Way back when, the king of all computer whizzes envisioned a voice- and pen-enabled handheld that would be the final word in computing on the go. Xerox's Dyna Book was supposed to let you compute more naturally than with a desktop and communicate with the world through your favorite medium (phone, fax, email, paging). It was also supposed to contain an intelligent agent to shag any kind of info you needed. Today the Dyna Book is lost in the mists of time, but Windows CE 2.0 handhelds are the latest devices to take a tilt at the windmill. They aren't Dyna Books, but that's OK. These latest incarnations, called handheld PCs or PC companions, are another step in the right direction.

Because of their various ship dates and space constraints, I'm looking at only two Windows CE 2.0 handheld PCs (HPCs) this time around: Hewlett-Packard's 620LX Palmtop PC and the Casio Cassiopeia A-20. I may take a few more out for spins in coming months. (For an in-depth look at the Windows CE 2.0 operating system, see "Windows CE Part Deux," Windows Chronicles, March 3, 1998.)

Why Use HPCs?

Handheld PCs running Windows CE 2.0 aren't intended to be stand-alone computers. They're more like containers for just that slice of desktop you're likely to need on the road. Weight and size of HPCs are so minimal that they provide unconscious portability. Even the largest fit in a coat pocket or purse.

Handheld PCs are totally inadequate for production work, but they're fine if you want to keep appointments, contact information, and to-do lists on hand. These functions are built into Windows CE along with Microsoft's Pocket Excel, Pocket Word, and Pocket PowerPoint. HPCs also allow email, faxing, and Web browsing using Microsoft Inbox and Pocket Internet Explorer. A few HPCs include built-in fax modems. Other vendors figure you'd rather add a modem via the HPC's sole Type II PC Card slot. Some third-party PC Cards provide paging.

These devices are for salespeople, multinational managers, executives-people for whom rushing from place to place is part of the job description. They need to communicate and analyze budgets, price lists, and meeting notes. HPCs are also for certain types of professionals such as doctors and field engineers who spend most of their time on their feet. Many specialized applications have been developed, and their users account for a good share of the estimated 500,000 Windows CE devices purchased so far.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that these HPCs aren't for me, although I certainly admire several of them and can lose hours playing with any new toy. I never know what I'll be doing tomorrow, so a PIM does me no good. I don't have a schedule. My days are dictated by cruel editorial taskmasters like Editor-in-Chief Robert Luhn. When he says jump, I'm only permitted to ask, "How soon?" I use all the desktop versions of the Windows CE applications regularly, but I'm a worker ant deep in file production, not executive analysis and communication.

Connect the Dots

Since printing, storage, and production work is meant to be done on the desktop, all HPCs come with built-in connectivity via Windows CE Services software. It installs on your Windows 95 desktop. If you want another program on your HPC, it has to be written especially for Windows CE (some 250 have been so far) and installed through your Windows 95 desktop over the serial cable.

Plug in to your desktop using the included cable or docking station, and Windows CE Services will automatically synch your HPC's PIM features with Microsoft Exchange or its successor, Outlook 97. Both programs contend for the honor of being the worst email and PIM utilities ever to emerge from the human mind.

But don't worry; third-party programs like Puma's $70 IntelliSync for Windows CE can synch with other PIMs, such as Lotus Organizer, Symantec Act!, and Net Manage Ecco. A trial version of IntelliSync and LandWare's Virtual Courier Lite for LAN-based email are bundled with the Casio Cassiopeia.

Power for Every Palm

All HPCs share a similar handprint and most of the same applications, but each is unique enough to appeal to slightly different audiences. For example, the folks at Sharp insist that the most salient feature of the $1,000 Mobilon is its $400 PC Card-based digital camera accessory for sending multimedia email.

Meanwhile, the Casio Cassiopeia and Hewlett-Packard 620LX are more mainstream devices. The $899 HP 620LX is one of the high-end HPCs, while the $599 Cassiopeia could appeal to a budget-conscious user.

The first words likely to pop into your head when you open the HP 620LX are "big" and "bright," thanks to its 256-color backlit display. The Windows desktop on this 6 1/2-inch display is as well defined as the 17-inch Windows desktop I'm looking at as I type this. (OK, OK; it has smaller type.) Color, which is new to HPCs, adds depth and texture that really makes a difference in ease of viewing.

The HP 620LX screen is far better defined than the same-sized monochrome display on the Cassiopeia that I have open right next to it. Of course, the Cassiopeia has only four shades of gray. The HP 620LX's monochrome sibling, the $599 360LX, has 16 shades.

Owing to the color display and the lithium-ion battery needed to drive it, the HP 620LX uses more power than the monochrome 360LXand Cassiopeia. The monochrome 360LX units are supposed to get 20 to 25 hours on a pair of alkaline AAs, depending on how you use them. Because of the color display, the HP 620LX lasts only about five hours, although its $119 extended battery F1254A provides eight to 12 hours of continuous use.

Both the Cassiopeia and HP 620LX include a built-in microphone and voice recorder software for note-taking on the go with the unit closed. Press an external button on either model and you're off and talking. This feature is ideal for taking down your thoughts in a taxicab or while walking around a trade show.

The microphones on these systems are designed to screen out background noise and only pick up sounds close by. In my tests, the noise-canceling feature was effective. The speakers are a bit tinny but perfectly adequate.

Casio's Sound-Vega and the Microsoft Voice Recorder software running on the HP 620LX are both extremely intuitive, with a familiar tape recorder interface common to Windows audio applications. A 25-second voice file takes up about 200K, but you can adjust the quality to use less space and record up to 20 hours on 16MB of flash RAM.

In addition to one Type II PC Card slot that can hold 16MB of RAM, both the HP 620LX and the Cassiopeia include a CompactFlash slot where you can add 32MB without filling the PC Card slot. The HP 620LX is unique in its ability to address up to 64MB of memory at one time.

HPC keyboards are tough. They're definitely not for touch typing and aren't that easy to hunt and peck on, either. I like the action of the seemingly smaller Cassiopeia keys better, but the stylus is the tool on an HPC. A single tap with a stylus is a heck of a lot easier than controlling an on-screen cursor with a mouse or, worse, the typical notebook pointer.

The HP 620LX comes with a small, flat AC adapter and a docking cradle that helps you type. The cradle includes a stylus holder, an AC adapter port, and a serial cable port. The HP 620LX snaps in and out of the cradle easily. The Cassiopeia has a similar docking cradle and a rechargeable, NiCAD battery pack that are sold as accessories for $45 each.

Both systems support VGA-out PC Cards so you can run applications like Microsoft's PowerPoint on an external monitor. The $119 Type II card for the HP 620LX supports up to 1024 pixel-by-768 pixel resolution.

In addition to the same single serial port and infrared port as those on the HP 620LX, the Cassiopeia has a tiny jack and cable for connecting to Casio's QV-series digital cameras. They cost $300 to $700.

Windows CE Disadvantages

Windows CE isn't 100 percent compatible with your desktop Windows applications, but problems are fairly inconsequential. You may also encounter another small annoyance during setup: Windows CE likes to use a TCP/IP protocol for its serial-based Direct Cable Connection (go figure). Therefore, it doesn't like you to have more than one dial-up adapter. If you do, there's a good chance setup won't work.

To solve this problem, you can get rid of some of your dial-up adapters in the Win95 Network Services dialog box, but I suggest you call your hardware maker for tech support. HP is especially helpful. It's a toll call, but you'll get cheerful, knowledgeable, prompt support; it's among the best I've encountered. Casio's tech support is prompt, friendly, and toll-free, although not that knowledgeable. Thankfully, you only need to go through this process once.

The Verdict

The HP 620LX is obviously the better-appointed system. Size, weight, and a $300-cheaper price tag are the reasons to buy the Cassiopeia or HP's 360LX. None stack up to a mini notebook right now, but that's where the next generation of Windows CE (called Jupiter) is headed. If they're half the price and have three to 12 times the battery life of minis, Jupiter HPCs may have a shot.

© 1998 Mike Hogan. All rights reserved.

Mike Hogan, whose first PC was a 20-pound Osborne I "portable," has been a business journalist for 20 years and a computer writer for 15 years. The former editor of Computer Merchandising magazine, news editor and columnist for PC World, and senior news editor for PC/Computing, Hogan specializes in portable computing and financial management. He's accepting offers on the Osborne. You can reach him at j72241.1632@juno.com or care of Computer Currents.

Handheld PCs Compared

ModelPriceWeightMemoryDisplayBattery Life HP 620LX$89920.6 oz16MB256 color, 640x2405 hours HP 360LX$59915.6 oz8MB16 gray, 640x24020 hours Cassiopeia$5995.2 oz8MB4 gray, 640x24025 hours

Where to Buy

Cassiopeia A-20
Casio Inc.
888/204-7765
www.casiohpc.com
Street price: $599

HP 620LX Palmtop PC
HP 360LX Palmtop PC
Hewlett-Packard
800/443-1234
www.hp.com/handheld
Street prices: $899, 620LX; $599, 360LX