How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC and Handheld PC (Paperback)

by Frank McPherson (Author) "In 1996, several companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Casio, Sharp, and Compaq, began selling a brand-new device called a Handheld PC..." (more)
Key Phrases: synchronized files folder, only displaying entries, several default items, Pocket Word, Microsoft Money, Pocket Internet Explorer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC and Handheld PC explores the latest developments in the Microsoft Windows CE universe. Specifically, it takes a user-level look at the new Pocket PC specification and the somewhat older Handheld PC design. If you use an HP Jornada, Casio Cassiopeia, Compaq iPaq, or similar personal digital assistant (PDA) and feel sure you're not getting maximum utility from it, you'll appreciate this carefully paced and liberally illustrated explanation of Windows CE, the hardware it runs on, and the software that makes it productive and fun. Odds are good that no matter how long you've been using your Microsoft-based miniature computer, you'll learn something new here.

The approach of the book isn't fancy, but it does the job. Pocket PC and Handheld PC features are diligently explained one at a time. Users want to know how to do specific jobs, and the book was clearly written with that in mind. Conceptual explanations combined with procedures and illustrations help readers learn how to make their palm-size buddies do new tricks. Coverage is a bit short on applications other than those in the standard suite, but in-depth sections on multimedia management and Internet connectivity make up for that shortcoming. All together, this is a solid tutorial and reference manual for people who use PDAs based on Windows CE. --David Wall

Topics covered: Palm-size PCs that run Microsoft Windows CE and comply with the Pocket PC and Handheld PC specifications are explained for everyday users. There's documentation of the essential functions of the operating system and its most popular applications (especially Pocket Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, and Microsoft Money). Multimedia gets a lot of attention, as does Internet connectivity.

Product Description
Learn to set up all the features and productivity applications on your Windows CE, connect and sync to your desktop PC, send and receive e-mail, download games, utilities, and MP3 files, and so much more. This book shows you how to do, well, EVERYTHING!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 602 pages
• Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072124202
• ISBN-13: 978-0072124200
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,054,511 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Useful Book, June 13, 2000

By	Ellen Craw, Ilium Software (Ann Arbor, MI) - See all my reviews

This is a very, very useful book. Whether you're looking for a reference manual or a user guide, you'll definitely find the information you need here. The many pictures and highlighted tips and notes make "How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC and Handheld PC" easy to read, as well as making it easy to quickly find the information you're looking for. Even the most experienced Handheld and Pocket PC users will find information they didn't know in this useful book.

"How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC and Handheld PC" covers both Handheld PCs (including H/PC Pros) and the new Pocket PCs. It's full of information -- over 600 pages with a very complete and comprehensive index. Its information ranges from how to win at Solitaire to how to obtain an IP address, with everything you'd possibly want in between.

The information is all current, the pictures useful, and the tips excellent. I'd recommend this book to anyone who uses or is even considering using a Pocket PC or Handheld PC.

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have reference book for every Pocket PC owner, May 31, 2000

By	Steve Bush (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

The title says it all, How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC & Handheld PC. It's 600 pages chock full of How To's, Cautions, Notes, and Tips for PDA owners. Heck, the Index alone is 28 pages! It contains something for everyone, from novices to experts. This is definitely a book that can grow with you.

How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC & Handheld PC consists of 20 chapters separated into four parts: Getting Started, Getting Things Done, Going Online, and Customizing Your Pocket PC and Handheld PC. And there are hundreds and hundreds of screen shots to guide you through both simple and complex tasks.

This is not a book you'll find relegated to your bookshelf. Instead, How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC & Handheld PC will assume a prime location on your desk and will help answer your questions every day.

How to Do Everything with Your Pocket PC & Handheld PC is simply a must-have reference book for every Pocket PC owner.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It doesn't tell you everything, January 29, 2001

By	Gadgester "No Time, No Money" (Mother Earth) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

The "How to Do Everything With Your..." series is a rather disappointing marketing gimmick. As with the other volumes, this book does not give you much information beyond the superficial. What irks me the most -- something I didn't realize when I purchased the book -- is that this book covers both Pocket PC and HandheldPC, which means you'll probably only need half of the book while paying for 300 pages of stuff you'll never use.

For the Pocket PC, the book walks you through how to set up your new toy and how to use the major applications: Pocket Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Money, and Pocket Internet Explorer. (Pocket Access and PowerPoint for HandheldPC are also covered.) It was able to answer some of the questions I had had about using the Pocket PC, so it did prove helpful. At the same time, a lot of information is left out. For example, is there an optimal way to adjust the memory settings? The book doesn't tell you. Are there any third-party application switchers that automatically stop an application a la the Palm? The book doesn't tell you.

Another annoying thing about this book is that it was obviously written in a hurry to include Pocket PC features. It might have been a Windows CE book, so you see WinCE references everywhere. As of today there's only one other good Pocket PC book (forget about "Pocket PC for Dummies" and save some money), "Unauthorized Guide to Pocket PC", and I recommend that one over this one.