PDAs for Beginners
For everyone thinking of buying their first PDA, this guide's for you! A gentle introduction to these devices should be all you need. PDAs aren't like other computers - they're compact, user-friendly, fast, featureful, and even fun!
The first thing you have to do is figure out what you want to use a PDA for. The most common use is a datebook/appointment planner, for which PDAs are suited like no other device. Address books are the second most common feature, and something else that are very well-managed on a PDA. A calculator is a given. Email and Bluetooth/ WiFi connectivity is usually required as well. PDAs also make good eBook readers. And, while the lack of a proper keyboard will prove a handicap if you're looking to write the great American novel, jotting down quick notes or sending text messages will be quite easy with an onscreen keyboard or stylus with handwriting recognizer.
What other fancy features? A USB connector will let you hook up peripherals. A backlight is essential if you won't always have full light. And there's the entertainment value - quite a few games are being written for the PDA platform, and multi-media applications will let you watch movies or listen to music. And web browsers have also become standard with the platform.
All of these will be things to keep in mind when you go shopping. Be sure to ask around your social circle for the model you're interested in; chances are you know someone who has a model they'll let you look at. Work is an especially good environment to ask about PDAs in.
Major brands include:
· ASUS - Asus P750 3G/ HSDPA/ GPS PDA Smartphone
· Hewlett-Packard - HP iPAQ 212 Enterprise Handheld PDA
· 4P - 4P FDA300 - Intrinsically Safe PDA - CE5 / Barcode / GPRS / Atex
· Zypad - Zypad WL1100 Wearable Industrial CE6 PDA with GPS
· Blackberry
· HTC
Of course, the market is always changing, and new manufacturers are always coming and going. Some of the PDS market is getting absorbed from either end into the smartphone category at the lower end and the UMPC (think mini, mini laptop) on the high end, so you might consider these devices as well.
Some quick care tips for after you get your PDA: Use furniture polish to clean your PDA, buffing out any scratches. An inexpensive alternative to a screen protector is to use a swatch of clear vinyl tablecloth from a fabric store, cut to fit the screen, stuck on with a few drops of water and using your fingers to smooth out the bubbles. In case your PDA ever gets lost, set an alarm to go off once a week and briefly flash your phone number and address on the screen, to help people find it and return it. And when worse comes to worse, remember that a hard reboot, not a soft reboot, will reset the device just like hitting Control-Alt-Delete on your home computer reboots it.
PDAs last for years, are almost never susceptible to software problems like computers are, and once you get one, you'll keep discovering new uses for them that you didn't think of before. All in all, a PDA will be a worthwhile addition to your electronic arsenal!
Filed Under: PDAs
