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Pocket PC 2002 hardware

Following the announcement of Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 operating system last month, the company's main hardware partners have now revealed their new product offerings. All of the first-round players -- HP, Compaq, and Casio -- are present and correct, along with newcomer Toshiba. Further down the line, we will see new Pocket PC products from NEC (end of 2001), Fujitsu Siemens (first quarter 2002) and mmO2 (formerly BT Wireless; first quarter 2002).
Written by ZDNET Editors, Contributor

But although there may be more choices to come, one thing you're sure to notice is that these new products are more similar than they are different, including their higher price tags (which start closer to £400 than £300). This is partly because Microsoft has imposed more stringent hardware requirements (all devices must use an ARM-based processor and flash ROM, for example), and partly because the manufacturers were forced to deliver all the features that made Compaq's H3600-series iPAQs so popular. But with such similar hardware specs, it'll be easier for you to add third-party software to a new Pocket PC. In the past, users had to contend with different versions of software for different devices.

Only HP was able to deliver a final production unit in time for us to write a full review. But we did get an early look at the other new models and will deliver our first impressions here. In the coming weeks, we'll deliver full reviews of all the new Pocket PC handhelds.