A new article on Brighthand suggests that Microsoft may have abandoned the Handheld PC operating system and clamshell device design a bit too early.
I agree that the Handheld PCs were flawed as the hardware capabilities and costs were not viable at the time. I also agree that there is a market for these devices… but I don’t necessarily agree that the “Pocket PC” operating system should be redesigned to accomodate handheld PCs that include mini-keyboards.
I own an IBM z50 Handheld PC Pro, and this form of Windows CE was great for it’s time. I believe handheld PCs should retain a Windows-style operating system which is usable through keyboard commands. This is especially important where devices might include different resolution screens or landscape/portrait mode capabilities. Application windows must be resizable. Furthermore, pen-based computing requires a different type of user interface optimized for that type of interaction. If a device includes a keyboard that a user must interact with using TWO HANDS, it is ineffecient to require the user to let go of the keyboard in order to access a pointing device onscreen. This inefficiency is much more frustrating when you have to hold the device as well as interact with it. A convertable device that was able to switch between a two-handed “Handheld PC” style interface and a one-handed pen-based “Palm-Sized PC” style interface would be very advantageous… albeit potentially unecessarily large.
Personally, I prefer the no-keyboard approach for a mobile device as this allows me to hold the device comfortably in the palm of my left hand, while interacting with the device using my right hand. This is what defines the “palm-sized PC” form factor. There are still some ineffeciencies to this design, but it is preferable since I do not have four hands; two to type with, a third to hold the device, and a fourth to use the stylus.
Granted there is less tactile feedback for headless interaction given the pen-style interface, but this is not a headless device.
Perhaps the “Pocket PC” flavor of Windows CE/Mobile should just be dropped for a more highly customizable version of Windows CE/Mobile/.NET/Whatever. A version that can accomodate pen-based palm-sized devices, clamshell keyboard enabled hand-held devices, and thumboard devices through user-defined settings and hardware capabilities.
Originally published on Pocketnow on July 31, 2003. More Thought articles from the Pocketnow archive.