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MAR.-24/99
Putting a bunch of more-or-less related applications together into a single package and labeling it as a 'suite' is certainly not a new idea. In fact, it has been implemented with considerable success by the likes of Microsoft and Norton.
Now, BSQUARE is trying to repeat this feat for Windows CE software with its bUSEFUL™ Utilities Pak. Loaded with a total of twelve different applications as diverse as an HTML editor and a backup utility, not to mention a US$79.95 price tag, bUSEFUL™ certainly delivers some impressive numbers. But after testing the package over the past few days I was left with a distinct feeling of disappointment. For the general business user at least, bUSEFUL™ doesn't quite live up to the promise of its title.
It's not the quality of the programs that I'm griping about. BSQUARE makes great software and some of the applications in the suite, such as bFIND (a long-time favorite of mine) and Backup Plus deliver genuine value. The problem is that most of the applications are either redundant, of limited utility, or can easily be substituted by applications from an alternative vendor much more economically.
bUSEFUL Notepad, a text editing utility, is the best illustration of what I mean by redundancy. Since its features are much fewer than those that come with Note Taker on a Palm-size PC or Pocket Word on a Handheld PC, I can see absolutely no point in wasting valuable memory space with this application. It doesn't even allow you to bold or italicize text (let alone draw rough sketches) like Note Taker, and in any case both Note Taker and Word allow you to save files in .txt format if necessary.
On the surface, a utility to measure the performance of your Windows CE device like bUSEFUL Analyzer may look like a good idea. But the benchmark information that the program provides after running the test is almost incomprehensible unless you understand the purpose of benchmarks like Dhrystone and Whetstone. (For a detailed explanation, please visit WinCE Lair at http://www.celair.com/wincespeed.htm). But even if you were able to decipher the data, what would you use it for? If I were doing a comparative review of Windows CE devices for this home page, I would definitely use it. But in the course of my working life? Not likely. Even if I were recommending which Windows CE devices to equip my sales team with, I would weigh factors like screen quality, size, and ease of use way ahead of performance.
If you are 'power lister', as the marketing copy describes it, I suppose that you will find bUSEFUL List Plus a useful application. But the Tasks program that is bundled with Pocket Outlook is perfectly OK for this purpose. Besides, you can purchase a perfectly serviceable alternative called ListPro for US$24.95 from Ilium Software. By the same token, Thumbs Up! provides a far more flexible program for organizing your Windows CE desktop interface than bUSEFUL Launch with its StarTap application -- and all for the princely sum of US$10!
Based on my experiences with bUSEFUL, I'm not convinced that Windows CE software is mature enough yet to justify the creation of suites. I much prefer the Ilium Software model where you pay $24.95 for the first application and a further $10 for each program you subsequently purchase. At least that way you'll only be loading up your device with software that you genuinely need, rather than a bumper bundle of superfluous applications that you feel compelled to install because you've already paid for.
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While a color screen may be the most eye-catching new characteristic of the new generation of color Palm-size PCs, these new devices also sport a number of advanced new features, such as increased battery life, enhanced audio capabilities, and more ergonomic and user-friendly industrial designs, that make them an even more attractive option for the business user.
Increased Battery Life
Unlike the first generation of Palm-size PCs, which are equipped with a choice of standard or rechargeable AA or AAA batteries, color Palm-size PCs (with the exception of the Philips Nino 500) come with rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries. The use of Lithium Ion certainly results in longer battery life for color Palm-size PC devices (between six and ten hours according to manufacturers' estimates), so you should be able to use your device for a full business day without having to go through the hassle of recharging it.
However, one potential disadvantage of Lithium Ion batteries is that you will be locked into buying replacements from the device manufacturer (an expensive proposition based on my experience with the HP LX620). The only exception is (ironically) the HP Jornada 420, which employs a standard Sony Lithium Ion battery that can be bought in stores.
Enhanced Audio Capabilities
Enhanced audio performance, in terms of both hardware and software, is another major improvement in color Palm-size PCs. The devices are equipped with higher quality speakers than monochrome Palm-size PCs, and the Cassiopeia E-100 supports full stereo playback through its headphone jack.
Innovative software such as Xaudio for Windows CE, which allows you to play MP3 music files on your device, and AudiblePlayer for Windows CE, which lets you listen to downloaded audio books and news articles, will enable users to take full advantage of these new capabilities. And while for the moment these programs are more consumer-oriented, they do open up some interesting potential business applications in the future. Providing sales reps with pre-recorded product pitches to listen to on their device is one idea that springs to mind.
More Ergonomic and User-Friendly Industrial Designs
Last, but certainly not least, new color Palm-size PCs sport more ergonomic and user-friendly designs. Although slightly larger than monochrome devices (because of the size of screen), the color units have simplified designs that make them much easier for users to operate. One major improvement is the elimination of the rocker switches on the side of the device in favor of jog wheels for scrolling up and down applications.
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If Image Expert CE from Sierra Imaging provides perhaps the best example of the kind of software programs that will be possible with the color Palm-size PC, other applications such as viewing web content and even playing MPEG movies will also prove to be just as useful to the business professional.
When the Palm-size PC was first launched, one of its most unappreciated features was its Mobile Channels application, which allows the user to read downloaded Internet content from their device. But after originally considering it to be some kind of poor man's browser, I soon came to realize the application's value as Mobile Channel content started to proliferate on the Internet and I began using it for keeping up with news from the MSNBC Channel.
Using a color Palm-size PC, Mobile Channel content is a lot easier to read than on a grayscale Palm-size PC device, and I'm sure that it will become an increasingly efficient format for companies to deliver information to via their Intranet or Internet Home Page.
As for actual Internet browsing, color will also make this a much more attractive option for business users (though unfortunately as yet only a handful of websites have been optimized for viewing on the Palm-size PC form factor). In fact, a company called Conduits Technologies, Inc has already launched a Palm-size PC Web Browser called PalmBrowser Preview Release 2, which has a version that has been specifically designed for color Palm-size PCs. Check out their website at http://www.conduits.com/ce/ for a Palm-size PC view of the Internet.
Viewing MPEG movies on a color Palm-size PC might seem far-fetched, but already Casio has announced that its Cassiopeia E-100 color Palm-size PC already supports this feature. Since the product isn't yet on the market, it's too early to say how well this feature will work. But the prospect is intriguing to say the least. And with processor speeds, memory sizes, audio capabilities, and screen resolutions all rapidly increasing I am sure that within a year or two video will be a standard feature on Palm-size PCs.
Just imagine showing your customers product demonstrations in full motion video on your device. Or installing training videos on the Palm-size PCs that your field technicians are carrying which they can refer to whenever they come across an unfamiliar problem. The possibilities are limitless!
While color may be the main attention grabber, the new generation of color Palm-size PCs also come with a lot of other powerful new features, including longer battery life, improved audio capabilities, and smoother and industrial designs. In themselves, these are large subjects and I will cover them in my journal next week.
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Color Palm-size PCs provide the ideal platform for software vendors to develop innovative applications that will deliver real value to the mobile business user. One of the most exciting areas is in imaging software, and already Sierra Imaging is pointing the way forward with Image Expert CE, which will let you download, view, manage and communicate digital images on your Color Palm-size PC.
By linking your device to a digital camera or PC, Image Expert CE will enable you to view images, annotate them with voice, ink or text and share them via email and IrDA. The potential business applications for this program are enormous.
Imagine, for example, how sales representatives for a travel company could take advantage of this. Instead of carrying a case of heavy brochures around with them when visiting customers, they could pre-load images of the destinations they are promoting on their device and display them in glorious color to their client. Here is a sample file from the Sierra Imaging home page that illustrates my point:
To take things a step further, they could include pictures of the hotels and rooms the client would be staying in and even make a mini-presentation for the client using the slideshow mode.
The application could be of even more value to a tour guide, particularly in conjunction with a digital camera. In addition to being able to show members of their tour party the places they will be visiting on their trip, they would be able, for example, to take photos of a sub-standard hotel room that a customer has complained about, transfer the file to their Color Palm-size PC device, and then email it to Head Office as an attachment to a report written in Note Taker for immediate action. What an efficient way to increase customer satisfaction!
The potential applications for this program are not confined to the travel industry, of course, but I think that the examples I have described at least point to some of the possibilities. In tomorrow's diary entry I will look at other high-potential color Palm-size PC applications, including viewing web content, reading e-texts, and even playing MPEG movies.
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With such industry heavyweights as Compaq, Casio, Hewlett-Packard, and Philips having already announced and (in some cases) started shipping devices, the market for the new generation of color Palm-size PCs is heating up rapidly. But what, if any, benefits will color Palm-size PCs bring to the business user? Or is all the buzz about color simply marketing noise and hype?
Based on initial hands-on looks I have had at the HP Jornada 420 and Compaq Aero 2100, I strongly believe that color Palm-size PCs will very quickly become the palmtop computing device of choice for the business community. Here are the reasons why.
A More Comfortable Viewing Experience
As soon as you press the Power-on button on a color Palm-size PC device, the first major benefit of having a color screen is brought to life. Menu buttons and tool bars are much clearer to the eye, making it much easier to navigate the Windows CE interface and input information into applications such as Contacts and Calendar. Viewing information such as your daily appointment schedule or Task list is a much more comfortable experience too on a color Palm-size PC device, as is reading text in Note Taker and downloaded Internet content on the Mobile Channels application.
While easier navigation and an enhanced viewing experience may not sound like such a big deal for the young on-the-go mobile professionals depicted in most of the Palm-size PC manufacturers' marketing materials, color will be a huge boon to people like myself who sometimes find it hard on their eyes to read content presented in grayscale. That's one of the main reasons why I will often use my HP LX620 rather than my Everex Freestyle, even though I much prefer the convenience of pen input and the Palm-size PC form factor. I'm sure that many other people will feel the same way too.
But what excites me more about color Palm-size PCs is that they will be the catalyst for a new generation of innovative applications, such as viewing web content, displaying and manipulating images, reading electronic books, and even playing back MPEG video files, that are simply not possible on plain old grayscale devices. These applications promise to deliver a huge benefits to the business user; watch out for more detailed coverage of this subject in tomorrow's diary entry.
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