Handheld PC

Hand held PC is a computer that can be held in hand and to be held in hand a PC has to be small enough. Therefore it can be concluded that a Handheld PC is a small computer that is portable, lightweight and designed in such a way that it can handle your day-to-day schedule. If we look at the handheld PCs that are in the market now, it can be seen that they have features like the calendar and address book and these PCs actually function like Personal Information Manager (PIM). In fact Handheld PCs are also commonly known as personal Digital Assistant. Due to the lightweight and small size they are also known as Palmtops.

What will the Handheld PC do for me if I have one?

If you own a handheld PC, it can store all your important information and manage them and can also execute application software. It performs tasks such as storing information about your contacts, making a list of things that has to be done, maintaining your appointments and also giving you reminders regarding each of them. It also takes notes and performs calculations.

Handheld PCs have the ability to run special and specific software applications like Windows Mobile devices, which are available with smaller versions of Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Outlook like mainstream computers includes e-mail and PIM functions, apart from Windows Media Player and voice memo recording.You can also run various software that can include games, multimedia, expense, diet and exercise, travel, medical, time and billing, and reference.

How does the Handheld PC work?

Microprocessors
Alike usual desktop and laptops, handheld PCs or palmtops are strengthened by the presence of microprocessors which is the brain of the Handheld PC and it coordinates between all the functions as per the programmed instructions. Unlike desktop PCs and laptops, handheld PCs use smaller and cheaper microprocessors. Although these microprocessors work slower than the usual PCs, their work potential is sufficient for the tasks that are meant to be done by the handheld PCs. There are benefits of small size and price and these benefits cannot be overlooked even if the handheld PCs incur a heavy cost due to its slow speed.

Memory
Handheld PCs do not have a hard disk. Since it stores only basic programs like address book, calendar, memo pad and operating system, the purpose can be served by a read-only memory (ROM) chip, which remains entire even when the machine is shut down. Any data and any number of programs that you add later can be stored in the Handheld Pc's random-access memory (RAM). Information that is there in RAM is only available when the device is switched on. Due to their innovative design, handheld PCs keep data safe in RAM because they keep on drawing small amounts of power from the batteries even when the device is turned off.

Operating System
The operating system of the Handheld PCs contains a list of instructions which are already programmed and that tell the microprocessor the work it is supposed to do, how and when. The operating systems used by Handheld PCs are not as complicated as the ones used by Desktop PCs. The former has fewer instructions, which actually requires lesser memory.

Display
Handheld PCs use LCD that is Liquid crystal display but not only as an output device since in this case they are used as output as well as input device. Most of these Handheld PCs have color displays.

Handheld PCs have been far more popular when they first arrived in the market than now as most of the features of a Handheld PC are available now in the cellular phones as a result people have stopped buying handheld PCs as such. Several companies that took keen interest in this industry are gradually going out of it since the demand is decreasing by and by.