The Beginner's Guide To Choosing a PDA

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 as a datebook or appointment planner, a purpose 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 great eBook readers. And for jotting down quick notes or sending text messages, an onscreen keyboard or stylus with handwriting recognizer.

What other fancy features would you like? A USB connector will let you hook up your peripherals. A backlight is essential if you won't always have full light. And then 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 for shoulder-surfing PDAs.

Major brands include the Windows Mobile Classic PDAs, 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, Pocket PC, and the Blackberry. 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.

Exploring the World of Windows Mobile

There is no doubt that the mobile phone software market has become more competitive in the last decade. Microsoft has had to compete with both the iPhone and Google Android mobile software. But, unlike the case with the desktop (where Microsoft still rules with an iron fist), the competition has inspired Microsoft to live up to its best reputation on the mobile phone platform.

Microsoft has undertaken a balanced approach in the Windows Mobile operating system. Since it falls into the gap between high-end tinkering geeks (on Linux-based systems) and pampered elites who want a self-contained system (on Apple systems), Microsoft makes a system that appeals to the broadest middle demographic. So you will find a system that is ready to stand on its own two feet, but can also be modified for special purposes if you really need them.

One of the purposes where Microsoft has traditionally triumphed is games. Video games continue to be one of the top reasons people say they use the Microsoft platform, as there simply isn't any other platform which the game industry so routinely supports. Between the Microsoft XBox - a guaranteed source of ports - and the reputation which has half-jokingly earned Windows the nickname "Wintendo," Windows Mobile has a wide array of games from simple casual puzzles to 3D adventures, first-person shooters, simulators, and strategy games of all stripes.

Web browsing is another "must have" Windows Mobile app. While Microsoft's own Internet Explorer remains the default choice, both Mozilla Firefox and Opera have browsers available for Windows Mobile. Both run with speed and grace on Windows Mobile, being very finger-friendly.

Media players are another area where Microsoft has stayed competitive. Particularly the video and Flash spheres, where users can get their wish of having something "just work" without having to activate or install some obscure codec. This goes leagues towards helping Microsoft keep the convenience of the user its first priority.

However, the place where Microsoft really shines is its app availability. Apps have been the source of some media buzz lately. In particular Apple and AT&T have not been friendly to developers. Microsoft absolutely courts developers, so a huge variety of apps are available in a thriving ecology on the Windows Mobile platform. Both practical and obtuse, silly and serious, useful and entertaining, there's an app on the Windows Mobile platform for anybody and everybody.