Cool Tools: A Pocket Full Of Windows Page 4

Deb Shinder

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.