One of the fastest-growing market segments in the computing world today is for portable desktop companions. In creating the Windows CE operating system (OS), Microsoft fulfilled a need for a compact, scalable OS that communicates with the Internet, networks, and desktop computers while delivering the same familiar and easy to use Windows interface. Products such as the Handheld PC and the Palm-size PC device categories deliver connectivity that allows a strong partnership between a Windows CE–based device and the Windows-based desktop computer.
To accommodate the need for this highly functional connectivity, Windows CE provides a multitude of functions that allow communication between applications on the desktop computer and the remote Windows CE–based device.