Pocket PC 2000

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Pocket PC 2000 was the first Windows Mobile operating system for mobile devices, released on April 19, 2000. It was built on Windows CE 3.0 and designed mainly for Pocket PC devices, though some Palm-size PC models could be updated to it. A few Pocket PC 2000 phones were released as Handheld PC 2000.

What it looked like and how it worked
- The user interface aimed to resemble Windows desktops but was optimized for small screens. The Today screen showed email, calendar, tasks, and owner info. A Start menu at the top left and a bottom command bar helped you launch apps.
- Many desktop-style apps were included or available for Pocket PC, such as Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Outlook, Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Microsoft Reader. A new Notes app was added.
- You could input with a stylus, using handwriting recognition, or with an on-screen keyboard. Tapping and holding items opened context menus.
- File management used File Explorer, with files stored under My Device.

Hardware and files
- Pocket PC 2000 ran on multiple CPU architectures, including SH-3, MIPS, and StrongARM, at speeds around 131–206 MHz.
- The screen resolution was fixed at 240 × 320 (QVGA).
- Commonly shipped with 32 MB of RAM and supported memory cards like CompactFlash or PC Cards.
- USB was for syncing with a PC, while infrared allowed data transfer between devices at up to 115.2 kbps.

Software and features
- Pocket Internet Explorer offered a basic browsing experience with some limitations. Encryption was 40-bit by default, with a separate add-on for 128-bit SSL.
- Multimedia support included Windows Media Player and Voice Recorder (saved as WAV files). Solitaire came with every device; other games were available from the web or on disks.
- A compact Office suite, Pocket Office, included Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, and Pocket Outlook.

Reception and impact
- Within ten months, over a million Pocket PC 2000 devices were shipped; by mid-2001, around two million had been sold.
- The iPAQ line by Compaq was among the best-selling models.
- Pocket PC 2000 competed with Palm OS and was praised for its desktop-like apps and integration with Windows, though some praised Palm OS for simplicity and price.

Lifecycle and successor
- Mainstream support ended on September 30, 2005; extended support ended on October 9, 2007.
- Pocket PC 2002, the next version, was released in October 2001.