What is a Pocket PC?

Most people are familiar with the term "PDA" which was popularized when the original Palm Pilot brought these handheld, pen-based devices into the public eye in the late 1990s. Microsoft decided to enter the market in 2000 with a "pocket version" of the Windows operating system. The number of hardware manufacturers building devices with the Microsoft Pocket PC operating system grew, as did Microsoft's market share such that today Pocket PCs are the market leading PDA. The term "Pocket PC" is unique to PDAs with the Microsoft operating system.

Pocket PCs are very advanced organizers, and function extremely well as extensions of the MS Outlook software running on your desktop PC (they also keep all Outlook data on the Pocket PC in sync with the desktop version of Outlook). However, Pocket PCs are proper computers which are very programmable and can run all sorts of sophisticated software (like Symbility mobile claims™).

Pocket PCs are generally small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (about 3" x 5" x .5") and weigh about 4-6oz. Despite different designs and horsepower, all Pocket PCs share the following characteristics:

• Touch-sensitive, brilliant color screens (use with a small stylus or any pointed object like a pen cap)

• Screens can be read in direct sunlight

• Batteries last 4 to 8 hours

• Expandable via wireless adapters, memory cards, etc.

• Contain no moving parts like volatile hard-drives

• Instantly power on—no boot-up time

• Can record voice notes like a Dictaphone—dedicated button on the side to start/stop recording

• Typically cost $300 to $800

Many Pocket PCs have built-in wireless capabilities, either WiFi (802.11b) or Bluetooth® (or both). Most Pocket PCs have a 3.5" display (measured diagonally) with a resolution of 240 pixels across by 320 pixels high. Recently, some devices have entered the market with slightly smaller, square screens (240 pixels by 240 pixels). While it's technically possible to run mobile claims on devices with these screens, it is not recommended as there's simply not enough screen real estate to use the software efficiently.

Some Pocket PCs are available with built-in cellphones. While the integration means carrying only one device instead of two, the real benefit is having a built-in wide-area wireless capability, allowing you to connect to the Internet and send/receive email wherever you have a cellphone signal. You can achieve the same thing by connecting to a cellphone via Bluetooth, but it's very convenient to have it integrated.

To learn more about Pocket PCs, visit: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/default.mspx. To see the minimum requirements necessary to use the system, click here.

The same mobile claims software that runs on larger Tablet PCs also runs on Pocket PCs. The only difference is a smaller screen size and minor interface changes to accommodate for the smaller screen. However, the functionality is the identical, so it's a full property claims estimating and processing system, not just a subset of the full software.