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Beginners Guide To Buying A PDA
 by: Neal Brown

Are you considering the purchase of your very first PDA? If so, what should you look for? How much should you spend? What features should you get?

Before making the final decision to purchase a PDA, have you thoroughly researched what they can do, and if you really need one or are you just intrigued by having a new gadget like your friends? Let’s start with this question. One of the first and still major uses for a PDA is an appointment book or calendar. If you are currently using an appointment book like a Franklin Planner, the PDA can certainly replace this. One advantage of a PDA over an appointment book is that changes don’t require constant erasing and re-writing. A PDA is usually backed up on your PC, so there is always a back-up.

A new PDA does not have to be purchased every year like a Franklin Planner, so in the long run it will be cheaper. This plus the previous mentioned advantages may be enough to make the switch. Of course there are many other features and uses for a PDA besides an appointment book, among which are:

• Address book
• Calculator
• Internet Access
• Notes and document management
• Games
• GPS

Given that you are ready to go forward with the purchase, your choice of a PDA model will depend on what you need it for—what you want it to do. Following are some of the important considerations:

Memory – If you plan to use your PDA for storing large documents and other reference works, then you’ll need the corresponding amount of memory. Also check to see if the memory can be expanded. You’ll need to consider the other software that you might want to run on your PDA.

Size – All the features do you no good if you don’t bother to bring the PDA with you due to its bulky size.

Input Options – If you plan on using the PDA to take notes with, a compact external keyboard is essential. The built in stylus input is designed for small amounts of data only.

Battery Life – Again, dictated by your specific needs.

Finding the best place to purchase your PDA can be done easily with online shopping portals. Ebay of course always has offers. One thing to consider for a PDA is a buyers protection plan that is offered by many local retailers. Normally these end up costing more than they are worth, but just one drop of your PDA onto a hard surface can destroy it. If you are buying a high end PDA and will be running around with it daily, a buyers protection plan may be worthwhile.

About The Author

Neal Brown is a computer instructor. His PDA website at http://www.hot-pda.info has more resources on PDAs.

A greatly overlooked element of owning a PDA is that you actually need to take care of them if you want them to last. For most people this will mean two things – getting some software protection for your PDA and getting it a physical case to stop it getting knocked around.

As everyone knows, desktop and laptop computers need to be protected with firewalls and antivirus software. With so much malware, spyware and adware around it is pretty much a necessity. Unfortunately the same thing has to be done for your PDA. A good money saving tip is to search for software that can be used on both your computer and your PDA. There are tons of options available with Avast4 PDA Edition and Airscanner software both being very popular choices for protecting PDAs. Installing this software should be very high on your agenda when getting a new PDA as an unsecured device is just as vulnerable to attack as an unsecured PC.

The other thing you will need to consider is some physical protection for your PDA. The fact is that PDAs will get knocked around a lot in general use (even more if you are a PDA addict!). For this there are luckily an incredible amount of choices. You can go with a soft case or a hard case. The choice should really depend on how heavily you use the PDA – with heavier users perhaps being well-advised to stick with hard cases. Soft cases are fine for general users, but obviously they will not stand up to the same level of abuse as a hard case. Of course having a cool looking case is important too! Luckily there are no shortage of funky cases either!

By protecting your PDA both physically and from a software point of view you will extend its effective life significantly. As with any investment it is wise to protect it and get your money’s worth!

About The Author

Rob Wood runs a PDA Accessory website at http://pda-assistant.info.
Article provided by Articlecity.com

The Evolution of the PDA
 by: Jeremy Maddock

In the past few years, a great number of businesspeople, professionals, and ordinary consumers have been purchasing “Personal Digital Assistants,” electronic devices designed to organize and simplify one’s life.

The first PDAs, which hit the market in the mid 1990s, were little more than glorified notepads, making it possible to store a record of notes, phone numbers, calendars, and day-to-day appointments on an electronic device. These devices gradually evolved over the years, and Palm Inc.’s popular Palm Pilot devices gained a loyal following of both consumers and enterprise-level users.

New features, including 3D games, multimedia applications, and even Wi-Fi internet access have become commonplace on modern day PDAs, making them both practical and entertaining.

As time goes by, however, the functions performed by PDAs are being slowly but surely integrated into the many advanced cellular phones and mobile email devices now on the market.

This has led to a significant decline in demand for standalone Palm Pilots and Pocket PCs, which are increasingly being replaced by smartphones, converged devices which integrate mobile computing with wireless communication.

Most new smartphones serve as fully functional cellular phones, while integrating many of the features of a laptop computer. Each device comes equipped with its own operating system, along with a wide range of software applications specially designed for mobile devices. They are also capable of accessing the internet, usually over a cellular broadband connection, and can be used to check one’s email when on the go.

Although the cost is somewhat prohibitive for the majority of consumers, smartphone PDAs have become an institution among enterprise users, and are now a necessity for many mobile businesspeople.

All in all, PDA manufacturers are doing a good job of evolving with new technology, and providing users with an increasingly efficient and functional experience.

About The Author