12-09-2002, 09:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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What I don't like about Pocket PCs
In a rare burst of emotion, infoSync founder J�rgen Sundgot goes on a rant about the things he doesn't like about the Pocket PC OS. But, in typical infoSync fashion, it's calm and well-measured. I find it hard to disagree with most of his points (although there is a battery status icon J�rgen - click the time in the upper right corner). I suppose the good news here is that some of the things that J�rgen brings up are going to be fixed in the next version of the OS from what I hear. No, I can't tell you which things. :wink: J�rgen seems to indicate that this is part of a series of rants, so I'm interested in seeing what he has to say about the Palm and Symbian platforms...
"While handhelds are continously improving in all sorts of ways too numerous mention, I still have gripes with most of them. Of course, no product can be perfect, and there's always the matter of taste and preference - but some issues should be disposed of sooner rather than later in my opinion, and today I'll focus on the Pocket PC platform.
Let's start with Landscape mode. Even though it's fully possible both in theory and practice to have applications that, just like those on a standard PC operating system of your choice, dynamically resize depending on the orientation of their window, the Pocket PC platform is - for now - restricted to a portrait layout. Why? Apart from making things simpler for developers, I have no idea - and there are already multiple applications that enable users to rotate the display 90 degrees to improve usability when for instance browsing web sites or working with Excel documents. In fact, properly written applications handle rotation nicely, and just in case you didn't know, some of Microsoft's own applications do - while others (ahem) don't."
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12-09-2002, 09:24 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 33
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I so agree with his comment about Connection manager. It is horrible.
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12-09-2002, 09:24 PM
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Theorist
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 268
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I know you can't give details or release date info. But any idea how much it will cost to get the update? If you can't give a figure, then I'd be curious to know how much the last update from PPC 2000 - 2002 cost when that came out. Thanks :!:
PS - when can we expect that Axim review? 
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12-09-2002, 09:28 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 4
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J�rgen Sundgot's comments are straight out of our heart, not an iota of anything other than truth. Wake up Microsoft!
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12-09-2002, 09:34 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 651
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Yeah when I first saw the topic on infosync I just knew that I was going to be pissed once I read it. After reading it I agreed with him on all his points (now that I know about the battery icon, i have to scratch one). I do think that microsoft is listening. The feedback I get from those online tech chats seem very positive and informative. My biggest complaint with the pocket pc so far is that D**n connetion mangler.
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12-09-2002, 09:34 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,185
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The email thing HAS to be in the next release. It's just too obvious in my opinion to not include :!: .
It's the only reason I still have a cheating glance at the Blackberry from time to time. Ok that and the keyboard and the fact that I could drop it a hundred times and never cause it a moments delay in function...but that's another story.
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12-09-2002, 09:40 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 80
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Pocket PC's AND Palm's designs are so wrong they can't be fixed.
While it MIGHT make sense for a desktop O/S to divide the UI into applications that must be switched between, a Pocket PC isn't a desktop PC. What I'd really like is software that lets me treat the thing like a notebook. I'd like to be greeted by a table of contents instead of an application menu. I want to be able to create text pages, table (Spreadsheet) pages, picture pages, address book pages, todo list pages, web site pages, etc., and organize them into categories and subcategories based on the subject they're related to.
Going into a list of applications, selecting one, and then selecting a file of that particular type, from that application's own list of files, is a LOUSY way to organize information. We're stuck with it in Windows because of its single tasking DOS heritage, but why can't somebody create something new and different for these new and different kinds of machines? Are we going to be stuck with apps and their app-specific files forever? 
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12-09-2002, 09:42 PM
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Sage
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 725
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I think his points are all pretty valid, as a matter of fact I was surpised he didn't go for some of the more obvious issues (Pocket Word/Excel for example).
I think the constant, and often unfounded, attacks of the Palm-camp has made a lot of PocketPC users forget that the OS still has quite a ways to go in it's User Interface.
Just because you admit that the PocketPC has some issues doesn't mean you're saying Palm is easier...
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12-09-2002, 09:48 PM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 111
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Hey Jason, I know you can't say anything, but I'm asking anyway. :wink: Will landscape mode be in the next release? I have to say that that would be (excuse me for this) 'da bomb', but only as long as it doesn't require a reset.
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12-09-2002, 09:52 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 513
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Darnit where's Ed when you need him. I felt like reading another one of his article "roasting" :twisted:
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Linear Mode
