Microsoft's new operating system for mobile devices, Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition, can seem a little confusing-it has some useful new tricks, but not enough that it would compel anyone to upgrade-until you know one important thing: it's not primarily for end users, it's for developers.

The main reason for the release of the new OS isn't to make today's devices run better, but to spur the development of a whole new generation of Pocket PCs and smartphones. With the flexibility that it offers, developers can create devices in a much greater range of styles and sizes, like with the release of the upcoming Motorola MPx. No, you won't have to wait long to see what the new OS can bring.

A survey of the Second Edition's new features makes it clear that they have more potential than actual ability right now. One of the most celebrated is the landscape screen mode, which lets you flip the screen 90 degrees with just the touch of a button. All your applications will then run as usual, except the screen is sideways, horizontal instead of vertical. You might like using your apps better this way, as it gives you more working space. It makes viewing Web pages easier, and may be preferable with some Excel spreadsheets or when viewing stored pictures. We liked it occasionally in our testing, but found that it wasn't comfortable to hold a standard vertical Pocket PC in a horizontal position for long. So while it's of limited use now, it's real value is the additional flexibility it offers those who are designing the next generation of smartphones and Pocket PCs, which can now have different form factors.

You can switch to landscape mode in your Pocket PC's settings, but if it's something you think you'll be doing often, designate one of your handheld's physical buttons to handle the task. It'll save you the bother of looking up the controls and will certainly make landscape mode more useful.


The settings for switching from portrait to landscape mode.

Screen resolution has also been expanded with Windows Mobile 2003 SE. Until now, Pocket PCs have been locked into quarter VGA (QVGA) screens with 240x320 pixel resolutions, a size that's already been overtaken by Palm devices. But the new OS allows for resolutions of 240x240, 240x320, 320x240, 480x480, 480x640, and 640x480 pixels. Future devices can have square, horizontal, or much larger screens. Or they can offer much more content on the same size screens as they have now. Microsoft expects the square resolution to be popular with message-centric devices with thumb-keyboards.

Other improvements make Pocket PCs more useful when browsing the Internet. Under the new OS, Pocket PCs can log into Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) wireless routers. This will come as a relief to people who now have Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) activated on their wireless router, but would rather use WPA for the additional security it brings. WPA is no longer a stumbling block for wireless Pocket PCs.

We're especially fond of the new one column layout in the pocket version of Internet Explorer. Browsing can be a chore on a pocket device, since besides scrolling down the page, you also need to scroll sideways to read wide columns. But you can quickly change that under Windows Mobile 2003 SE. While browsing, select the View menu from the lower left corner, then select Layout and One Column. The page, and all future pages, will be instantly reorganized into a one column layout that exactly fits your Pocket PC's screen. You won't want to use it for every site, since it plays havoc with page layouts, but it makes text-heavy sites much easier to read.


The settings for choosing the one-column view in Internet Explorer.

The new higher screen resolutions mean that text will appear smaller, so Microsoft's developers included a handy way to quickly switch the font size. To access the control, select Settings from the Start Menu, then click the System tab. Click the icon labeled Screen, then choose the Text Size tab. You'll get a slider bar that lets you choose from five different default font sizes, and gives you an instant preview of how the text will display.


The new text size slider bar.

Fans of Short Message Service will appreciate being able to send an SMS directly from the contacts section of Outlook, which saves a few steps. Also, you can now create shortcuts in Transcriber, so that when you write a short section of text, a larger predetermined block of text will actually appear.

Another small timesaver is the addition of a new section under the Start menu, one that displays commonly used applications. It's a convenient way to open your favorite apps.


The new Start menu, with recently used applications.

The first Pocket PCs to take advantage of Windows Mobile 2003 SE are the new devices such as Dell's Axim X30 handhelds, which include three different models (read our review here). The top model sells for a reasonable $349, has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and includes a 624-MHz processor; the middle sells for $249, also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and has a 324-MHz processor; while the least expensive one goes for $199 and has a 324-MHz processor but no wireless capabilities. They all have 240x320 resolutions, so you don't get the advantage of more screen real estate, but they showcase all the other benefits of the new OS nicely.


Axim X30