The Handheld PC (H/PC) is a category of mobile computing devices based on the Windows CE operating system. More than a personal digital assistant, the H/PC is a full-featured computer that extends the Microsoft Windows family to compact platforms. An H/PC is housed in a clamshell with an embedded keyboard, a touch-sensitive screen, and a stylus.
The H/PC is a mobile companion to a Windows-based desktop computer. The programming model and development environment of both are very similar. However, when writing applications for an H/PC, you must carefully consider the unique features of a handheld device. In this chapter, we will discuss in detail H/PC hardware and the H/PC shell, and comment briefly on bundled applications. For other features of the H/PC that you must consider when programming applications, see the chapters identified in the following table.
| For information on | See |
|---|---|
| Power supply | Managing Power‹"› |
| Memory | Writing Memory-Efficient Applications ‹"› |
| Communication and connectivity | Connecting to the Desktop and Sending and Receiving Data‹"› |