It's great that all new Pocket PCs from here on out will be loaded with the Pocket PC 2003 operating system, but what if you bought a Pocket PC last year, last week, or yesterday? Unfortunately, not all models have the necessary memory to hold the new OS, so some owners of older units won't be able to upgrade at all. For the most recent purchases, however, you should be able to upgrade for a small fee or--in some cases--for free.

The upgrade takes quite a bit of room, so many older Pocket PCs lack the ROM to accommodate the OS. However, a few manufacturers have worked around this limitation by customizing the installation to fit in a smaller area. Toshiba, for example, squeezed the OS (minus a couple of programs) into the mere 16MB of ROM found in its e350 and e355 Pocket PCs. However, customizing--and providing--upgrades is up to the manufacturer. If you think your current Pocket PC should be upgradable, bug its maker.

Manufacturer Upgradable models Full upgrade price Special offers Manufacturer's upgrade page Dell Dell Axim X5 (400MHz) Dell Axim X5 (300MHz) $29.99 In addition to the Pocket PC 2003 installation disc including ActiveSync 3.7, Axim users will receive Network Associates VirusScan PDA software. Look for upgrade info at Dell's Web site. HP HP iPaq H3800 series HP iPaq H3900 series HP iPaq H5400 series $29.95 Any iPaqs running Pocket PC 2002 and purchased between May 23, 2003 and September 23, 2003 are eligible for an upgrade for $15.99, which covers the cost of shipping and handling. Upgrade software for H3900- and H5400-series iPaqs will be available in July; H3800-series software will be available in October. Look for upgrade info at HP's Web site. Toshiba Toshiba Pocket PC e750 Toshiba Pocket PC e755 $50 Toshiba e750s or e755s running Pocket PC 2002 and purchased between May 23, 2003 and September 23, 2003 are eligible for an upgrade for $15.99, which covers the cost of shipping and handling. Look for upgrade info at Toshiba's Web site.

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