Favorite PocketPC applications

December 15, 2004 · Comments

It’s been about 4 months since I sold off my Palm Tungsten T3 and bought a Dell Axim x30 PDA running Windows Mobile 2003. Those who know me call it “my brain.” As in, “take out your brain and see what your schedule looks like next week.” I write *everything* down in this thing. If I was stranded on a desert island (especially if it had power outlets and a Wifi hotspot), this PDA would be what I would want with me.

Learning my way around the PocketPC world has been a bit of trial and error. I’ve installed a lot of demos, and reset the device a few times trying to find just the right mix of software that does what I need it to do without getting in my way. I’m picky. I don’t want to change the way I think or do things, I just need to find software that does it the way I do it otherwise it’ll never become habit.

I think I’ve settled on the software I like, and since I’ve noticed some Googling here on PocketPC search terms, I thought it was time to talk about it…

Here’s my Today screen as of a few minutes ago:

pocketpcscreen.jpg

* [Agenda Fusion](http://www.developerone.com/agendafusion/index.htm). I worked with the built-in PIMs for a while, but I kept running into its limitations. I like to set reminders for tasks to go off at a certain time, and with the built-in Task application you could only set reminders for certain days. That sent me looking at the add-on applications. I downloaded both Agenda Fusion and its leading competitor, [Pocket Informant](http://webis.net/p_pocketinformant.php). After a few days with each, I settled on Agenda Fusion even though Pocket Informant seems to be more popular. It’s similar to the differences between Datebk and Agendus on the Palm OS side. Comes down to personal preference. No one should buy one without trying the demo of the other.
* [PocketBreeze](http://www.sbsh.net/products/pocketbreeze/). By default, the Today (desktop) screen on the PocketPC only shows limited information about tasks and appointments. Pocket Breeze gives much more information up front, and it’s infinitely customizable. 90% of the time, I can get all the information I need without opening Fusion. In addition to Pocket Breeze, I’m also liking [ContactBreeze](http://www.sbsh.net/products/contactbreeze/). Quick access to phone numbers and contact information which I can navigate entirely with the thumb pad.
* [WisBar Advance](http://www.lakeridgesoftware.com/wisbar/index.html) The default Today screen doesn’t include enough information about battery life and disk space. There are plenty of utilities out there to address this, and I tried quite a few of them including [BatteryPack](http://www.omegaone.com/batterypack/default.htm) and [spb PocketPlus](http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/pocketplus/?en) before settling on WisBar. I like WisBar because the information is there but up and out of the way. And you can skin it easily. The screenshot above is using the WMP10 theme from [Juni](http://www.kolumbus.fi/anders.ruohio/wa.html) and there’s even a matching skin for PocketBreeze to give it a unified look.
* [WeatherPanel](http://www.marsware.net/WeatherPanel/main.htm). Tried a bunch of different weather plug-ins, this one is pretty, simple and was the least fussy.
* [Resco Utility Package](http://www.resco-net.com/utilpack.asp). Has a bunch of stuff, but the only things I use are the photo viewer and file explorer. Nicely done.
* And last but not least: [PocketQuicken](http://www.landware.com/pocketquicken/ppc/index.html), [RoboForm for PocketPC](http://www.roboform.com) (for keeping track of passwords & logins in an encrypted file), [eReader](http://www.ereader.com) and the beyond addictive [Bejeweled 2](http://www.astraware.com/ppc/default/bejeweled2/?skucode=0079-446-0167). I have the high score on the “Action” mode, [see](http://www.astraware.com/ppc/featured/bejeweled2/highscores?skucode=0079-446-0167)!

The only application that is missing from this list is an email client. It comes with PocketOutlook (renamed Messaging in later versions) but it’s terrible. It gets the mail, but I would need a separate entry to list all that’s lacking. The only competition seems to be [WebIS Mail](http://webis.net/p_webismail.php) which has more features but is painfully slow and definitely not worth paying for.

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