You know an operating system has made it when they do a "Dummies" book about it. Sitting on my desk are two books: Windows CE 2 for Dummies and the Quick Reference of the same name, both by Jinjer Simon and both from IDG Books Worldwide. I have avoided "Dummies" books for years because I didn't like the title -- I'm not a dummy! But once I got past that emotional reaction, I found that I liked the content, layout, and organization of both books quite a bit.

Why a 360 page book about Windows CE?

The whole idea behind Windows CE was to create handheld devices that were easy to use. Microsoft wanted the users to be able to put the batteries in, press the ON button, and go -- without a steep learning curve. To a degree, they succeeded. If you are at all familiar with Personal Information Managers, using electronic calendars and phonebooks, and the rudiments of desktop word processors and spreadsheet programs, then you can pretty much get by with the H/PC's skimpy documentation and built-in help feature. But if the H/PC is your first pocket organizer, or if you find that you need a little more help, a book like this makes a lot of sense.

Windows CE 2 for Dummies

The "Dummies" line of books are written and formatted to make complicated things simple for the average user. They do this well. The language is, for the most part, simple and straightforward. Occasionally the book goes into a little technical detail, but most of the time they put a "nerd" icon by the material indicating that you can skip it if you want.

Instead of organizing the book by applications, it is organized by the things you'll want to accomplish with your H/PC. So, for example, they have sections on what Windows CE is, what you can do with your device, how you can get it to communicate with your commuter, how you can go online with it, etc. It's a good way to organize the material.

This book is a basic reference, designed to be accessed as you need specific information. It's particularly valuable if you're new to Windows CE. You'll probably use it a lot the first few months, and relegate it to the status of occasional reference as time goes by. Let's take a closer look at what's inside, section by section.

Part I: Windows CE Basics --

Chapters 1 and 2

Ch 1: What is Windows CE? -- contains a lot of information about understanding Windows CE and selecting a CE device. This is very basic stuff , some of it aimed at a person considering the purchase of a handheld PC.

Ch 2: Working With Your Windows CE Desktop -- Again, a more introductory section describing the Windows CE desktop, taskbar, toolbars, scroll bars, dialog boxes, Start menu and the like.

Part II: What Can I Do with My CE Device? --

This section of the book gives a thorough description of the features of each of the built-in applications. It discusses the basics of each application, including how to start it, enter and modify information, organize and view it. I appreciated the patient explanation of the Windows CE filing system, using the file cabinet, file folder analogy.

Part III: Interfacing with Your Personal Computer

This section of the book teaches you how to connect to and synchronize with your desktop PC. It begins with a step-by-step description of how to install Windows CE Services ­ helpful to a new user but of limited value to someone who has already done it. More valuable to me was the tour of Windows CE Services and the discussion of synchronization, backing up and restoring Windows CE information.

Part IV: Getting Online with Windows CE

This is, to my mind, one of the most valuable sections of the book. Going online with an H/PC is supposed to be easy, but I don't find the process of doing it very intuitive (and I'm the editor of a magazine about Windows CE). I've been able to do it, but only by following simple, step-by-step instructions given to me by more knowledgeable authors.