Do more with your handheld : Do it

• Pocket Word does not handle complex Word documents very well -- headers, footers, pictures, and tables are often not interpreted properly and can be completely lost if you edit and save a complex document using Pocket Word. One incredibly simple way around this (outside of using a different office application) is to save the Word document in a different format before transferring it to your handheld. A Word document saved as an HTML file not only preserves complex image and table information, but also reduces the size of the file dramatically. Or, convert the Word document into a PDF file, and use Adobe's free Acrobat Reader software to view it on your handheld.
  
  
• Although Pocket Excel has similar limitations as Pocket Word, such as how it handles charts or graphics, Pocket Excel still includes some of the most important features of the spreadsheet program, including the financial, mathematical, database, and statistical functions. Keep in mind the limitations regarding graphs, tables, and backgrounds when designing spreadsheets on your Pocket PC, and all will be fine.
  
  Tip: Sometimes office documents are more useful in print than they are on screen, and with HP's free mobile printing for the Pocket PC download, you can give your PDA printing power in no time flat. Visit the Print on the Go How-To Guide linked at right for more information.
  
  
• Hands down, the best use of presentation software with Pocket PCs is the ability to give presentations directly from the handheld itself. Assuming the presentation site has a multimedia-capable projector, being able to carry only the handheld with you on your way to a presentation is quite convenient. To use the projector, you must plug a VGA card into the slot of your handheld and connect a VGA cable. VGA cards are available in a number of different formats, such as CF and SD. If this is an important feature to you, you should determine what slot formats you can get VGA cards for, and then narrow your handheld choices to those offering compatible slots.
  
  
• Amazingly enough, you can use Pocket Outlook to exchange contact information, or your personal business card, between any two handhelds that have an infrared port. To exchange a contact, simply tap and hold the contact you wish to send, then choose to send it via infrared. Make sure the infrared ports on the two devices are aligned properly, and that's all there is to it.
  
  
• Do not be discouraged if you are browsing a Web site with Pocket Internet Explorer and the pages do not display properly. For Pocket Internet Explorer to display Web pages perfectly, the pages must be specially designed. Nonetheless, most sites should still be readable and navigable. To fix display problems, try using the Fit to Screen option under the View menu to reduce the width of tables and images so they will not be wider than the screen. With the availability of plug-ins such as Flash, and the presence of Microsoft Media Player on the handheld, Pocket Internet Explorer can even handle streaming multimedia. Keep in mind, however, that Pocket Internet Explorer currently does not contain Java support. Thus, any site you visit that requires a Java-enabled browser will not function properly.
  
  
• If images are not a viewing necessity, you can speed up the time it takes Web pages to load by choosing to hide the images. After launching Pocket Internet Explorer, you should see an icon on the bottom bar allowing you to easily select the Hide Images option.

How-to guides