What Windows CE devices do you own?

[Jonathon Watkins]

As the first post in this new forum, I would like to ask you guys, what Windows CE devices do you own and why do you use a Windows CE device rather than a Pocket PC. :?:

Do you prefer the 'simplicity' of Windows CE, the fact that you can customise it more or was it the only OS available on the device you bought? :wink:

So, what are your thoughts on Windows CE?

[arnage2]

id like to know if anyone uses a windows ce in car computer from the mid-late 90's.

[nosmohtac]

I have owned five PPCs, and have never owned a Palm. I have always thought the the HPC would be better than the PPC (other than the pocketable size of PPC), because of the built in Keyboard. I had always wanted to have a Jornada 720, and more recently a 728, but could never justify the price difference.

I just picked up a Jornada 720 with 2 cradles and cables on Ebay for $280.
I thought it was a good price, and even though it has no built in wireless (other than IR), the dual slots still make it a very attractive device.

I played around with a 680 jornada for a couple of weeks, and I was very dissapointed by the DSTN screen. The J720 still has a DSTN screen, but I was pleasantly surprised at the improvement over the 680 series.

I know most people want the 19/4xxx styled PPC because they are very sleek and stylish, but I don't ever carry my PPC in my pocket, and I am not too concerned that it doesn't fit in my pants pocket. I think the form factor of the HPC is far superior to the PPC platform, and offers a feature that most PPCers want: A flip style screen cover.

I can't say that I find great advantages in the OS over PPC other than pocket access and pocket powerpoint (I almost forgot...it is nice to have the recycle bin). I just love the form factor. I wish that I could get one with a TFT screen, and at least VGA resolution, running CE.NET 4.2, but with the NEC Mobilpro 900c running at almost $1000, and similar devices running upwards from $1200. I would rather deal with an ultra-portable laptop. The instant on feature is what makes these devices so useful, but to me it doesn't warrant the same price as a full featured laptop with built in wireless and HD capacities of 80GB.

I've looked at getting the Sigmarion III, but with no built in wireless, and only an SD and CF slot, running a Japanese version of the OS, I'll wait.

With the rumor of HP considering reentering the HPC market, I'm very excited about the upcoming possibilities.

[Jonathon Watkins]

I know most people want the 19/4xxx styled PPC because they are very sleek and stylish, but I don't ever carry my PPC in my pocket, and I am not too concerned that it doesn't fit in my pants pocket. I think the form factor of the HPC is far superior to the PPC platform, and offers a feature that most PPCers want: A flip style screen cover.

Agreed. Now that W2003SE can support different screen resolutions and sizes, it will be interesting to see if there are going to be genuine PPCs with clamshell/keyboard designers, or if this will be an exclusive Windows CE design feature.

I wonder if the rumoured HP devices are 'genuine' HPCs (i.e. WCE) or if they will be PPCs......

[nosmohtac]

Agreed. Now that W2003SE can support different screen resolutions and sizes, it will be interesting to see if there are going to be genuine PPCs with clamshell/keyboard designers, or if this will be an exclusive Windows CE design feature.

I wonder if the rumoured HP devices are 'genuine' HPCs (i.e. WCE) or if they will be PPCs......

I hope that they are HPC's. They may require a little tinkering to do certain things with them, but it's apparent, by the wide range of screen resolutions and hardware design, that CE.NET has fewer constraints on the OEM's decisions.

I only hope that the price point in not upwards of $1000 US. It wouldn't need to come down too far to make it reasonable in my eyes, considering that I have parted with $400 to $500/year the last 4 years for a new device. If they have one with dual wireless built in, and dual expansion slots (hopefully CF and PC IMO), then I could see blowing $600 - $800.

[Kowalski]

why cant we(windows mobile users) have good designs like sony clie ux 80 and palm tunsten T3 :evil:
we are just slaved to the standart clamshell design because misrosft didnt let any manifucturer any other designs. now they free the design concept but i am sure that it will take companies more than 1 or 2 years to develop different designs than the traditional clamshell devices.

[Janak Parekh]

we are just slaved to the standart clamshell design because misrosft didnt let any manifucturer any other designs.
There was an advantage to this, of course -- any Pocket PC application you buy works well on every Pocket PC on the market. It'll be interesting to see how developers adapt to an increasing array of screen resolutions.

--janak

[Kowalski]

i would be glad if there exists hardware designs like jornado 720 like old days.
there are only a couple of devices and they are way too expensive now. like sigmarion.
i am realy looking forward to see clamshell designs

[JohnnyFlash]

Well I have a Sigmarion-III

its WinCE .NET 4.1 Japanese (note I have converted it to look read and feel like an English unit ~85% - still get some Core items that come up in Japanese but for the most part you know what they are).

Cool device and powerful as well.

-JB

[jmbneaf]

DOH !

The above post is mine. I thought I was logged in.

-JB

[felixdd]

Intermec 6651. I use it like I would a laptop, only a laptop of this size doesn't allow me to stay at Starbucks for 8 hours without an AC adapter.

I also had a NEC MobilePro 770, but I gave it away.

[nosmohtac]

Intermec 6651. I use it like I would a laptop, only a laptop of this size doesn't allow me to stay at Starbucks for 8 hours without an AC adapter.

I also had a NEC MobilePro 770, but I gave it away.

Imagine.....8hrs at starbucks with an Intermec 6651. You'd have to be wired, even if you were wireless. :wink:

[Kowalski]

you own an intermec, excellent design.
do you find software easly, or are you just using the built in applications?

[Tom W.M.]

I currently own a NEC MobilePro 780 and a Casio BE-300, as well as a non-functional Clio c-1050 (the original Vadem model--it runs CE 2.11). I just got a WiFi card for my MobilePro (and that's no small feat, since most don't have drivers), and am beginning to really hate PIE 3. No CSS or PNG support is very irritating. :evil: If only there were a fullscreen version of the Windows CE VNC client--I'd run Firefox on another machine. :cry:

I would love to upgrade to a more recent machine, with a less-crappy (as far as any version of IE is "not (http://www.mezzoblue.com/archives/2004/02/25/sidestepping/)" crappy) version of IE, but it's currently beyond me financially (all of my current devices were either inherited or found on eBay for very little).

[felixdd]

Imagine.....8hrs at starbucks with an Intermec 6651. You'd have to be wired, even if you were wireless. :wink:

Well actually that's a half truth. I have 2 batteries -- a half-dead one that only hold 2 hours, and a good one that holds 8-10 hours. So if I'm just reading from my intermec (as opposed to typing or listening to music at the same time...which I do on my ipaq anyways), I can be there for half of my day. If I use my Wifi card w/ my intermec, my battery times goes down to around 4-5 hours.

Yeah I'll be wired alright 8O 8O 8O

As for programs, there's a few that I mainly use:
ACDSee Mobile
Textmaker
SpreadCE
ftxBrowser
HTML Editor (for making the occasional HTML)
Mobipocket Reader
Adobe Acrobat Reader
GSPlayer
Terminal Services Client (included)
Pocket word (included)

So most of what I use is third-party anyways.

And I didn't "choose" Windows CE per se...you can say that it chose me. It's the only OS for HPCs.

Right now I'm eyeing the Psion Netbook Pro or Coxion Smartbook. But both are above my price range.

Drivers and programs wise -- it's not the OS that's your limiting factor...because Windows CE 3.0 is what's running behind HPC 2K, and also PPC to PPC 2K2. Most programs made for the PPC can be modified to work on a HPC with minimal effort

The limiting factor is the processor -- the Intermec uses a MIPS processor, so if you want to get a PPC program to work on your Intermec...make sure you're downloading the MIPS version of the program

Of course...since the processors were standardized with the advent of PPC 2K2...that could be a problem. This is a problem unique to Intermec...as it's one of the only non-ARM platform running HPC 2000 that I know of (the other one is one of the NEC MobilePros probably)

[felixdd]

I just got a WiFi card for my MobilePro (and that's no small feat, since most don't have drivers)

Are you using an Intersil driver?

[dazz]

I have been using an IBM Workpad z50 for a long time now and it is still great!! The keyboard is absolutely fantastic and it still gets about 8 or 10 hours on the battery. :D

I recently got the chance to review a Psion Teklogix Netbook Pro (http://smartmobileassets.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?,b=news,v=display,m=1085977355) and really LOVED it, just didn't love the price. :?

I am currently reviewing a Mobinote WinCE 4.1 tablet and should have something posted in a week or two.

I have also contacted the company that makes the Smartbook for a review unit. I got an e-mail back asking for my address but nothing else. I have no idea if they are sending a unit or not. :?

Anyway, I'll let you all know if I get one to review and what I think of it. 8)

Needless to say, I am an HPC fan. :lol:

[Tom W.M.]

I just got a WiFi card for my MobilePro (and that's no small feat, since most don't have drivers)
Are you using an Intersil driver?
I don't think so. I bought the card off of eBay, and there was a bit of a mess-up (he had listed the card as compatible with Windows CE, thinking that it was a regular ORiNOCO Silver card, but it turned out to be a strange CardBus model), so I ended up exchanging the card for another one, which actually came with CE 2.11 drivers on the CD! (A miracle.) It's an "Enterasys Networks / RoamAbout / 802.11 DS High Rate" card. If you're looking for a CE 2.11 compatible card, I would (and did) go for an original ORiNOCO Silver or Gold card, as they're quite easy to find on eBay.

[Tom W.M.]

Of course...since the processors were standardized with the advent of PPC 2K2...that could be a problem. This is a problem unique to Intermec...as it's one of the only non-ARM platform running HPC 2000 that I know of (the other one is one of the NEC MobilePros probably)
I had thought that there was a CE 3.0 version of the Clio (http://pinaxgroup.com/), but now that I check their site I don't seem to be able to find the reference... hmm. :?

You're lucky to have a HPC2000 device. That sort of thing is a lot harder with CE 2.11... trust me.

[Tom W.M.]

I recently got the chance to review a Psion Teklogix Netbook Pro (http://smartmobileassets.com/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?,b=news,v=display,m=1085977355) and really LOVED it, just didn't love the price. :?
I think that's the situation for many of us. :(

Nice review, BTW.

[JohnnyFlash]

Drivers and programs wise -- it's not the OS that's your limiting factor...because Windows CE 3.0 is what's running behind HPC 2K, and also PPC to PPC 2K2. Most programs made for the PPC can be modified to work on a HPC with minimal effort



I recently acquired a Jornada 720, and I've tried almost all of my current PPC software on it, and most of them won't even install. Could you point me to some info on how the programs can be modified to work on HPC?

[Andy Roberts]

I used to on a velo and a Ericson EC1 handheld.

Now with my cool job I have three WIN CE devices to play with, The Netbook Pro, Workabout Pro and the 7535......truly amazing devices.

Ahhhh I love my job sometimes

:wink:

[felixdd]

Drivers and programs wise -- it's not the OS that's your limiting factor...because Windows CE 3.0 is what's running behind HPC 2K, and also PPC to PPC 2K2. Most programs made for the PPC can be modified to work on a HPC with minimal effort



I recently acquired a Jornada 720, and I've tried almost all of my current PPC software on it, and most of them won't even install. Could you point me to some info on how the programs can be modified to work on HPC?

Installation: instead of using AS to transfer the cab file, which wouldn't work. You have to run the setup program on your desktop as you would for a normal PPC. The setup will drop a cab file into your activesync folder (alternately, open the executable with WinRAR -- it should work for most programs).

Then drag and drop the cab file manually into your Jornada and run it from the Jornada. Ignore the prompt that tells you that you're attempting to install into a different device than what's intended.

Tweaking: this requires elementary (very elementary) knowledge of using a hex editor, and a few modified DLLs. PM me if you need more information. Alternately, post here what programs you want to run on the Jornada and we can start from there.

[felixdd]

I used to on a velo and a Ericson EC1 handheld.

Now with my cool job I have three WIN CE devices to play with, The Netbook Pro, Workabout Pro and the 7535......truly amazing devices.

Ahhhh I love my job sometimes

:wink:

And I hate you :devilboy:

[dazz]

I used to on a velo and a Ericson EC1 handheld.

Now with my cool job I have three WIN CE devices to play with, The Netbook Pro, Workabout Pro and the 7535......truly amazing devices.

Ahhhh I love my job sometimes

:wink:

Please!! Tell us where you work and where to send in applications. ;)

[Andy Roberts]

I Work for Psion Teklogix, and before you start mentioning the 5mx or revos, that's Psion PLC. :wink:

Trying not to be biased, the CE devices are truly great products to use.

Looking forward to the future of CE.

[scmok]

I almost bought a STAMP tablet computer. 800x600 8 inches screen. At US$800, it appears to be better than the Win/XP based tablet PC and runs CE.NET
However, I've bought its earlier version at US$400 that run Win CE but have lots of compatibility problems and no longer support. So I didn't try its CE.NET version.