HP and NEC differentiate Pocket PCs
Manufacturers of Pocket PC-based devices are beginning to look for special niches that appeal to discriminating buyers.
At TechXNY, NEC was showing off its NEC MobilePro 300, which has two features of particular interest to those deploying Pocket PCs in corporate environments. The first is something I have not seen in any other Pocket PC--the ability for Pocket Outlook (the Pocket PC equivalent of the Outlook e-mail and scheduling client) to connect directly to and replicate with an Exchange or Lotus Notes server.
With NEC's special software, the user can connect Pocket Outlook directly to an Exchange or Domino server without losing the ability to replicate calendar and contact information and without needing a PC intermediary. This means that mobile Pocket PC devices can connect through a local or wide-area wireless network, get behind the firewall using Pocket PC's built-in VPN client, and replicate e-mail, calendar information, and contact data without having to rely on a PC running ActiveSync.
Unfortunately, the MobilePro does not have a built-in Bluetooth interface, which I consider an absolute requirement for any mobile device. (Read "Bluetooth cometh" to see why.)
NEC is also demonstrating the NEC Security System, a Pocket PC application that automatically encrypts data at rest in both handheld and desktop systems. The data encrypted in the handheld includes that which is stored in the unit's internal RAM as well as any data in add-on storage like Secure Data (SD) or Compact Flash (CF) cards. For PCs, NEC Security System will automatically encrypt the data on your hard drive.
NEC Security System comes with a management application that allows network administrators to change global encryption policies. Whenever such a change is made, the change is propagated to the client devices (PDAs and desktops/notebooks) the next time those systems connect to the network.
NEC Security System is available as an add-on to NEC's computers and PDAs, as well as to devices from other vendors, such as PalmOS-based PDAs. Client licenses are $99 each.
Meanwhile, Compaq, er...HP, was showing off new Bluetooth- and non-Bluetooth-enabled versions of its iPaq 3900. Although Bluetooth connectivity is nothing new for the iPaq lineup, a much-needed built-in backup application is new. Because I continue to have problems with my iPaq 3760, I back it up daily to a SanDisk 64MB Compact Flash card. The problem is, Pocket PC's built-in backup application lacks granular control over what to back up or restore. But the iPaq 3900 now offers a backup/restore application with much more granular control.
The iPaq's display has also been improved. Although I was unable to appreciate the difference between the new and old iPaq displays, a lot of people at TechXNY, including the Pocket PC folks from Microsoft, were dazzled by the new display. I've always found the iPaq's display to be the best of the Pocket PC devices, in terms of size and brilliance. But now that it's brighter, I have to wonder about battery life.
Speaking of batteries, another huge improvement to the iPaq is its expansion sleeve's ability to accept replaceable batteries. HP offers a slim and fat battery. It's about time these improvements were made. Sooner or later, batteries die out and no one wants to send an entire Pocket PC back to the manufacturer just to get its batteries replaced.
Also, Compaq is offering its own private-labeled, full-sized, fold-up keyboard. It collapses somewhat differently than ThinkOutside's (the one I use), and the keys look a little smaller. Stay tuned: I plan to test both.
Is your business in the market for PDAs? What do you look for in a handheld device? TalkBack or e-mail me at david.berlind@cnet.com.
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