Microsoft® Windows® CE for the Palm-size PC, powered by Windows CE 2.0, gives users big power in a small package. Designed with mobile professionals in mind, a Palm-size PC lets users keep their most vital personal and business information up to date and close at hand. Windows CE for the Palm-size PC combines the power of a personal information manager (PIM), a compact software package fully compatible with Windows-based desktop computers, a Windows development environment, and a sophisticated hardware design to fill the need for a device more portable and less expensive than traditional laptop or palmtop computers. The following illustration shows a Palm-sized PC.
A Palm-size PC is designed to quickly access, record, and transmit critical information throughout the day. The software bundled with a Palm-size PC manages contacts, appointments, and other personal and business information. Using the Voice Recorder application, users can capture ideas and thoughts as they occur. Palm-size PC software can also store telephone numbers and short messages. And with Internet technologies, it can send and receive e-mail messages. All these features are fully compatible with the user’s Windows-based desktop applications.
A Palm-size PC gives you access to a rich development environment. The Windows CE operating system is based on the Win32 application programming interface. You can enhance your applications by using exposed APIs from bundled applications. To write an application for a Palm-size PC, you must use the Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++ 5.0 or Windows CE Toolkit for Visual C++ 6.0.
A Palm-size PC supports a variety of input technologies, including freestyle drawing, handwriting character recognition, and a graphical representation of a keyboard for use on a touch screen.
Microsoft has committed to the Palm-size PC platform by partnering with multiple software and equipment manufacturers to provide comprehensive hardware and software support. For more information about specific Palm-size PC devices, see http://www.microsoft.com.
This chapter provides a general overview of Windows CE as implemented on the Palm-size PC. Specifically, this chapter deals with the following topics:
You will find useful information in other chapters, as well. The following table shows topics of particular interest.
For information about |
See |
| Navigation controls | Palm-size PC Controls |
| User interface | Designing a User Interface for a Palm-size PC |
Note “Managing Power” is written about a Handheld PC (H/PC). Because there are some topics which are different between a Palm-size PC and an H/PC, read the information presented here before reading those chapters.
For information about the Palm-size PC logo requirements, see http://www.microsoft.com.