PDA Buyer's Guide

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PDA Buyer's Guide

Remember when you saw your first PDA? It was probably around 1996. PDAs could store contact information, set appointments and keep you organized, all with the flick of a pen-like stick. Incredible.

Today, manufacturers are dropping the name PDA in favor of the new, all-encompassing word "handheld." The change in nomenclature fits well with the new array of features available in these handy little devices. What in 1996 passed as a great PDA now pales in comparison to the full color screens, gigantic memory banks, zippy processors and communication compatibilitys found on today's handhelds.

Here are a few things to look for in a new handheld:

Operating System
The first step in choosing a handheld is to choose an operating system. The operating system of your handheld will determine the look of its icons and menus. Beyond that, it determines what basic functions the device can perform.

The two most common handheld operating systems are Palm OS 5 and Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003. Each operating system has its benefits:

Windows Mobile 2003(Pocket PC

Runs mobile versions of MS applications like Word, Excel or Powerpoint
Comes with Pocket Internet Explorer
Good Personal Information Management software
Zero-configuration connectivity for wireless networking
Found on a wide variety of devices including handhelds, smart phones and personal objects (like watches)

Palm OS

Can edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint documents using third party software
Compatible with Mac OS and Windows
Dependable Personal Information Management software
Over 16,000 software titles available
Reverse compatible with older devices and software
Found on a wide variety of devices including handhelds, smart phones and personal objects (like watches)

Display
The next question is easy. Color or black and white. Aside from looking neater, a color display allows you to carry photos of your friends and family with you, see color documents as they were intended and more. The drawbacks of a color display are that they tend to be a little more spendy and consume a bit more power when in use. But, they sure are nice to look at. If you go with color, look for the 16-bit variety that can display 65,000 colors.

Wireless Networking
The hot trend for handhelds is wireless networking. The latest handhelds from HP, Sony and Palm boast of Wi-Fi (wireless networking over 802.11x) and Bluetooth. A Wi-Fi enabled handheld will allow you to check e-mail and exchange documents amongst other Wi-Fi enabled devices. Bluetooth is a wireless standard that allows you to share data with other Bluetooth enabled devices like phones, printers, computers and other handhelds.

Data Storage
Handhelds store data in a combination ways. Much like the Hard Drive on a PC, the storage capacity of a handheld impacts how much information you can store on it. Handheld storage comes in three main varieties:

Internal Memory

Expansion Slot

Microdrives

Input Device
Do you prefer a palm-top keyboard, a stylus or a toggle button? A stylus allows you to enter data using a pen-like stick. To use it, you�ll need to learn the handheld's software-recognized shorthand for the alphabet. The other option is a miniaturized QWERTY keyboard just like the one on your computer. Do you prefer to push a button and be done with it or do you enjoy a more fluid experience?

Whether this is your first one ever or an upgrade, your new handheld could change the way you organize your life.

Check out our complete selection of handheld devices in PDAs and Handhelds.

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