Steve Sharp
01-21-2005, 06:00 PM
<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/sharp-20050109-wc-banner2.jpg" /> <br /><b>Product Category:</b> Productivity software<br /><b>Manufacturer:</b> <a href="http://www.neohand.com/pocketpc/weather/">neohand</a><br /><b>Where to Buy:</b> <a href="http://www.handango.com/brainstore/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productId=144161">Handango</a> [Affiliate]<br /><b>Price:</b> $12.95 USD <br /><b>System Requirements:</b> Works with Microsoft Pocket PC 2000, 2002, or any Windows Mobile 2003 device, some form of PDA Internet connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth, or GPRS), 1.3 megabytes of storage space, and it can be installed to main or expansion memory.<br /><br /><b>Pros:</b><li>Very easy to set up and install;<br /><li>Database has forecasts for over 5000 cities worldwide;<br /><li>User can select forecasts for up to 6 cities at a time;<br /><li>The downloadable forecasts are provided by Intellicast and are updated every half hour;<br /><li>Weather readings can be displayed in metric or English Standard units.<b>Cons:</b><li>Forecasts do not download automatically;<br /><li>The forecast information is limited to the locations in the database;<br /><li>There are no maps or radar data available;<br /><li>Weather Center must be open in order to see the forecasts.<b>Summary:</b><br />Neohand Weather Center 1.08 is a user-friendly weather forecast application for the Pocket PC. The program enables the user to monitor the forecasts for up to 5 cities, in addition to your home city, worldwide, and obtain updated extended forecasts for the selected cities. The application is easy to install and setup is very simple. If you're a weather junkie, a frequent traveler who likes to keep an eye on the weather in several cities, or if you're the curious type who often wonders whether it's sunny and warm in Copenhagen or raining in Tokyo, Weather Center may be a good choice for you.<br /><br />Read on for the full review!<!><br /><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>How's the Weather?</b></span><br />With the forces of nature making headline news on a regular basis, and the popularity of PC weather applications, it was just a matter of time before weather applications made their way to the Pocket PC. A few weather applications for the Pocket PC have been around for a few years now, but Neohand's Weather Center is one of the newest offerings in this market. The ability to download forecasts directly to you Pocket PC from any location that has some form of Internet connectivity (WiFi, GPRS, Bluetooth, etc.) sets Weather Center apart from some of the other popular Pocket PC weather forecast applications on the market. Forecasts are provided by Intellicast which ensures that the Neohand forecasts are on par with accuracy the prognostication of respected national weather agencies. Setting up the cities for forecast downloads is a no-brainer and can be changed quickly and easily.<br /><li>Weather Center provides information in a clear, easy-to-read format;<br /><li>Weather Center does not require much storage space or RAM for execution;<br /><li>All city forecasts that are set up for monitoring will download when the user updates any city forecast;<br /><li>Each download resides in storage until the user updates the forecasts with a new download.<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/sharp-20050109-wc-change.jpg" /> <br /><i>Figure 1: Weather Center setup screen is easy to configure.</i><br /><!><PAGEBREAK><br /><span><b>What Can I Expect?</b></span><br />Weather Center does what it says it will do: it enables a user to download weather forecasts directly to a Pocket PC, no more and no less. Frankly, I would like to see Weather Center make better use of the persistent GPRS connection that Windows Mobile 2003 supports. Similar to desktop applications with a constant Internet connection, Weather Center could be designed to automatically connect to the GPRS network, at regular intervals, similar to checking e-mail, and download updated forecasts without any user interaction, but it's not and this was a disappointment for me. When a forecast is more than twelve hours old, a the program displays a message telling the user to download updated forecasts. In light of the fact that Weather Center does not automatically download forecasts, it also cannot supply real-time or near real-time weather alerts. This may not be a big deal for some; but, living in North Alabama (on the fringes of "Tornado Alley"), it would be nice to have a program that would alert me as to when I need crawl into a hole and hope for the best.<br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/sharp-20050109-wc-cities" /><br /><i>Figure 2: After forecasts are downloaded, it is easy to select which one you'd like to see.</i><br /> <PAGEBREAK> <br /><span><b>How Does Weather Center Stack Up?</b></span><br />Many of the reviews for the products that I evaluate draw questions regarding how the reviewed product compares to other, similar products. While I can't anticipate which applications readers will want to compare Weather Center to, I will offer my impressions of Weather Center as it compares to other Pocket PC software of a similar type.<br /><br />The top-rated weather applications on Handango's site include Stormchaser and Weather Today. At $14.95, StormChaser, by Derelict Software, costs a couple of dollars more than Weather Center, however, it will run on Windows 2000 and Windows XP as well as on a Pocket PC. In fact, the information about StormChaser makes it sound as though this is actually a desktop application that can run on a Pocket PC, but the Pocket PC must be docked with a laptop or desktop in order to download maps and forecasts to the Pocket PC. While StormChaser boasts NOAA weather information and radar maps, it does not seem to be a stand-alone application for the Pocket PC and it does not support forecasts outside the US.<br /><br />Weather Today, by Vintage Slots of Colorado, is similar to Weather Center, in several ways. Weather Today supports forecasts for a total of six cities, provides seven-day forecasts, and supports WiFi, bluetooth, and GPRS Internet connectivity. Although Weather Today costs $16.95, it also provides a stock-ticker, weather alerts, and forecasts that are viewable on the Today screen. There are over 100 downloadable Today themes that are available for free with the purchase of the program. The forecast database is limited, compared to Weather Center's, and it costs a bit more but it also does a bit more than Weather Center. <br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/sharp-20050109-wc-update" /><br /><i>Figure 3: If the forecasts are more than 12 hours old, the user is told to download updated forecasts.</i><br /><br /><span><b>Conclusions</b></span><br />If you want a straight-forward weather application that is easy to set up and configure, will enable you to download current weather forecasts to your Pocket PC for nearly anyplace that you can imagine and is affordable, then Weather Center is a good application that works as advertised. If, however, you're interested in weather alerts, real-time updates, slick themes, a stock ticker, and forecast information that is viewable on your Today screen, spend the extra $4 and opt for Weather Today. Neohand provides a free trial download, a list of the city forecasts that are included in the forecast database, and is available for purchase at Handango and on neohand's Website.