MS download page for ActiveSync
ActiveSync is the only way (?) to install some programs that were meant for Pocket PCs.
It's important to that PC Connect must be closed completely - including the taskbar icon - for AS to work. Vice versa, AS must be closed even on taskbar for PC Connect to work. This is very important to remember because neither will tell you it's having trouble because of the other, they will simply drop connection.
AS creates a link called 'mobile device' under 'My Computer'. When it syncs up you can go there and copy, paste, delete files on BE just like you do it in explorer. Needless to say, this is much nicer than what PC Connect does!
In order to install new programs, you simply have to run the setup file and it will prompt you for a few questions. Easy as pie!
Sometimes AS drops the connection. In fact, it does it once every time for me. It does not auto-connect; I start AS app on the BE side, it connects for 20 seconds, then it disconnects on the PC side. I bring up connection on BE and hit disconnect, then re-connect. After that it works fine for any length of time.
As with PC Connect, BeShell's auto sync option does not work well for me. I have to stick with the manual way of syncing: I put BE into cradle and then run AutoSync on it manually.