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hpcboy - 2020-10-07 8:35 AM
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segin - 2020-10-07 5:22 PM
...As far as I can tell, Windows CE is mostly useless and the few pieces of software for it are absolute novelties or too old to be effectively useful. ...
I wonder if other "old hands" here may not completely agree on this point.
Most of the tools I've seen are things like pocket dictionaries and the like. The few things that show promise of being useful aren't because the rest of the world has simply moved on from the older protocols. The one true shining gem I saw, PocketDOS, apparently can't even be activated anymore. I'd like to connect to Gmail, to SSH servers, maybe some light remote desktop work, but the email clients apparently don't support new enough TLS versions or ciphering suites, the SSH clients available don't seem appealing
(and StrongARM not being "ARM" yet using the same architecture type code in the PE headers has resulted in frustrations
)
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For one thing, the Handheld PCs were never designed to fully replace the laptops or desktops. It's commonly misunderstood that the HPCs were the predecessors of the UMPCs or Netbooks which are really trying to be miniature full-blown workstations.
I grew up with PalmOS and SymbianOS with Series 60 UI. I understand exactly the niche Windows CE is meant to serve.
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Also it really depends on what you mean by "effectively useful". 3D gaming and high definition video streaming, etc. have never been the true purposes of the CE machines, though.
I wouldn't expect my old Nokia 6620, or Palm Zire to have done these things, I wouldn't expect a Windows CE machine to do it either, although those platforms had a somewhat better selection of emulation software available, and source ports. Alas, I can't even get HPCDoom to run, as it simply crashes as soon as I launch the executable
(I'm gonna guess it's not really ARM but StrongARM/Xscale.
)
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Admittedly, the CE apps are pretty old but many of them are still fully functional and can fulfill lots of daily needs even to this day, e.g. PIM, notetaking, writing, scripting/programming, GPS, simple spreadsheet work, scientific calculations, music. That is, they are doing many jobs that PDAs used to do, but with a decent keyboard, more screen estate, and more expansion slots to suit a variety of peripherals.
Most of the PIM software has aged... poorly, and appears to have a lack of data portability. Pocket Office
(Word/PP/Excel
) is fine
(for content created on-device, I'm not sure how well it'd fare with reading pre-2007 Office files brought over from the Internet.
) I've not messed with the GPS options
(they remind me of old dedicated GPS headend units
), and I've not really seen any good programming tools
(this is where I'd like to be enlightened - I'm trying to get eMbedded Visual C++ 4.0 going in an XP VM as I write this.
) I've got issues with the UIs of the scientific calculators and music players
(they're... bad. And aged poorly.
)
If I can get a handle on Win32 GUI programming, I might make a scientific calculator with a not-atrocious UI
(basically, just stick to the native platform look-and-feel. Pocket Word actually feels good because it doesn't try to impose some gaudy dated theme.
)
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I kinda like the limitations of the CE machines and their programs. They are fast (true instant-on), ultra compact, yet pretty efficient (compare Pocket Word/Textmaker and Office 365), and most importantly very durable (both in terms of product quality and battery duration). There is just a distinct minimalist taste to it, which I find refreshing also as a latecomer to the world of HPCs.
I'm not complaining necessarily about the OS itself
(although StrongARM/Xscale and regular ARM using the same architecture type code in the executable headers leads to a lot of awkward disappointment
)
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Being produced in the same era, I actually find my Jornada much more effective and useful than my array of Toshiba Libretto (slow, heavy, poor battery life).
The CE side might feel a bit better with some better software for it. In the meantime, I'd like to see what I can do to improve Debian on here - Wi-Fi and audio would be my two top priorities.