ALL ABOUT PDAs

Reprinted from Renfrew-Collingwood News,
December 2002/January 2003 Edition. Updated May 2005.

Recently, I received several e-mail inquiries from avid readers contemplating and looking for advice regarding the purchase of a Personal Digital Assistant (or PDA). Traditionally, Christmas has been a popular time of year for the purchase of these handy little devices and picking the right one for the right person can be quite a challenge. So, without further a due, here’s my take on PDAs.

Computers, today, come in a variety of shapes and sizes; you got your standard personal desktop computer, laptop, handheld or PDAs and the newly introduced tablet PCs. Most of the early personal digital assistants are small handheld computers that were designed primarily to replace our day planners. All data entries and user interactions with a PDA are done by using a pen-like device or stylus and a small touch sensitive screen. Special handwriting software converts the written entries into the appropriate commands and information. All PDAs perform basic tasks like:

• Contact management via an electronic address book;
• Appointment scheduling;
• E-mail;
• To-do lists; and,
• Personal Memos

Everything pertaining to technology these days seems to be getting better over time. Today, most personal digital assistants are pack with the same computing power as early desktop computers and do more than your run of the mill basics; some allow you to record voice messages and play musical files, while others allow you to view digital pictures and video clips. So if you are in the market for one of these gizmos here are a few basic things to consider.

OPERATING SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
In the handheld market there are two dominant operating systems – Palm and Pocket PC 2002. Both operating systems have the same features and functions and allow you to interact with PDA in pretty much the same way. Currently, Palm is the dominant of the two and is found on approximately two out of three handheld devices sold worldwide. More than 15,000 third party software applications have been written and developed for the Palm operating system versus about 5000 or so applications for the Pocket PC. Applications range from personal financial software to games to word processing.

Although there has not been as many applications, initially, written for the Pocket PCs, the standard Pocket PC device does ship with “pocket” versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet Explorer and MSN Messenger. So, if you are a user of any of these programs, you can use them on all Pocket PC handhelds and not have to buy or look for additional software. This can be a real time saver for those that do not like to experiment or learn new things technology wise. Even though the Palm devices do not have any of our favourite Microsoft products running on it, there are plenty of cheap and free software applications from third party vendors that can do the same job as the aforementioned software packages.

HARDWARE
From a hardware perspective, all PDAs are all roughly the same shape and size and are designed primarily to fit in your shirt pocket or purse. All have a screen, stylus, and easy access buttons for you to access frequently used functions like: address book; to-do list, etc. Some devices even have built-in microphones to record voice messages and tiny speakers to playback sounds and music.

Since the screen is the part that we use to interact with the device the most, it is naturally the most important thing we look at before we buy. There are two general types of screens available: colour and monochrome (black and white). Besides looking a bit prettier, the only purpose, I think, of having a colour screen is if you are going to be viewing pictures, video clips, or presentation slides on your handheld device. But if you are not going to be showing pictures or want to spend the extra bucks, just purchase a monochrome product. The resolution of the screen is another item for consideration. A higher resolution tends to give greater picture quality and clearer text.

If the user is going to be using the PDA in a variety of lighted environments, you may also want to consider the different “backlighting” technology used in the PDA. All PDAs have a “backlit” feature that allows users to be able to use their PDAs in a variety of lighted environments. Before you make your final selection, make sure you have tested out the “backlit” feature on the device and that the information on the screen is readable for you.EXPANDABILITY
For future expansion of capabilities, it is important for potential users of PDAs to consider what type of memory card slot the device supports. Both Palm and Pocket PC devices come with at least one memory card slot. These slots can accommodate cartridge like devices that can add to the current functionality of the PDA or expand its memory capacity. There are three competing types of memory card technology on the market:

1. Memory Stick (Pro)
2. Compact Flash or Multimedia Card
3. Secure Digital Media Card

Digital photographers may want to consider a device with a Memory Stick (Sony products only) or Compact Flash Card, so that you can take your pictures, store them on the memory card and show them to your friends and family on your PDA. Just make sure your digital camera and PDA use the same type of memory cards.

MAC USERS BEWARE!

Currently, the only handheld devices that work with Macs are the ones powered by the Palm Operating system. Enthusiastic Mac users who want to buy a Pocket PC based device will have to wait a while longer.COST
The standard handheld cost, on average, is between $170 and $600. Typically, Pocket PCs, on average, tend to be slightly more expensive than most Palm devices in part due to the Colour screens and added functionalities that come standard with all Pocket PCs. With Palm based devices, prices tend to vary considerably depending on the amount of functions and features on the device.

GEEKBOY’S PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS

ENTRY LEVEL – For first time PDA users and people who need something very basic to organize their daily lifestyles. Recommended for “soccer moms or dads”, and students.

Zire 21 (Palm) – $149.00
Zire 31 (Palm) – $189.00
Dell Axim X30 (Pocket PC) – $299.00

MID-LEVEL – For individuals who would like a little bit of extra functions, such as a colour screen, or more memory to hold more programs and pictures on the device.

Tungsten E/E2 (Palm) – $299.00
Dell Axim X50 (Pocket PC) – $399.00
Zire 72 (Palm) – $399.00

HIGH-END – For the business road warriors, advance users, or entertainment enthusiasts who want a device that has pretty much all the “bells and whistles” like a built-in digital camera, MP3 player or wireless network access.

Tungsten T5 (Palm) – $599.00
Dell Axim X50V (Pocket PC) – $599.00
LifeDrive Mobile Manager (Palm) -$629.00

For further information on any of the above products, go to some of the links listed below:

• PalmOne
• Dell Canada
• HP Canada

Well until we meet again. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

See you soon,
~Geekboy