Hello,
im recently looking into pocket PC's, and id like to be able to use GIMP and Inkscape and such on it if at all possible, though i realize the small screen might make it intersting to use, so wondering if these happen to work on pocket pc's as that would be really nice... if not, know of versions of these apps that do or is that possible?
thanks - jason
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Windows Mobile is not Windows. Pocket PC is not a PC. It's just a confusing name designed to make you think they are.
It's an entirely different operating system on an entirely different platform. Trying to run a Windows app on Windows Mobile is like trying to run a Mac OS app on Windows.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Like trying to run Windows apps on Linux.
Wait, a second...
Seriously though, someone tried to make a Windows emulator for Windows Mobile.
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Ryan McCue
Cube Games
People who didn't need people needed people around to know that they were
the kind of people who didn't need people.
(Maskerade)
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
Before you run out and buy a Pocket PC, make sure you know what you're getting. It's a PDA. If you get a device that only runs Pocket PC, and it's any bigger than a cell phone, you're wasting your money. There is no GIMP for PPC. No PPC device has that much RAM to run it even if you did compile it for that architecture.
For that matter, processors that fit in a cell phone don't get much faster than the Intel XScale 533mhz in mine. The architecture isn't even x86, it's ARM. And then PocketPC has almost no API compatibility with Win32. Some very simple Java applets/applications have been written to comform to certain JVMs that run on a PocketPC, but if you ask me the whole platform is a waste of time and money - you're better off getting an ultra-portable laptop.
So basicly, the PortableApps (which i am currently installing onto my 1gb usb key) wont run on a PDA running "Pocket PC V4.20 (build14133)"? Is there a bundle available anywhere that will turn my pocket PC, into something quicker and more useful? I got it because it was cheap (as you do) and it had a built in GPS/SatNav receiver. Its good at the simple stuff but i cant find much for it in the way of browsers, email client, contract/address books etc. I know this might be a little off topic but it does kinda follow on from the previous post. Thanks for any help. PJ
It isn't just portable apps that don't work on it... it's all Windows apps. Only Pocket PC apps work on Pocket PCs. Of course, Microsoft calls it Windows Mobile (as if it has ANYTHING to do with Windows other than the way it looks and who makes it) and makes apps with the same names available on it. I'm amazed how many people they confuse into thinking their phone runs Windows and they can run their regular apps on it with this approach.
Either way, you're better off asking this question on a Windows Mobile site as that's not what this site is about.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
(as I have heard) Windows Mobile uses different code in the system and for the GUI.
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Ryan McCue
Santa: Ho Ho Ho!
Kim: Yes, thank you Santa, I am.
(Kath and Kim)
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
that's pretty true, although with the support it has for .NET 1.0, 1.1 & 2.0 (although a subset) most people don't have too much to worry about. If anyone has any more Windows Mobile questions I'll give it a go answering as I do seem to own one
Yours
Steve Lamerton
How can you "seem" to own one? You either do or you don't.
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Ryan McCue
Santa: Ho Ho Ho!
Kim: Yes, thank you Santa, I am.
(Kath and Kim)
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
I do.
Yours
Steve Lamerton
Now that we have that clarified, let's move on to other issues
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Ryan McCue
Person 1: Oh my god. You will never believe what just happened.
Person 2: What?
Person 1: I can't remember, I've forgotten.
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
can we stay away from your issues?
Yours
Steve Lamerton
Not. Funny.
*stares at Steve*
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Ryan McCue
Person 1: Oh my god. You will never believe what just happened.
Person 2: What?
Person 1: I can't remember, I've forgotten.
"If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate."
Just bought one (before reading this post!) and was looking for a source of free and open source apps. Do you know of one, Steve?
Perhaps you should reply in email at hook(at)freeit.net as it really is off topic here.
I'm so disappointed that I can't run my beloved PortableApps on my device. Duped again by Microsoft.
DrHook
there are practically no opensource Pocket PC apps out there, but I usually use www.pocketpcfreeware.com for free stuff and www.handango.com for bought stuff.
Yours
Steve Lamerton
My Blog
Some of these are free, others not, but together they'll make your pocket pc into a much more useful tool.
Magic Button - Pocket PC Task Manager. A freeware app whose primary job (one which I consider essential) is to turn the Windows Mobile "close" button into an actual close button. For some reason, MS thought that making it a "Smart Minimize" button would make more sense, and so every task you run between soft resets just keeps running in the background, taking up precious program memory without actually benefiting you in any way. Magic Button fixes this incredibly stupid flaw. It also adds taskbar icons for your running programs, and an optional battery meter across the top of the screen. At 71kb, I can't see not adding this one.
Resco Explorer 2005 for Pocket PC. $25. Replaces the stupid, understrength File Explorer with something that is much more like using a full-featured Windows File Explorer. Also adds a recycle bin option, and there is a plugin to add excellent ftp functionality. I'd also recommend the $20 Resco Audio Recorder for Pocket PC, which lets you record mp3s, instead of whatever it is that the normal notes program records in. Not critical to an effective pda, but useful.
Pocket Informant 2007. $25. PIM that is superior in every way to the default PIM in Windows Mobile. Combines Notes, Tasks, Calendar, and Contacts into one app. Biggest drawback (other than price) is probably just that there are too many options, and some useful ones probably go unnoticed and unused because you never even know they exist.
I've also found the need for a better audio player than Windows Media Player, primarily because WMP doesn't have a bookmark function for listening to audiobooks (though I originally went looking because on my old ppc, which like yours had WM 2003, WMP didn't have hardware controls). Conduits Pocket Player is fairly good. $20.
Other useful apps include (the following are all free):
Adobe Reader for Pocket PC
Agile Mobile - AIM®, Yahoo!®, MSN®, ICQ®, GoogleTalk® and XMPP Instant Messaging Software for Mobile Phones
Minimo - Mozilla browser for Windows Mobile
RealPlayer for mobile devices - Real.com
The Core Pocket Media Player (TCPMP). Plays divx, xvid, and mpeg video files, among others (though not real media files, which is why I added RealPlayer). It seems to conflict with something on my pocket pc (the screen goes white when I close the app), so you may need to find TCPMP's predecessor, called Beta Player (I don't have a link at the moment, sorry), but that one works fine.