Pocket PC

A Pocket PC (P/PC, PPC) is a class of personal digital assistant (PDA) that runs the Windows Mobile operating system, which is based on Windows CE/Windows Embedded Compact, and that has some of the abilities of modern desktop PCs. The name was introduced by Microsoft in 2000 as a rebranding of the Palm-size PC category and was marketed until 2008. Some of these devices were smartphones, which were known as Pocket PC Phone Edition. The Windows Smartphone is another Windows CE based platform for non-touch, smaller and non-PDA devices. The HP iPAQ 100 Classic series (models 110 to 116) represented the final stage of manufacturing of pure Pocket PCs, without telephony functions. The release timeline began at the end of 2007 with the iPAQ 110 and 114 models, expanding throughout 2008 with the arrival of models 111, 112, and 116. This line was HP’s last major effort in the market of PDAs based on the Windows Mobile system before the industry's definitive transition to smartphones in the following years. Asus was another company that had its pure Pocket PCs being produced until 2008, the year that marked the end of this category for the brand. The A696, launched in mid-2007, was the last model of the MyPal series, with its trajectory extending into 2008 — including its final official updates being released as early as January of that year — because the company's focus shifted entirely to netbooks (Eee PC). Windows Mobile Classic (formerly Pocket PC): devices without an integrated phone; Windows Mobile Professional (formerly Pocket PC Phone Edition): devices with an integrated phone and a touch screen; Windows Mobile Standard (formerly Smartphone): devices with an integrated phone but without a touch screen. As of 2010, thousands of applications existed for handhelds adhering to the Microsoft Pocket PC specification, many...