Ok, all your friends have one and they seem to use them constantly.
But, each friend has a different brand and each of them does
different things with them. AND they all love theirs and say
theirs is the best. What should you do?
Well you’ve come to right place. Today, let’s
clear away the mystery and try to get you the best PDA for
YOU!
The first step is to decide what you want to do with your
PDA. Do you want to use it to keep addresses, phone numbers
and to-do lists? Do you want to play games on it? Do you want
to be able to access the Internet and e-mail with it? What
about word processing and spreadsheet applications? Do you
want it to be a phone as well? Should it run Windows? All
of these options exist, in varying price ranges from under
$100 to over $600.
As PDAs become more advanced, they also become more feature-rich.
If you just want a PDA for simple things like an address book
and to-do list management, just about any low-end PDA on the
market will work. I recommended that you stick with devices
that run the PalmOS operating system, both to keep costs down
and to ensure compatibility with your computer. Palm is the
leader in the PDA market, and provides excellent support for
its products.
If you need the ability to transfer Word and Excel documents
to your handheld and carry them with you, either a Windows
Mobile device or a mid-range PalmOS device will work well.
Windows Mobile handles these documents natively, but Dataviz
offers an excellent product for PalmOS called Documents To
Go that allows PalmOS-based PDAs to create and edit Word and
Excel documents, as well as display Adobe PDF files.
If your needs run more in the communications vein, the range
of options becomes even wider. At the low end of the spectrum
is the Blackberry series of devices by Research in Motion,
which is designed around the idea of short text messaging.
If necessary, these devices can also double as a phone, but
if you need phone communications as well as text messaging
and true e-mail access, you would be better served by the
so-called convergence devices running Windows Mobile or PalmOS.
Currently, the leader in convergence devices is the Treo series
by Palm. Palm offers Treo models on both PalmOS and Windows
Mobile platfroms. The Treo combines a cell phone with email,
an organizer, messaging, and web access. The QWERTY keyboard
is a step up from the clunky keypads on most cell phones,
and Bluetooth technology lets you connect wirelessly to other
Bluetooth devices such as headsets and car kits. It also sports
an MP3 player, a digital camera that captures video, and a
full-color screen. For many active professionals, the Treo
has replaced the laptop as a must-have carry along device.
Friends of mine who have the Treo 650 rave about it, and say
that by comparison, the newer Treo 700 doesn't look as good.
Whether you are looking for a simple electronic address book
that you can synchronize with your home computer, or an all-in-one
cell phone and home office, there is a PDA to fit your needs.
Research, compare options and find the best deal on the Internet
to find the PDA that's best for you. Here are some links to
help you in the search:
