Switch to a handheld : Understand it

At the most basic level, handheld devices offer an all-in-one replacement for virtually every personal information management tool you can imagine. The majority of handheld devices include applications for scheduling, calendars, address books, to-do lists, reminders, sending and receiving e-mail, and reading and editing documents such as spreadsheets or presentations, just to name a few. These features alone offer a small, portable, easily usable solution for a multitude of tasks that many people still use paper-based methods to perform.

The benefits of handheld devices go beyond the normal information management solutions. Handheld devices offer methods to easily synchronize any data with your desktop or notebook computer -- if you've updated a document, entered new contacts into your address book, or scheduled a new meeting while outside of your office, within a few moments you can update your desktop system to match that of your handheld, or vice versa.
In addition, an enormous number of options and accessories are available for handheld devices to further enhance your productivity. Wireless Internet access has become a common feature, allowing you to get up-to-the-minute news and financial information, text-messages, and e-mail. Some handhelds offer the functionality of a voice recorder, allowing you to record those moments of inspiration and send the recordings to others. Handheld accessories available include digital camera add-ons, bar code readers, portable printers, portable keyboards, and portable presentation devices. Handhelds offering Bluetooth support allow you to connect to other Bluetooth-compatible devices, such as a local network, desktop or notebook computer, printer, mobile phone, or other handheld devices.

The benefits of handhelds do not stop there. Thousands of applications and solutions are available for your specific business needs, including anything from medical information management and inventory tracking, to scientific applications, travel planning, and access to reference materials. Wireless features can be expanded into a full-blown mobile enterprise solution for your organization, allowing for in-house instant messaging, data access, and data synchronization from anywhere within the company.

The Pocket PC operating system was created by Microsoft and is based on Microsoft Windows. It has the same look and feel as a full-fledged Windows operating system, but is slimmed down quite a bit for the handheld environment. Most Pocket PC devices possess color displays and simple multimedia capabilities to play sound and video. In addition, Pocket PC devices include portable versions of Microsoft Office applications, including Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, and Pocket Money -- all fully compatible with desktop versions of the same applications.

Pocket PC devices are designed to work seamlessly out of the box with the Windows operating systems, including Windows 98, NT, 2000, and XP. While they do not come with support for other operating systems or platforms (such as Linux or Macintosh) and their USB connectivity requires Windows 98 or higher, custom accessories and software can help a Pocket PC to work very well with non-Windows systems.

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