In the year that has passed since our last test containment systems for ultra-Pocket PC (PDA), a lot has changed. There are new versions of existing programs, new development for new platforms, new approaches to Russification and new developers.
Oleg Lebedev We investigated 15 packets of companies (Paragon Software, Fiztehsoft, Merlin, and MakTsentr Artsoft) and individual developers (Timur Tashpulatov, Sergey Menshikov and Alexander Zavorin). Of these 15 programs, four were for PalmOS (CyrHack 0.43, PiLoc Russian 1.31, PaPiRus 1.71, InterPilot 2.1), 8 - to systems based on Windows CE (RusCE / LE 2.0.71/3.0.57 (HPC), RusCE / LE 2.1 .26/2.1.30 (PPC), RusCE / LE 4.0.1 (Pocket PC), CeNat 1.0 (PPC), ArtSKey 4.1 Plus (HPC), ArtSKey 4.1 Plus (PPC), PocketEx Input Method 1.0 (PPC), RussKey 1.02/RussNLS 0.91 (HPC / PPC) and 3 package - for EPOC (RusPsion 2.20, «Elbrus 5» 2.0, Croat 3.0). In this case, we have not considered the crack Russian III, since, according to the author, the development of this package discontinued.
Windows CE
The platform, which many predicted a bright future in the past year, suffered a crushing defeat on the EPOC (in a segment of keyboard systems) and Palmas (on the market besklaviaturny). But for the year several new versions of Windows CE (Windows CE Professional Edition 2.11/3.0, Windows CE 2.0/2.01 for Palm-size PC, etc.) and radically new platform - Pocket PC. We examined only one localization system Pocket PC, RusCE / LE 4.0.1, because at the time of testing only one developer has created a commercial system localization for this version of Windows CE. Containment systems on the market there have been many changes. Company ArtSoft, firing system handwriting ArtSPen, turned the package into a full kit ArtSKey localization for PDA with handwriting input, and the company is "Merlin" presented a package PocketEx Input Method - virtual Russian keyboard Device Palm-size PC, which performs only the minimum functions but has an important advantage - a non-profit utility. Also, the user is not a single penny will cost package RussKey / RusNLS, which offers the company MakTsentr for keyboard-based systems Windows CE.
PalmOS
In the segment of PalmOS in the past year radically changed the balance of power in the market containment systems. During this time there are new models (Handspring Visor and the TRG Pro), and the new version of the OS (PalmOS 3.3 and 3.5). We have deliberately stopped on the devices with PalmOS 3.1 and 3.5, since these versions of OS users get when purchasing a new device. As before, users can choose between free and commercial packages. The difference is that commercial development can provide additional functions, such as a complete translation of the shell operating system, application software and the Russian regional attributes (formats for date and time, currency symbols, etc.), whereas the non-profit packages (in fact, remained completely free Once the package CyrHack) provide only a function of processing and Cyrillic character sets. System of complete localization for the Visor series devices today only offers Paragon Software, device users TRG Pro (which are few) may work with Service CyrHack. In addition, there was a "clone" localization PiLoc, PaRus, representing the same crack, which, however, is distributed by "Elekton. As you know, one of the main features of the devices based on PalmOS - input system of symbols. They use a handwriting input, the user "writes" style characters which are simplified versions of the faces of handwritten characters. At present, there are some basic "layout» Graffiti - «Russian Graffiti», created by "Fiztehsoft, the layout of Paragon Software, which appeared in Russifier PiLoc, and layout, which is used in the package InterPilot. Both of the last difference is that the user will have to learn many "exceptions", characters that are not very similar to the Russian counterparts and are appointed on English letters, to "liberate" the Russian regime (for example, entering "u" as a «s»).Draw the letter "y" and similar in each of the systems associated with the use of diacritical marks or Mirrored characters similar letters ("d" in the package InterPilot portrayed as a mirro "and"). Kind of diacritical marks from the pack to the package is different, for example, the system PiLoc need to use "~" ("tick"), whereas in PaPiRus - «'» (vertical bar). What kind of layout to choose - is determined by individual preference, although we have prepared the coefficient of "convenience Graffiti» shows that the layout PiLoc, from the viewpoint of an experienced user, somewhat better. Changes similar to Russian letters Graffiti characters easier to remember, so they usually prefer to inexperienced users. In addition, today has been completely solved the problem of working with different encodings. Although it may seem that the organizer problem encodings maloaktualna, it is not. The reason - buyers of ultraportable PCs almost always underestimate their needs, and one can often observe the situation when the user discovers that there is not just an organizer, a microscopic, but almost a full-featured PC. According to our estimates, approximately 15-20% of users of Palm are working with them on the Internet.
EPOC (Psion)
In the last review, we have omitted this platform, since then, actually, there was nothing to review - on the market there was only one program of Russification Paragon RusPsion. This year, the Psion can not be ignored. The main news for users of these excellent systems - the emergence of new devices (Psion Series 5mx, Psion Series 7 and Psion Revo) and programs for the full localization. The new devices use the OS EPOC Release 5, but the developer containment systems provide Screenshots and OS previous series (Release 3, under which operate Psion Series 5). We did not consider the localization system series devices Psion Series 3xx, because there is a fully hardware-Russification of the model. Developers of Russification offer versions for each model, although for Psion Series 7 The advent of full containment not expected any one company. In addition, the market for Psion Russification became competitive - the company MakTsentr, one of the leading Russian providers of similar products, has developed its own system of Russification "Elbrus 5", which in many ways superior to the historically first batch of Russification (for Psion Series 5) RusPsion and in fact, was the catalyst for the development of its main competitor.
PalmOS
PiLoc Russian 1.31
Price $ 15 (free installed on new devices).