Pocket PC

What Does Pocket PC Mean?

A Pocket PC (PPC) is a hardware design by Microsoft that is a small-sized handheld device used for computing. The earliest models used the Windows CE operating system, with later models using the Windows Mobile operating system. Despite their small size, Pocket PCs had many of the same functions and abilities of contemporary PCs.

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Techopedia Explains Pocket PC

Microsoft’s Pocket PCs were introduced in 2000, and over the years Microsoft evolved the Pocket PC and released a number of Windows Mobile operating system editions for these devices. The hardware was made by several different manufacturers, but they were required to meet hardware and software specifications in order to be classified as Pocket PCs, including operating system, software and user input controls. Although there were no actual size specifications, Pocket PCs were intended to be used as handheld devices.

In 2007 Microsoft changed their naming scheme for Pocket PCs — gadgets with integrated phones were called Windows Mobile Classics devices, while those with touch screens were referred to as Windows Mobile Professional devices and devices without touch screens were called Windows Mobile Standard devices.

The Pocket PC specification and Windows Mobile were discontinued in 2010 in favor of smartphones running the Windows Phone operating system.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…