Palm PC wars loom

Microsoft has set itself up for an all-out war with the Palm PC platform with the launch of a new initiative - Pocket PC.

Initially working in conjunction with Compaq, the software giant plans to produce an attractive Windows-based alternative to the all-conquering Palm devices.

Microsoft has also enlisted bookseller Barnes and Noble to help produce a virtual shelf of electronic books for Pocket PCs. The idea is that you buy an e-book, download it into your pocket pal and read it on the move - with the advantage that one Pocket PC will have the potential to store dozens, if not hundreds, of titles.

It all sounds fantastic but in fact Pocket PC is little more than an old idea given a new lick of paint. Microsoft's existing operating system for handheld and portable technology, Windows CE, has been struggling for years to gain a foothold against smoother, slicker competition, such as the aforementioned Palm and Psion/Symbian's EPOC. So, it's effectively being revamped and re-launched.

However, the all-new Pocket PCs will use ClearType technology to make fonts easier to read (handy for reading those e-books), and the Windows Media Player will make a cut-down appearance for the first time, allowing the potential for manufacturers to build MP3 (digital music) facilities into their devices.

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