This isn't to say that Windows CE devices are all-around premium devices that only the affluent can afford. Palm-sized PCs are still quite affordable, though they personally don't suit my tastes. I prefer the H/PC form factor, as I've always preferred a physical keyboard to handwriting recognition or software keyboards. Even the most expensive H/PC is far less costly than the average desktop PC.

Windows CE devices are also much less pricey than most laptop computers. It just seems that with the apparent shift from affordable monochromatic screens to expensive color displays the price has cleared the reach of my hands. This point seems to be one of the main targets that competing devices and their followers use against Windows CE hardware. However, when comparing the prices of devices, you must also take into account the fact that virtually no other PDAs offer the advanced features and functionality that Windows CE devices have.

In terms of software, I believe the costs associated with developing for the Windows CE community is what keeps us from seeing more software produced for Windows CE devices. It's too risky to invest dollars and resources into development software and development time if you aren't able to produce quality titles that users want, at least for the amateur programmers. When such a large amount of equity is at stake, we may lose the ambition to extend these devices beyond their current capabilities with new software. However, you may not mind the cost of developing for Windows CE if you're able to produce titles that benefit yourself, and I find that's the case many times as well.

Fortunately, the costs of developing for Windows CE weren't a boundary to some, and they've more than made up for the initial investment. For instance, look at the BSQUARE Corporation. Their products and service in the Windows CE market are outstanding, and help set the levels of excellence that others follow. Windows CE's too expensive to program for an aspiring student, and I've simply come to accept that. I also imagine, though, that Microsoft wasn't too concerned with this small niche of the market. However, like anything, the more the products sell, the cheaper they become.

I once considered Windows CE devices to be the poor man's PC, giving you affordable access to some of the benefits of a full-strength computer at a fraction of the cost, with good portability to boot. With the frenzy over inexpensive Internet PCs and the costs of such computers rivaling the more expensive H/PCs, I can't quite do that anymore.

If you aren't able to afford the latest and greatest Windows CE technology, you should try your hand at auctions or second-hand sales of Windows CE devices. These devices, while sometimes lacking color screens, are still quite capable. Most Windows CE 2.0 generation H/PCs are still good, and some do have color screens. Your income as a student may well vary from mine, and this may not be a dilemma for you at all. And while hardware prices have increased a bit, software prices seem to have levitated at the same levels. With the maturity of some developers in the Windows CE industry, the software may not have dropped in price, but you could be getting more for your dollar as well.

Dan Huber is a high school junior at Palmerton Area High School. He operates CEZone, a small and expanding Web site that covers all aspects of Windows CE, at http://members.xoom.com/CEZone/ and can be reached via email at wince@bigfoot.com.