Editing Pocket PC (section)

{{short description|Obsolete type of personal digital assistant comparable to smartphones}}
{{About|the class of PDA|the calculator-like handheld computers of the 1980s|Pocket computer|other uses}}
{{Redirect|P/PC|other uses|PPC (disambiguation){{!}}PPC}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox computing device
| name = Pocket PC
| caption = A Compaq [[iPAQ]] 3630 Pocket PC from 2001
| developer = {{ubl|[[Microsoft]]}}
| type = {{flatlist|
* [[Personal digital assistant]]
* [[Smartphone]]}}
| lifespan = {{flatlist|
* 2000–2007
* 2007–2010 (as Windows Mobile)}}
| predecessor = Palm-size PC
| successor = [[Windows Phone]] <small>(as a combined software and hardware branding)</small>
| manufacturer = Various
| os = Pocket PC/Windows Mobile based on [[Windows CE]]
| image = PocketPC Compaq iPAQ 3630 (modified version).jpg
| image_size = 150px
| related = [[Handheld PC]]
}}
A '''Pocket PC''' ('''P/PC''', '''PPC''') is a class of [[personal digital assistant]] (PDA) that runs the [[Windows Mobile]] [[operating system]], which is based on [[Windows Embedded Compact|Windows CE/Windows Embedded Compact]], and that has some of the abilities of modern desktop [[IBM PC compatible|PCs]]. The name was introduced by [[Microsoft]] in 2000 as a rebranding of the '''Palm-size PC''' category and was marketed until 2007. Some of these devices also had [[Smartphone|integrated phone and data capabilities]], which were called '''Pocket PC Phone Edition.''' Windows "[[Windows Mobile Smartphone|Smartphone]]" is another Windows CE based platform for non-touch and non-PDA devices. 

In 2007, with the advent of [[Windows Mobile 6.0]], Microsoft dropped the name Pocket PC in favor of a new naming scheme:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/_archives/Jun07/newwmdev.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081122100806/http://www.smartphonemag.com/cms/_archives/Jun07/newwmdev.aspx |url-status=usurped |archive-date=November 22, 2008 |title=New Windows Mobile 6 Devices |author=Hall, Rich |date=June–July 2007 |work=Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine |access-date=2011-04-19}}</ref>
* '''Windows Mobile Classic''' (formerly Pocket PC): devices without an integrated phone;
* '''Windows Mobile Professional''' (formerly Pocket PC Phone Edition): devices with an integrated phone and a touch screen;
* '''Windows Mobile Standard''' (formerly Smartphone): devices with an integrated phone but without a touch screen.

As of 2010, thousands of [[software|applications]] existed for handhelds adhering to the Microsoft Pocket PC specification, many of which were [[freeware]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Freeware Pocket PC / Freeware Windows Mobile: Manual Search – displaying all titles |url=http://www.freewareppc.com/listall.shtml |access-date=2014-03-16 |publisher=FreewarePPC.com}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Rotten and not reliable|date=February 2022}} Microsoft-compliant Pocket PCs can be used with many add-ons such as [[Global Positioning System|GPS receivers]], [[barcode]] readers, [[Radio-frequency identification|RFID]] readers, and cameras. Pocket PC was replaced by [[Windows Phone]] in 2010 but even after versions were released based on the Windows NT kernel were ultimately unable to compete with the iPhone of 2007 and Android phones and interest waned in Pocket PCs without phones.