Updated Software Platform for Pocket PCs

An upgraded software platform for Pocket PC (PPC) and Pocket PC Phone Edition (PPC-PE) devices is now available to manufacturers. Now called Windows Mobile 2003 Software for Pocket PC, the platform provides OS components and applications tailored for Pocket PC devices. The biggest change is native support for the .NET Compact Framework (.NET CF), which will make application development for mobile devices faster and easier. Other changes include a more capable browser and improved networking abilities. New PPC 2003 devices are already shipping from several manufacturers, but upgrades for existing Pocket PPC 2002 devices will be limited to only a few recent models.

With this release, Microsoft has rebranded the software platforms for PPC, PPC-PE, and Smartphone devices under the common name Windows Mobile 2003. All of the platforms are based on components of the Windows CE embedded OS, utility, and application software, with the new devices using the latest release, Windows CE .NET 4.2. Each Windows Mobile platform specifies the processor architecture, system requirements, and standard features that each device must have.