Windows Mobile 2003 Gets Display Tweaks

Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, an updated version of Microsoft’s Windows CE-based portable device platform, is now available to manufacturers of Pocket PC and Smartphone devices. The new version mainly adds support for more display options, such as the ability to rotate the display to landscape mode or to display at higher pixel resolutions. This update gives Windows Mobile device manufacturers more ability to differentiate their products, but it may create problems for some applications written for a fixed display format.

More Display Options

Previous versions of Windows Mobile supported only a fixed 240 x 320–pixel, 96 dot-per-inch (dpi) portrait display for Pocket PCs, and a fixed 176 x 220–pixel, 96 dpi portrait display for Smartphones. However, OEMs have wanted to take advantage of advances in LCD technology and different form factors. For example, the upcoming Motorola MPx Pocket PC Phone incorporates a clamshell design that can open on either its vertical or horizontal axis. (See the illustration “Innovative Motorola MPx Uses Dual Display Modes“.) Some new phones with built-in “thumb boards” incorporate square screens to keep the devices from being too long.