Re: HP IPAQ 211

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

Todd All*** wrote:


"Odin" <Pythagorus@xxxxxxx> wrote in message news:4946ad1e$0$7656$6c36adad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I am considering the purchase of an HP IPAQ 211. I've never owned a PDA
before and have never even tried one, but the time has come that I need some
mobile access to the internet. But I have some questions.

What determines whether any given program will run under windows mobile 6.0?



Despite the name, Windows Mobile has nothing to do with (desktop) Windows, except for the fact the GUI is "Windows-like." Windows mobile does not use x86 processors, so NO program made for (desktop) Windows will run on a PDA. Programs have to be specifically written for "Windows Mobile" to run.

I know that I'll probably want to add applications that are not included by
default, so I need to know how to pick them. For example, I don't expect a
PDA to run a full-fledged Oracle RDBMS, but what if I want a small database
application? Or what about virus protection? Spyware protection? Malicious
software protection? Etc.


Check out handango.com, pocketgear.com, or freewareppc.com for the types of applications that run on Windows Mobile. While a couple of AV protection programs exist, most of us feel that they're unnecessary. For the same reason desktop Windows software won't run on a Windows Mobile device, desktop Windows malware won't run on them either, and to date, I'm unaware of any WinMo malware in the wild (although some "proof of concept" malware has been created "in the lab.")

Also, with Windows Mobile 6.0, how do I get updates and patches? Do I use
windows update just like I would on a regular PC? Or is there some other
means by which patches are delivered?


Windows Mobile is a different animal. Any upgrades are never released to end-users- only to the device manufacturers who then decide whether or not to release them as ROM upgrades to end-users. IMO, HP does NOT have a good track record in this regard.
Typically, when a manufacturer discontinues manufacturing a particular device, the upgrade path for it disappears. There is an active Windows Mobile "hacking" community, however, at xda-developers.com who have "ported" upgrades from one device to work on others, so there is some hope to obtain an "unofficial" upgrade if your device's vendor doesn't offer an official one.



This is all good information. Maybe I really need to be thinking about an ultra-small PC instead of a PDA. I'd at least get real Windows in that case. The problem is that all of the new ultra-small PCs seem to have Vista and there are none with XP.
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