Hand-Held Devices That Don’t Rely on Windows
Microsoft’s controversial efforts to establish its software as a standard for the Internet have been getting most of the press lately, but the company has long sought to extend its Windows monopoly to other areas as well.
Windows already dominates the desktop and laptop markets, and thanks to Microsoft Windows CE, an operating system designed for hand-held devices, it’s making major inroads into that growing market too. Companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Casio, Compaq, Ericsson, Hitachi and Philips exhibited hand-held Windows CE devices at the Comdex show last week.
The perceived advantage of devices that run Microsoft operating systems is that their data are generally compatible with standard Windows 95 desktop machines.
That’s true, but you don’t necessarily have to feed the monopoly if you’re looking for a compatible hand-held device. There are non-Windows hand-held machines on the market that are not only easy to use but also compatible with standard Windows data files.
The new Psion Series 5 from Psion (https://www.psion.com/) doesn’t run any Microsoft software. Nevertheless, the 12.5-ounce device can easily exchange data files with standard Windows 95 applications. I’ve been carrying one for the last few weeks, and despite the fact that I have trouble with any device with a small keyboard, I’m impressed with what you can do with this little $699 machine.
The Psion comes with several built-in application programs, including a word processor, spreadsheet, database manager, sketching program, calendar, Web browser, e-mail, fax and more.
The programs are surprisingly robust. The built-in word-processing program, for example, supports multiple fonts, bold, italic, bullets, borders, shading and other formatting options. It has a spell checker and thesaurus and allows you to embed sketches, sounds and a spreadsheet. It can read and write files from Microsoft Word, Lotus Ami Pro, WordPerfect, Works for Windows and rich text format.
The spreadsheet has more than enough functions for the average number cruncher, and it, too, can exchange files with desktop spreadsheet applications, including Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Quattro Pro, and Microsoft Works for Windows.
The device also comes with an easy-to-use e-mail program and a Web browser. You can connect to the Internet through an optional Psion modem or, for about $129, you can buy an adapter that lets you use any standard PCMCIA modem.
Without looking at the manual, I was able to use both the word processor and the spreadsheet because they have the same familiar interface as Windows 95 and Macintosh programs.
Moving data between the PC and the Psion is easy. The device comes with a serial cable and a CD-ROM with software for Windows 95. Install the software on your desktop PC, plug in the cable and you’ll automatically see a Psion icon on your desktop. You can drag and drop files between the two devices just as you would between two drives on a PC, and you can have the software automatically convert the files as you copy.
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The Psion is more energy-efficient than Windows CE devices, running for up to 35 hours on two AA batteries, compared with 15 hours for most CE devices. The Psion also seems to be a bit faster. And it has a unique compact design: When you open the case, the keyboard swings forward, affording you a slightly larger keyboard.
I’m not arguing that the Psion is better in all respects. The newly released Windows CE operating system 2.0 and some of the latest CE devices now support color screens. (For details, point your browser to https://www.microsoft.com/windowsce.)
The new version of CE now comes with Pocket PowerPoint along with Pocket Word and Excel, and there’s a growing body of third-party Windows CE programs that you can download and use on your hand-held device.
No matter what the software, hand-held machines can rarely be used as PC replacements. They’re fine for looking up information, checking e-mail or doing quick calculations. And they’re excellent tools for those who need to review documents that were created on other machines or to use a spreadsheet or database that has been imported from a desktop PC.
If what you really need is a look-up device, you should also consider the Palm Pilot from 3Com. This popular 5.7-ounce hand-held personal organizer fits into a shirt pocket and is a great tool for looking up addresses and phone numbers or checking your schedule. Starting at $249, it is much cheaper than the Psion or CE devices, and it runs for weeks on two AA batteries. It doesn’t even have a keyboard for me to complain about. You enter information with a stylus, using an easy-to-learn special alphabet called Graffiti, or you transfer it from your PC.
For even less money ($129), you can buy a really small device. The Rex from Franklin Electronics weighs only 1.4 ounces and is slightly smaller (though thicker) than a business card and can display your address book.
It doesn’t have any input device, but rather gets its data from a desktop or laptop PC. It’s especially good for laptop users because you can quickly update the Rex by slipping it into the PC card slot of any notebook PC. It comes with its own PC software, but it can also read files from Microsoft Outlook Express, the address book and e-mail program that comes with Internet Explorer 4.0.
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Lawrence J. Magid can be reached by e-mail at magid@latimes.com. His World Wide Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com
