PDAs Buyers Guide
A PDA, or "Personal Digital Assistant", is a small, portable computer that allows you to organise personal information, such as your diary, address book and "to do" list. If you have ever, for example, carried a personal planner, such as a "Filofax", or jotted down a telephone number, address or notes on the nearest piece of paper you could find, the chances are that you will find as use for a PDA. The information on your PDA can be shared, or "synchronised", with your home or office computer, so that, wherever you are, it is always current and up-to-date. A PDA need not, necessarily, be all about work either; software is available to allow you to listen to music, watch films and play games.
Types of PDA
Traditionally, PDAs can be divided into "palm" or "pocket" devices, and the main differences between them are size (of display, and overall), operating system and method of data entry. It would be fair to say, however, that these differences are fewer, nowadays, than in the past.
Palm devices are generally the smaller and lighter of the two, with smaller LCD ("Liquid Crystal Display") screens, and rely on a stylus, or touch screen, for data entry. Palm devices, unsurprising, run Palm OS, but can nevertheless be synchronised with Windows or Macintosh computers using the so-called "Palm Desktop". Palm PDAs utilise a handwriting recognition program, known as "Graffiti", for data entry, and there is often a dedicated Graffiti area on the device. This accounts, in part, for the smaller display size, although some of the more sophisticated, and expensive, devices include a "virtual" Graffiti area in the display. Many Palm devices include a software "bundle" of email, multimedia and productivity applications, and over 20,000 more are available from third party suppliers.
Pocket devices, on the other hand, tend to have larger displays, and are larger and heavier overall. They often employ a miniature keyboard, in combination with a touch screen, for data entry. "Pocket PC" is actually the generic name for PDAs which run the Windows Mobile operating system from Microsoft. This obviously has the "look and feel" of traditional Windows operating systems, and, indeed, allows synchronisation with other Microsoft technologies, such as Exchange Server, and Outlook. Applications include "pocket" versions of Word, Excel, Outlook and Media Player.
A slightly more recent development is the evolution of the so-called "Smartphone". A Smartphone can either be a mobile phone with added PDA capability, or vice versa, depending on the manufacturer and model in question. The size of the display, and the amount of processing power available, are obvious limitations of these devices, when compared to full blown PDA devices. These devices are, however, supplied by mobile phone service providers, and may, indeed, be available free of charge under the terms of a mobile phone contract. Internet access is provided via mobile phone networks. A number of different operating systems, including Palm OS, Windows Mobile and Blackberry OS, are employed in these devices.
PDA Components
A PDA, unlike a desktop PC, or laptop, in the home or office, is not required to perform intensive processing tasks and can rely on a microprocessor that is less powerful, and slower. This does, however, mean that a PDA processor can also be smaller, and less expensive, benefits which more than make up for its lack of performance. If you intend to use a PDA for processor intensive tasks, such as frequent and lengthy Internet browsing, it is wise to opt for the fastest processor that you can afford; clock speeds of 520MHz, or 624MHz, are possible in leading models.
RAM, or "Random Access Memory", is where a PDA stores current active applications and data, although not in quite the same way as a conventional desktop or laptop. A PDA has no hard disk storage, and so uses RAM for the storage of software applications and documents. Therefore, the more RAM a PDA contains, the greater the volume of data that it can store. More memory does, however, generally mean that a PDA is more expensive, so it is worth carefully considering your options. As a rule of thumb, 16MB of Ram is normally adequate for storing basic diary, and contact, information, 32 MB is adequate for additional applications, such as Microsoft Office, and for audio, video, Internet browsing, and other advanced operations 64MB, or more is recommended. It may, of course, be possible to extend the memory capacity of a PDA with a memory expansion card. Many models include expansion slots for popular cards, such as CF ("Compact Flash"), SD ("Secure Digital"), or MMC ("MultiMedia Card").
PDA Key Features
Most PDA devices are equipped with cables, and/or cradles, which allow you to connect to your desktop computer and synchronise, or "sync", data between the two devices. This process requires appropriate synchronisation software to be present on the desktop, so do make sure that this is "bundled" with the PDA device, itself. Similarly, make sure that any cradle has a connector – usually USB, or serial – that is compatible with your desktop computer.
Many high end PDA devices offer "add-on" features that are not found on their less expensive counterparts. These may include, for example, Bluetooth cards, granting access to a range of peripherals, such as headsets, or GPS ("Global Positioning System") receivers, or WiFi cards, allowing wireless connection to networks within a few hundred feet. WiFi access points are available in airports and other public spaces, but there is often a charge for use of the network.
Conclusion
A PDA, a single, portable device that organises diary and contact information, and allows communication by email, or even by telephone, can be a valuable tool for business, or personal use. A PDA is, however, likely to represent a fairly major investment, so it is worth considering if, and why, you actually need one, and what you intend to do with it. The Internet can be a valuable source of information regarding the best PDA for you, as can friends or relatives who own one. Another possibility, of course, is to find a retailer who offers an unconditional, money back guarantee; this gives you the opportunity to "trial" a PDA, and return it, if it does not live up to your expectations.
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