After nearly four years, and a number of service packs. SoftMaker are preparing to go back to their roots and have another look at the product which made their name, TextMaker 2002 (v1.0).
SoftMaker have stormed onto the mobile device scene, to become one of the most acclaimed and respected developers in the mobile device world. Their programs, released for a broad market include Windows, Linux and Unix on the PC, as well as the Windows CE, Handheld PC and Pocket PC and Linux from the PDA world have opened new markets and allowed users to discover new functionality from their hardware investments.

Now in 2005, TextMaker is about to be overhauled to TextMaker 2005, and we are pleased to exclusively report that the Handheld PC will be included in the new release bill. Support for the Handheld PC will be cut back to include StrongARM and XScale processors only, with MIPS support being dropped, and the new release following PlanMaker in not including SHx versions. Details of why MIPS support is now to be dropped are sketchy, though HPC:Factor has been told by SoftMaker that is it due to compiler problems, similar to those explaining the loss of SHx under the PlanMaker release. The CPU support only affects the H/PC community, and be felt predominantly by NEC users, with the Pocket PC platform maintaining both SH3, MIPS VR4000 support.
Despite the loss of support for the MIPS architecture, the ARM release will be available to any device with a compatible processor, meaning that Windows CE 2.10 through to Windows CE 5.0 will be supported during the forthcoming beta and subsequent release.

SoftMaker, never being one to rest on their laurels also have further plans to expand their Office Productivity range with a new PowerPoint replacement in the pipeline. SoftMaker told us that the new program would be a "clone of PowerPoint 2003", and with that we can infer that the new program will maintain the same SoftMaker standards and portable device innovation... but they aren't quite ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet.
Having been cast in to a not so prominent second place by the vision of SoftMaker, it is easy to why Microsoft are trying to fight back with their own, broader Windows Mobile 5.0 office release... but does Microsoft stand a chance at providing competition by being so restrictive?
Only time will see an answer to that question.

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