Windows CE

[stephanhodges]

Does Pleco run on Windows CE devices? I sometimes see Windows CE mixed in with Windows Mobile by some people but other places seem to indicate they are different. (I don't really know).

If different and it does work, then what versions, etc?

The reason I ask is that there are a couple netbooks that can run Windows CE. For example: http://www.gizmag.com/always-innovating ... ook/11824/ lists a new notebook that can run it. And, you can stick it up on the refrigerator!

I didn't see any other discussions of this style of hardware, but didn't look too long before posting.

Thanks for any help.

 

[mikelove]

Unfortunately no, the APIs are a bit different (Windows CE is missing many of the APIs from Windows Mobile) so Windows Mobile software won't seamlessly work on CE. We could certainly develop a CE-compatible version of Pleco, but it would be difficult due to the lack of hardware (or even software library) standardization between them - you wouldn't be able to install Pleco on any "Windows CE" device like you can with WM, you'd have to choose from a list of particular devices we'd developed versions of Pleco for. It'd be a bit like releasing a version of Pleco "for Linux" - do we mean mobile phone Linux or desktop Linux, Qt or GTK, etc.

A more practical use for a Windows CE version of Pleco might be with some sort of dedicated hardware device - not something we're planning in the immediate future, but it would certainly be possible for us to come with a ROM-based version of Pleco to run on a Windows CE reference hardware design (easily sourceable from a number of different Mainland/HK/Taiwan-based companies); our equivalent of the Besta-type devices people use now.

(happy birthday, BTW)

 

[stephanhodges]

Thanks for the clarifications and well wishes. I asked this question after reviewing your product requirements page. Also, I looked at other web sites talking about the "differences", etc. I suppose you could always add a clause to your requirements page saying "Windows Mobile (not Windows CE standalone)", etc. It might still be confusing, but then people would be forced to actually ask, which in this case would be a good thing (so that they didn't mistakenly get something that supports Windows CE...

 

[mikelove]

That page is already way too confusing, I think - people have a tendency to ignore everything but the nouns in those sorts of sentences, so if we say Windows Mobile but not Windows CE, it'll result in a lot of panicked e-mails about the fact that all of the Windows Mobile devices at the local Best Buy / electronics market / etc seem to be running Windows CE. And really, as long as we specifically say Windows Mobile everywhere, I don't think too many people are likely to buy something that doesn't say it's running Windows Mobile without checking with us first. Anyway I can't recall any instances of that happening before; we've had a few people who already own Windows CE devices write us to ask is they can use Pleco on them, and a few people considering buying Windows CE devices write us to ask if they're Pleco-compatible, but I don't believe anyone's ever bought a WinCE device specifically to run Pleco, discovered it wouldn't, and then written us about it.

 

[chao-ren]

Re: MTK

I don't know much about programming or using Java on a Linux like OS or MTK but apparently there are many phones in China's Shenzhen factories now made using this 'mold'. The end result is you can get a phone that has GSM, Bluetooth 2.0, Wifi, plays MP3 (or ring tones changeable), plays MP4 videos etc.; on a 3.5" touch screen, 2 megapixels camera and even runs Java applets or games. All this in a phone which is roughly USD$85 at wholesale prices. This means a thousand handsets will costs roughly only USD$8,500 dollars. Unlike a few years ago, this small MOQ is very do-able as the technology matures and many factories can churn out the same specification phones.

All I am saying is that when the iPhone version of Pleco is finally stable, Mike could look into the possibility of providing both the hardware and software, sort of like the way many electronic dictionaries (for the English language learning market) are sold in China/Hong Kong. This way the Pleco dictionary series will become that much more affordable to a wider range of Chinese language learning students, and the performance of the Pleco program can also be standardized on to a 'fixed' hardware. There are plenty of second language learners of Chinese who live in places like the Philippines, Thailand especially or Malaysia etc.. who can't afford the current WM+pleco, or iphone+pleco combination. A pleco plus purpose-built hardware phone would be much more affordable to many more students.

I am not sure what (Taiwan made)MTK is but I think it won't take long for a techkie to find out how difficult or easy it is to program on that or similar OSes. I think the "Westerners" or adult learning Chinese as a second language will still continue to expand in the coming decades. I know personally the South-East Asian market or ASEAN market for Chinese language learning is huge. A thousand purpose-built handsets sounds like a lot, but its less than the number of people studying Chinese as a second language in Hong Kong. And after all that, there will still be people who can afford and want the Pleco in a WinMo or iPhone. So what I am suggesting is 'expanding' the overall market.