Downloading the Pocket PC Demo File
The Pocket eSchool program and demo data for the Pocket PC is available from the Pocket eSchool web site www.pocketeschool.com. Go to the Demo Downloads page. To initiate the download, click on the click here hyperlink as shown in Figure 3-16 as the red selected link.
Figure 3-16: Initiating the download from the Pocket eSchool web site
When presented with the File Download message box, as shown in Figure 3-17, click on Save
Figure 3-17: The File Download message box -- click on Save
When you are presented with the Save As dialogue box, select Desktop. If you don't see Desktop listed, scroll the list of files until you see Desktop. You can also use the Save in dropdown, at the top of the Save As box, to select Desktop, as shown in Figure 3-18.
Figure 3-18: Selecting the Desktop as a destination for the download
Once Desktop is selected, click on the Save button to initiate the download. After the file has been downloaded and saved to your Desktop, you can close or minimize your browser.
Checking Out the ActiveSync software for the Pocket PC
Pocket eSchool can be installed on any Pocket PC. With the Pocket PC, all program files and data must be sent through the Pocket PC's USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection found in the Pocket PC's cradle. Before Pocket eSchool can be installed, you must install Microsoft's ActiveSync software, which comes with the Pocket PC, on at least one PC. This PC is connected to the Pocket PC's cradle. Please follow the instructions in your Pocket PC's user manual in order to install ActiveSync, connect the cradle, and charge the batteries on the Pocket PC.
After you have the ActiveSync software installed and the Pocket PC connected to your PC, you are ready to install the Pocket eSchool program and its demo data. Before starting, be sure that ActiveSync is actually running. When the Pocket PC is placed in its cradle, ActiveSync should wake up and display a screen similar to the one shown in Figure 3-19.
Figure 3-19: Microsoft's ActiveSync window, showing that ActiveSync is active and connected.
Installing the Pocket eSchool Demo on the Pocket PC
After having downloaded the Pocket eSchool Demo file for the Pocket PC, look for its icon, as shown in Figure 3-20, on your desktop.
Figure 3-20: The icon on the Desktop for the Pocket eSchool demo ppc.exe file
This is a self-extracting zip file. When you double-click it, WinZip will prompt you for the "Unzip to folder", as shown in Figure 3-21.
Figure 3-21: Double-clicking on the Pocket eSchool demo ppc.exe file prompts for the Unzip to folder
Launch the Windows Explorer and drill down to the c:\es\pes_ppc folder, Locate the file, named Setup.exe, as shown in Figure 3-22 (I've got six extra folders in the c:\es folder that you will not have).
Figure 3-22: Accessing the Setup.exe file in the c:\es\pes_ppc folder.
Double-clicking the Setup.exe file initiates the installation process of Pocket eSchool on the Pocket PC. This presents you with a number of screens, similar to the one in Figure 3-23.
Figure 3-23: One of several Installation screens that make up the installation process
Always click on the Next button and Yes all the default options for all the installation screens. Once the installation has been completed, you can look for the installed files on the Pocket PC.
Where did the files go?
In case you are wondering what happened, I'll give a brief explanation. Most of the Pocket PC's directory structure is visible from the Windows Explorer under an object named "Mobile Device". Figure 3-24 shows the Windows Explorer after I've drilled down to the \Mobile Device\My Pocket PC\Program Files\Pocket eSchool\ folder. This folder contains the Pocket eSchool program files on the Pocket PC. These files were placed there by the installation process.
Figure 3-24: Windows Explorer, showing some of the program files installed on the Pocket PC
The demo data files got written to the \Mobile Device\My Pocket PC\Databases\ folder. Figure 3-25 shows some of these data files. Pocket eSchool files all start with 'es_'
Figure 3-25: Windows Explorer, showing some of the data files installed on the Pocket PC
Running Pocket eSchool on the Pocket PC
Now that Pocket eSchool and its demo data have been installed on your Pocket PC, remove the Pocket PC from its cradle and try to launch Pocket eSchool. From the Pocket PC's Today screen, as shown in Figure 3-26, tap on the Window icon or the Start menu item at the top of the screen.
Figure 3-26: The Pocket PC's Today Screen and its Start menu item
When the Start menu is displayed, tap on the Programs menu item in order to display the Programs screen, as shown in Figure 3-27.
Figure 3-27: The Programs screen, showing various program icons and program names
Various software applications are listed in the Programs screen. Pocket eSchool is listed as eSchool in the Programs screen in Figure 3-27. Tapping on the eSchool icon launches Pocket eSchool. Figure 3-28 shows Pocket eSchool's main menu.
Figure 3-28: Pocket eSchool's main menu on the Pocket PC
Differences between the Pocket PC and the Palm implementations of Pocket eSchool
For documentation on how to use Pocket eSchool, please refer to topic Pocket eSchool and its subtopics. Most of the Pocket eSchool help text has Palm screen shots. For the most part, the implementations of Pocket eSchool on the Palm and the Pocket PC are virtually identical. There is only one major difference between the Palm and Pocket PC implementations. This difference is the way in which each platform has implemented a certain type of menu. Menus which are hidden on the Palm are not hidden on the Pocket PC. Notice that on the lower left of the Pocket PC screen in Figure 3-28 there is a menu item, labeled "Options". Tapping this menu item shows Pocket eSchool's dropdown main menu, as shown in Figure 3-29. This menu actually drops "up" because it is at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 3-29: Pocket eSchool's dropdown main menu on the Pocket PC
By the way, the screen shots for the Pocket PC are being displayed here in their actual size of 240 by 320 pixels. All Palm screen shots, with the exception of the ones found in topic Picture Sizes, have been reduced from their actual size of 320 by 320 pixels to 160 by 160 pixels.
Figure 3-30: Pocket eSchool's main menu on the Palm
Notice that on Pocket eSchool's main menu on the Palm, the "Options" menu item is not visible. It is actually sitting behind the form's title, "Learnerville High School". Tapping this title reveals the dropdown main menu, as shown in Figure 3-31.
Figure 3-31: Pocket eSchool's dropdown main menu on the Palm
The dropdown main menu on the Pocket PC has an "Exit" menu item that the Palm does not have. The Exit menu item is used to close down Pocket eSchool on the Pocket PC. The Palm does not need an Exit menu. On the Palm, tapping the Home icon, or pressing one of the hardware buttons below the screen, always exits the currently running program. On the Pocket PC, however, tapping the close icon, the X in the upper right of any Pocket PC screen, or pressing one of the hardwarebuttons, closes the currently displayed form and redisplays the previously accessed program's screen. Therefore, tapping the close button in Figure 3-28 closes the Pocket eSchool screen and causes the Program screen in Figure 3-27 to be redisplayed. Exiting Pocket eSchool in this way actually leaves Pocket eSchool loaded in the Pocket PC's program memory. Tapping the Pocket eSchool icon in Figure 3-27 restores the previous Pocket eSchool screen. So, while the Palm generally will automatically close any running program whenever another program is started, the Pocket PC keeps all running programs in memory.
The advantage of keeping running programs in memory on the Pocket PC is that you can switch between running programs instantly. The program does not have to be loaded first! The Palm loads its programs considerably faster than the Pocket PC does, so the Pocket PC's advantage is somewhat diminished here. Anyway, the Exit option is needed on the Pocket PC's version of the Pocket eSchool to shut down Pocket eSchool so that updates can be posted to the Pocket PC. Open program and data files cannot be replaced. The program files need to be replaced whenever a new version of Pocket eSchool is to be loaded onto the Pocket PC. The data files need to be replaced whenever you want to update your school's old data with current data.
Another minor difference between the Palm and Pocket PC is the way in which the software keyboard is launched. On the Pocket PC, there is a keyboard icon on the lower right of any Pocket PC screen. Tapping this icon brings up the keyboard, as shown in Figure 3-32.
Figure 3-32: Tapping the keyboard icon, on the lower right, to launch the software keyboard
In addition to launching the keyboard, you can set the Pocket PC to launch three other entry systems: the block recognizer, the letter recognizer, and the transcriber. Figure 3-33 shows the Options selection menu, which is obtained by tapping the icon in lower right corner of the Pocket PC screen. Please refer to your Pocket PC documentation on how to use these entry methods.
Figure 3-33: Selecting the input options on the Pocket PC
Other than the minor differences described above, the implementations of Pocket eSchool on the Palm and Pocket PC are the same. Please refer to the topic Pocket eSchool and its subtopics for further help with Pocket eSchool.
Pocket eSchool User Manual Topics Map
Overview
Pocket eSchool
Installing Pocket eSchool
Installing on a Palm
Installing on a Pocket PC <----- You are here
Installing on a PC
Installing eSchool PDA Edition
Downloading your School's Data
Update Notes