Introduction to the Pocket PC

The Pocket PC environment is very similar to Windows®. If you are used to a Windows machine, you will be very comfortable on the PAC Mate.

Getting Started

Be sure to plug in the AC adapter before you turn on the PAC Mate. The outlet for the adapter on the back of the PAC Mate. The first time you turn on your unit, the battery will not be fully charged. Leave it plugged in until the battery is charged.

Turn on your PAC Mate. You will hear a tone when you switch it on. (hear tone) You will automatically be on the Today screen, which is similar to the desktop on a PC computer.

If you press the up arrow, you will hear the date. You can change this (see Date module).

When you press the down arrow, you will hear the other items on the Today screen:

1. Owner Information - "Tap here to set new owner information." Note: because PAC Mate uses the Pocket PC operating system, there are times when it will refer to "tap," which is a reference to the stylus and pad on Pocket PCs. On the PAC Mate, pressing ENTER is the same as "tapping." Press ENTER when you hear the "tap" command. If you press ENTER on this selection, you can set owner information on the PAC Mate.
2. Appointment Calendar - "No upcoming appointments." (hear example)
3. E-mail inbox - "No unread messages," (hear example)
4. Task list - "No tasks," (hear example)
5. Battery level - "AC connected. Battery 92 percent charging. " (hear example)

As you add appointments, receive e-mails, and create tasks, and as the battery level changes, what you will hear on the Today screen will change each time you start up.

You can also access the time on the Today screen. To do so, press JAWS Key and F12.(hear example) If you press that same key combination twice quickly, you will hear the date. (hear example)

Windows Start Menu

Press the F4.

Choices on the Start Menu, from top to bottom, include the following. Most of these will be explained in detail in separate modules (see main page).

1. Today - You will hear this announced automatically.
2. ActiveSync - This allows PAC Mate to communicate with a desktop PC or laptop.
3. Calendar
4. Contacts
5. Inbox
6. Internet Explorer
7. Notes
8. Tasks
9. Media - This is the standard Windows Media Player.
10. Program submenu - Detail on this is provided below.
11. Settings - This allows you to configure how the PAC Mate sounds and behaves.
12. Find
13. Help - This gets you to excellent online help.
14. The choices wrap back around to Today when you get to the end of the list.
    (hear example)

Press the DOWN ARROW to move through the Start Menu items.

You can also use "first letter navigation" at any time on this menu to jump straight to an option. For example, if you want to get to the Programs menu, press "P," and that menu will open and announce the first option (Calculator).

Programs

Press P to enter the Programs submenu and open it. You will automatically hear the first item, Calculator.

Press the DOWN ARROW to move through the program choices as follows:

1. Calculator - The standard Pocket PC calculator. The FSCalc program is a more powerful calculator than the standard calculator.
2. File Explorer - Similar to the Windows Explorer
3. FSCalc - Freedom Scientific's calculator- very accessible with powerful features
4. FSEdit - Freedom Scientific's text editor to create and edit documents as FSEdit documents. Includes a spell checker and the ability to save documents in braille or standard formats ( .brf, rich text, text)
5. Games - same kind of games as on a desktop, but not accessible at this time
6. MSN Messenger - Instant Messenger (IM) and chat software in the Pocket PC version
7. Pictures - automatically bundled
8. Pocket Excel - A very accessible spreadsheet program
9. Pocket MSN - Internet service offered by MicroSoft®
10. Pocket Word - Pocket version of MicroSoft Word
11. Stopwatch
12. Wraps around to calculator
    (hear example)

To launch any of these programs, press ENTER when you reach that selection.

Press F1 to return to Today screen.

If you need to find out just where you are, press I CHORD, T. This will work from within any application on the PAC Mate. (hear example)

The PAC Mate In Use

Use the following practice scenarios to help you Explore your PAC Mate.