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View Full Version : PPC for mobile computing, Pocket IE, what can/can't it do???


IIIsynthtaxIII
11-23-2003, 04:27 AM
I'm hoping to replace all my mobile computing soon with a WiFi equipped h2215, it's gonna cost me about 10% more than I can afford, so i want to be sure it can do what I want it to do.

Looking online really didn't tell me much, so now I ask you helpful and patient PPCT members what can Pocket IE 2003 do, and what can't it do?

-Sure I can check my pop3 email, but can I check my web based email?
-Can I view pages that use PHP/mySQL?
-Can I view Macromedia Flash websites in all their glory, or will the more complicated ones not work well or at all?
-Can I sign in to pocket pc thoughts, or other forums and post online?
-Can I check out my bank account online?
-Bid on eBay?
-Sign onto PayPal and send money?
-Run pages with Java/JavaScripts?

-What things can't I do? And I pretty much use the internet for everything it offers, so if there's anything you've found it can't do, PLEASE let me know so that I won't be let down, and can decide if the investment is worth it!

NOTE: I don't expect it to do 100% what my desktop browser can do, but I want it to be able to do most of the important stuff that I do.

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Also, I do a lot of programming, and it would be nice to do be able to do that on the go. What PPC programs (preferably cheap/free) are good for programming? ie: colour coded, can compile and maybe run, debug, or whatever. Anything better than pocket word!

What good FTP programs are available for PPC?

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As well, I heard of a program that lets you control your computer from your PPC, does it exist? If so where, because I haven't found it yet. It would be nice to be able to run things, shutdown, and some other stuff from my Pocket PC. I doubt it, but would it be able to do so through BT/WiFi?

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What other great thigns can the PPCs do that I might not have thought of? What fun uses have you found for them?


Thanks in advance for your help, and discussion. I enjoy talking with others who like these little devices, and I'm taking a big dive getting this new PPC, so it would be nice to get excited about it.

Thanks,

|||synthtax|||

ghl
11-23-2003, 04:33 AM
well this is what i have done:
using a 3rd party software, use inbox to open my hotmail account
run flash animations (requires flash plugin in the box)
run javascripts ect with a in-the-box software
view nearly all webpages
post on this forum

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but for web browsing i find that you have to side scroll alot.
there are lots of 3rd party software that can rotate the screen or put a higher resolution on the screen for easier browsing

Tom W.M.
11-24-2003, 04:30 AM
As well, I heard of a program that lets you control your computer from your PPC, does it exist? If so where, because I haven't found it yet. It would be nice to be able to run things, shutdown, and some other stuff from my Pocket PC. I doubt it, but would it be able to do so through BT/WiFi?
You can use VNC to remote control your desktop PC. The server can be found at http://www.realvnc.com/. You should be able to find the precompiled Windows CE client around, but since you're a developer, maybe you could create one that supports fullscreen for us? :wink: If you want to go the expensive route, you can use Symantec's Virual PC. If you have Windows XP Pro I belive that you can use Remote Desktop to control your PC. There is also a Citrix client available for PocketPC, though that is very expensive. Any of those options should work through any TCP/IP connection, which is what you'll get with WiFi.

Here's an FTP client: http://www.pocketpcfreewares.com/index_mobile.php?mode=soft&soft=99

With web-based email, it will depend on the complexity of the page used to view it. Simpler, less graphical pages work better. If you're using Hotmail, there is a mobile version of that site.

Java does not work in PocketIE, and JavaScript is a limited Microsoft implementation called JScript.

As far as programming goes, I know that there are Windows CE versions of Scheme, Python, and C (http://www.pocketgear.com/software_detail.asp?id=5723). The C compiler is:Pocket ViC is a command-line utility shell, c-subset compiler, and a vi style text editor for MIPS and ARM for large ascii text files (up to 5000 lines) and is much faster than Pocket Word. Pocket Vi C for the ARM also includes a C-subset compiler for writing small C programs on the ARM PocketPC. Your C program's printf output is appended to the vi buffer for further browsing and/or saving as a text file. The Pocket ViC c-subset compiler calls standard c-runtime functions, and generates efficient ARM code. Pocket Vic is useful for developing small utilities on the Pocket PC and exploring your Pocket PC.

ctmagnus
11-24-2003, 05:47 AM
For VNC on the desktop/server end, I recommend Ultr@VNC (http://ultravnc.sf.net) as it's super speedy. I use the VNC viewer available here (http://www.allware.com.mx/) on the Pocket PC end.

Dave Beauvais
11-24-2003, 05:55 AM
For VNC on the desktop/server end, I recommend Ultr@VNC (http://ultravnc.sf.net) as it's super speedy.
Sorry to drag this off-topic a little more, but I used Ultr@VNC for a month or so but switched back to TightVNC. Why? Um, I don't remember. There was something that TightVNC does that Ultr@VNC doesn't but I can't remember what is is! :) I did notice that Ultr@VNC was much faster than any other other VNC variant I have ever used, and switching back to Tight was kind of a bummer because of that.

ctmagnus
11-24-2003, 06:14 AM
Sorry to drag this off-topic a little more, but I used Ultr@VNC for a month or so but switched back to TightVNC. Why? Um, I don't remember. There was something that TightVNC does that Ultr@VNC doesn't but I can't remember what is is! :) I did notice that Ultr@VNC was much faster than any other other VNC variant I have ever used, and switching back to Tight was kind of a bummer because of that.

Your post was rather on-topic imo. Here's something a little off-topic:

I haven't had any cases where Ultr@VNC server will suddenly disconnect the client for whatever reason. That happened to me on a semi-regular basis with TightVNC. Besides, I thought I read somwehere (Lockergnome?) that Ultr@VNC is based on TightVNC such that UltraVNC had everything TightVNC has and then some.

IIIsynthtaxIII
11-24-2003, 05:28 PM
Thanks for the replies.

But, does anyone know if it's possible to do the following:

-Check out my bank account online?
-Bid on eBay?
-Sign onto PayPal and send money?

If not, give it a shot and let me know if you can do it. I'd definately like to be able to do stuff like pay bills away from home over the net with my PPC, or be able to bid on something I really want no matter where I am!

All the computer control programs seem great, so thanks for the input. I'll give them a shot when I get a chance and see what they can do.

Similarly, it would be great to be able to browse the files on my PC from my PPC and be able to open/view them from my PPC, such as playing MP3s on my computer through WiFi on my PPC. I've seen z2 PocketLAN, but many times people come up with their own programs that are better than commercial ones.

Has anyone tried z2 PocketLAN?
Are there any other viable and free options?

Thanks again for all the posts,

|||synthtax|||

ctmagnus
11-24-2003, 06:34 PM
But, does anyone know if it's possible to do the following:

-Check out my bank account online?

If your bank supports browsing with PIE. There will most definitely be scrolling involved unless your bank has a special PPC version of their site. You can also set PIE to misreport it's version so that sites such as banking sites that only work with certain browsers (due to security concerns) will work on PIE. That involves editing the registry, details are here (http://www.phm.lu/PocketPC/RegTweaks/Tweak.asp?ref=1) and a registry editor is available here (http://www.phm.lu/Products/PocketPC/RegEdit/).

Alternatively, there're Thunderhawk and Netfront but those cost $.

-Bid on eBay?

The desktop site works with scrolling. I've done it. There's also a PPC version at http://catalyst.2roam.com/www.ebay.com but that doesn't appear to function very well at the monent.

-Sign onto PayPal and send money?

With the desktop version of the site.

Similarly, it would be great to be able to browse the files on my PC from my PPC and be able to open/view them from my PPC, such as playing MP3s on my computer through WiFi on my PPC.

I've done it through Resco Explorer (www.resco-net.com), but again, that costs money. And it tends to take a while for the file listing to come up.

IIIsynthtaxIII
11-24-2003, 07:04 PM
ctmagnus,

Thanks for the help.

I don't care if I have to scroll or whatever, I just want the content to be accessible.

I appreciate the help guys.

Thanks,

|||synthtax|||