Pocket PC Magazine: The Future Of Windows Mobile Devices

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archives/nov04/WindowsMobileDevices.aspx' target='_blank'>http://www.pocketpcmag.com/_archive...ileDevices.aspx</a><br /><br /></div>We all like to speculate on what's coming next. So does Microsoft MVP and Pocket PC Magazine columnist David Shier, and he does a pretty good job of it. ;)<br /><br /><i>"I enjoy speculating about the future of mobile technology, but putting my predictions down on paper is a bit risky. Instead, I'll provide a mix of predictions. Some of them are pretty certain, based on Microsoft's roadmap for Windows Mobile devices. Others are pure speculation on my part, based on my more than 10 years of involvement with handheld computing and wireless communications. So with that in mind, come join me on a trip into the Windows Mobile future."</i><br /><br />A good overview of the current and future trends in Windows Mobile and handheld computing in general -- including some fascinating concepts like software radios -- so take a look. What do <b>you</b> think the future will hold?

[arnage2]

i think harddrives are defidently in the future. but to conserve battery, 128mb of ram is needed, too. this way, u store games and essential apps in the ram, and u can leave the power hungry drive off. Then u use the hd for roms and media.

I hope that VGA screens begin to appear on midrange devices.

I want to see 3d chips and Direct x (which is comming) on high end units. (basically, a gameing ppc)

higher capacity batteries, at a smaller size would be great, too.

And id like to see motorola make a IDEN version of the MPX.

[PR.]

Stability.

Thats it, these devices are supposed to be quick and easy to use, I don't need to be reseting it in the middle of a meeting or restoring from a backup while someone waits for a phone number. :?

[Jonathan1]

Simple. The Pocket PC is going to go bye bye. STOP!
Before you hit the flame...er...I mean reply button the reason for this is simple. Ultra Portable laptops and PDA are heading for a collision going 120MPH. The hardware isn't there yet to allows Windows XP to fit in our pocket. Even with the OQO its still going to be a cinderblock of a device. And even then until solid state drives become a reality with desktop OS's we are going to deal with boot lag time for any small form factor devices.

In 5 years time expect hardware to be at a point where Windows XP or Longhorn will be able to run on a PDA sized device.
At that point its a natural selection type process when it comes to which OS is going to survive. Windows vs Windows CE(PPC.) its not hard to figure out which.

I highly expect more OQO devices to show up on pocketpcthoughts.com's site as the hardware matures. I think there is going to be a transition from Pocket PC to these ultra mobile devices that PPC enthusiast sites will need to adjust to. The April Fools joke OQO Thoughts might not be too far from the truth in 5 years.

I personally welcome the change. It would be nice to be able to run the software that I own on both my mobile device and my desktop/Laptop.

[Janak Parekh]

Thats it, these devices are supposed to be quick and easy to use, I don't need to be reseting it in the middle of a meeting or restoring from a backup while someone waits for a phone number. :?
I never have that problem. :|

--janak

[jkendrick]

Keep in mind that you'll likely need additional licenses to run the software you already have on that portable computer. It's a cost issue that will have to be addressed at some point.

[Jonathan1]

i think harddrives are defidently in the future

I hope to never see the day a Pocket PC ships with a Microdrive buit in. I'm sorry but MD's are not reliable. Let me roll this scenario for you. You are walking down the hall checking your Pocket PC's calendar and suddenly you round a corner and bam hit bob going full tilt. Your Pocket PC takes a tumble. The next day your Pocket PC falls out of your Pocket and BAM! hits the floor. Add a few more of these accidents over a 6 month period and all of a sudden you are mysteriously having problems accessing your data off your Pocket PC. Instead of removing the card you have to send the entire device in to be repaired simply because while a Pocket PC was designed to be pretty spill proof and rugged most Microdrives aren't. I've gone through 3 MD's since they were first introduced back in..what...2000 I think. All of them bad sectors, corruption, among other issues.
If a company wants to make a BTO POcket PC where you can spec SS or Microdrive I'm all for it but keep my Pocket PC somewhat rugged. Thanks.

[Jonathan1]

Keep in mind that you'll likely need additional licenses to run the software you already have on that portable computer. It's a cost issue that will have to be addressed at some point.

Thanks but I don't subscribe to the notion that I need multiple licenses for two computers I own. I will NOT purchase a second $500 license for Office. MS can bite me as can anyone else who is tht money grubbing of a company. In fact at one Point MS even allowed you to install multiple copies of their software on the systems you owned. That was the case until they became cheap.
Its not like I'm strolling down the street knocking on doors: "Excuse me. Would you like me to install Streets and Trips 2004 on your computer?"
"Hey bob I got another taker! How many did you get on your side of the street?" :roll:

[Jonathan1]

Thats it, these devices are supposed to be quick and easy to use, I don't need to be reseting it in the middle of a meeting or restoring from a backup while someone waits for a phone number. :?
I never have that problem. :|

--janak

Ditto.

[hawkeye]

Awesome Article. If they typically have articles of this quality I need to get a subscription.

I love the idea of adding my own RAM. I can add my own mini-SD or SD card if I want. This will get us devices with 1 GB or RAM faster than any other scenario. The upcoming Nokia 6230 functions this way...if I'm remembering correctly.

[surur]

Its funny, but the most exciting feature recently in consumer electronics have been small hard drives. We are looking at the Ipods of course and its brethren. I cant see why anyone hasn't put one in a pocketpc yet. I think its a joke HP makes a Multimedia Pocketpc which you can use to see media, but only within wifi range of your desktop. Whats the point of seeing your video in 3.5 inches when your 17 inch monitor is 20 feet away?

Unfortunately I suspect Microsoft of being behind this trying to stop "confusion among the consumers" by keeping their separate lines very separate.

About those people complaining about fragile hard drives, this hasn't stopped ipods from taking over the market, has it.

Hard drives should just be an extra storage folder. ROM should still be ROM. The addition of extra rom recently has been a real waste of time though, with the my documents synchronised folder still being in RAM. If they only moved the WHOLE storage area to persistent RAM (writable ROM :) ) then they would finally have real bulletproof devices. The hard reset due to dead battery scenario has been bugging people for far too long.

Anyways, I could rant on for ages on simple ways PDA's could be better, but no-one who can make a difference is really listening.

Surur

[jkendrick]

Keep in mind that you'll likely need additional licenses to run the software you already have on that portable computer. It's a cost issue that will have to be addressed at some point.

Thanks but I don't subscribe to the notion that I need multiple licenses for two computers I own. I will NOT purchase a second $500 license for Office. MS can bite me as can anyone else who is tht money grubbing of a company. In fact at one Point MS even allowed you to install multiple copies of their software on the systems you owned. That was the case until they became cheap.
Its not like I'm strolling down the street knocking on doors: "Excuse me. Would you like me to install Streets and Trips 2004 on your computer?"
"Hey bob I got another taker! How many did you get on your side of the street?" :roll:

Actually, MS Office is one of the few software packages that allows you to install it on both a desktop and a portable. Most don't and the ones that use online activation simply won't let you install on two different devices. It's something that will have to change when portable PCs become widespread and that will happen I believe.

[Mark Johnson]

Thats it, these devices are supposed to be quick and easy to use, I don't need to be reseting it in the middle of a meeting or restoring from a backup while someone waits for a phone number. :?
I never have that problem. :|

--janak

I probably reset my 1910 once a day, at least every other day. It's pretty sad. My e310 wasn't nearly as bad, but that one was too big to fit in my jeans pocket.

On the other hand, even with fairly constant resetting, my PPC beats my XP Tablet PC for data access. Boot time on XP is obviously way longer than reset on PPC, and "suspend and resume" on XP has never gotten anywhere above the "laughable" mark on the "reliability meter."

[whydidnt]

I think we'll see more and more convergence between our PDA and our Portable computer. I wouldn't be suprised if in 5 years we have a very small "pod" that has all of our computers guts in it, along with a touch screen. When undocked it will run a PDA version of Windows XP that allows instant on, and access to all of our files stored on a micro-drive. When docked it connects to a full size keyboard with flip out monitor, etc. All still very portable. I think Antelope is already doing this to a certain extent, but I think it will be much more refined in that the pod itself will have a 4" screen and high quality PDA functionality.

It's also possible that we will see smaller devices without a screen that somehow projects an image for us to see and interact with. More VR type stuff, I'm guessing. But I think that's still at least 10 years away.

[Janak Parekh]

I probably reset my 1910 once a day, at least every other day.
That's not good. I soft-reset my i700 maybe once every two weeks, sometimes more. My best was the iPAQ 3870 -- I used to reset that thing once every few months.

"suspend and resume" on XP has never gotten anywhere above the "laughable" mark on the "reliability meter."
Agreed.

--janak

[caywen]

Here are some other goals I'd like to see progress on:

True 1-handed operation. This means putting a scroll wheel on the devices among other things.

Sync that works. ActiveSync just isn't cutting it, and its API is quite cumbersome.

Brain-dead wireless. Bluetooth should give you some level of connectivity with your desktop without even trying. I should be able to sit down and access files in a public folder in my PDA. There should be no setup.

[DiGiTYZED]

PPC will be obsolete with devices like OQO and FlipStart coming onboard. Maybe not obsolete, probably downgraded in features. Hopefully down where it's suppose to be, a personal digital assistant (or organizer). I mean, what's the point of having a device that's trying to do what a real PC does. Just get a ultra portable.

The true Pocket PCs will indeed be OQO-like devices, well because they will eventually be real personal computers that could fit in your pocket. Finally the true Pocket PC has arrived.

[gibson042]

I love the idea of adding my own RAM. I can add my own mini-SD or SD card if I want. This will get us devices with 1 GB or RAM faster than any other scenario. The upcoming Nokia 6230 functions this way...if I'm remembering correctly.

It is worth noting, however, that SD, mini-SD, T-Flash, and even the forthcoming "μcard" are all flash formats. They are not very good as RAM due to their slow transfer speeds and limited (albeit large) number of rewrites.

That said though, I am drooling with anticipation at the prospect of easily upgraded handheld RAM, possibly even utilizing a flash memory form factor (sorry PPC Techs)!

[PR.]

I have to reset my iPAQ 5450 if I'm lucky once every two days usually cos 30mb of RAM has vanished. Other reasons include:


Textmaker loads then closes because WM2003 has decided to free up some ram
PI loads then warns me that WM2003 is trying to close it
WIFI fails to start
WIFI fails to stop
VPN fails to connect
ActiveSync server fails
Reset after reset because the thumb scanner driver isn't loading usually because the WIFI was stuck on and it always messes up when reset with WIFI on
Terminal services crashes
MS Reader freezes the device if left running when it powered off
Reminders stop happening
Device switches on during the night and drains the battery and the backup battery fails to preserve the data.
Device freezes or refuses to connect to WIFI if left trying to connect to an inacessable AP
Sometime deleting appointments causes a Backup error that repeats over and over until the device crashes
Bluetooth communication just stops until a reset


I don't rebuild the thing and haven't done so since I installed WM2003 last year. I'm waiting for the HP 4700 before I do any maintenance.

[omikron.sk]

Hmmmmmmmmm, is that article really dated "November 2004" ? Am I missing something? It's still August here, in Slovakia.

[Janak Parekh]

I have to reset my iPAQ 5450 if I'm lucky once every two days usually cos 30mb of RAM has vanished. Other reasons include:
Definitely sounds like buggy software and/or conflicts. When my setup is stable, I don't leak memory for long periods of time.

--janak

[daS]

Awesome Article. If they typically have articles of this quality I need to get a subscription.
Hawkeye: Thank you so much for the very kind words. It's such feedback that makes the task of writing (it's always a challenge for me) rewarding.

I have to say that this was one of the hardest articles I've had to write: As an MVP, as well as someone that works with various Pocket PC vendors, I end up being bound by a number of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). This means that I can't write about things that I really know is in the immediate future. 8O So instead I had to come up with things that are either already public information, or just speculation on my part.

I was quite nervous about putting out such an article, so you can imagine how pleased I was to read your comments.

PS: Yes, I do recommend subscribing. Pocket PC Magazine is a published by a small company (run by a fellow Pocket PC fan: Hal Goldstein) and each and every subscriber helps. :)

[daS]

I hope to never see the day a Pocket PC ships with a Microdrive buit in. I'm sorry but MD's are not reliable. Let me roll this scenario for you. You are walking down the hall checking your Pocket PC's calendar and suddenly you round a corner and bam hit bob going full tilt. Your Pocket PC takes a tumble. The next day your Pocket PC falls out of your Pocket and BAM! hits the floor.
WOW! 8O Your Pocket PC certainly suffers a lot more abuse than mine. :wink:

Having said that, while there is no question that solid-state memory (i.e. flash) is much more rugged than rotating drives, be aware that the tiny spinning disks are much more rugged than you seem to imply. Most have shock ratings of well over 100Gs. In fact, the smaller (and lighter) the drive, the less inertia - and therefore the higher shock ratings.

[Philip Colmer]

I have to say that this was one of the hardest articles I've had to write: As an MVP, as well as someone that works with various Pocket PC vendors, I end up being bound by a number of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). This means that I can't write about things that I really know is in the immediate future. 8O So instead I had to come up with things that are either already public information, or just speculation on my part.
I guess that is why the article concentrated more on the hardware possibilities than what MS might be dreaming up for us on the OS side.

I'm keen to see what is going to happen with the next iteration of the OS given that MS have so far been concentrating on the foundations. It is about time the visible stuff got a complete overhaul.

--Philip

[daS]

Hmmmmmmmmm, is that article really dated "November 2004" ? Am I missing something? It's still August here, in Slovakia.
Welcome to the world of magazines. :roll:

There are a few reasons for this: First, all magazines tend to put a future date on the cover. This is because they don't want the magazine to be on the newsstand after the "publication date". Otherwise, people would assume it's an old issue and not buy it. Second, Pocket PC is a bi-monthly magazine, therefore it can be on the newsstand for two months before the next issue appears. So if you want to assure that the date is never in the past for a bi-monthly magazine issued in August, you need a date of at least October or November.

Magazine publishers are not the only ones to play this date game: Many 2005 model year cars are on the lots today, and the rest will be available for purchase within a month! 8O

[Hal Goldstein]

Hmmmmmmmmm, is that article really dated "November 2004" ? Am I missing something? It's still August here, in Slovakia.

I know, I know. I know. It drives everyone (readers, advertisers, staff) crazy. Without going into great detail, the main problem is that we are a bi-monthly PLUS we have a bonus Buyers Guide, which has no monthly date. However, because of the nature of the newsstand, it has to be spaced with the other issues. Consequently, by the time the Oct/Nov issue roles around (which we work on in May), the timing is way off. The Dec/Jan issue won't come out until November, so then we will be back in sync.

BTW -- I have to say that the Buyers Guide should be a great issue. We teamed up with SPB to benchmark as many Pocket PCs as possible. We print descriptions of the almost 600 Pocket PC, Smartphone, and Developer nominees in 100 categories from our Best Software Awards, www.pocketpcmag.com/awards . David contributed another great article about everything you need to know about wireless. There's a ton more good stuff. Our graphic designer, and I, as we speak, are trying to make everything fit.

Continuing the plug: the Buyers Guide will be $7.95 on newsstand sometime in September (if we ever get it out of here) or free as part of the Pocket PC magazine subscription.

Hal Goldstein
Exec Editor/Publisher
Pocket PC magazine
[email protected]
www.pocketpcmag.com

[Kowalski]

i think harddrives are defidently in the future
i dont agree with you. i bealive that high capacity solid state storage is the future! you can find 1gb+ cards with a price less than 100$, and in 1 or 2 years imagine where it will go

[daS]

i think harddrives are defidently in the future
i dont agree with you. i bealive that high capacity solid state storage is the future! you can find 1gb+ cards with a price less than 100$, and in 1 or 2 years imagine where it will go
Certainly prices for solid state will continue to go down, but so too the prices for tiny harddrives. With the merging of PDAs and multimedia devices such as MP3 players and portable video, the need for inexpensive capacities of 40GB and above are real enough that I think we will continue to see tiny harddrives.

In fact, the future is now (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=293106)! :wink: