The hardware
Four companies--Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Casio, and Symbol Technologies--built the hardware that contains the Pocket PC operating system. Each company has its own unique design for their handheld device. Of the models presented, Hewlett-Packard's looks the most like the traditional PDA, and Casio's Cassiopeia is rather bland, resembling a Nintendo Game Boy.

Compaq's iPaq, on the other hand, is extremely eye-catching, as you can see in Figure D. Its plastic body has a shiny silver paint job that manages to look and feel like metal. In the lower center is a directional scroll-pad that doubles as a speaker. Pressing down on the center of the pad, meanwhile, works like clicking the left mouse button on a desktop computer.

FIGURE D

Compaq's iPaq has a sleek, silver design. Click picture for a larger image.

Tomo Razmilovic, President and CEO-elect of Symbol Technologies, was on hand to speak about the company's PPT 2700 device. Of the four models, Symbol's design is the tank. As you can see in Figure E, it's larger than most handheld computers, and it most resembles something Doctor McCoy would use to check for life-signs. It contains a barcode scanner that can automatically input scanned data into applicable Pocket PC applications.

FIGURE E

The rugged Symbol PPT 2700 is the tank of the Pocket PC family. Click picture for a larger image.

A video accompanying Razmilovic's presentation showed waitresses, traffic cops, deliverymen, and even bellboys using the Pocket PC on the job. It also demonstrated the machine's ruggedness, proving it could continue to function even after bathing in spilled ice water and being buried up to its LCD in sand. Ben Waldman went a step further by tossing up one of Symbol's devices into the air and letting it slam to the floor. Razmilovic, to his credit, managed not to wince.

The continuing mission of the starship Microsoft
Mission one for Microsoft, Steve Ballmer said early on in the presentation, had been to put a Personal Computer on every desk and in every home. However, times are changing, and handheld based software is becoming ever more important. As the handheld market grows, estimated by Microsoft to reach 67 million users by 2004, the company needs to make its mark in PDAs if it hopes to continue to be a leader in the computer industry.

Ballmer spoke of the future and the incredible changes that are in store for computers and the Internet. With the Pocket PC's real-time, full-access Web connection, Ballmer and Microsoft hope the new operating system will fit into the public's concept of "the next generation Internet experience."