{{::windows_ce_hero_2.jpg?400|}} A **handheld personal computer (PC)** is a pocket-sized computer typically built around a clamshell form factor and is significantly smaller than any standard laptop computer, but based on the same principles. It is sometimes referred to as a **palmtop** computer, not to be confused with [[handheld_pc:Palmtop PC]] which was a name used mainly by **Hewlett-Packard**. Most **handheld PCs** use an [[:operating system]] specifically designed for mobile use. Ultra-compact laptops capable of running common **x86-compatible** desktop operating systems are typically classified as [[:subnotebook|subnotebooks]]. The first hand-held device compatible with desktop IBM personal computers of the time was the [[Atari Portfolio]] of 1989. Other early models were the [[Poqet PC]] of 1989 and the Hewlett Packard [[HP 95LX]] of 1991 which run the [[:dos|MS-DOS]] operating system. Other [[:DOS]]-compatible hand-held computers also existed. After 2000 the handheld PC segment practically halted, replaced by other forms, although later communicators such as [[Nokia E90]] can be considered to be of the same class. The name Handheld PC was used by Microsoft from 1996 until the early 2000s to describe a category of small computers having keyboards and running the [[windows:Windows CE]] operating system. ====== Microsoft's Handheld PC standard ====== The **Handheld PC** (with capital "H") or **H/PC** for short was the official name of a hardware design for personal digital assistant (**PDA**) devices running [[windows:Windows CE]]. The intent of [[windows:Windows CE]] was to provide an environment for applications compatible with the Microsoft [[:Windows]] operating system, on processors better suited to low-power operation in a portable device. It provides the appointment calendar functions usual for any PDA. Microsoft was wary of using the term "**PDA**" for the **Handheld PC**. Instead, Microsoft marketed this type of device as a "**PC companion**". To be classed as a [[windows:Windows CE]] **Handheld PC**, the device must: * Run Microsoft's [[windows:Windows CE]] * Be bundled with an application suite only found through an OEM Platform Release and not in [[windows:Windows CE]] itself * Use ROM * Have a screen supporting a resolution of at least 480×240 * Include a keyboard (except tablet models) * Include a PC card slot * Include an infrared (IrDA) port * Provide wired serial and/or Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectivity **HP's** first displays' widths were more than a third larger than that of Microsoft's specification. Soon, all of their competition followed. Examples of Handheld PC devices are the [[NEC MobilePro 900c]], [[HP 320LX]], [[Sharp Telios]], [[HP Jornada 720]], [[IBM WorkPad Z50]], and [[Vadem Clio]]. Also included are tablet computers like the [[Fujitsu PenCentra 130]], and even communicators like the late [[Samsung NEXiO S150]]. In 1998 Microsoft released the **Palm-size PC**, which have smaller screen sizes and lack keyboards compared to **Handheld PC**. **Palm-size PC became [[:Pocket PC]] in 2000.** Due to limited success of **Handheld PC**, Microsoft focused more on the keyboard-less [[:Pocket PC]]. In September 2000, the updated **Handheld PC 2000** was announced which is based on version 3.0 of [[windows:Windows CE]]. Interest in the form factor overall quickly evaporated, and by early 2002 Microsoft were no longer working on **Handheld PC**, with its distinct functionality removed from version 4.0 of [[windows:Windows CE]]. HP and Sharp both discontinued their [[windows:Windows CE]] **H/PCs** in 2002, while **NEC** was **last to leave the market** in **2005**. However, some manufacturers abandoned the format even before Microsoft did, such as **Philips** and **Casio**. ====== Software ====== * [[pocket pc:software]] ====== Games ====== * [[pocket pc:games]]