Get
ready to change how you use Pocket PC 2002 because Spb's Pocket Plus
includes four features Microsoft should have included in Pocket PC 2002.
Some features in Pocket Plus have been seen released by other companies
as single programs, but Spb has packed them into one easy to use
interface along with some features that, until now, we could only hope
for.
For the Pocket PC user, having status bars on
the today screen is great as is the ability to put shortcuts to programs
on there. Pocket Plus allows you to do both of these things.
Pocket Plus includes the option to display up to three meters on the
today screen: a battery panel, backlight panel, and memory panel.
The only thing that Pocket Plus does not allow you to control is how
often the battery and memory are checked and refreshed on the today
screen. A power Pocket PC users might find the lack of settings of
the three panels disappointing, though for general users it is not
needed. Pocket Plus also allows for any installed program to have
a shortcut icon on the today screen. The user can select in which
order the items appear as well as where the status panels appear.
The first question out of many new Pocket PC
users mouths is "why does Pocket PC only minimize programs?"
Pocket Plus can change the functionality of the "X" buttons to close
programs instead of minimizing them. This is great, unless you
wish to multitask and want the button to minimize programs some of the
time. But Spb for saw that users might want to do this and have
added extra functionality to the "X" buttons. Tapping and holding
on an "X" produces a small menu of options for the user including
functionality to minimize and close programs, or switch to other
programs. This effectively removes the need from programs like
iTask and gives more control to the user.
Users that
enjoy the multitasking functionality of Pocket PC 2002 are often
disappointed to find the Pocket Internet Explore can only be run once
and not in multiple instances like on desktop computers. Pocket
Plus adds a sixth button to the Pocket Internet Explorer tool bar which
adds not only the ability to open multiple instances of Pocket Internet
Explorer but also to expand the current Pocket Internet Explorer window
to the full screen size. The button also allows for easy switching
between Pocket IE windows by listing the page title. Programs like
iTask display the multiple instances of Pocket IE, but only in Pocket
Plus do you actually get the page titles so you can see what you are
switching to.
Many users have stated their opinions about the lack of
support of repeating alarms sounds in Pocket PC. I actually rarely
use alarms because the sound only plays once. Pocket Plus adds
repeating alarm functionality so that when the alarm goes off, the sound
continues to play until it is shut off. Not only that, but Pocket
Plus allows for repeating alarms to increase in volume or automatically
go off at the maximum volume. No longer will you not hear the
alarm because the sound was turned off.
One of the major problems with the software is because
it is doing functions that should have been built into Pocket PC but
were not, often tasks take slightly longer then expected. For
instance, going to full screen mode in Pocket Internet Explorer takes a
couple sections because Pocket Plus has to remove the title, address,
and task bar and effectively resize the screen, and also has to still be
able to take stylus character input when needed. Similarly, when
you close a program it takes a second for the process to actually be
closed in the machine (all task managers do this), instead of just a
minimization of what is on the screen. Surprisingly, I have not
noticed that Pocket Plus takes much program memory, and actually less
program memory it taken up because my programs actually close instead of
being minimized.
Pocket Plus has effectively replaced two applications I
used daily on my Pocket PC while adding extra features that I use off
and on through the week. The best part is that its price tag, $10,
is comparable to the price of a single program, though I really think of
Pocket PC as four programs in one. Pocket Plus increases the
functionality and usability of Pocket PC 2002 and is a program that
every Pocket PC users should seriously consider purchasing.
Dave's Score - 10.0
This means, this product is the best (in my
opinion). Accept no substitutes. Their might be competitors
that try to beat this product, but no combine everything of this
product. Though you still should consider it for yourself, most
would be happy with this product even if they were unable to try it
prior to purchase.
|
|
