After months of putting off a visit to the BostonPocketPC.com monthly meeting, I finally decided to take some time and visit with the folks at Boston Pocket PC. Without question, it was one of my better decisions and now I am questioning why it took me so long to go.
Friendly, informative, and just a great time meeting, chatting and listening to an excellent group of folks that have similar interests…the Pocket PC. Of course not everyone has an iPAQ but that is OK, they will someday!
I arrived early and was immediately greeted by Don Sorcinelli – Editor-In-Chief and Webmaster of BostonPocketPC.com. Don is the founder of BostonPocketPC.com and has been involved with the web site since its initial inception. A friendly hello and introduction to several folks that were already there, it was clear that they wanted to have “new comers” feel welcome and comfortable.
Soon after my arrival, there were several folks who arrived and Don started a presentation on Visual Studio 2005 with a very comprehensive introduction on “What’s Coming”. I was really impressed with the amount of work that he had to given to make this presentation applicable to the myriad of folks that were there. Some were developers and some, like me, were not. The presentation was designed to appeal to all of us and was made in such a way that you just couldn’t help but think, “maybe I should look into learning how to use Visual Studio”.
Don indicated that purchasing the standard version and above allows for mobile device development. Of course he was quick to point out that the MSDN Website has a huge amount of information available for all.
Don chatted about improvements and glided into an emulator discussion . He ran an emulator on a virtual PC that he had on his laptop. Trust me…this was very impressive! Don indicated that were a lot of new controls to take advantage of during his discussion of Ul controls and design improvements.
SQL mobile – integration and synchronization had some very cool enhancements but I was truly “swimming” as the discussion evolved on SQLCeResultSet and XML Improvements. As Don ran through the impressive enhancements, particular note was given to benchmarks ….performance increases were impressive!
Don ended the discussion with a carrot…”still more to come” so look out for May, it will be a busy Month! If you’re a developer, watch the mobile Developer conference, you will be very happy with what is coming!
It was clear to me that the end result of Visual Studio 2005 is that “you will make yourself more productive” with the changes and enhancements.
At the conclusion of the presentation there was time for questions and a general discussion on Pocket PC areas. Don started to show a phone during the discussion and noted that there was no keyboard…I couldn’t resist the temptation so I flashed my BT Virtual Keyboard. It always has a definite WOW factor!
A raffle and general discussion ended the meeting. Some folks left and others stayed a while to chat about a variety of topics. Laughter and great discussion certainly characterized the end of the meeting.
It was a great decision to go to the meeting and without the slightest hesitation; I would urge all of you come if you are in the area. I had the privilege of meeting a terrific group of folks that are committed to the Pocket PC and sharing knowledge to make your experience better!
The BostonPocketPC.com meets the third Wednesday every month at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA. Keep an eye on the front page of BostonPocketPC.com to find out when the next meeting is and to read about some of the latest news and reviews of our favorite pastime…the Pocket PC!
Thanks Don, Steve, Wes, Mel and every one else I met last night…I really enjoyed coming!