Microsoft's Pocket PC Gets A New Look

New handhelds running Microsoft's Pocket PC 2002 operating system offer improved security, support for virtual private networks, and a terminal services client for remote access to business applications. The fourth version of Windows CE for handhelds, unveiled last week, also includes pop-up notifications of arriving E-mail messages, transferred files, and scheduled meetings. The devices, available from Casio, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and other vendors, are mostly priced between $500 and $600 and run on Intel StrongArm processors.

Microsoft is investing in software for PDAs, cell phones, and upcoming Tablet PCs, CEO Steve Ballmer says. Each "needs to be a general-purpose device," he says.

Bechtel Corp., the world's largest engineering and construction company, is considering a U.S. pilot rollout of Pocket PC 2002 devices. If Bechtel becomes an early adopter, it will likely develop custom applications to deliver survey data, maps, and engineering specifications to job sites.