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I was a CE Idiot! -Contacts |
Ted Butz is the most technology resistant guy in our office. We figured if he could explain how he managed to get a grasp on Windows CE and its usefulness that anyone could. Thus we present to you a series of articles designed to put you in the know about the basics of Windows CE -from the perspective of an idiot! Contacts Previous Article "Inputting Data" Next article: "Inbox" In my last thrilling article I wrote entitled "Inputting Data" I outlined the basic mechanics of how to put information on to your CE device with a stylus and touch-screen using the JOT character recognition method. If you've fooled around with your CE device a little and are starting to master this skill you'll pretty soon be moving on to actually trying to figure out how to use the Windows® CE applications. One of the big selling points of your CE device is that it has Pocket Outlook, which is Microsoft's scaled down version of their Microsoft Outlook that you find on your desktop PC. The reason that this is so great is that the information you input into Pocket Outlook on your CE device, can be shared automatically with your desktop computer and visa-versa. You do this when you connect them using the serial port synching cable that comes with your device and the latest version of the necessary software called ActiveSync 3.0 which you can download at: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/products/highlights/activesync01.asp Also if you've figured out how to use Outlook on your PC then you can think of learning Pocket Outlook as akin to a Chess Master learning how to play checkers. Pocket Outlook breaks down into 4 major parts: Calendar, Contacts, Note Taker and Inbox. I'm going to ramble on a bit about Contacts for a moment because I think realistically that initially this is the application most people will get the most use from. First of all you should know that you can launch Contacts by tapping start on the task bar and then selecting… surprise… "Contacts". Also many CE devices especially of the Palm-size PC form-factor have "Hot Keys" which you can press on the hardware which will automatically launch the Contacts application also. Just look for the button with the picture that looks vaguely like a rolodex and press. Now that you have the Contacts application open you can start to input the data. Tap "New" from the Windows bar at the top of the screen and Contacts will offer you a variety of form fields you can fill in for some new persons contact information. This is where you get to practice your newfound JOT skills. If you take the time to do this it can be extremely handy as it will become your walking phone directory and electronic business card holder. You can even make useful descriptive notes like: "Don't ask Serge how the wife and kids are…" or "The decision maker was the one with the hair-lip and the nervous tick." Windows CE Contacts also offers you the option of entering personal rather than business information about someone. Simply tap the little icon of a house found near the top right of your screen and a selection of more "homey" form fields becomes available for you to fill in. Once you've got a few different peoples contact information put on your CE device you will find that when you open the Contacts that they are listed down the screen in front of you. The last one that you accessed will be highlighted and their basic info viewable near the top of the screen -tap another name and it will become highlighted and their basic info will be viewable in the upper pane. Double tapping any of the names on the list will reveal their entire contact card as you've filled it out and allow you to review or edit it. Contacts may not be the most glamorous of your CE devices functions but I think when you realize how simple it is to update it from your desktop when you synchronize your Palm-size PC and visa-versa you'll become a believer. T.B. |