Choose the Right Palm PDA

You know your life is busy and you try very hard to stay organized. From carefully compiled to-do lists to personal planners, you have them all. However, increasingly, organizing these various planners is proving to be difficult. Thanks to technology, you can now have all your tools in one, easy-to-carry device. From your contact numbers to the list of appointments, from your favorite music to your favorite movies, this device can carry it all. And surprisingly, it is not any bigger than a cellphone. Welcome to the world of the Personal Digital Assistant or the PDA.

A Personal Digital Assistant or PDA is a small computing device, also affectionately called the palmtop computer. While they offer all the conveniences mentioned above, many of the latest PDAs also come with great audio capabilities and user interface allowing them to function as media players; they can work as mobile phones and they enable one to browse the net. Most PDAs use the very latest in touch screen technology and offer easy access to the Internet through WWANs or a Wi-Fi network.

However, with so many different models in the market today, choosing the right Palm PDA can be a fairly daunting task. Here are a few features that you should look for in a PDA:

• Many PDAs feature a touch screen for quick interaction with the device. Very often they will also display shortcuts to often-used programs. In fact, some models even come with a detachable stylus that can be used to interact with the screen.
• Some models also offer full keyboards and scroll wheels that allow the user to navigate and enter data comfortably.
• There are essentially two types of PDAs, palm-sized and hand-held models. The palm-sized models are obviously much lighter with smaller displays and rely almost entirely on a touch screen or stylus for navigating or entering data. On the other hand, hand-held PDAs are heavier and have bigger displays.
• Before deciding on a PDA, you should check on its compatibility with your desktop and your laptop. If they are not compatible, you will not be able to transfer files from one device to another or sync between them, which is so essential to staying organized.
• You should also understand what operating system your PDA works best with before purchasing. Not all PDAs come with the OS that you are comfortable with and the different features of the PDA may not work well with the one you are comfortable with.
• Of course, before you go looking at different models, you should know what your budget is and research before hand, what models are available in that price range. PDAs can cost anywhere between $100 and $600, depending on the kind of features they have. Be clear about the features that you want so that you pick one that meets your requirement the best.
• Make sure you keep enough backup copies of all your information and data on the PDA. PDAs are after all electronic devices and they can get damaged if they get knocked about or dropped in water.