REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 7, 1997 — What do a computer network analyst, a law enforcement officer, a tax manager and an information technology professional have in common? They all use a Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system-based Handheld PC (H/PC) daily to stay connected to their work and keep in touch with the world. H/PCs entered the marketplace less than a year ago, and since then, more and more of these devices are winding up in the pockets of mobile professionals.
“We are very pleased with the success of Windows CE-based Handheld PCs,”
said Kathryn Hinsch, senior director of Windows CE marketing at Microsoft Corp.
“These easy-to-use devices increase productivity by giving mobile professionals instant access to the information they need most, wherever they may be.”
Thomas Rice, a computer network analyst in Shoreview, Minn., is nearing the end of a cross-country bicycle tour of the United States. Needing lightweight, portable e-mail connectivity on his trip, Rice purchased a Philips Velo 1 H/PC because of its built-in modem. With his H/PC, Rice can communicate with the office, as well as his friends and his family, by sending and receiving e-mail. Rice also uses Pocket Internet Explorer to access Web sites to research travel information en route. Rice spends most of his nights in campgrounds but never worries about finding an electrical outlet because he uses lithium batteries exclusively. When he needs a telephone connection, Rice sweet-talks campground staff into allowing him to use the phone, charging the call to his credit card, of course.
“I can’t think of a more perfect, portable communication tool than my Velo 1 H/PC,”
Rice said.
“I’ve become very dependent on my H/PC, and I’ll definitely take it along on my next cycling tour.”
Recently relocated to Washington, D.C., Gary Hecimovich had just three days to find a new home. Using his Philips Velo 1, Hecimovich, a tax manager with a major accounting firm, was able to quickly connect to the Internet and start house hunting. After browsing the Web and searching for properties that met his criteria, Hecimovich saved the most promising prospects in Pocket Word. As he called each property, he jotted down notes from his calls and kept track of his appointments by filling in meeting times and property addresses on his H/PC.
“Luckily, I had downloaded Microsoft Pocket Streets from the Microsoft Windows CE Web site; an early morning query on the Washington Post Web site netted a promising lead,”
Hecimovich said.
“Thanks to my H/PC, I arrived five minutes before another potential tenant, and because I was there first, the landlord gave the house to me. After signing the lease, I used my H/PC to e-mail my friends and family to let them know the good news – that my wife and I had a new home.”
As an information technology professional in Wilmington, Del., David Flad puts a lot of miles on his HP 320LX palmtop PC. In addition to juggling a variety of support engineer responsibilities, he must keep track of numerous contacts and meeting schedules. Because he’s often on call, Flad just slips the H/PC into his pocket, along with his pager. When he’s paged, Flad often needs to connect to his company’s intranet to diagnose and repair a software problem. With his H/PC and modem in hand, he can connect to his systems and has all the important contact names and phone numbers he needs.
”
My Hewlett-Packard H/PC makes it a breeze to stay organized and productive because
it’s so easy to use,
“Flad said.”
When it’s time for a meeting, planned or unplanned, I just grab my H/PC and go.
“
Running a Naval Law Enforcement Network with over 500 members is no easy task for Alan Peto, a master at arms for the Naval Reserve center in Las Vegas. Peto is the creator of the NAVCOPS Network, the Internet’s first network Web site devoted to the naval law enforcement profession. Peto is also working on a project to standardize H/PC use for naval law enforcement communication in bases worldwide. When he’s away from his office, Peto uses his NEC MobilePro 400 H/PC and modem to stay connected to the network.
“I use my NEC H/PC to communicate with other naval police officers,”
Peto said.
“With my H/PC, I’m able to easily receive their information and make it immediately available to the other officers in the NAVCOPS Network, since it’s crucial they have that tactical law enforcement information. This saves me valuable time and allows me to still get my job done when I’m out in the field.”
These four customer examples demonstrate how people use H/PCs in their day-to-day lives. H/PCs help mobile professionals stay productive by keeping them connected and informed.
The Windows CE operating system is the newest member of the Microsoft Windows family. H/PCs running Windows CE are the best mobile companion devices for Microsoft Windows-based PCs. H/PCs are currently available from eight leading manufacturers: Casio Computer Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Ericsson Business Networks, Hewlett-Packard Co.,
Hitachi Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., NEC Corp. and Philips Electronics North America Corp. Sharp Electronics Corp. has announced plans to introduce a Handheld PC before the end of the year. Windows CE is the Microsoft operating system platform designed for a broad range of communications, embedded, entertainment and mobile computing consumer devices.
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