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Past CE enterprise solution entries from:
June.-04/99
A review of HP's -Jornada 680 Handheld Computer
June.-04/99
A review of AvantGo's -AvantGo.com Subscription Service
May.-14/99
A review of Developer One's CodeWallet, personal information management utility software.
May.-03/99
BSQUARE's bREADY -Publisher Program Software Review
APR.-25/99
BSQUARE's bREADY Software Review
APR.-14/99
Pocket Streets Software Review
APR.-06/99
PowerPoint Salesperson Presentation
MAR.-26/99
Windows CE Color Palm-size PC Comparison Chart
DEC.-16/98
Windows CE Productivity Benefits
A review of HP's -Jornada 680 Handheld Computer
The Bottom Line!
 | If you're looking for a small and lightweight Handheld PC that's easy to carry around and runs a wide range of personal productivity and Internet email and browsing applications, the HP Jornada 680 provides the perfect answer. |
 Out of 5 Stars! |
At a Glance...
| Pros | Cons |
| Roomy and responsive keyboard makes typing a breeze | Purple color/for my taste |
| Small and light book-size form factor | Takes a while to get the hang of installing PC Cards and CF Cards |
| Integrated 56.6 Kbps fax/modem and HP dialup utility for easy Internet connections | Need a screwdriver to open up the back-up battery compartment |
| PC Card and CF Card slots provide multiple expansion options | Still cannot edit presentation files using Pocket PowerPoint |
| Speedy performance | |
| Extended battery life of up to seven hours | |
| Excellent software selection |
Introduction
Responsive & Roomy Keyboard
Slim & Lightweight Clamshell Design
PC Card Slot & CompactFlash Card Slot Implementation
Impressive Performance
Excellent Software Selection
Conclusions
Introduction
When Microsoft first announced its long-awaited Jupiter platform, the first wave of Windows CE Handheld PC Professional devices was much bigger than the previous generation of Handheld PC Companions. Sporting larger keyboards and screens as well as batteries delivering over ten hours of battery life, products such as the HP Jornada 820 were pretty much the Windows CE equivalent of full-featured notebooks.
This led many industry observers to believe that the smaller Handheld PCs would quietly disappear from the scene, sandwiched between the larger Handheld PC Professional device and the smaller, more compact Palm-size PCs with stylus input.
But just as the growing popularity of mini-notebooks such as the Sony Vaio has demonstrated that many people are willing to forego the benefits of a full-featured notebook in favor of a light and compact portable that's easy to carry around, HP's new Jornada 680 shows that there's still room in the market for a mini-Handheld device that's small enough to fit in a bag or coat pocket but still has a keyboard.
Sure, with its small-size screen, the HP Jornada 680 isn't really suited to such heavy-duty tasks as making presentations or working on complex Pocket Excel files. But with its roomy and responsive keyboard, integrated 56.6 Kbps fax/modem, and snappy performance, it provides all the power and flexibility you need for all the most common personal productivity and Internet email and browsing applications. And if that sounds like a compromise, then it's one that I'm prepared to make for a device that I can grab from my desk with one hand as I rush off to a meeting or can stow in my carry-on luggage with no concerns about its weight.
Roomy & Responsive Keyboard
One of the first things that grabs your attention when you open up the HP Jornada 680 is its roomy keyboard, which HP claims is 76% the size of a standard keyboard. The large tactile keys have a pleasant springy action that makes typing huge wads of text a breeze, even for someone with quite large fingers like me. As a nice added touch, the battery pack slightly elevates the back of the unit, with the result that the keyboard is slanted. This helps to significantly enhance typing comfort, especially if you have to use the keyboard for extended periods.
In addition to all the standard keys, the keyboard also comes with a row of eleven Hot Keys for instantly launching all the device's Pocket Office and Pocket Outlook applications, as well as Pocket Explorer and Voice Recorder. This is a very useful feature when you want to open up an application in a hurry.
Slim & Lightweight Clamshell Design
Once you learn to get used to its hideous purple color (and I am trying very hard to do this!), the Jornada 680 has an attractive clamshell design that wouldn't look out of place in high-powered meeting or business class compartment of an airplane. It even drew admiring looks in economy class on my flight home.
More important than its looks, however, is the Jornada's sleek and intelligent design, which manages to pack a lot of features into a lightweight and ergonomic form factor. Measuring just 7.4" x 3.7" x 1.3" (18.9 x 9.5 x 3.4cm) and weighing only 1.1 lbs (510g) with a standard battery, the device is small and light enough to carry in a handbag or even -- at a stretch -- the inside pocket of a jacket.
The stylus silo has been handily placed on the front right-hand panel of the device for convenient access, and the stylus can be easily removed with a simple clicking action. The Voice Recorder and volume control buttons are located on the front left-hand panel, so you don't have to open up the device to record a message, and the reset button is on the keyboard.
PC Card Slot & CompactFlash Card Slot Implementation
With the growing popularity of CF memory cards for storing MP3 music files and digital images, a CF Card slot is almost an essential feature on a Handheld PC. And HP has come up with an ingenious -- if a little cumbersome -- solution to integrating a CF Card slot underneath the standard PC Card slot on the Jornada 680.
As you can see in the photo, the PC Card slot is located on the left-hand panel of the unit. To the left of it is the PC Card release tab and the Infrared Port, and underneath the slot is the CF Card slot expansion module.
While inserting a PC Card into the slot is easy, I found removing it quite difficult to begin with, and had to play around with the release tab for a few minutes before getting the hang of using it. The Jornada 860 manual has quite detailed instructions of how to install and remove a PC Card -- an eloquent testament that this is hardly a user-friendly experience.
To further complicate matters, the CF slot automatically extrudes from the bottom of the device when you install a PC Card. To balance this, HP has added a so-called stabilizer on the bottom right side of the unit so it still stands evenly.
To open the CF Card slot, you have to press the latch bar on the right with your finger and then slip the card in before pushing the module down with your thumb and locking it in place. Again, as with the PC card slot, I found this process to be a bit tricky until I got used to it.
Although it takes a little while to get used to installing PC and CF Cards on the Jornada 860, the benefits of being able to use both cards far outweigh the negatives. As an additional bonus, HP has installed a very useful little HP backup utility that allows you to back up and restore all the data on your Jornada on PC or CF memory card just in case you should need to reset the device.
Impressive Performance
Powered by a 133MHz processor and 16MB SDRAM, the Jornada 680 delivers impressive performance even when running quite large Pocket PowerPoint and Excel files. Audio performance, however, hasn't improved much (if at all) over the LX620, which is a bit disappointing.
As for graphics, the 256 color 6.5" CSTN screen delivers very clear resolutions and, in one of my favorite features on HP Windows CE devices, you have the ability to change the screen settings depending on lighting conditions.
Battery life is excellent, too, with the device running up to seven hours on a single charge as advertised. HP claims that this can be extended to 24 hours using the optional extended battery. The device also has a backup battery, which is located on the underside of the CF Card slot expansion module. However, you need a screwdriver to open the backup battery compartment, and although HP thoughtfully provides a screwdriver for this purpose, this simply means having one extra item to remember the next time you go on a business trip.
Excellent Software Selection
The HP Jornada 680 comes loaded with an excellent selection of software, including both the programs in Microsoft Windows CE Handheld PC Professional Edition and a number of applications written by HP and third-party suppliers like Sierra Imaging and Inso.
Microsoft has added the Pocket Access database application to the Handheld PC Professional Edition Pocket Office suite, which I suppose will be of value to some corporate users. But it still hasn't made the single biggest improvement that would be of benefit to all users: allowing you to create or edit Pocket PowerPoint slides on your Handheld PC. Other Microsoft applications included on the device are the Pocket Outlook suite, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft InkWriter.
HP has also included a number of its own excellent utility applications on the Jornada 680 that significantly enhance ease of use. HP quick pad is a great little program for writing down lists and notes, and allows you to send your text to a new Tasks, Contacts, Calendar, Email or even Pocket Word file. As a result, you don't need to go through the hassle of switching between applications when, for example, you are scribbling down notes during a meeting.
On similar lines, HP viewer lets you group your Calendar, Tasks, and Contacts information in one easy-to-navigate interface, and the HP dialup program makes it a lot easier to set up connections to your ISP or Corporate network than using the standard Windows CE Remote Networking interface.
In addition to HP's own applications, the Jornada 680 also comes with a number of third-party applications. OmniSolve a financial calculator from LandWare, Inc, and bFind and bFax Professional, are pre-installed on the device's ROM (Read-Only memory) and are pretty useful.
On the accompanying CD-ROM, you can also find a variety of programs that you can install on the device's main memory. These include: Outside In, which lets you view email attachments created in a variety of formats; TrueSync CE 2.0 for synchronizing your information with the REX and REX Pro organizers; JETCET PRINT, a color printing application; Pocket Quicken, which lets you track your personal finances when you are traveling or away from your PC; and a trial version of Image Expert CE from Sierra Imaging.
Conclusions
With its excellent keyboard, impressive performance, and long battery life, the Jornada 680 provides a powerful and flexible solution for people who are looking for small, lightweight Handheld PC that they can use for a wide range of personal productivity, and Internet email and browsing applications. It's not for everyone, however, and if you require a larger screen for presentations or spreadsheet work, you should consider other Handheld PC Professionals devices from HP, IBM, or Compaq.
Pricing and Availability
The HP Jornada 680 (including an integrated 56.6Kbps fax/modem) can be purchased from the HP Shopping Center for US$899. A 680e model without the fax/modem is also available.
Help and Technical Support
The HP Jornada 680 comes with a one-year, worldwide, parts-and-labor limited warranty that includes phone support and Express pickup and delivery during the warranty period (U.S. only) Electronic support services are available through the HP website at http://www.hp.com/jornada.
Links
You can find detailed information about the HP Jornada 680 at:
http://www.hp.com/jornada/palmtops/hp680/680_overview.html
For other recent reviews of the HP Jornada 680 you can refer to:
The PDA in the Middle, written by Gary Krakow of MSNBC, provides a glowing review of the new HP Jornada 680 Handheld PC, concluding "All in all, the 680 is a terrific PDA and a well-thought-out device. Everything works exactly as promised, and it's loaded with software that's useful to nearly everyone."
HP's Palmtop: The Handheld PC Done Right from PC World detects some weaknesses with in the HP Jornada 680, but concludes that "if….you still want to go small and light, you won't do better than the Jornada 680."
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A review of AvantGo's -AvantGo.com Subscription Service.
The Bottom Line!
 | With over 100 channels from leading brand name publishers, AvantGo.com provides the perfect solution for delivering the latest news and information to your Palm-size PC. It's easy and convenient to use -- and best of all it's free!
|
| Out of 5 Stars |
At a Glance...
| Pros | Cons |
| Free service offering over 100 Mobile Channels covering everything from news, business, and technology to travel, entertainment, and sports. | |
| Well-designed website and AvantGo client application ensure easy access to information. |
When Microsoft first launched Windows CE for the Palm-size PC, I must confess that I was less than impressed with its Mobile Channels application -- considering it as little more than a poor man's web browser.
But once I started using the program, I soon came to appreciate the benefits of being able to read content downloaded from the Internet on my Palm-size PC. I often load up with stuff before heading off on a business trip and even when I am about to go shopping with my wife. Catching up with the latest news is a great way of killing time while I stand in the department store waiting for her to decide which shade of pink she likes!
The biggest drawback with Mobile Channels, however, is not the application itself, which works fine. No, to paraphrase a slogan from Bill Clinton's first election campaign, "It's the content, stupid." Although there are a few fairly decent Mobile Channels to download such as MSNBC, the overall quality of many of the channels that are available is inconsistent to say the least. So when AvantGo recently launched its new free AvantGo.com subscription service for both Palm and Windows CE Palm-size PC devices, I decided to give it a try.
Long popular with Palm users, AvantGo delivers more than 100 mobile information channels from such leading publishing groups as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, CNet, USA Today, and Bloomberg. AvantGo.com is free, but you do need to register in order to subscribe to the service, and you also need to download a client application for downloading and viewing the information on your Palm-size PC. This process took me nearly an hour in total, but given the choice of channels I was presented with I can hardly complain about this.
The AvantGo.com website is very well laid-out, making it quick and easy to find the channels you want to download. In addition to a featured channel section, the site also organizes the channels into various subject headings, including Business & Economy, Entertainment & Travel, and Sports. Please see below a summary of the main channels in each section.
Downloading the channel information you want to view on your Palm-size PC is also very straightforward. Simply click on the "add this channel" button next each channel you want to subscribe to, and the latest update will be automatically be downloaded to your Palm-size PC the next time you synchronize it with your computer. The AvantGo client or browser software on your Palm-size PC is also easy to use with a well-designed and clean interface.
Having used AvantGo.com for nearly two weeks now, I am almost completely hooked by the service and have gotten into the habit of doing a quick synch before leaving home every day so that I can catch up with latest news on the way to the office and during quiet moments in the day.
Another feature I particularly like is the wide availability of travel related information from such channels as Snapshot from ontheroad.com, which includes useful like recommended restaurants for major US cities and listings of cultural, business, and sporting events. Great information to have if you're arranging a business trip.
My only minor quibble is that most of the channels are US-centric, so as yet I still can't get English soccer or cricket scores. But I'm sure that the situation will improve once the service becomes more popular.
So overall, I would heartily recommend AvantGo.com for anyone who has a Palm-size PC. Mobile Channels may be OK, but with so much brand-name content AvantGo.com is the real thing!
Available Channels
AvantGo.com lets you subscribe to over 100 channels, most of which are from leading brand name publishers like Dow Jones and Bloomberg. Here is a brief summary of the highlights.
Business & Economy
The Business and Economy Section has an excellent selection of channels featuring business news, financial and stock market information, and computer industry updates. These are published such leading names as Bloomberg, CNet, CNNFN, the Industry Standard, Motley Fool, and the Wall Street Journal.
Here is a screenshot from a recent Wall Street Journal download.
City/Regional
If you want to carry local news with you when you are on the road, you can also download channels from a number of top US city and regional newspapers such as the Detroit Free Press and Miami Herald. Unfortunately, no channels from newspapers outside the US are available.
Entertainment & Travel
Sad individual that I am, I'm not much interested in the world of entertainment and haven't even seen the first Star Wars movie let alone the Phantom Menace. But for those people who need their daily fix of what's going on in the soaps and Hollywood, the Entertainment & Travel section has a good selection of channels -- including a Portable Headline service updated daily from Variety.com, daily soap updates from Soap City, and the latest program listings from TV Guide.
Of far more value to me and -- I suspect -- anyone else who is regularly away from the office on business, are the channels covering travel-related subjects. One channel I particularly like is Snapshot by ontheroad.com. This gives you detailed information about a choice of major US cities, including restaurant recommendations, and up-to-date lists of business events, cultural activities, and sports events. This is a great tool for planning business and social events in a city you are visiting, and the information is updated on a weekly basis.
General News
AvantGo.com also has a good selection of general news channels to choose from, from USA Today and Fox News to the venerable New York Times.
Health & Lifestyle
Since I am very busy juggling the demands of a full-time job, a wife and two children, and this website, I don't have what is commonly recognized as a lifestyle, so this section isn't of much interest to me. But the Asimba channel provides exercise and fitness related advice, while eMDnetwork delivers medical information.
Sports
For American sports nuts, AvantGo.com offers a wealth of channels covering baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Shame that there are no channels covering popular international sports like soccer and cricket.
Science & Technology
If you need to keep up-to-date on the latest developments in the computer business, AvantGo.com provides a great choice of channels from leading technology publishers such as Ziff-Davis, CNet, and InfoWorld.
Weather
Knowing what the weather will be like when you arrive at your destination can be very important when you are preparing for a business trip. You can download the most up-to-date weather information for both US and international cities from a variety of sources, including the Weather Channel.
Hardware & Software Compatibility Requirements
AvantGo requires a desktop or notebook PC running Windows 95/98 or Windows NT for installing the program. It runs on all Windows CE Palm-size PCs, including the latest color models. To install the program you need a minimum of 400KB free RAM; 600KB is recommended.
AvantGo currently supports Palm-size PC devices running Windows CE. Support for Windows CE Handheld PCs is under development.
Help and Technical Support
AvantGo provides excellent technical support resources on its website, including a User Guide and FAQ file. These resources can be found at:
http://avantgo.com/help/index.html. You can also post questions to the AvantGo newsgroup at alt.soft-sys.avantgo.
Pricing and Availability
AvantGo can be downloaded for free from the AvantGo website.
Links
For more information about AvantGo.com, please visit the AvantGo website at www.avantgo.com.
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The Bottom Line!
 | If you don't yet have a program for storing and protecting all your credit card, passport, and other important information on your color Palm-size PC, then you should install CodeWallet. With its attractive and intuitive interface, CodeWallet makes inputting, organizing and accessing all your personal and business information fast and easy, and its powerful security features keep your information safe from prying eyes. |
| Out of 5 Stars |
At a Glance...
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive and intuitive interface makes inputting, organizing, and accessing your personal data a snap. | Stripped down evaluation version |
| Choice of 30 DataCard Template files for inputting all types of personal, business, and financial information. | |
| Excellent Help file. | |
| Graphics importing capabilities |
Not another Personal Information Management utility! That was my initial reaction when I first read the announcement of CodeWallet by Developer One, Inc. But after surfing over to the company's website, I was sufficiently intrigued by the product information that was posted that I downloaded an evaluation copy.
Unfortunately, unlike other software companies that let you download complete versions of their products for a trial period, Developer One only allows you to try out an evaluation copy with some features disabled. I really cannot understand the point of this, but it didn't stop me from immediately liking the application -- so much so in fact that I almost immediately decided to buy a complete version of CodeWallet for installation on my new color Palm-size PC!
The first thing that grabs your attention with CodeWallet when you run it on a color Palm-size PC is its dynamic-looking interface, comprising a series of colorful and attractive icons set off against a jet black background. This makes it easy to select the features you want to use on the program and navigate through all the information you've stored on the application.
Personal Information Management Features
CodeWallet is designed to let you store and instantly access all your important personal, financial, and business information on a Palm-size PC. To make this process as convenient as possible, the program includes 30 so-called DataCard templates that allow you to input the most common types of information, such as your credit card details, security passwords, ID card numbers, and even vehicle maintenance records.
The company appears to have put a lot of careful thought into the design of the software and the layout of the DataCard templates. It is easy to create new DataCard files and folders using the drop-down menus, and inputting text with Note Taker is fast and convenient. The information is also presented in an easy-to-read format in the DataCard files, which also feature excellent graphics. Here are some sample files I have downloaded from the by Developer One website.
Data Security Features
CodeWallet also comes with some heavy-duty security features such as 56-bit encryption that allow you to protect your information should you lose your Palm-size PC device. When you create a new DataCard file, the program instructs you to enter a password to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the data.
The program also gives you further security options that allow you to lock your DataCard file automatically after a specified period -- useful, for example, if you accidentally leave your Palm-size PC on a table when you are called out from a meeting.
Other Features
In addition to its personal information management and security capabilities, CodeWallet also has a number of other interesting features, including the ability to import image files into the Picture Card and Credit/Charge and Calling Card templates. Although you can't directly synchronize the information in CodeWallet to your desktop or notebook, you can export all the data to .txt file, which could then be exported to Excel if necessary.
Conclusions
If you don't yet have a Personal Information Management program on your color Palm-size PC, then you should install CodeWallet. With its attractive and intuitive interface, CodeWallet makes inputting, organizing and accessing all your personal and business information fast and easy, and its powerful security features keep your information safe from prying eyes.
Hardware & Software Compatibility Requirements
CodeWallet requires a desktop or notebook PC running Windows 95/98 or Windows NT for installing the program. It runs on all Windows CE Palm-size PCs, including the Casio Cassiopeia E-100, Compaq Aero 2100 series, and HP Jornada 420.
Help and Technical Support
CodeWallet has an excellent Help file included in the program, with very detailed information on how to use thew program. The company provides email technical support via its website. The email address is: support@developerone.com.
Pricing and Availability
CodeWallet can be downloaded for $19.95 from the Developer One website at http://www.developerone.com/cw/home.htm. A stripped-down evaluation copy is also available for download.
Links
You can find detailed information about CodeWallet, including extensive screenshots of the program's DataCard files at the Developer One website at: http://www.developerone.com/cw/home.htm.
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A review of BSQUARE's bREADY software -Publisher Program
The Bottom Line!
 | A good application for creating electronic manuals, catalogs and even books using imported HTML or txt files. But not recommended for importing and publishing content from Internet or Intranet Home Pages. |
|
At a Glance...
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive and clean interface makes creating and organizing the content of books fast and easy. | Difficult to import content from an Internet or Intranet Home Page |
| Excellent graphics importing capabilities | Only publishes documents in .brd file format |
| Handles choice of HTML and .txt files |
After being favourably impressed with bREADY Viewer, I was eager to try out the Publisher component of the program in order to test out its capabilities for creating electronic books and other documents on Windows CE Palm-size and Handheld PC devices.
But after spending quite a few hours experimenting with the application, I was left with distinctly mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it is a very useful tool for publishing electronic documents composed from HTML files. But on the other, it doesn't live up to expectations when publishing content downloaded from the Internet. In fact, the results are downright disappointing.
Creating bREADY Books from Web Content
One of the main problems with bREADY Publisher is that it was primarily designed for downloading content in HTML format from the Internet or company Intranets. In theory, this is an excellent idea: Just open up bREADY Publisher; type in the URL of the website you want to download content from; import the files; and, voila, you have your electronic book, company introduction, or product catalog on your Windows CE device.
In reality, however, this Internet-based approach creates a lot of difficulties for the would-be electronic publisher, as I found out to my cost when I tried to create a .brd file from my own Windows CE Business Solutions Home Page.
The actual process of importing the content is quite straightforward. Simply type File>New, and after filling in the file properties such as the title and author, select Tools>Import From Web and then type in the URL of the page you want to download the content from, as shown in the screenshot below.
Unfortunately, this where your problems really start. For even though you are given a number of different options as to what content you want to import (see the screenshot below) into your electronic book file, you cannot specify the actual URLs.
As a result, the program downloads literally everything from the site, including content from other home pages that are hyperlinked. This means that the content is a disorganized mess once the download is complete and requires considerable editing and reorganization before it can be published in a format that is suitable for a Windows CE device. To make matters even more complicated, when your site has a design like mine with graphics and multiple columns, the final results are less than ideal to say the least. I wouldn't like to show the following screen to a customer I was trying to sell advertising to -- particularly on a Palm-size PC.
Creating bREADY Books from HTML Files
On the other hand, bREADY Publisher does a much better job of creating books from HTML files written in Microsoft Word. To try this feature out, I inserted a number of old tip files I have posted on the Windows CE Solutions Home Page.
The first thing I had to do was save the original Word documents as HTML files, and then it was simple case of creating the headings for each chapter of the book in bREADY Publisher and inserting the files. The process was very fast, and the clean well laid-out interface made it easy to place the files in the appropriate chapter.
The program also handled the graphics very well, and automatically imports them to your Windows CE device, as shown in the screenshot below. bSQUARE has also added a .dll file on its website that allows you to import .txt files, such as novels published onto the Project Gutenberg site, into bREADY, though I didn't try out this feature.
Conclusions
Even though I wasn't impressed with bREADY's web content publishing capabilities, I do think that it could be a useful application for creating technical manuals, product catalogs, and even novels for viewing on Windows CE devices. At first sight this process might appear to be a lot more laborious than downloading content from a web page, but the results are a lot more effective and satisfying.
Hardware & Software Compatibility Requirements
bREADY Publisher requires a desktop or notebook PC running Windows® 95/98 or Windows® NT for installing the program.
Help and Technical Support
bSQUARE provides daytime telephone technical support (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST) to all registered users. It also provides FAQ files and email support via its website at www.bsquare.com.
Pricing and Availability
The Publisher component of bREADY for the Handheld PC or Palm-size PC can be downloaded for from the bSQUARE website. The suggested retail is $49.95 for a single user copy; $44.99 per user when purchased in a 10-user pack; and $39.99 per user when purchased in the 50-user pack. A free 30-day trial version is also available.
Links
You can find detailed information about bREADY and download free trial versions at the bSQUARE website at: http://www.bsquare.com/development/products/hpc/ready.htm
The bSQUARE website also has a very useful Reviewer's Notes section that provides a detailed description of how to create an electronic book using bREADY Publisher at:
http://www.bsquare.com/development/products/Reviewers/bREADY.htm
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A review of BSQUARE's bREADY software
The Bottom Line!
| A flexible, feature-packed electronic document viewing application with an intuitive browser style interface. But it can only read files created using the bREADY Publisher program -- so only a limited amount of content is available for download from the Internet. |
|
So the most important question I wanted to answer when testing bREADY Viewer was: Is the software good enough for me to justify spending 50 dollars on the Publisher component to create .brd documents for visitors to download from my website? Or should I focus my efforts on learning how to publish files in the more popular Doc file format?
An interesting question, and one that even after completing the test I still don't have a final answer for. I was really impressed with bREADY Viewer, particularly its well-designed web-style interface and innovative features like auto scrolling. But I still have nagging doubts as to whether bREADY will establish itself as the de-facto eText publishing and viewing standard for Windows CE devices. The history of the PC industry is littered with great products that haven't quite made it to the big time.
One of the most attractive features of bREADY Viewer is its clean and intuitive interface that allows you to find information within each book very easily. As you can see from the screenshot below, each book is divided into titled chapters, so you can immediately go to the section you want to read. You can also use the bookmark feature to indicate the place you were at when you last stopped reading, and you can switch between chapters in a book by tapping the arrow keys in much the same way as you would use an Internet browser.
In addition to the table of contents, each book also comes with an Index -- a particularly useful feature if you are reading a reference work or product catalog. Since I'm currently trying to boost my guerilla marketing skills, I thought it might be a good idea to get some advice from Sun Tsu's Art of War. As you can see, the book contains a lot of references to "Attacking". And if the Index fails to produce the information you need, there's also an excellent Search function in the application. The program even keeps a Search History so you can refer back to previous searches.
Another feature I really liked is the program's auto scrolling capability, which -- as its name implies -- automatically scrolls the text down so that you can view it without having to use the jog wheels on the device or a stylus. The auto scrolling feature also allows you to increase or decrease the speed of the scrolling text and adjust the font size. I'm not sure I would want to read books in that way for an extended period, but auto scrolling would be an excellent way of presenting product information to a customer, particularly if you have to explain a long list of features. The screenshot below from the bSQUARE catalog provides an excellent example.
bREADY Viewer also has an annotation feature that allows you to write in notes and reminders. Useful, perhaps, but there is no way that you can copy and paste the note to Note Taker or any other application.
Taken together, all these features make bREADY Viewer a much more flexible application than the Doc Reader programs. In addition to novels and texts (please see the Links section below for a list of sites you can download .brd files from), you can use it to view more sophisticated documents like product catalogs downloaded from an Internet Home Page or Intranet -- opening up a lot of possible applications in a corporate environment.
So while I may not be motivated enough to plunk down fifty of my hard-earned dollars yet for bREADY Publisher, I am certainly going to take a close look at the trial version. That will be the subject of the next review in the Enterprise Solutions section of this home page.
Hardware & Software Compatibility Requirements
bREADY Viewer requires a desktop or notebook PC running Windows® 95/98 or Windows® NT for installing the program.
Help and Technical Support
bSQUARE provides daytime telephone technical support (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST) to all registered users. It also provides FAQ files and email support via its website at www.bsquare.com.
Pricing and Availability
The viewer component of bREADY for the Handheld PC or Palm-size PC can be downloaded for free from the bSQUARE website. The suggested retail price for the publisher component of bREADY is $49.95 for a single user copy; $44.99 per user when purchased in a 10-user pack; and $39.99 per user when purchased in the 50-user pack. The program can be downloaded via the bSQUARE on-line store, and is also available through various leading US and international bSQUARE resellers.
Links
You can find detailed information about bREADY and download free trial versions at the bSQUARE website at:
http://www.bsquare.com/development/products/hpc/ready.htm
To find sites with texts published in the .brd file format that are available for free download, please visit the bREADY Web Ring Home Page at:
http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=etxt;list
Among these, Geno's eBook Library has probably the most extensive collection with 190 titles, including the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Thus website is located at: http://www.dahilig.com/PalmPC/bReady.htm
The Electronic Text Library for Windows CE Home Page also has a fairly large collection of .brd files, including titles such as the Triumph of the Nerds and Sun Tsu's Art of War. It is located at:
http://www.dahilig.com/PalmPC/bReady.htm
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The Bottom Line!
A great application for planning the routes for your next business trip or vacation. Stunning graphical map displays and powerful search capabilities -- but only compatible with Microsoft Expedia Trips 2000, Microsoft MapPoint 2000 or AutoRoute Express Great Britain 2000 applications.
How many times have you got lost in an unfamiliar city looking for a customer's office building? Or quite literally been taken for a ride by an unscrupulous cab driver who takes you the long way round to your hotel because he knows that this is the first time you're visiting town?
If your experiences are anything like mine, this has happened more times than you'd care to remember -- much less admit to your friends and colleagues! The best way to prevent this kind of thing happening in the future is to arm yourself with maps of the destinations you are visiting. But paper maps can be a real hassle to carry around and open up in confined spaces like the back of a cab or the driver's seat of a car.
Pocket Streets 3.0 is the latest version of Microsoft's popular mapping and street routing program for Windows CE Palm-size and Handheld PCs. To see whether the application would provide the answer to my needs, I downloaded a free copy of the program and sample maps from the Microsoft Windows CE website and took it for a test drive on my color Palm-size PC.
Downloading the Pocket Streets program and installing it on my Palm-size PC went very smoothly, but transferring the sample maps was a much slower process. After saving the map file on the hard disk of my PC I had to select the file in Windows Explorer and then move it across with my mouse to the Mobile Devices window; it then took at least one minute to transfer the map to my Palm-size PC using the serial synching cable. I look forward to the day that Palm-size PCs incorporate Firewire or some other technology to speed up the data transfer process!
But once I had the Pocket Streets application up and running, I soon forgot this minor inconvenience. The visual quality of the map images was truly stunning, and I was impressed with the flexibility that the program gives you in viewing the maps in varying styles and levels of detail and in searching for street names and places.
One of the features I really like about Pocket Streets is the number of options it gives you as to how you want to view the maps. You can choose whether to have a light or dark background and the level of detail you want to display. I myself prefer to use the dark background but can see the value of using the light background option in dimly-lit conditions.
Another powerful feature in the application is its Zoom Out and Zoom In capabilities. You can zoom out to get a clear idea of where you are in the city and then zoom in to view the location of the place you want to get to. The program provides a surprisingly deep level of detail; when you tap a location on the screen with your stylus the address will appear.
Zoom-Out View
Zoom-In View
Pocket Streets also has excellent search capabilities, which allow you to find addresses and places you are looking for. You can type in either the street name or the name of a landmark and the program will automatically generate a list of options for you to choose from. Here are the results of a search for Golden Gate that I conducted.
Since I don't have a copy of Expedia Streets and Trips 2000 installed on my PC, I was only able to get a taste of the basic capabilities of the Pocket Streets program. But it's not to difficult to envisage how I could save myself a lot of trouble on future business trips by pre-loading my Palm-size PC with maps of the cities I'm visiting as well as customized maps showing the routes from the airport to my hotel or my customer's offices.
It would be a great application, too, for mobile staff like sales people or field technicians, who would be able to plan their daily itineraries more efficiently and instantly find the location of places they need to visit in an emergency.
Hardware & Software Compatibility Requirements
Pocket Streets 3.0 requires a desktop or notebook PC running Windows 95/98 or Windows NT for installing the program. Pocket Streets is compatible with all Windows CE-powered (Version 2.0 and above) Handheld and Palm-size PCs, including the latest color Palm-size PCs.
However, if you have a previous version of Pocket Streets installed, you must uninstall it before installing Version 3.0. Furthermore, Microsoft Pocket Streets maps can only be created from any of the following products and will not work with maps from earlier versions.
Help and Technical Support
For further information and tips about creating maps for use with Pocket http://www.expediamaps.com/.
Pricing and Availability
A free copy of Pocket Streets 3.0 and sample maps can be downloaded from the Microsoft Windows CE website. To get maximum benefit from Pocket Streets, however, you need to install a copy of Microsoft Expedia Trips 2000, Microsoft MapPoint 2000 (for the US) or AutoRoute Express Great Britain 2000 (for the UK) on your desktop or notebook PC. Prices for these program start at under US$50.
Microsoft is also currently offering a free copy of Microsoft Expedia Streets and Trips 2000 to anyone* who buys a Palm-size PC from March 31 to June 30 this year.
*Unfortunately, this promotion applies only to people who have bought Palm-size PCs in the US and Canada.
Links
For more information about the Microsoft Expedia Streets and Trips 2000 Palm-size PC promotion, please click the following hyperlink.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/products/highlights/q1ppcpromo.asp
You can download the Pocket Streets application and sample maps at: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/Products/download/maps.asp
You might also check out the Microsoft Expedia website at www.expedia.com to learn more about the different types of mapping and route planning applications you can carry out with this program.
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Sometimes it can be difficult from the product information, whether it be for the software or hardware associated with Palm-size PCs and mobile computing, to really understand the practical benefits of the devices for different career types.
What is the value of equipping your sales representatives with a Palm-size PC? Please download the following PowerPoint file to learn how Palm-size PCs can help sales people to save time, increase productivity, and boost sales!
Download PSPCSales.ppt
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Please check out the tables below to compare the features of the Color Palm-size PCs that have already been officially announced. Please note that the information is incomplete and will be updated as more becomes available.
1) Hardware Features
| Feature | Casio E-100 | Compaq Aero 2100 | HP Jornada 420 |
| Processor | NEC VR4121 131MHz | NEC VR4111 | SH3@100MHz |
| ROM | 16MB | 8MB | 8MB |
| RAM | 16MB | 8/16MB | 8MB |
| LCD | 320x240 65,535 colors | 320x240 256 Color TFT | 320x240 256 Color |
| BackLight | Y | Y (3 Settings) | Y |
| Touch Panel | Y | Y | Y |
| CompactFlash Slot | Type I/ Type II (3.3V) | Shielded Type I/ Type II (3.3V) | Shielded Type I/ Type II (3.3V) |
| Serial Interface | Y | Y | Y |
| Infrared Port | Y | Y | Y |
| Voice Recorder | Y | Y | Y |
| Microphone | Y | Y | Y |
| Speaker | Y | Y | Y |
| Headphone Jack | Stereo Headphone Jack | Y | Y |
| LED Alarm | Y | Y | Y |
| Vibrating Alarm | N | Y | N |
| Programmable Action Buttons | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Action Control Wheel | Y | Y | ? |
| Main Battery | Rechargeable Lithium Ion | Rechargeable Lithium Ion | Rechargeable Lithium Ion |
| Claimed Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | 6 Hours |
| Back-Up Battery | CR2032 Lithium Ion Battery | CR2032 Lithium Ion Battery | CR2032 Lithium Ion Battery |
| US MRSP | US$499 | US$449 | US$519 |
2) Size & Weight
| Feature | Casio E-100 | Compaq Aero 2100 | HP Jornada 420 |
| Weight | 9.0 oz | 10.92 oz (with battery) | 8.81oz 250g |
| Length | 5.11" 131.2mm | 5.27" | 5.1" 130mm |
| Width | 3.26" 83.6mm | 3.34" | 3.2" 81mm |
| Height | 0.78" 20mm | 0.7" | 0.9" 22mm |
3) Additional Items
| Feature | Casio E-100 | Compaq Aero 2100 | HP Jornada 420 |
| Carrying Pouch | Y | Y | N |
| Stylus | Y | Y | Y |
| AC Adapter | Y | Y | Y |
| Cradle | Y | Y | Y |
Coordinates:
Casio Cassiopeia E-100
http://www.casio.com/hpc/e-100.cfm
Compaq Aero 2100
http://www.compaq.com/products/handhelds/
HP Jornada 420
http://www.hp.com/jornada/
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Windows CE Productivity Benefits
What are the benefits of equipping our staff with Windows CE devices? This is a question that more and more companies are asking themselves as a growing number of Windows CE Palm-size PCs and Handheld PC Pros enter the market.
Windows CE devices such as Palm-size PCs and Handheld PC Pros come with a number of unique features that enable company staff to increase their productivity while they are away from their desk. Here is a list of these features together with a summary of the major productivity benefits they bring to today's mobile business professional.
| Feature | Productivity Benefit |
| Instant on |
|
| Full-day battery life |
|
| Small, lightweight form factor |
|
| Familiar Windows Interface |
|
| Easy data synchronization with PCs using ActivSync |
|
| Internet Connectivity** |
|
* Palm-size PC's only
** Hardware or Software Fax/Modem Needed
***Handheld PC and Handheld PC Pro only
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