You’re not limited to the software that comes loaded on the pocket device.
I’ve downloaded several neat new programs, and installation is easy and quick.
There are numerous hardware peripheral add-ons, as well: modems, Ethernet cards,
digital cameras, and more. If you need additional storage space, it’s no more
complicated than slipping a Compact Flash card into the slot. You can even use
the Pocket PC with a cell phone for wireless Internet connectivity. It doesn’t
get much better than that.
When I think about it, I’m a little amazed that this 9 oz. machine that’s
no bigger than a small stack of index cards, at a cost of $599, has 32 times as
much RAM and a faster processor than the desktop-dominating 386 for which I paid
over $2000 less than a decade ago. Next time we complain about the price or
performance of today’s technology, we should consider just how far we’ve
come, and how fast. Even five years ago, when I stood in line at midnight to get
a copy of the newly released Win95, I would never have guessed how easy and
inexpensive it would be in the very near future to carry around a fully
functional pocket full of Windows.
For more info on the Pocket PC and links to relevant websites, see Dale
Coffing’s Pocket PC Passion page at http://www.dalecoffing.com.