" - PC World

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,113183,tk,dn103003X,00.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pcworld.com/news/article...n103003X,00.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"New development tools will enable vendors to create Pocket PCs with square displays instead of today's rectangular ones. In addition, future devices will be capable of full VGA (640 by 480) resolution; today's Pocket PC screen are limited to 320 by 240 resolution. Further, the next generation of Pocket PC applications will be able to run in either landscape or portrait mode, says Irwin Rodrigues, lead product manager for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division. The coming generation of programming tools will allow engineers to create a mobile version of a desktop application easily, Rodriguez says. They will be able to use the same development environment for both, he adds."

[Enderet]

8O

...

:pukeface: Square shaped screens...

Now... :D In regards to the tablets...this is definetely good news. :bday: While not mentioned in the article... hopefuly Microsoft will start pushing the Tablet people to bump those resolutions up from the standard 0X

[Jason Dunn]

:pukeface: Square shaped screens...

I'm not too fond of the idea myself, because I like the aspect ratio of the Pocket PC now, but I like what this means for hardware. You know how most people complain the iPAQ 4300 series Pocket PC is too tall? Guess why - it's because of the screen! If you want a device with an integrated keyboard at the bottom of the unit, you can't have a screen that's so tall. This is a good move for the Pocket PC industry, although I'm at a loss as to how they'll pull it off...

[Enderet]

You know Jason what you said, does make sense. But, I would rather PPCs stay with the aspect ratio they have now, even if it means somewhat larger devices. I say this mainly because I enjoy being able to watch movies on my device, with a "wide screen" type of look.

Also because I feel that the screen sort of distinguishes the PPC and if you take that away, we would be borrowing from the other group (Palm).

But in the end, I guess its a good move. It seems as if PPCs will now have more freedom, in regards to technical specs, etc. and one example is that they will no longer be relegated to the standard aspect ratio.

8)

[dean_shan]

I wouldn't mind a higher rez screen, but a square one :pukeface:

[beq]

Why would you switch portrait/landscape with a square screen? :?:

:mrgreen:

[g0097]

LOL! Brilliant! :lol:

[JoshB]

I like the idea of easy portrait/landscape switching with a square screen, but I hope they don't make them any smaller than they are now area-wise (like Palm).

Is is just me, or is a resolution of 640x480 just as rectanuglar (e.g. non-square) as 320x240? For an orientation-switching square screen, it seems like you'd have to have 480x480 or 640x640 for it to work.

Oh, and I love the idea of an iPAQ 4350 with a landscape or square screen, so it doesn't have to be so tall.

JoshB

[dh]

:pukeface: Square shaped screens...

I'm not too fond of the idea myself, because I like the aspect ratio of the Pocket PC now, but I like what this means for hardware. You know how most people complain the iPAQ 4300 series Pocket PC is too tall? Guess why - it's because of the screen! If you want a device with an integrated keyboard at the bottom of the unit, you can't have a screen that's so tall. This is a good move for the Pocket PC industry, although I'm at a loss as to how they'll pull it off...

I like the current aspect ratio as well, but as you say, to get a keyboard at the bottom of the screen a square one makes more sense.

That's why the Treo 600 is a much nicer form factor than the Hitachi PPCPE.

Unless some kind of sliding device is incorporated like the Tungsten T3 or the Zaurus, a square screen is a compromise we might have to put up with.

[bothari]

I think you're all focusing too much on one single (disagreable though necessary) point. of this .

If i understand this correctly, the whole point is that PPC development will finally be resolution-independent, not that ppc's will go to square screens. MS seems to finally be letting HW oems decide what resoultion they want to use in their layout.

You've got to admit, if there's one major criticism leveled at the ppc platform until very recently was that there wasn't that much diference between each item on the market. One of the reasons was that MS wouldn't give certification to anything that wouldn't strictly adhere to their guidelines. So (until recently) no keyboards, no diferent resolutions, not much customization of the O.S.! Compare that with the palm world, where Sony by itself allready offers more diferent setups than the whole ppc world.

So this is great news, actually. Developers will finally have no excuse to use those damn fixed-size dialogs. OEM's can let their imagination fly and try radically diferent layouts.

.....

How can MS screw this up ? Simple, instead allowing resolution-independence, they simply fix 3 or 4 extra "allowed" resolutions (square, 480x640 and landscapes)... *That* would seriously put a damper on my enthusiasm... And i must admit that lately MS's decisions about their mobile plataform have me left me feeling cold more often than not...

[mace]

Less Restrictions = More Innovations

[Dr. Grabow]

I hope this doesn't leave the new Toshiba e800 out in the cold - I don't know if you have to use a proprietary API to write to its 640x480 screen, but if you do, and Microsoft's new standards are different, then developers will be in the same situation as with Palm/Sony/Handera - multiple APIs for proprietary screen sizes (at least before Palm OS 5).

Shucks, and I was just thinking of getting a Toshiba e800 ...

[GO-TRIBE]

Joy! :D I can't wait to get a Hi-Rez iPaq with landscape support!