The Pocket PC Processors

Now, although all Pocket PCs run Microsoft's Windows CE 3.0 OS, they don't all use the same processors. That's because Microsoft designed WinCE 3.0 to support three different types of processors - the NEC MIPS, the Hitachi SuperH-3 (or SH3) and the Intel StrongARM processors. This could change with the next version of WinCE, whereby the MIPS and StrongARM processors may be the only processors supported.

If so, that would be real bad luck for users of Pocket PCs powered by Hitachi's SH3 processor. But until the new version of WinCE actually arrives sans SH3 support and brings about the eradication of SH3-based Pocket PCs from the PDA market, let's not discount them just yet. After all, they still power Hewlett-Packard's popular Jornada series of Pocket PCs.

NEC MIPS

The most popular Pocket PC processor is NEC's series of MIPS processors. In Pocket PCs, the NEC MIPS processors come in two versions. The original NEC Vr4121 processor runs at rather odd clockspeeds of 131MHz and 168MHz. But the Casio E-115, which is powered by the Vr4121, only uses the 131MHz speed grade.

The Vr4121 processor has been superceded by the newer NEC Vr4122 processor. This Vr4122 processor is merely an evolutionary upgrade of the Vr4121 core, with newly added support for PCI and USB; and lower power consumption. However, the performance of the Vr4122 was improved by approximately 30% over that of the Vr4121 by the doubling of the internal cache and the introduction of two higher speed grades of 150MHz and 180MHz. The 150MHz NEC Vr4122 is currently used in Casio's EM-500 and E-125 Pocket PCs.

Hitachi SH3

Next is Hitachi's SH3 RISC processor. Running at 133 MHz, the SH-3 has been a popular processor but is now considered to be a little long in the tooth. Of all three processors, the SH3 is probably the slowest. The only Pocket PCs using this processor are those from Hewlett-Packard's line of Jornada Pocket PCs.

Intel StrongARM

The last processor and the latest to be introduced is Intel's StrongARM SA1110 processor. Running at 206MHz (another odd clockspeed), the StrongARM is currently the speed king in the Pocket PC arena. It is currently used in the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PCs.