.KEYWORD launch
.FLYINGHEAD TRIP REPORT
.TITLE Pocket PC launches handheld computers further into cyberspace
.FEATURE
.SPOTLIGHT FIGALT launch-cover.gif
.SUMMARY On April 19, the world of Windows CE was forever changed when Microsoft officially unveiled the Pocket PC. To mark the occasion, Microsoft hosted a gala event at New York’s Grand Central Station. Steve Niles takes you inside the Pocket PC launch to give you a first-hand account of the historic day.
.AUTHOR Steve Niles
As everyone by now knows, Microsoft officially launched the Pocket PC on April 19 at Grand Central Station in New York City. Microsoft President Steve Ballmer explained the choice of the unusual venue by saying the building was "emblematic for mobile professionals." They felt it an appropriate surrounding in which to unveil Microsoft’s latest attempt to make strides in the growing mobile computer market. It did not, however, prove to be the greatest setting for big product launches.
.H1 Grand opening
Grand Central Station, as seen in Figure A, is a cavernous building with an ornate vaulted ceiling painted with renderings of the constellations. The enormous room is congested with bustling commuters and tourists posing for pictures that can’t possibly take in the scope of the scenery. On this day, adding to the confusion of the teaming crowds, were product vendors and our fellow press agents. We gathered in anticipation of the Pocket PC’s official unveiling.
.FIGPAIR A Grand Central Station bustled more than usual before the show.
The event took place outside the awkwardly named Michael Jordan’s-The Steak House NYC on a curtained off, jury-rigged stage on one of the balconies overlooking the main concourse. Security was tight, consisting of one guy who asked anyone who approached the roped-off area, "Who are you?" Showing cunning insight and discrimination, he took us at our word that we were press.
Once inside, we had brief opportunity to enjoy some bagels and orange juice before being ushered onto the narrow balcony where folding chairs were arranged. Due to the confined space, the majority of the attendees no doubt had little to see other than the large monitor screen and the backs of heads, as seen in Figure B.
.FIG B Most attendees could have done with a pair of binoculars.
Fortunately, such was not the case for members of the press, who were granted front row seating. Between the complimentary breakfast and the actual presentation, we passed the time comparing the features of our respective PDAs like proud parents. Of course, there’s always one parent whose track star, honor student progeny shows up all the others. When Steve Ballmer came out and unveiled the Pocket PC, he was that parent.
.H1 Suck-Up Guy
Ballmer made his appearance following an animated short produced by Atomfilms.com called "Suck-Up Guy in Planes, Trains, and Pocket PCs." Suck-Up Guy was a poorly dubbed loudmouth carrying a gramophone as part of the multi-media presentation he planned on delivering for his company. As he was attempting to lug his equipment out of the airport, he met an animated Steve Ballmer who helped him realize the folly of his ways, and Suck-Up Guy was made an instant convert to the compact practicality of the Pocket PC.
After the cartoon, the flesh and blood Ballmer, as seen in Figure C, emerged to address the crowd. I was surprised to see that in person, he more resembles a football coach than the president of one of the biggest companies in the world. He opened his remarks by admitting that in the past, Microsoft has had less than stellar success in the realm of Personal Digital Assistants. He described the previous Palm-sized PCs as having been designed as expandable devices that, unfortunately, fell short in many basic areas.
.FIG C Addressing much of the crowd from on high, Steve Ballmer introduced the Pocket PC.
Ballmer highlighted several key points that went into the thinking behind the design of the Pocket PC. For one, it had to have a simple design and PIM (Personal Information Manager). Furthermore, the device had to be expandable, and it needed to be a platform for enterprise solutions. It had to wirelessly connect to the Web, and it had to be a personal device that could be used for both work and play. The designers wanted it not only to organize the user’s professional life, but also to be thought of as a source of entertainment and enjoyment.
With the new Pocket PC, Ballmer claims the shortcomings of previous versions have been addressed and feels confident in the future of the Pocket PC, calling it "an incredible quantum leap forward."
.H1 A pocket-full of features
This sentiment was echoed by Vice President of Microsoft’s Mobile Devices Division, Ben Waldman, who quipped, "Many people joke it takes Microsoft until version 3 to get it right." Waldman, along with marketing manager Brian Shafer, demonstrated many of the new features on the Pocket PC.
These features included the ability to view email attachments in either Pocket Word or Pocket Excel; the transcriber feature, which translates normal handwriting into printed text; an MP3 player and Windows Media Player; Microsoft Reader, featuring ClearType; and the Pocket PC’s wireless connectivity to any Web site. The latter feature was perhaps the most impressive. By using either an attachable modem or your cell phone, the Pocket PC can open any Web site, graphics and all, and fit it to the screen.
Waldman also introduced another method for connecting to the Internet, though Microsoft does not produce it. It’s called Bluetooth technology, and it’s soon to be an industry standard. As it is still several months from release, Waldman made use of a prototype for his demonstration. The Bluetooth technology allowed a Pocket PC device to use a nearby cell phone as a modem with no physical wire attachment between the two. You could leave your cell phone in your briefcase, Waldman said, and the Pocket PC would be able to locate it and connect.
Most exciting though, at least judging from Waldman, is the inclusion of the original Pac-Man in the "Fun Expansion Pack" available free-for the time being-with your purchase of the Pocket PC. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the arcade game, Pac-Man has been packaged into the Pocket PC’s Expansion Pack, utilizing the game’s original script. It wouldn’t be surprising if the little yellow guy becomes Microsoft’s new mascot. Classic game purists may object, but if Pac-Man had to be gobbled up by a big company, at least it wasn’t Disney.
.H1 The hardware
Four companies–Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Casio, and Symbol Technologies–built the hardware that contains the Pocket PC operating system. Each company has its own unique design for their handheld device. Of the models presented, Hewlett-Packard’s looks the most like the traditional PDA, and Casio’s Cassiopeia is rather bland, resembling a Nintendo Game Boy.
Compaq’s iPaq, on the other hand, is extremely eye-catching, as you can see in Figure D. Its plastic body has a shiny silver paint job that manages to look and feel like metal. In the lower center is a directional scroll-pad that doubles as a speaker. Pressing down on the center of the pad, meanwhile, works like clicking the left mouse button on a desktop computer.
.FIGPAIR D Compaq’s iPaq has a sleek, silver design.
Tomo Razmilovic, President and CEO-elect of Symbol Technologies, was on hand to speak about the company’s PPT 2700 device. Of the four models, Symbol’s design is the tank. As you can see in Figure E, it’s larger than most handheld computers, and it most resembles something Doctor McCoy would use to check for life-signs. It contains a barcode scanner that can automatically input scanned data into applicable Pocket PC applications.
.FIGPAIR E The rugged Symbol PPT 2700 is the tank of the Pocket PC family.
A video accompanying Razmilovic’s presentation showed waitresses, traffic cops, deliverymen, and even bellboys using the Pocket PC on the job. It also demonstrated the machine’s ruggedness, proving it could continue to function even after bathing in spilled ice water and being buried up to its LCD in sand. Ben Waldman went a step further by tossing up one of Symbol’s devices into the air and letting it slam to the floor. Razmilovic, to his credit, managed not to wince.
.H1 The continuing mission of the starship Microsoft
Mission one for Microsoft, Steve Ballmer said early on in the presentation, had been to put a Personal Computer on every desk and in every home. However, times are changing, and handheld based software is becoming ever more important. As the handheld market grows, estimated by Microsoft to reach 67 million users by 2004, the company needs to make its mark in PDAs if it hopes to continue to be a leader in the computer industry.
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Ballmer spoke of the future and the incredible changes that are in store for computers and the Internet. With the Pocket PC’s real-time, full-access Web connection, Ballmer and Microsoft hope the new operating system will fit into the public’s concept of "the next generation Internet experience."
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information about Microsoft’s Pocket PC visit http://www.microsoft.com/pocketpc.
You can see more of Atomfilms’ offerings at their Web site, http://www.atomfilms.com.
For more information on Hewlett-Packard’s Jornada 540 visit http://www.hp.com/jornada.
For more information on Casio’s Cassiopeia visit http://www.casio.com.
For more information on Compaq’s iPaq visit http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/pocketpc.
For more information on Symbol Technology’s PPT 2700 visit http://www.symbol.com/products/mobile_computers/mobile_pocket_pc.html.
.H1 Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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.BIO
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