5 ways I'm more productive with my mobile device

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Every time I pick up my new Windows Mobile powered device (mine's a Pocket PC), I am reminded how far technology has come in the past few years. With what I do, it's important to have constant access to my e-mail accounts, along with the ability to read and edit files on the go. With my Windows Mobile powered device, I can do all that and more, allowing me to work from anywhere.

But it's never all work and no play with a Windows Mobile powered device. I can send text messages to friends, download and view media, and send the media files by e-mail. I can also surf the Web for directions to a hotel or airport, make reservations for dinner, or check on a flight time.

In this article I'll share how I use my device to help you find new ways to use yours. In addition, find more tips and tricks for your Windows Mobile powered device.

On This Page

	Access e-mail
	Create and edit documents
	Keep Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar up-to-date
	Use the Web for work and play
	Travel better

Access e-mail

I use my Pocket PC to send and receive personal and work e-mail to get thing done as if I'm always in my office. People on the other end don't see any difference in how quickly I respond, and I can send and receive attachments. I don't have to wonder what I'm missing at the office, and can respond to e-mail no matter where I am. Learn more about sending e-mail on your Smartphone or Pocket PC Phone.

With my Pocket PC, I access all of my personal POP3 e-mail accounts (such as Comcast, Time Warner, AOL, PeoplePC, etc.) just by tapping once on the e-mail icon with the stylus, or pressing the button on the side of the device that I've associated with e-mail. I also have access to my Hotmail account, which I view from the MSN Messenger icon on the device's Today screen. Writing back is easy too, especially if you have a device with a pull-out keyboard like the one I have.

With the latest devices and software, you can configure "push" e-mail, too. Push e-mail sends e-mail to your device almost the instant it is received on the e-mail server, instead of configuring the mobile device to get e-mail at intervals, which slows down the retrieval process. (To get push e-mail, you'll need Windows Mobile 5 and the Messaging and Security Feature Pack installed on the device.)

Before you run out to buy a device, though, especially if you plan to use it at work, ask your network administrator what device or type of device he or she suggests. You'll want to make sure the device is compatible with the technologies on your company's network. If you plan to use it for your personal e-mail, any Windows Mobile powered device that fits your budget will do.)

Tip: Work through this wizard to help set up your e-mail on your Windows Mobile powered device.

Create and edit documents

With the mobile versions of Word and Excel, I open attachments that contain these file types and edit them. For instance, I often save Word files I've gotten as e-mail attachments to my Pocket PC's storage card. I can edit the Word documents while I'm in a waiting room or taxi, or just when I have free time. I also use Word Mobile to create outlines for presentations or meetings, and to jot down ideas for speaking engagements.

With Excel Mobile, I've added last-minute data changes to files and sent them by e-mail to the boss from wherever I am. I also use Excel Mobile to keep track of expenses for the expense reports I need to make when I get back to the office. PowerPoint Mobile only lets you view presentations, so I use it to review others' presentations for clarity or to make suggestions. I've also been known to practice a PowerPoint presentation out loud in a hallway before a meeting.

Keep Contacts, Tasks, and Calendar up-to-date

I work a lot when I'm out of the office—be it in meetings, at a conference, or just on the road. I collect tasks, meet new people, and set up meetings. When I get back to the office, I can synchronize what's on my Pocket PC with my computer so that my information is the same everywhere. For example, when I create a new contact on my Pocket PC mobile phone, I want that contact to be added to Contacts on my PC when I get back into the office. The same is true of my Tasks list and Calendar. I use ActiveSync to keep my Pocket PC and my desktop PC on the same page. Learn more about how to sync up with your desktop.

Use the Web for work and play

There are several ways you can incorporate a Mobile Windows powered device into your own life. When I'm working on a writing project, for example, I go online to validate and add a hyperlink to an article.

When I'm consulting, I use the Internet to access knowledge bases to troubleshoot a problem while on site, which is quite helpful if the problem I'm working on involves not being able to get online. Sometimes, I use the Internet access to download a user guide or schematic.

I don't only work with my Windows Mobile powered device, though. I love movies, and I use my Pocket PC's Internet access to view movie trailers in Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, and to locate movie theaters and show times. It doesn't matter what city I'm in, either—I can always get directions online, make a phone call to the local theater, and even buy tickets in advance.

Tip: With Windows Mobile, you can set preferences on your Today screen that contain links to the items you use most often. If you do a lot of surfing or instant messaging, you'll certainly want to add access to Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger to it. Learn how to get the most from your Today screen.

Travel better

Last summer I spent two weeks away from home, on vacation, with nothing but my Pocket PC and peripherals. I was able to work and find movies no matter where I was, but traveling better with Windows Mobile goes much farther than that.

Here are just a few things that I did while on the road:

•	Used the Pocket PC's alarm clock
•	Made notes in Tasks
•	Verified a flight time
•	Used my GPS software (optional) to locate the airport
•	Played a game of Solitaire
•	Answered e-mail
•	Listened to music
•	Watched a video
•	Checked local weather and traffic
•	Made a phone call home

A Windows Mobile powered device can transform how you work and play away from the desk or away from home.

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Joli Ballew Joli Ballew is a technology trainer and writer in the Dallas area. She holds several certifications including MCSE, A+, and MCDST. In addition to writing, she teaches computer classes at the local junior college, and works as a network administrator and Web designer for North Texas Graphics. Joli has almost 20 books available, including Degunking Windows (voted best computer book of the year by the Independent Publishers Book Awards in 2005), Degunking Your PC, Degunking Your Mac, and Degunking Your Mac Tiger Edition (Paraglyph Press), Hardcore Windows XP (McGraw-Hill), and Windows XP: Do Amazing Things (Microsoft Press). Joli also writes for Microsoft's Windows XP Expert Zone, is a Microsoft blogger, and has written a textbook for Microsoft's MCDST certification. In her free time, Joli enjoys golfing, yard work, and teaching her cat, Nikko, new tricks.