Buying a PDA

Many professionals and students today wouldn’t be able to function without their PDAs (personal digital assistant). This popular handheld device has become a multi-functional gadget from just being a daily organiser in its early days. With the PDA, you can use it as a mobile phone, to get access to the Internet, store music, photos or sync data with your computer.

If you want to enjoy all of those functions, it’s worth taking the time to check the features of the various models now existing in the market. It would be best too if you compare their prices and read reviews on several websites.

What you should know

PDAs are small gadgets that fit into the palm of your hand and use either pen or touch-screen input. And because of its small size, the most important thing to consider when buying is the screen resolution. Some screens are larger now, with colour and backlights for easier reading.

A long-lasting battery life is also vital. This is because many PDA models have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities, which consume a lot of battery power. Most models have rechargeable batteries, which are durable.

PDAs are meant to operate in sync with the computer or laptop and they normally come with docking cradles or sync cables. A docking cradle can be connected to the USB port of your computer. Some experts suggest using a Bluetooth adaptor for synchronization purposes instead of regular cables.

As in computers and laptops, the PDA’s RAM is another important factor. Normally, a PDA has an 8 MB RAM but you can always use expansion cards if you need more memory. A PDA with 64MB RAM is best for running applications and accessing your data.

For people wishing to connect to a modem, a PC card or Compact Flash slot is a must. Although some PDAs have internal modems, the others have slots at the back or bottom part for connecting modems. Wireless modems allow you to connect to the Internet or send a fax.

For users constantly on the go, the GSM PDA phones are ideal because they can operate on all GSM networks around the world. They can also be used to send text messages or SMS, MMS or for chatting when in sync with ICQ, MSN and AOL messaging services.

Meanwhile, users who need to do some writing should get a PDA with a handheld keyboard also known as the Palmtops or handheld PCs. Pick keyboards with the right size of buttons for your convenience.

As for the PDA software, it should synchronize with regularly used applications such as Microsoft Outlook, calendars, alarm clocks, addresses, to-do lists, among others. In addition, it should be able to handle third-party software like Microsoft XP and OpenOffice.org.

PDAs should also manage multimedia services like playing different digital audio formats, video clips, movies and computer games and storing images, e-books and maps.

Of course, never forget to check that the PDA you’re buying has an all-inclusive warranty. In this way, whenever some of the features don’t function, you can have the unit replaced without additional costs.

Where can I buy PDAs?