(Q:) Where can I find a good chess program?
Or a good game? Or a fax program? Or....?
(A:) There are several dozen CE review/download sites on the web that
contain downloads for nearly every type of Windows CE software; games,
utilities, productivity apps, etc. Without playing any favourites, here are some
of the most comprehensive sites:
CE City - http://www.wincecity.com
Tucows PDA- http://pda.tucows.com/wince/
Windows CE Online - http://www.winceonline.com
Winfiles - http://www.winfiles.com/apps/ce/
Mike's Palm-Sized PCs - http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Lab/3533/palm_sw.html
(this is a GREAT list of PSPC software)
WinCE Infoware - http://www.ifu.net/~mgc/winceiw.html
(large collection of textual documents in various CE formats)
PocketPC.com - http://www.pocketpc.com -
lots of reviews on software
If it's not on one of these sites, the product either doesn't
exist yet or might be a custom app. There's always the good old search engines!
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(Q:) Can I connect to a machine running LINUX?
(A:) This link is broken, and a web search couldn't locate the new
page...in a nutshell, someone figured out how to do it, but I don't know the
details.
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Contents
(Q:) I'm worried about viruses for Windows
CE. Is there a virus scanner?
(A:) There was a virus scanner at one point, but it's been pulled from
the market. Considering that CE devices don't have the traditional
vulnerabilities to viruses that most desktop PC's have (like integrated running
of scripts in Outlook email previews) you don't need to worry about viruses on
your CE devices...yet. Someday, I'm sure someone will come up with something,
but for now, there are no Windows CE viruses that I'm aware of.
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Contents
(Q:) Can I use my CE device as a touch pad
for drawing on the screen of my computer, etc? Like an art tablet?
(A:) Yes! Some new software was released that allows you to do this... http://www.softscribe.com/activetablet/
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Contents
(Q:) What are mobile channels? How do I use
them? Help!
(A:) Further information can be found near the bottom of MSN
Computing Central's Mobile Channels page under "About Mobile
Channels". Mobile Channels have been replaced on the Pocket PC by Mobile
Favorites - a far nicer solution. Also, check out AvantGo,
a very nice solution as well.
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Contents
(Q:) Is there an application for Windows CE
that will act as a remote for my TV/VCR/Stereo/Other IR device?
(A:) Amazingly, yes! Limited range though. http://skycommander.webjump.com/
- but be aware it only works with SH3 devices (HP and Ericsson): From the
author: "I've done some reading up on the datasheets and user manuals of
the various MIPS processors(NEC and Philips) used by Windows CE devices, and the
conclusion is that the Consumer IR driver cannot be ported to the MIPS platform.
This is due to architectural differences between the SH3 and MIPS which disallow
the same implementation of the Consumer IR driver on the SH3 to be applied on
the MIPS. I am terribly sorry to disappoint those who have been waiting eagerly
for SkyCommander to be supported on their MIPS devices. Nevertheless, a big
thank you for showing interest in this product."
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Contents
(Q:) Can I play MP3's on my CE device?
(A:) You bet! www.xaudio.com (basic
"shell" but it's free) and www.utopiasoft.com
(pretty). My personal favourite for the Palm-size PC is Pocket
Player from Conduits. And of course there's the freeware
Microsoft player for MP3 and WMA format!
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Contents
(Q:) I'm confused about the version of CE
that I'm running...
(A:) This is a bit complicated...
Windows CE Services 2.2 - This is the desktop Win95/98 software that allow sync
between your PC and a H/PC or P/PC. This is a software download you get from
your OEM.
CE Apps/Shell 1.0 & CE O/S 1.0 (1st gen devices) - HPC (ie: Velo 1)
CE Apps/Shell 2.0 & CE O/S 2.0 (2nd gen devices) - HPC (ie: Velo 500)
CE Apps/Shell 3.0 & CE O/S 2.11 (3rd gen devices) - HPC Pro, ROM upgrade for
some units
CE Apps/Shell 4.0 & CE O/S 3.0 (4th gen devices) - unknown
CE Apps/Shell 2.0 & CE O/S 2.0 (1st gen devices) - PsPc (ie: Philips Nino)
CE Apps/Shell 2.x & CE O/S 2.11 (1.5 gen devices) - Wyvern PsPc's (ie: Casio
E-105)
CE Apps/Shell 3.0 & CE O/S 3.0 (2nd gen devices) - Pocket PC (ie: HP Jornada
545)
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(Q:) What is ActiveSynch 3.1? What does it
fix? Where can I get it?
(A:) ActiveSynch 3.1 is the latest update to the PC-side component of
Windows CE. The newest version allows for much easier NT 4 installing, Windows
2000 compatibility, doesn't hog the serial port at boot (lets you use a serial
mouse with it), supports faster synching, much better conflict resolution for
resolving problems, and a host of other bug fixes. You can get it from: http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/downloads/activesync.asp.
Yes, it was previously called "Windows CE Services", but Microsoft got
creative with the name. :-)
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(Q:) Can I get an upgrade to CE 2.11 for my
CE 2.0 HPC device?
(A:) Probably. The scoop (and this is all I know, so don't ask for dates
please!)
HP - yes
Sharp - yes
NEC - yes, only for the 750C (not the 700)
Philips - no (Grr!)
LG - likely
Hitachi - unknown
More info here: http://members.tripod.com/Frank_McPherson/where/where2.htm
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Contents
(Q:) How can I use other languages on my CE
device?
(A:) http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/1675/
- this will get you started
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Contents
(Q:) Where can I download new CE software
from Microsoft?
(A:) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Where can I find more information about
developing on the CE platform?
(A:) The CE development info has been integrated with the MSDN - here.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) I have Quicken or MS Money. Is there an
application I can use for this?
(A:) Yes, there is a version of Quicken called Pocket
Quicken 2.1 for Windows CE. Microsoft has not released a
"pocket" version of MS Money for the Palm-size PC, but there is a
version for the Pocket PC and for HPC devices. There is a 3rd party application, called
Pocket Finance, which is distributed by LandWare http://www.landware.com
that advertises to work with both Quicken and MS Money. There is also Quicken
ExpenseAble for Windows CE , Ruksun
ExpenseForce and Illium's Keep
Track that offer various types of expense reporting. The new Pocket PC
devices have Microsoft Money on them! But there is no version to download for
the Palm-size PC. If you have an HPC, you can get Microsoft Money for HPC on the
ActiveSync 3.1 CD-ROM (watch this
page for an order form).
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(Q:) Where is Excel for my PPC? Or Word?
(A:) Microsoft chose not to put Word or Excel on the Palm-size PC. There is no
way to get it, no place to buy it, and no way to run it. If you need these
applications, buy an HPC. You can try out bSquare's spreadsheet app here,
and Z4Soft has another app here. If you get
a new Pocket PC, Pocket Word and Pocket Excel are included.
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Contents
(Q:) Where can I find additional (free) maps
for Pocket Streets?
(A:) The only free maps are contained on the Microsoft Page. If
those maps do not meet your needs then you MUST purchase Streets98 from
Microsoft. Streets98 is a road map of the entire 50 states. There is an
option in Streets98 to make maps for H/PC.
"End users of these mapping products are currently restricted to
redistribution of no more than 1000 copies of maps from Microsoft Expedia
Streets or Microsoft Expedia Trip Planner which can be created and distributed
by you for non-commercial purposes only. These restrictions apply to all forms
of distribution, including web site distribution."
The software is very inexpensive. For approximately $35.00 you get
Streets98 and TripMaker. For more information about putting maps on your web
site, try here: http://www.expediamaps.com/maps-on-your-site.asp
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(Q:) Where can I find maps for London
England?
(A:) http://www.londonmap.com
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Where can I find maps for Canada, South
America, Europe, etc.?
(A:) Microsoft only makes maps for the US. You'll have to search for any
others. There is a web site that generates graphics of maps that can be viewed
in PIE: http://www.mapblast.com/mapblast/port.hm
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Contents
(Q:) Is there voice dictation software for
CE?
(A:) No. ArtKey has "voice activation", but not dictation. If
you're the curious type, some voice dictation packages accept WAV files as data
input, so you can record the WAV file with your CE device and then process it
with the voice dictation.
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Contents
(Q:) What sort of database options to I have
for CE?
(A:) There are several. Pocket Access now comes with the HPC/PRO which
runs CE 2.11, but there are the following options:
PalmDb for PsPc devices: http://www.downloadit.gr/~v_gkelley/
Syware VisualCE: http://www.syware.com/
obBASE: http://www.obsolution.com/
Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere: http://www.sybase.com/products/anywhere/fingerprint.html
Oracle Lite: http://www.oracle.com/mobile/
Spyglass Mobile Forms Database: http://www.spyglass.com/solutions/technologies/mfdbase
(used to be AllPen Mobile Forms Database)
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Contents
(Q:) Can I run DOS programs on my WinCE
device?
(A:) WinCE can not run these programs directly, but you can purchase a DOS
emulator that will run these programs. There are a couple emulators
available:
1) XT-CE. See the XT-CE
site for more information.
2) PocketDOS. See the PocketDOS
site for more information.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Can I view PDF file on my H/PC?
(A:) http://www.ansyr.com/
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) How do I configure my Windows CE
computer to use the IR port?
(A:) The CD-ROM which comes with the Ericsson SH888 telephone includes a
script which makes a new entry in the Registry. All this does is create a new
device name for the COM3: port, which is then accessible to most Windows CE
comms applications. You simply select the new IR port device and continue to use
your software as before. The process is covered in more detail at the web site
of Arne Hess (http://windowsce.hess.net/irda.html)
which covers Windows CE /mobile phone topics in detail. Be aware that NT doesn't
support IR very well, and so far Windows 2000 is bad at it too.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) My software won't allow me to use the
Infrared Modem device added to the registry!
(A:) Try use COM3: instead. In most Windows CE machines, COM3: is the
same as the IR port. I have used "bFax Express" software from bSquare
on a Nino with an Ericsson SH888 using this technique. Best results were
obtained by using no initialising string, maximum rate to 9600, Class 1 support
set to Off and Hardeare Flow Control set to On.
However, several companies have announced software which performs the task of
the interface card. In other words, all you need is an ordinary serial link from
a compatible mobile phone to the Windows CE machine and you are in business.
Obviously this requires you to have the necessary serial lead, which can be
difficult to come by.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) How can I change the font size on my
PsPc?
(A:) There's two ways to alter the system font:
1) Use StarTap from ThumbsUp Software. The help on their site lists instructions for changing the font.
2) It can be done manually, but it's a little tricky. Here's a
newsgroup posting by John S.:
First, a good, free registry editor for CE is available at: http://www.oohito.com/
Here's a simple (ok, not so simple) way to customize your PSP/C
i) get a registry editor
ii) download and install microsoft's web fonts onto your desktop machine
iii) open \Windows\Fonts or \Winnt\Fonts
iv) dock your PSPC and open the \Windows\Fonts folder on it
You can now install fonts onto the PSPC... Let's try arial, but of course you
can use others....
v) Drag the Arial true type font to the font folder of the PSPC
vi) in the window that appears, select 8,10,12,14, and possibly 16 points (the
more you select, the more memory it uses!)
wait while the font downloads...
vii) you can now use the font in Note taker, and even set it as the default.
Interesting, but how about the fonts used by WinCE itself? Get that registery
editor ready and let's change them!
Change the default font: The default font is used for things like the active
desktop, active channels, labels, buttons, and lots of other things. You can
make your PSPC look like a start trek communicator (use a start trek font) or a
Newton (use a casual handwriting font) or heaven knows what else. You can also
change the *SIZE* of the default font to make it smaller or larger.
*** Warning *** you're using a registry editor. You can
really hose your system if you screw up. Make a full backup. Don't sue me if you
kill your machine. Do this at your own risk.
Change these values
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\SYSFNT\Nm to be the name of the font to use... I
like Arial Bold
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GDI\SYSFNT\Ht to be the point size. 10 works well, as
does 8 for the youngsters with good eyes and 12 or even 14 for those of us with
mature eyes.
That's it. Reset your PSPC, and you'll notice the change. Cool, eh?
But wait, there's more!
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\BarFnt\Nm is the name of the font to use for
the menu bar... I use plain Arial here.
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\BarFnt\Ht is the size for the bar font. I use
14... you don't want to change this to be too large, as the menu height is
fixed.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\PopFnt\Nm is the popup menu font, again I use
Arial
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\GWE\Menu\PopFnt\Ht is the size for the popup font. I
use 12 here
When you're all done, reset your PSPC again, and hey presto! new fonts in the
OS. Pretty cool.
Note: if you're using RegEdit from Eiichiro, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is "LMachine"
in the upper left pulldown list.
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(Q:) Are there any other locations for
software?
(A:) Yes. Some software vendors don't allow their software to be stored on a
third-party site. One such is Sticky Software.
Try using a search engine if you're looking for something specific.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) I have a HP Jornada 820. Why can't I
use existing Windows CE software?
(A:) When the handheld and palmsize PC's first appeared, they were based on one
of two processors: a MIPS or an SH3 device. The HP Jornada 820 is one of the
first devices to use a StrongARM processor instead. This chip is fast, uses
little power and has built-in features such as support for USB and the ability
to mirror video output on an external monitor (which is why a Jornada can be
used with a monitor all the time, not just for PowerPoint). The catch is that as
the CPU is different, it cannot use MIPS or SH3 software – including Pocket
Streets for example. It's up to the authors to re-compile their software
especially for the StrongARM platform, and this requires an update to their
software tools (the compilers, installers and so on). Hopefully more software
vendors will release
StrongARM versions as the Jornada becomes more popular.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Is it possible to open a DOS-like shell on
a Windows CE computer?
(A:) Only the HPC Pro has a text-based shell window built-in (run CMD.EXE from
the Start/Run/ prompt to open it). There are third-party shells for other
systems, such as the version from Ruksun
(Shell Force) - this is only compatible with CE 1.0 however.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) I want to spell check my Pocket
documents in another language - how can I do it?
(A:) Yes it is possible and the operation is quite simple. First of all, the
spell checker file is located in the \Windows directory on your HPC or HPC Pro.
The file is "mssp2_en.lex" and is located in ROM, therefore you cannot
delete it but you can override it with a RAM file (Microsoft allows this mainly
for update purposes). Here are the operations needed to change this file:
1) You will need a Microsoft spell checking file that usually comes with
Microsoft Office 95/97 and other Microsoft software. This file can be located on
your desktop computer by locating all "mssp2_??.lex" files using the
Find option in your Start menu (?? serves has a wildcard, not as the name of the
file). These files are usually located in the C:\..\Microsoft Shared\Proof
directory.
2) We don't need the English "mssp2_en.lex" file since it is already
in our HPC ROM, we simply have to transfer the "mssp2_??.lex" of the
language we need on the HPC using WindowsCE Services (Mobile Devices) in the HPC
\Windows directory. Once the "mssp2_??.lex" file is transferred in the
\Windows directory. Disable the connection between your Desktop computer and
your HPC and close Mobile Devices. We don't need the Desktop from now on. Note :
Do NOT try to rename the file to "mssp2_en.lex" before transferring it
or copying it in the HPC \Windows directory. It won't work!
3) All the following operations are to be executed on your HPC. Open Windows
Explorer, go to the \Windows directory and sort all files by name, locate the
"mssp2_??.lex" file you transferred, rename it to
"mssp2_en.lex". The file should be renamed without any warnings. Now
you will see two "mssp2_en.lex" files. Refresh the screen using the
View/Refresh option, now you should only see one "mssp2_en.lex". For
example, in our case we transferred "mssp2_fr.lex" which is the French
spell check file.
4) Open Pocket Word, enter a common word in the same language of the spell check
file you transferred in your \Windows directory.
5) Now, if you want to spell check a document in English using the default ROM
".lex" file. Open Windows Explorer, go to the \Windows directory,
rename the "mssp2_en.lex" to it's original name (in our case
"mssp2_fr.lex"), Refresh the screen using the View/Refresh option, now
you should only see the original "mssp2_en.lex" ROM file beside the
"mssp2_??.lex" RAM file.
6) You can repeat operations 3-4 to change the spell checking language, and
operation 5 to restore defaults.
You can have as many "mssp2_??.lex" file your HPC Storage memory can
store. English (ROM), French, Italian, German, Spanish, etc.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) I can't get recurring tasks to
synchronize. What do I need to do?
(A:) This is a problem in Microsoft Outlook. At this time we are not sure
when it will get fixed. Voice your desire to get this fixed by sending an
email to Microsoft at [email protected]
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Is there anyway to set the time
associated with a task's reminder?
(A:) Select a start date for the task, check "reminder" and then click
on the bell icon. You have the option there to set reminders for minutes, hours,
days or weeks before the task. If you select "hours", you can set the
alarm/reminder for up to 99 hours in advance of the task start or due date
(depending on which you select). Don't forget that you can change
the default reminder settings for Tasks under the "Tools / Options /"
menu, if you mostly use the same setting for reminders.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Can I get Powertoys for the palm-sized
platform (PsPc)?
(A:) You bet! It includes a Hyperlinked Active Desktop, Pocket Paint (in color
on color devices), Business Cards, Mute, Dialer, Four sound schemes, new
Wallpaper. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/downloads/pccompanions/ppc_powertoys.asp
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Where can I find a CE Warez site for
downloading completely illegal CE programs?
(A:) Well Sparky, I'm glad you asked. Simply go to ftp://127.0.0.1
and you'll find everything you need. It's got over 7 gigs of CE-specific
programs, and because of this it's extremely busy. You'll need to be very
patient and very persistent. Try either really early in the morning (7am MST) or
really late at night (4am MST). Set your FTP timeout to maximum, and keep at it
for days or weeks if need be. Trust me, you'll get what you deserve if you work
hard enough!
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) I'm developing for CE, and my CAB files
are causing the machine to hang on install - what's going on?
(A:) This should solve the problem - http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q186/8/61.asp
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Is Windows CE Year 2000 compliant?
(A:) The Microsoft Y2K site has info on their products. You can find info about
various Windows CE products in Volumes 16 & 17. Windows CE 2.0 US, for
example, can be found in: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/user_allproductsvol16.htm
It is listed as: Compliant with minor issues: Windows CE Services 2.1 (English)
has a listing in: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/year2k/product/user_allproductsvol17.htm
and is listed as: Compliant
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Where can I find a trip route planner
for North America and Europe?
(A:) http://www.palmtop.nl/ce
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Have you deleted the temporary Internet
files from your PsPc and now my desktop is all messed up?
(A:) Unlike your desktop PC, you can't delete these so-called
"temp" files and expect to have your PsPc continue working properly.
Symptoms of this problem include seeing broken graphics on your desktop, not
seeing a liting for upcoming appointments, etc. First, download
this zip file of original files from a greyscale PsPc, or get
this one if you have a color unit. Unzip the files into a temp folder
somewhere on your dekstop. Now connect to your PsPc, and going into it using the
Mobile Device manager. Browse to the \Windows\Temporary Internet Files
directory. Now, copy the contents of the zip file into this directory,
overwriting the contents of the old files. Disconnect your PsPc from your
desktop, and do a soft reset (or refresh the desktop wallpaper). You may need to
re-install the PsPc powertoys to get your "active" desktop back.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) How can I view spreadsheets on my PsPc?
(A:) The industrious folks at bSquare have created a little app that allows you
to view, edit, and save Pocket Excel files on your device. You can view it at http://www.bsquare.com/development/products/ppc/sprdsht.htm
- and unlike most bSqaure products, the price tag on this is decent. Z4Soft has
another app that looks really good as well!
And if you have a new Pocket PC, there are Excel
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(Q:) Is it possible to convert files on my
Windows CE device to and from desktop format on the device itself?
(A:) HPC PRO devices and Pocket PC devices have on-device coverters.
Palm-size PC devices and older HPC devices do not. There is also a program
from Tascal that will convert Pocket Excel files into CSV format files -
this might be mildly useful to someone.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) Why does my clock sometimes change when
I synch with my desktop PC?
(A:) Keeping in mind that your CE device will, by default, synch it's
clock with your desktop, make sure that the country settings, daylight savings
time settings, and work day settings (as defined in Outlook) are the same. Most
often, this problem is caused by one of the settings being incorrect, which
confuses the CE device.
Back to Table of
Contents
(Q:) How can I read books and other
documents on my CE device?
(A:) First, you need a reader. Go
here to find several of them. As for content, you can find several sites out
there with books and info, but MemoWare
is a great resource.
Back to Table of
Contents