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OVERALL USER INTERFACE CHANGES

Whenever you install something that wasn't designed to be screen orientation aware, Windows Mobile gives a warning about its possible incompatibility. Many seemed worried about this point, but after installing my usual roundup of applications used previously on my Pocket PC 2002 and Windows Mobile 2003 devices, I found that they still run exceedingly well, and in most cases still run well even in landscape mode (as you'll see further down in this review).

The Today screen in both portrait and landscape mode. You'll note that on the particular Pocket PC I used, Cleartype font smoothing was only running in portrait mode.

The Start Menu in both portrait and landscape mode. As you can see on the left, Microsoft has moved the most recently used programs below the first dividing line, and allowed for their full names to be displayed. As for the landscape view, the traditional icon based most recently used program list is used on top.

The Calendar application was more usable in portrait mode. Having it in landscape mode for the day view seemed to waste space in all the wrong places.

Using Contacts in landscape didn't seem to be beneficial, perhaps my contacts need to get longer names.

Internet Explorer on the Pocket PC has picked up some new features. There are now three ways to view a web page. On the left is the Default view. As you can see, it incurs some side to side scrolling and attempts to shrink the images to fit. The view on the right is called One Column, and in almost all cases shreds the web page into one column so as to avoid side to side scrolling completely.

On the left is the Desktop view, which does not shrink the images and displays the web page much like a desktop PC would, scrolling and all. On the right is Desktop view in landscape mode.

On the left is the Desktop view, which does not shrink the images and displays the web page much like a desktop PC would, scrolling and all. On the right is Desktop view in landscape mode.

Viewing web pages in Desktop view with landscape enabled provides so much more functionality for the Pocket PC. For the first time, I can quickly navigate full web sites that are not ordinarily PDA friendly.

The Programs menu adapts quickly to landscape orientation.

The Programs menu adapts quickly to landscape orientation.

Pocket Inbox has been renamed to Messaging in Windows Mobile 2003: SE. Using Messaging in landscape mode allows the user to see the full subject and sender line.

Pocket Inbox has been renamed to Messaging in Windows Mobile 2003: SE. Using Messaging in landscape mode allows the user to see the full subject and sender line.

Keeping consistent with the changes to Messaging, Activesync email is now being called Outlook E-mail.

The spinning dial used to note when the Pocket PC is busy has been replaced with a higher quality version. The colors are more vivid and it spins much more smoothly.

In landscape mode, with the keyboard up, there is very little room to spare in some programs.

Terminal Services is a joy to use in landscape. It's much easier to work with a remote PC when the client is in the same orientation.

The Start Menu of the remote PC is more accessible than ever.

One glitch, however, is when switching from landscape to portrait once already connected to a remote PC. Although the window changes orientation, the session is left in landscape. This is probably a limitation of the remote desktop protocols in Windows XP, it probably establishes a screen resolution from the beginning of the session and does not allow change.

For those concerned about incompatibility issues, the Belkin GPS Navigation System software switches beautifully to and from landscape orientation on the fly.

For those concerned about incompatibility issues, the Belkin GPS Navigation System software switches beautifully to and from landscape orientation on the fly.

Both AOL Instant Messenger (top) and Laridian's PocketBible (bottom) handle themselves nicely in landscape mode. That is surprising considering the version of Instant Messenger I'm using was originally designed for the original release of Pocket PC (2000).

After a bit of re-arranging on screen, Windows Media Player does just fine in the new orientation.

In Windows Mobile 2003: SE, Transcriber has been updated. There is now a toolbar on the bottom of the screen which allows the user to select which direction they will be writing from, a button for training, a mini-keyboard (with symbols and numbers), and common keystrokes like return, space & arrow keys.

Pictures is still included with new Pocket PCs, and it makes photo viewing much easier when in landscape.

Windows Mobile 2003: SE supports higher processor speeds. The unit tested was running at 624 Mhz.

Something I found very useful was the ability to assign the <Rotate Screen> command to a hardware button. I replaced the Dell Axim Home button, and haven't looked back.

Microsoft has included two Today themes compatible with various resolutions and orientations, Windows Default (shown above) and Bliss.

Microsoft has included two Today themes compatible with various resolutions and orientations, Windows Default (shown above) and Bliss.

Older Today Themes display correctly in portrait mode, but don't look quite right when switched to landscape.

Users may appreciate the updated icon set found in this release of Windows Mobile.

FINAL THOUGHTS