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Is that Windows in there?
Actually, it is. And all jokes aside, I haven't seen any blue screens or had any virus land in Pocket Inbox for
them to send spam to all of my contacts yet, but I've had a couple of fun errors arise while using the device. Using Windows CE 3.0 as its core,
Smartphone 2002 will, for those who have used a Pocket PC 2002 device appear very familiar, and the main part of what has changed is the way
one moves around and inputs data. Obviously, not having touch screen capabilities has led to some compromises - some of which are good, and
some of which are bad.
 | Dialing a
number is just a matter of typing and pressing 'Send', just like on any other phone
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Also like a Pocket PC,
Smartphone 2002 is centered around the Pocket Outlook PIM suite, which consists of Pocket Calendar, Pocket Inbox and Pocket Tasks (text
notes apparently don't get synchronized, but voice notes do). The primary function of Smartphone 2002 is however not to process data while on
the road, but to access it and be able to respond should something important come up. Through ActiveSync 3.6, Smartphone 2002 synchronizes
with Microsoft Outlook on the desktop just as any Pocket PC does, with the same speed and the same amount of data transferred. For Microsoft
Exchange users, the big advantage will (as with PPCPE devices) be the ability to connect and synchronize information wirelessly with an
Exchange server running the Mobile Information Server extension.
Moving about
The Home screen of the device is the equivalent of
the Today screen on a device, and is highly customizable since it's made up of an XML document and plug-ins in its entirety. In fact, I'll go as far
as saying Microsoft has improved on its most brilliant concept: the ability to draw information from all sorts of applications and gather it all in one
single overview is a feat no other company has managed to mimic (probably because it's patented to death).
 | Like Pocket PC Phone Edition devices, the Orange SPV can synchronize with a
Mobile Information Server
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Two things are always present when navigating the OS, the first of which is
the taskbar providing information about battery status, signal reception and whether or not GPRS is available and/or a connection of any kind -
voice or data - is active. Also, it supports a notification well like Pocket PC 2002, which allows applications to deliver notifications through it - for
instance, a notification icon will show up if you've got a new SMS, MMS (3rd party feature courtesy of EZOS, pre-installed on the SPV) or e-mail,
or if someone's trying to reach you through MSN Messenger. The second thing always present is the soft key area, where the choices the left
and right soft keys render are displayed - commonly used by applications to let users gain quick access to menus that allow them to perform
various functions.
To move around the list of applications available on the device, users go to the Home screen and select Programs through
using the left soft key. This takes them to a list that can be navigated not only by means of the directional pad, but also through an ingenious
little feature that places a number left of each entry. Just press the corresponding number on the keypad, and you're getting from A to B with a
minimum of key presses - a very efficient way of moving around. Combined with the option to place shortcuts to your favorite applications on the
Home screen, it's actually the best solution I've seen in a while for moving around a phone.
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