Inside Windows & .NET Magazine UPDATE—-November 26, 2003

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1. Commentary: Palm vs. Windows CE/Pocket PC, Round Four 2. What's New in the Online Article Archive
June 2003 Issue
- Focus: Tame Your Unruly Network
- Plan It
- Solve It 3. Announcements
- 2004 Date Announced: Windows & .NET Magazine Connections
- Are You Ready to Buy Hardware, Software, Networking Products, and Accessories? 4. What's New in the Latest Issue December 2003 Issue
- Focus: Scripting Solutions for Windows Administrators
- Editorial
- Lab Feature
- Buyer's Guide
- Web-Exclusive Feature 5. Event
- New--Microsoft Security Road Show! 6. Contact Us
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==== 1. Palm vs. Windows CE/Pocket PC, Round Four ==== by Mark Minasi, Senior Contributing Editor, [email protected] For the fourth time, I've purchased a Windows CE device to see whether the Windows CE world is poised to crush my trusty old Palm devices. For the fourth time, I say, "No, it's not," but it's getting closer. A few years ago, I purchased a couple of Windows CE-based Casio palmtops and an early Compaq iPAQ. Unfortunately, the devices ran an OS that looked like squashed Windows on a small screen, chewed up battery power like it was going out of style, lacked a useful software set, and required about 10 times the CPU power of a Palm device to do the same job. So you'd think that I'd have sworn off Windows CE (or Pocket PC 2002, as it's now called to try to escape the bad reputation of past OSs) platforms for good. Which brings us to device number four. I recently found a nifty new productivity tool that combines a phone with a PDA--the Samsung i700. Although the device itself isn't all that exciting, I was intrigued by its ability to retrieve my email through its cell phone link and do so at 1xRTT speeds--144Kbps in theory, about 64Kbps in practice. Even better, Verizon, my cell phone service provider, serves the out-of-the-way rural area that I live in. It sounded like the perfect tool for a traveling guy like me. The only catch is that the device runs Pocket PC 2002. But what the heck, I thought, who cares what OS it runs? After all, I'm just using it as a wireless email appliance that happens to have a cell phone attached. So, I thought I'd just ignore the PDA abilities. (Of course, in the end I couldn't ignore the PDA part: a big bright colorful transflective screen, a 200MHz processor, and 64MB of RAM--take that out and see what it can do.) The first thing I noticed is that the Pocket PC platform has a desktop that's too sprawling to fit on a PDA, even a big PDA. At least I can no longer say that I'm being forced to view Windows through a very small pane. As with other Windows CE/Pocket PC devices I've tested, the memory management is still irritating; believe it or not, when you start a program, the application remains in memory until you either perform a soft reset or you navigate to Windows CE's Control Panel Memory applet, which lets you shut down the program. I'm not joking when I say that most experienced Pocket PC users agree that your best bet with Pocket PC PDA/phone combinations is to do a soft reset every night to keep the system reliable. Sounds a mite too Windows 9x-ish for my taste. I can't remember the last time that I ran out of memory or had to reset my Palm device. Regarding power, the i700 has both a main battery and a piggyback battery that should give you 2 to 3 days worth of work, assuming you don't spend much time on the phone and are careful about shutting off the backlight. In contrast, I've run my Palm Tungsten-T system for about a week without a recharge, and my old Palm 505 once ran 3 weeks without a recharge. Then again, the Palm 505 ran on a 33MHz processor and had only 8MB of RAM, so the comparison might seem unfair--but consider that Pocket PC could never run on that slow of a processor and small amount of RAM. Despite the fast processor, the OS is sluggish compared with the Palm. I found an interesting benchmark of sorts in the Handmark Software implementation of the Monopoly board game, which the company sells for both Palm and Pocket PC platforms. The Palm version runs quite quickly on its 33MHz processor; the Pocket PC version is quite laconic by comparison. Finally, the included synchronization software, ActiveSync, is just as irritating as always, disconnecting your host computer from your PDA at random times even though the PDA is in the cradle and the USB connector is snugly in place. But some Pocket PC features have changed for the better. My first pleasant surprise happened when I wanted to transfer some of my Palm address book to the i700, so I attempted to beam a contact, and it worked. And my earlier complaint about the lack of Pocket PC software no longer applies. Yes, the Palm world still has more software, but Pocket PC is gaining on Palm. And that, in the end analysis, is why I think that Palm might finally find itself losing ground to Pocket PC. Now that third-party innovators have joined the Pocket PC party, anything can happen--inexpensive useful add-ons, lots of freeware, who knows. But until that happens, I'm going to keep carrying my Palm--and the Pocket PC device.

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==== 2. What's New in the Online Article Archive ==== June 2003 Issue
To access this issue of Windows & .NET Magazine, go to the following URL: http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/issues/issueid/647/index.html Focus: Tame Your Unruly Network
Keeping the network running smoothly is the top priority for most administrators. In this issue, you'll find a basic network troubleshooting guide and an in-depth explanation of how to implement redundant network connections. Plan It Fast Forward: The Active Directory Dilemma
Deploying AD is expensive, but organizations that implement AD's advanced features will reap many rewards.
--Mark Smith
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38927/38927.html Lessons Learned: Are Users Getting All They Can from High Screen Resolutions?
Many users are stuck in the twentieth century when it comes to making the best use of high screen resolution.
--David Chernicoff
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38928/38928.html Mobile & Wireless: Going Wireless with Your Mobile Device
Find out how to use a wireless network card to surf the Web, browse for files, locate public APs, and make VoIP calls from your mobile device.
--John D. Ruley
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38929/38929.html Solve It Windows Client: Image-Based Windows XP Deployment
Learn the best techniques for using system images to deploy XP.
--Ed Roth
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38950/38950.html Getting Started with Windows Administration: The Magic of Drive Mapping
Mapped drives let users simply point and click to access network resources and can reduce the number of calls to your Help desk.
--Kathy Ivens
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38952/38952.html Windows Power Tools: Nltest Revisited
This tool is perfect for deleting old SRV records from your domain's DNS zone.
--Mark Minasi
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38954/38954.html Top 10: Scripts and Primers in the Win2K Scripting Guide
The Microsoft Windows 2000 Scripting Guide contains hundreds of useful scripting building blocks.
--Michael Otey
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/38960/38960.html ==== Sponsor: Unipress Software ====
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http://www.unipress.com/footprints/winnet.html ==== 3. Announcements ====
(brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine and its partners) 2004 Date Announced: Windows & .NET Magazine Connections
Windows & .NET Magazine Connections will be held April 4 to 7, 2004, in Las Vegas at the new Hyatt Lake Las Vegas Resort. Be sure to save these dates on your calendar. Early registrants will receive the greatest possible discount. For more information, call 203-268-3204 or 800-505-1201 or go online at
http://www.devconnections.com Are You Ready to Buy Hardware, Software, Networking Products, and Accessories?
Check out the latest offerings on the IT Buyer's Network. Find clearance items and rebates, research products in the solutions library, check out reference guides, and learn about the latest technology seminar. Easily search the most up-to-date products by category and sign up to receive product information from the email newsletter.
http://www.itbuynet.com

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==== Hot Release: MR&D ====
ATTEND A MARK MINASI SEMINAR: Charlotte/Philly/Chi.
Become an Active Directory black belt with Mark's "Running a 2003/2000-based Active Directory" seminar, or develop XP support eXPertise at "XP Professional for Support Professionals." Or just get his FREE networking techie newsletter at
http://www.minasi.com ==== 4. What's New in the Latest Issue ==== December 2003 Issue Focus: Scripting Solutions for Windows Administrators
This month, get scripts to help you streamline IIS administration, remotely update the registries on multiple machines, and set up AD networks without wearisome wizards. Editorial Utility Computing: Myth or Reality?
You can get different ideas about what utility computing is depending on who you talk to. One vision is full of promise.
--Michael Otey
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/40723/40723.html Lab Feature Enterprise Patch Management for Windows
Compare solutions that help you find and deploy the correct security patches for your enterprise.
--Mark Burnett
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/40710/40710.html Buyer's Guide OS Event-Log Monitoring
Event-log monitoring tools help you proactively manage your network.
--Alan Sugano
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/40712/40712.html Web-Exclusive Feature Mobile and Wireless Client Software
Investigate the wide range of products to connect mobile and wireless clients to enterprise networks.
--John D. Ruley
http://www.winnetmag.com/windows/article/articleid/40823/40823.html ==== 5. Event ==== (brought to you by Windows & .NET Magazine) New--Microsoft Security Road Show!
Join industry guru Mark Minasi on this exciting 20-city tour and learn more about tips to secure your Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 network. There is no charge for this event, but space is limited, so register today! Sign up now for our December events.
http://www.winnetmag.com/roadshows/security2003dec ==== Sponsored Links ==== Sybari Software
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==== 6. Contact Us ==== About the newsletter -- [email protected] About technical questions -- http://www.winnetmag.com/forums About product news -- [email protected] About your subscription -- [email protected] About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]

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