Tips for buying a PDA

A PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) has become an essential accessory these days for everyone from busy executives to even busier college freshmen. Once merely used as a daily organizer, the PDA has now evolved into a multi-functional device. Many PDAs now boast nearly all the features and capabilities of personal computers. You can use them as a cell-phone, to send SMS, to have wireless access to the Internet, to store music, photos and other essentials, to sync information with your Desktop Computer, and so on.

Before you buy one, make sure it has all your requirements. There are a variety of models available in the market currently - Hewlett Packard iPAQ Pocket PC h4350, PalmOneTreo 600, Palm Tungsten C, Palm Tungsten W, Palm Zire, Palm Zire 71, the Toshiba e405, Toshiba Pocket PC e350, Motorola A768i, Dell Axim X3i, Blackberry 7730, 02 XDA II mini, and Nokia 9500 Communicator, to name a few. It is a good idea to compare different models, prices, and review the various features of each on a number of Web-sites.

Here are a few tips to consider before acquiring your indispensable PDA -

1. PDAs come in sizes that range from a Credit Card sized one to one the size of a hardcover book, and can weigh between 100-1500 grams. The size and weight of the PDA are important factors to consider, since these tend to enhance or aggravate portability.

2. Frequent travelers should consider getting GSM PDA phones, since these are capable of operating on all GSM worldwide networks.

3. Most PDAs these days have integrated Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, together with larger and better quality color screens. These features consume considerable battery power, so it's preferable to check if the battery life is long-lasting before purchasing. Most PDAs come with proprietary rechargeable batteries, and these usually last (or should last) forever - they are recharged every time the PDA is connected to its sync or docking cradle. A power failure can delete all data, so battery power should be carefully monitored.

4. Most PDAs either come with docking cradles that can be connected to the PC USB port or have sync cables that can be connected to the same.

5. Get Bluetooth Adaptors rather than regular cables for synchronization. While both are expensive, the Bluetooth Adaptors are compact, easily togged along, and easily connected to any required machine.

6. A Bluetooth Headset is another good buy. With it, you don't need to handle the PDA and can take calls while driving or working.

7. Check to see if the PDA has the required RAM. Most PDAs normally come with an 8 MB RAM, but memory expansion cards can be added.

8. The PDA should have a PC Card or CompactFlash slot. This is an absolute requirement if you want to connect to a Modem. Some PDAs have Internal Modems; others have facilities at the bottom or back for connecting add-on modems.

9. Make sure that there are no problems in viewing the interface, with and without the backlight.

10. Make sure that the size of the keyboard - if this is a keyboard unit - and buttons are reasonably adequate in size for comfortable use. It is preferable to have a handheld keyboard if you're going to do any writing work on your PDA. Palm devices that are touch screen and stylus operated are usually only for storing personal information. All Palm devices have Handwriting Recognition Software - Graffiti, Transcriber, Quikwrite, CalliGrapher, PenReader, etc. You only have to write with the stylus and the application turns it into text.

11. Check that the PDA software synchronizes with commonly-used applications like Microsoft Outlook, Calendars, Alarm Clocks, World Time, Addresses, To-do Lists, and other PIM (Personal Information Manager) applications , and can handle third-party software like Office Suites - OpenOffice.org, Microsoft Office XP, etc.

12. Check that the PDA can handle multimedia services. These include the capability to play various Digital Audio Formats, Video Clips, Movies, and Computer Games, double as a Digital Camera, and display stored Digital Images, E-books, Maps, etc. Storage Cards like Compact Flash and Secure Digital allow a lot of data to be maintained on the PDA.

13. Aside for their use as Cell-phones, all PDAs can be used for sending SMS (Simple Message Service) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) and also for Chatting - in sync with the ICQ, MSN, AOL messaging services.

14. Input some data to see how the PDA functions.

15. Make sure you have an All-Inclusive Warranty.