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Being able to efficiently work with documents is one way to increase your productivity, but what about techniques for generally operating your handheld?
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Battery life is a cornerstone of any good handheld device -- the longer the batteries can last, the more portable and useful the handheld becomes. Even though rechargeable batteries are a definite must, you can use a number of standard techniques to minimize that recharge downtime: - When possible, do not use the backlight on the display. This can drain the battery. Keep the backlight off completely, if possible, or modify the timer setting so it will turn off automatically.
- Adjust the contrast on the display so it is as light as possible while remaining readable. More power is required for the display when the contrast is set to be darker.
- Enable the standby or sleep capability of your handheld, if possible. Your handheld will automatically go into a power-off mode after a period of inactivity.
- Use only add-on accessories and cards when needed. Do not continue to operate a handheld with cards plugged in that you are not using -- this further drains the battery power.
- If they are not a necessity, disable sounds. It even helps to reduce the sound volume.
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Handhelds have significantly less built-in memory than desktop machines. In addition, desktop machines come standard with much more storage space in the form of a hard drive. Although you can easily add storage space to your handheld with accessories, conserving storage space is still a prime concern: - You can quickly locate large files on your Pocket PC by using the Find tool located under the Start menu. In the Type drop-down menu, select Larger than 64KB. Upon returning the list of large files, if you realize that you are no longer using them, you can remove them to free up some storage space.
- You can also free up storage space by uninstalling any unused applications. Under the Settings option in the Start menu, select the System tab. You should see a Remove Programs icon, that, when selected, gives you a list of currently installed applications. Simply select the software you wish to remove, click Uninstall, and confirm.
- Pocket Internet Explorer works in the same way as the desktop version in that it keeps a cache of recently accessed Web pages and graphics files. Use the option within Pocket IE to delete temporary Internet files to free up space.
- Keep in mind that every e-mail you send and receive via your handheld is stored within Pocket Outlook. For this reason, if storage space is a concern, you shouldn't keep an exact image of your desktop's Inbox. You may wish to clear out your Sent Items folder once you synchronize to your desktop and empty your handheld Inbox completely after you permanently store the messages.
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The newer versions of Pocket PCs offer a new method to transfer data not only between handhelds but also from your handheld to a cell phone or desktop computer, provided they have infrared support. This "beaming" feature automatically recognizes the device it is connecting with and automatically configures it to beam properly. With this, you can easily transfer any type of document, as well as contact or scheduling information, stored on your handheld. The following are a few techniques to help you get the most out of your handheld's infrared port: - If you are receiving data from another device, you will notice that there is no message or progress bar indicating that you are receiving a file. The only way to verify that the data is being sent successfully is by looking at the display of the device that is the sender -- the sending device will display messages verifying it is connected to the receiving device and is sending the data properly.
- Your Pocket PC may not automatically receive data if another device begins sending to it -- you might have to manually start the receiving application. Under the Programs option in the Start menu, select Infrared Receive. After starting the receiving application, simply align the devices and begin the send on the sending device.
If your handheld is set up to automatically begin receiving data when sent from another device, your infrared port is active at all times, which could drain your battery. If you do not use the infrared port, or are not concerned with automatically receiving data, you can disable automatic reception under the Connections option within the Settings window under the Start menu. |
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