Strong Arm Win CE.Net 4.1 software

All,

My Intermec 6651 fried after spilling salad dressing all over it.....don't ask! It was traumatic event. I loved that damn thing.

Anyway, I received a Neta 980 for Christmas. See http://store.futurecomglobal.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=A30-NET980-TBLT-703&Category_Code=

It has a SA processor and the OS is CE 4.1. As you can see from the link, it comes with quite a few apps, but...

The only software I've been able to load on it is Mobipocket. Nothing else works.

I've done a cursory search of the Internet and it looks like there isn't a whole bunch of CE.Net apps out there. Can anyone tell me where I can find some - games, utilities, etc.?

I've had some programs load via ActiveSynce but when I've tried to run them on the device have had errors. Mostly missing libraries. I see from MSFT's site that there are dev kits...how hard would it be to port these apps?

Thanks.

Dude, I'm asking. What happened?! Hahah don't worry, no matter how much we all like these devices, we all seem to screw up sooner or later...like I enjoyed my pizza so much that I put my 720 in my lap, when I got up it flew to the floor, a cement one I may add. So my screen needs to be tightened with a torx screwdriver I will have to get, but my wallet was stolen so I don't have the money for it....

There is a thread about software for CE 4 somewhere around this forum...

Bobtah...

How are you trying to load the software? Are you using the normal installer that comes with the program? If so, try installing the cab files directly, and when you get the error that says "this software may not run correctly on this device," just ignore it and continue.

Obviously you would look for ARM software. And besides the HPC software you would find for a Jornada 720, with your screen size you may find a lot of pocketpc software might run as well.

A bunch of software won't install on my Mobilepro 900C because it was developed after the developer's kits came out...hence my device is not recognized...but a manual install of a cab file resolves the problem and I find it runs without error.

Rich
WWW.Diverseinfo.com
NEC Mobilepro 900C Compatibility Site

Looking for apps as well for the Mobinote.

So far the following apps seem to work fine:
- ptab spreadsheet
- ozi explorer (handheld version)
- resco picture viewer
- PHM registry editor
- PocketMVP

HEnk

bobtah: hehe ... my butter fingers once let my MP790 fly straight to the ground too! And in that few seconds, everything seemed slo-mo ... and I had to see it slip from my hand ... onto the floor ... fortunately it survived!!

PS: err ... your wallet got stolen ... and you dun have money? you keeping that $200k in your wallet all that time?? Man, in some parts of the world, its safer to keep $$ in banks! ... hehehe

yeah. i see food is the arch enemy of hpcs... watch out for it folks...

Well, whenever I use tiny computer equipment that is hard to clean, (without breaking it that is...yea my cellphone still turns on everyone! ) I always wash my hands first...I just dropped it because it was on my lap, and naturally, like I thought I would, I stood up and my 720 went flying. ..Its fine now, as a simple eye-glass repair-sized flathead screwdriver tightened those hex screws (ha!) underneath the screen with only minor stipping...

-I on;ly had $40 in there at the time...but I liked that wallet...

I also have a neta 985. There are a set of Fake DLLs you can load that will allow you to run many more apps. The big problem is that CE.NET 4.1 isn't really made for installing apps, but for building the entire O/S with Platform Builder. If you need more info email me at bsiegler@maitek.com.

Still working on getting Bluetooth to work so I connect to my home computer via GPRS (my cel phone).

Ben

It may be worth a few lines in an email to the OEM to ask after a CE4.2 upgrade path - it would be highly dubious if they were creating devices still with 4.1 as standard, they should have received the 4.2 updates and started selling based on that.

You never know they may be able to offer you a 4.2 image, which will open up the software compatibility extensivly (for the CE4 core anyway). Also will provide BT support.

Interesting thing you're saying. In what way 4.2 is more compatible than 4.1? You're not referring to AYGSHELL.DLL, are you?

CE.NET 4.2's user interface is based on AYGSHELL.DLL as it is on pocketpc, true. The library coming with CE.NET 4.2, however, is not really compatible to the pocketpc version. From my experience you get more pocketpc applications up and running with using a dummy AYGSHELL. Bad luck you cannot replace 4.2's AYGSHELL with a dummy library - your user interface would be rendered unusable.

As for 4.1's compatibility: Didn't find any application yet which would run on a Jornada 7xx but doesn't work on ARM or XSCALE based 4.1 devices. At least if you have MFCCE300.DLL and OLECE300.DLL at hand.
Installation quite often is a mess, true. Taking the .CAB file to your 4.1 device is one way of avoiding trouble. On the other hand if you want to keep your centralized software deployment and administration provided by ActiveSync you might take a look at ActiveSync's registry settings on your desktop machine. In "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows CE Services\ AppMgr\ Apps\" you find a key group for every application setup. The interesting key for 4.x users is called "Data_" plus the .CAB file's name. It's a 16 byte key with the first 8 byte defining the minimum os version of supported handhelds and the second 8 byte setting the maximum os version. Quite often you find a "03 00 00 00 63 00 00 00" here stating support for CE versions up to 3.99. Change that to e.g. "07 00 00 00 00 00 00 00" and you won't have trouble with new devices for the next few years .

Juergen

Edited by Juergen 2005-05-12 4:36 AM

No I'm not referring to hacked DLL's here.
4.2 is the broadest one of the three CE .net platforms. It has the largest developer group and also the best support. With .net framework, compatiblity with the latest visual studio and so on. It has a different driver model - for which more drivers are written by OEM's than for 4.0 or 4.1.

Microsoft didn't really get CE4 right until they released 4.2, and it's overall appeal extends into the base of the Windows Mobile 2003/SE platform.

Depending on your needs the updated browser, broader hardware base support - BT included and a larger - but not necessarily extencive native software base would make it worth while.

Sounds like good news indeed! Thanks for your insight

Till now I didn't see too many new applications although .NET concept did sound promising from begin on. Most .NET titles I've tried on CE.NET 4.2 didn't work, developers seemed to concentrate their work on Windows Mobile 2003/SE. I got one or two of them to compile a version of their program that runs on CE.NET 4.2, too. Gladly they did a good job with compilers, their applications work on my CE.NET 4.1 devices, too (of course only a fter installing .NET compact framework). If this gets more common, it's more than welcome. As is the increasing number of developers you mentioned. For quite some time now I was honestly thinking about learning Japanese only to be able to use the tons of software those guys build for their beloved CE.NET 4.1 Sigmarion.

Lucky as I am all my peripheral's drivers are working on CE.NET 4.2 as well as on 4.1. Haven't bought new stuff during the last few months, though, but it's good to know manufacturers take efforts to strengthen their support of Windows CE and not only Windows Mobile.

Best regards,
Juergen

now that's really good news. you could get some developer to compile for hpcs? no small achievement!

wow, thanks for the information. i was already suspecting that this aygshell is already actively in use. thus preventing me from using hacked ppc applications. i guess i'll have to hexedit the ppc apps for aygshell, right?

so, :Amie, i'm not sure if you were right about more compatibility ...
.net cf is great for sure but the only application i sometimes use with it (on hpc2000 at least), would not run properly.
hmm maybe time to try wordnetce again?

"BT included"? ok, tell me what driver is needed for socket bluetooth