Count the Ways to Get Connected!

Comm Link

By Chris De Herrera
January 8, 1999

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Windows® CE offers the best-of-class communications capabilities. None of the other PDAs offers all the connectivity options that the PC Companions (the Handheld PCs and Palm-size PCs) do. This article summarizes the different ways that the PC Companions can communicate and provides some links for additional reading. You may be surprised at the myriad of options you have!

All the PC Companions support access to the Internet via modem. This can be accomplished with your desktop ISP (the steps for doing so are outlined in the CommLink article on ISP connectivity). With Palm-size PCs you can read your E-mail, and thanks to ProxiNet's software ProxiWeb for Windows CE you can enjoy optimized web browsing on P/PCs and all H/PCs. It's also exciting to note that H/PCs running the Windows CE H/PC Pro Software have the ability to read and write desktop file formats, including attachments, without conversion to or from the Pocket file format.

ActiveSync™ from Anywhere describes how to synchronize your H/PC with your desktop via modem. This feature also works with the P/PC and H/PC Pro. It allows you to be up-to-date while on the road, at home, or anywhere in between. RAS servers in a corporate environment offer similar connectivity to the modems when calling a corporate network.

Communicating with Beams of Light via Infrared describes how all the PC Companions can share data without using a cable. You can also use Infrared to synchronize with Windows 95 and Windows 98. Windows NT® does not have the drivers required to support Infrared. You can even beam contacts to your Auto PC!

For the fastest and easiest synchronization I recommend Ethernet. Read how to do this in the Palm-size PC and H/PC articles. It enables you to synchronize, check E-mail, and surf the 'Net all at the same time. In a corporate environment, you can access intranet servers as well. Ethernet is available for all PC Companions. You can also learn how to access Windows NT shared drives via the Network Client for the H/PC and H/PC Pro. This is the fastest way to communicate with Windows CE.

As you can see there are many options for connecting your Windows CE PC Companions to your desktop, corporate network, or Internet server. So fow you can keep in touch using the fastest and best methods available, anywhere you are!

If you find an error or can add to in the information provided above, feel free to e-mail me at Chris De Herrera.

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