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The Macromedia Flash Player 5 for Pocket PC 2002 is available as a web browser plug-in for Pocket Internet Explorer. Once installed, Macromedia Flash 5 content appears inside web pages on your Pocket PC, much like it does on the desktop computer (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Viewing Macromedia Flash content inside Pocket IE

However, there are a few limitations when using Pocket IE to view Macromedia Flash content or create applications for the Pocket PC. The most common limitations are as follows:

No full-screen mode: Though Pocket PCs have 240 x 320�pixel screens, the Pocket IE window size is limited to a maximum of 240 x 240 pixels. When the scroll bars and address bar appear, the window can be as small as 215 x 243 pixels, limiting the size of your Macromedia Flash movie.
No exit function: Most Pocket PC applications, including Pocket IE, minimize in the user's screen, but they do not shut down (or close). This means that Macromedia Flash movies will continue to play in the background, consuming battery power. It is especially frustrating for users when Macromedia Flash movies with sounds continue to play after the window is closed.
No persistent data: The strong security features of Macromedia Flash make it impossible to store data to local files on the Pocket PC in a secure fashion, even when Macromedia Flash movies (SWF files) are copied to and run from the Pocket PC.
Not able to open SWF files directly: The user cannot open SWF files directly. Pocket PC users must copy two files (the SWF and HTML files) to the device for each Macromedia Flash movie they wish to view. To view the Macromedia Flash movie, the user must use the File Explorer or type in the URL for the HTML file. Pocket IE does not have a File > Open command.
No Macromedia Flash Player check: If the user does not have the Macromedia Flash Player for Pocket PC installed, a blank screen appears instead of a message that indicates what the problem is (Macromedia Flash player not installed). This makes it difficult for developers to deliver Macromedia Flash content to a broad audience.